Blood pressure update.

[rogs]

I'm glad you guys are OK with taking Ramipril. As far as I'm concerned, it's evil stuff! Gave me terrible problems with my throat!!

I was glad to get the chance to use Candesartan instead!

It's amazing that even after over 100 years after the invention of the sphygmomanometer, the medical profession are still mostly baffled by the reason for many folks high blood pressure.
I have two close colleagues: one who follows all the rules -- doesn't smoke, exercises regularly, is not carrying any weight, and the other who still smokes 30 cigarettes a day, hasn't done any sport since 1975, and is 3 stone overweight.
Guess which one has high blood pressure?!

There's no justice in this world!

 

[Mikebits]

I'm glad you guys are OK with taking Ramipril. As far as I'm concerned, it's evil stuff! Gave me terrible problems with my throat!!

I was glad to get the chance to use Candesartan instead!

It's amazing that even after over 100 years after the invention of the sphygmomanometer, the medical profession are still mostly baffled by the reason for many folks high blood pressure.
I have two close colleagues: one who follows all the rules -- doesn't smoke, exercises regularly, is not carrying any weight, and the other who still smokes 30 cigarettes a day, hasn't done any sport since 1975, and is 3 stone overweight.
Guess which one has high blood pressure?!

There's no justice in this world!

It is unfortunate but nevertheless a fact of life that we human beings were not made from the exact same blueprints. With that said, what is good for the goose is not always good for the gander. In other words, each one of us has a slightly different genetic code and there