Blood pressure medication

[Sarvanga38]

I am currently being a complete ostrich about the fact that my blood pressure is too high, but the GP is now going to force my hand by requiring a 7-day blood pressure diary, or I suspect they won't renew my HRT prescription.

I accept that I just need to bite the bullet and provide the information, but just wanted to get a couple of things straight in my head:

• Is blood pressure medication 'for life', or if I reduce my not inconsiderable weight, get fitter and it reduces, will I be able to come off it?
• Will this mean I need to stop HRT?

Many thanks for any info.

I went to the gp with headaches and as my bp always seemed to be high normal I wondered if it was linked. My gp dismissed the headaches as linked and diagnosed me with stage 1 hypertension. As I’ve been trying to lose weight she said to try this first because once they start you on bp medication you have to take it for life. I’ve lost nearly a stone and now my bp is around 115/80. But I’m keeping a close eye on it and will definitely take meds if necessary.

BP readings are generally lower after a bottle of wine ( this is true, but I am not suggesting ppl do this)

Me too. Hate the swelling ankles

@MarchHare339would you mind sharing which med has given you the agonising fingers?

I’m due to start BP meds soon and I already have arthritic fingers, so would prefer not to make them worse!

The GP didn’t tell me that. I don’t think it’s true. My mother was taken off hers at one point. I know I really need to lose weight but am finding it incredibly hard.

i'm exactly like the previous poster with the spiky readings! One minute 160/98, and not long after, 130/82 or whatever, within a few minutes. And up and down over days, too.

I was on tablets for years, then it was stopped when I went in for a procedure, and then didn't restart it as it was still low for a bit afterwards. Then when I went back to the GP to restart, she said the average was now under the range needed for medication (140/90), so I'm not taking anything now. I'm not sure about this, as the average is now high 130s over high 80s, plus the spikiness, but that's what the guidelines say.

It used to be well controlled on the medication, well in the normal range, and now without medication it's very borderline. I have exercised loads and lost lots of weight since stopping, to see if I could get it back down to normal, but there's been no shift at all, which is depressing. It does mean I have stayed off the medication, though, which is good in some ways, but having blood pressure so much higher than before all the time doesn't seem like a good thing!

I am considering HRT too so need to see her about that, but had to get the blood pressure sorted out first, but I guess this is the level they are happy with?!

It’s Lisinopril.

I had severe early pre-eclampsia at 28 weeks in pregnancy & have a family history of premature vascular disease - my mum had a bypass at 54.

So the inevitable happened in my 50’s & I now take 10mg lisinopril with no side effects at all.

i did try amlodipine but asked to swap as I got swollen ankles which is no good for a runner.

for me, I accept I will be on this for life & quite frankly it’s way better than the alternative of having a stroke etc. Exercise makes no difference to my BP.

Just realised this is my old post, popping up again.

As an update - I did grow up, do the readings, get the medication. Have also now lost 4 stone with Mounjaro, so everything looking far rosier!

Well done! Did you have any side effects grom
the jabs? Did the weight loss not reduce your BP?

Meds did some of it, weight loss has done more.

@SnowdropsBlooming I think it should be on a case by case basis. For instance I have an aneurysm (found incidentally) and I was already on blood pressure meds but now my blood pressure target is 120/70. 130/80 is too high for me.

Yes I agree! It seems that my GP at least is totally tied to the Nice guidelines, and there isn't any room for clinical judgement or variation - it seems to come down to almost chance, sometimes, which of the numbers happens to be the ones that get used for the average for that week.

I’ve come back to this thread as I’m feeling absolutely awful. Exhausted all day every day, headaches, joint pains , weakness, dizzy spells. Could not be the BP medication? I feel absolutely miserable.

Get your bloods tested. Low Vit D can cause all that as can low iron. But even if they are fine don't soldier on if you feel like that as there are loads of different BP meds out there (I should know, I'm starting on my 10th one 🙄😂)

I have had my blood done but the GP has repeatedly refused to test me for vitamin D. Says everyone is deficient and it’s not needed. Believe me I have tried over and over again.

Also on third BP medication so far.

You can take up to 5,000 iu a day quite safely especially if you are housebound but it does need to be taken with Vitamin K for better absorption. The 1,000 a day is for a healthy outdoor person during the winter months. I personally take the Better You mouth spray of 3,000 with Vit K as it's right in the middle (and I'm sick of taking so many tablets).

I've just looked at my latest meds that I haven’t started yet . It's Lisinopril 😬 Go back to your GP, it may or may not be the new meds, but you can't go on like that. Good luck

I’ve just started my sixth BP medication. The first five gave me indigestion.

I have inherited high BP from my dad. I was getting terrible headaches and took myself to the surgery nurse to get it measured properly - it was nearly flipping 200/120. She put me on Ramipril straight away but two weeks later I had a 'heart event'. It's gone down in my records as minor heart attack but it's also possible that it was acute angina. Not really sure...

But almost certainly triggered by high BP.

I am on Ramipril and Bisoprolol AND amlodipine now. I have stiff fingers and joints but no other side effects. I have recently (Finally) been given HRT and I have been on a collagen supplement for around a month so joint pain much better than it was.

It's not great knowing I'm on meds for life, but it's reassuring to know I have taken the steps to counter a potentially dangerous state of being.

I'm hoping to go off it when I finally have another operation to cure primary hyperparathyroidism! One of the few things that cause high blood pressure that is curable with an operation!

I have been using that spray too.

Well that’s another BP medication making me ill. I can’t find one that suits me, I’m so upset I’m probably going to die.

I feel your pain. Have you tried other things to get it down? I’m trying hibiscus tea at the moment .

I have been taking 5mg ramipril for a few years now (I am 52). Don't know if it's giving me side effects as I never feel great anyway.
Like others, mine is hereditary and I had pre eclampsia in both pregnancies. I am not particularly overweight, could perhaps do with losing half a stone.
I wish I had more time to exercise like I used to as now is the time I really need to. I am not looking forward to submitting the latest lot of readings as my dose will probably have to go up.
Sympathies with everyone else dealing with it-depressing. It must be hard if all the medication so far has given you bad side effects @Agernonthingy .