Apparently I *am* hypertensive - grr. What's going to happen now?

[solidgoldbrass]

Had the 24-hour monitor thingy done about a month ago, had letter from GP this morning saying I do need treatment: any other MN hypertensives out there with useful advice?

Bumping for you, solid.

I've also got high BP.

Your GP will almost certainly prescribe medication for you (usually an ACE inhibitor rather than beta blockers these days) and also talk about diet and exercise, all that lifestyle stuff, family history. You will probably have to have a fasting blood test to check cholesterol levels amongst other things.

It came as a real shock to me at first but the thing to remember is that it is treatable. There are a few of us on MN with high BP!

Ah well, I shouldn't flap too much as has happened before (spent the first 6 months of DS' life on Labetolol): thing is, I was adopted so have no family medical history. I just do'nt like being officially 'ill'...

Oh god, well first of all you get a bloody lecture about salt and exercise and losing weight and then prescribed drugs which slow your heart down and make you feel 92.

I lost two stone and mine went back to normal.

What is your average BP?

I think it's usually something like 145/105. I don't eat much salt (don't put it in cooking or add it at the table except for the occasional boiled egg), am physically active though not particularly slender. THough I do like a drink.

Mine when I was pregnant went up to 185/147. I was quite proud of that - for about five minutes until I realised it can kill you.

Do you eat processed food, that tends to have a lot of hidden salt?

I guess you need to lose some weight but if it is hereditary you may just have to take medication for ever

105 diastolic is too high though - a 10% reduction apparently reduces your risk of a stroke by 40%, so even small things you can do to bring it down are worthwhile.

I don't eat much processed food, tend to cook from scratch for me and DS.
But I can beat your PG score: about 20 minutes after giving birth I managed 200/120 and frightened the nurses who thought that was in spite of the pill I'd been given earlier, but I explained that I hadn't been able to keep it down...

Sorry but that doesn't win, it's the second number that really matters most. www.bpassoc.org.uk/BloodPressureandyou/Thebasics/Bloodpressure - you should have a good look at this site btw.

I don't have much useful advice solid gold but it sounds like things are a bit similar. I gave birth two weeks ago. Was induced at 36 weeks because of pre-eclampsia. Blood pressure went down initially to around normal but within a couple of days was back up again generally around 170 / 118. They've stuck me on several pills (atenol, ramipril) with high doses of each but i don't really know how long i'll be on them for. Is it forever? Think the blood pressure is coming down, but it's early days. I haven't dared weigh myself as my baby is only two weeks old but suspect i am about two - three stone overweight - my bmi at 14 weeks pregnant was 29. Anyone else had somethere similar that can advise?

LouLou: after I had DS (I didn't have pre-eclampsia BTW, had high blood pressure from about week 26 onwards but never any other symptoms, no protein in urine, no swelling of feet or hands - apart from one bout of swollen ankles one hot afternoon - no headaches or visual disturbances... got induced at 41 weeks partly because of climbing blood pressure partly becauase I was 39 and a week overdue was enough) I was on labetolol for about 6 months. I had 400mg for the first month, then as blood pressure was stabilised, down to 100mg a day, then I asked my (new) GP if I could stop the pills and he said yes, OK. But before getting PG I had a history of at least white-coat hypertension and probably an inherited tendency to it.
Basically they will check your BP regularly and if it is down to sensible levels will reduce your doses. YOu might be able to come off the pills altogether if it goes down and stays down (my GP said basically the only way to find out if you can stop the pills is to stop them for a week or two and see what your BP does. IF it stays normal, you can stop the pills, if it goes up again it's back on the pills.)

I wondered how you'd got on with the monitor. I had one about a week after you, having just been diagnosed with diabetes.

I've just been put on a mild dose of bendroflumethiazide (diuretic), but may also need an ace inhibitor.

I tend to be borderline anyway, and had problems with all three pregnancies, but obviously with the diabetes it needs to be normal rather than borderline.

Rebel: good luck. I am too lazy and disorganised to have rung the GP for an appointment yet but when I do I will update and we can whine about our meds together

I have been on a low dose propranolol but it didn't work so my gp put me on a low dose water tablet which made me feel really yucky so I stopped, I have been taking hawthorn tablets from health shop, magnesium 500mg and potassium 200 mg daily and as far as I know since it is much better I should be able to convince them this week that I can now come off the propranolol.

All those tablets have side-effects, I don't think the natural herb and supplements do so am happy to take these for ever! You can also take garlic supplements if you can afford to keep buying everything under the sun, which I can't.

The other thing is to of course take regular exercise (which I'm not doing!) and cut down on caffeine.

I just hate taking those tablets they prescribe, I guarantee you you will feel worse once they kick in, even if they regulate your bp.

100/150 reading isn't so bad, others have it a lot worse. Mine was that at its highest point but only cos I was stressed and eating crap and constantly on the go. I am sure the supplements and hawthorn really help and is well worth trying first. You should be able to tell after 8 weeks and their tablets from the gp won't work any quicker either!

Sorry, hope I didn't offend anybody medical!

Reiki, I don't know anything about supplements, but I need to get mine properly under control because of the diabetes, borderline isn't good enough.

I do take regular (gentle) exercise and don't drink coffee anyway.

I've had my meds changed today. Will have to see if that makes any difference. (The diuretic bought my bp down a bit, but not enough.)

Have you got your meds yet Solid?

I have just started taking BP meds today. I am on nifipedine.

I had a 24 hour monitor with the GP and was then referred to the hospital for more tests. I had tonnes of blood tests, an ECG (followed by an echocardiogram as the ECG showed an abnormality)and I also had the lovely task of collecting every single drop of urine for 48 hours!

I have lost 2.5 stones and am now a healthy BMI but unfortunately it hasn't reduced my BP at all.

Beetroot juice has been proven to lower blood pressure as effectively as some meds. I did try drinking it but it made me gag!