Blood pressure update.

Pommie said:

I hadn't been to the doctors since I was around 20 but that changed 5 years ago after a heart attack. Even though my blood pressure isn't high they have got me on ramipril as well.

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Yes, it's used to prevent heart attacks as well.

One interesting thing in the literature I was given is that you should avoid dark green vegetables like broccoli and spinach.

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Not a problem, I never go near them!

hi Nigel,
There is an interesting experiment you might like to try, works for me.

Take your blood pressure at the same regular time each day, after sitting down for a couple of minutes.
Make a note of your BP.
Take your BP again, this time while the BP meter is running, relax completely and 'feel' in your mind that it will be lower, after a few days you find that you can drop the second BP reading value by about 5 to 10 points, your daily average BP level will reduce more quickly.
This BP training will teach your body the state of mind that you need, in order to reduce any imbalance that could be causing your high BP, its just a form of natural negative feedback.

tcmtech said:

Maybe you need a more relaxing hobby.

I find that kicking the local over opinionated dumb ass around is rather enjoyable, educational, entertaining, and overall generally satisfying for me, and likely a few others as well!

If you need a good referance to where to find one and a subject that could prove to be well worth the effort I can give it!

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Setting out the 'Troll Bait'...

I think staying physically active, is the best medicine. But I'm still young (47), and haven't had much of an option to slow down yet.

I would still look into what caused the alarming increase in blood pressure, see if you can avoid daily medications. I don't mind a few pills occasionally, just hate thought of being a slave to them. Has the doctor found anything yet, as to the cause?

HarveyH42 said:

Setting out the 'Troll Bait'...

I think staying physically active, is the best medicine. But I'm still young (47), and haven't had much of an option to slow down yet.

I would still look into what caused the alarming increase in blood pressure, see if you can avoid daily medications. I don't mind a few pills occasionally, just hate thought of being a slave to them. Has the doctor found anything yet, as to the cause?

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No, blood and urine tests were fine - but I don't know if it's an 'alarming increase', it may well have been like that for decades, or perhaps gradually increased over that time?.

HarveyH42 said:

I think staying physically active, is the best medicine. But I'm still young (47), and haven't had much of an option to slow down yet.

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I was 46 when I had my heart attack. Luckily no permanent damage was done.

I would still look into what caused the alarming increase in blood pressure, see if you can avoid daily medications. I don't mind a few pills occasionally, just hate thought of being a slave to them. Has the doctor found anything yet, as to the cause?

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The increase in life expectancy of recent times can be largely attributed to daily pill popping. The current recommendation is that men over 40 and women over 50 should take 100mg of asprin every day.

Nigel,
If you don't mind me asking, what was the reason you went to the doctors in the first place?

Mike.

Mike,
I was advised to take one 75mg Aspirin tablets daily, sometimes called a quarter aspirin, sold by most chemists.
You are advised to tell your dentist and medical staff that you are taking aspirin, as you may bleed a little during treatment.

Eric

Pommie said:

Nigel,
If you don't mind me asking, what was the reason you went to the doctors in the first place?

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Continuing deterioration of my eyesight, the optician suggested I should be tested for diabetes (although there was no visible sign on the back of my eyes). I've now got an appointment at the eye department in my local hospital in August.

Nigel Goodwin said:

Continuing deterioration of my eyesight, the optician suggested I should be tested for diabetes (although there was no visible sign on the back of my eyes). I've now got an appointment at the eye department in my local hospital in August.

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Sorry if I sound like I am teaching you how to suck eggs, but when you go the for eye examination, take your BP medication with you, as they have to write it to their records also after the 'relaxing' eye drops they put in your eyes prior to the examination, you cannot drive for hours, so you need a back up driver to get you home....

Been there done that...

PS: If its anything like our local hospital, take a packed lunch and a flask of coffee..

ericgibbs said:

Sorry if I sound like I am teaching you how to suck eggs, but when you go the for eye examination, take your BP medication with you, as they have to write it to their records also after the 'relaxing' eye drops they put in your eyes prior to the examination, you cannot drive for hours, so you need a back up driver to get you home....

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Thanks Eric, I'll bear that in mind.

Been there done that...



PS: If its anything like our local hospital, take a packed lunch and a flask of coffee..

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I moved my appointment from the Tuesday to the Thursday (as it's my day off work), using the web address and access details that came in the original letter (I never thought my local hospital was so modern! ). I also picked an early morning slot (8:50am), on the grounds they don't have time to get behind

Nigel Goodwin said:

I walked about six and a half miles yesterday, it's not Florida, but it was pretty hot and sunny

I took a few photos on my phone, if I can find the lead, I'll post them - nice English countryside.

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A 6.5 mile walk would sure clear ones head. Sounds nice. I work two jobs and live for the weekend (that just ended). If you get the time please post, sure all here would like to see the countryside over there. Far as the eyes, mine since about 40 have gone down hill every couple of years. Did they tie the BP to the eyes or just caught it in the testing?

Hi Nigel,
Your BP was extremely high. It is goood to see it dropping with the pills.

My BP has always been normal, lower than normal and higher than normal for many years but not too high. After my heart attack and angio-plasties, I have been taking Ramipril to keep the BP low but it still fluctuates.
My heart doctor had me wear a portable BP monitor for 24 hours that woke my wife and I up each hour at night. It fluctuated enough for him to prescribe the Ramipril forever. Maybe it showed that we were ....
I also learned to relax and reduce my BP about 10 to 20 points for each test but not if a pretty girl walks past, then my BP increases 20 to 40 points.
I think I eat too much salt which raises BP.

mramos1 said:

A 6.5 mile walk would sure clear ones head. Sounds nice. I work two jobs and live for the weekend (that just ended). If you get the time please post, sure all here would like to see the countryside over there.

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Nice rolling green fields and fields of Barley, plus a view of the historic Hardwick Hall - all close to the main M1 motorway

It all depends if I can find where the lead for my phone is?, I can't remember when I last saw it - and I'm not sure how good the photos from it are?.

Far as the eyes, mine since about 40 have gone down hill every couple of years. Did they tie the BP to the eyes or just caught it in the testing?

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First thing they did was take my BP, and schedule a blood test for the Friday (it was Monday when I went in), they also scheduled a further BP test for Wednesday with the Practice Nurse. So I saw the Nurse on the Wednesday, she took my BP multiple times and said I needed to see a doctor. I suggested Thursday would be good, as it's my day off - but she said I needed to see a Doctor NOW.

So a short time later, I got to see a different Doctor, who wanted to start me on Ramipril there and then - so he took the blood samples, rather than wait for the Friday (as he wanted samples before the Ramipril), gave me a prescription (for 5mg), and told me to get it filled at the Chemist immediately, and go straight home, lie down, and take one. He also made me another appointment for the next moring, and while it had dropped somewhat, he told me to take two tablets every morning from then on.

Two weeks from then, different Doctor again (really attractive young woman! ) and she added Felodipine as well (2.5mg), saying that they would build the dose up gradually - and made me an appointment to see the Practice Nurse in a further two weeks. That was last Thursday, and as I suspected, the Nurse (following the Doctors instructions) told me to increase the dose to 5mg every morning.

I've got a further appointment with the Nurse in another two weeks, where presumably the dose will be increased again if required?.

I cancelled my original blood test appoinment at the hospital (because the Doctor already took it), and I've since been for a further blood test, but only one tube full - apparently they want regular blood tests with Ramipril? - or at least the pretty Doctor said you don't need blood tests with Felodipine, from which I inferred you do with Ramipril.

So live goes on

audioguru said:

Hi Nigel,
Your BP was extremely high. It is goood to see it dropping with the pills.

My BP has always been normal, lower than normal and higher than normal for many years but not too high. After my heart attack and angio-plasties, I have been taking Ramipril to keep the BP low but it still fluctuates.
My heart doctor had me wear a portable BP monitor for 24 hours that woke my wife and I up each hour at night. It fluctuated enough for him to prescribe the Ramipril forever.

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I suspect I am as well - and quite a few other people who work at the same company as me are as well - almost everyone you talk to is on BP medication

I managed to avaoid the 24 hour monitor, it must be really annoying.

Maybe it showed that we were ....
I also learned to relax and reduce my BP about 10 to 20 points for each test but not if a pretty girl walks past, then my BP increases 20 to 40 points.
I think I eat too much salt which raises BP.

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I haven't added salt to food for a good few years, but apparently 85% of salt intake is from processed foods anyway.

That "see the Doctor NOW" would have scared the mess out of me. WOW. And you felt fine probably too. Hope you keep getting the pretty Doctor, gives you something to look forward to other than needles. Maybe try to get us a picture of the Doctor

mramos1 said:

That "see the Doctor NOW" would have scared the mess out of me. WOW. And you felt fine probably too. Hope you keep getting the pretty Doctor, gives you something to look forward to other than needles. Maybe try to get us a picture of the Doctor

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She might be a little suspicious when I take a camera in

I imagine she's late 20's?, and whilst VERY attractive, still came over as competent and confident - she has the Doctor 'mind set'.

I am sure that the meds would help stabilize the bp to comfortable level, very soon, Nigel.
In India, they prescribe some potassium based salt as against the normal sodium salts.
it is sold under name "LOna"(low sodium ). I am sure , such equivalent is available there, can halp you, of course with medical advise.
All the best for a faster normalisation.

OK, here are some local pictures from my walks, taken with my old Nokia phone, which is only VGA resolution. There's also the elevation tracking of Sundays walk from my GPS.

We do not have many views like that around here anymore. I think my BP just dropped just seeing the pictures. From the chart, the elevation would have been a workout of me. Here in Florida it's flat. A buddy I work with here grew up in London. Wonder if he misses home after he saw your pictures.

mramos1 said:

We do not have many views like that around here anymore. I think my BP just dropped just seeing the pictures. From the chart, the elevation would have been a workout of me. Here in Florida it's flat. A buddy I work with here grew up in London. Wonder if he misses home after he saw your pictures.

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My daughter is at York University, and it's incredibly flat round there as well - she finds it really strange

But if you want flat, Lincolnshire is the county - the city of Lincoln is hilly, but much of the county is very flat. At one point you get warning signs "steep hill ahead", so you carry on driving, and nothing resembling a hill ever appears

Where I grew up is hillier than here, as it's just off the bottom of the Pennine Hills - known as the backbone of England.

Also my stomping ground as a youth.

Pennine Yorkshire Short Breaks and Weekend Breaks - Yorkshire.com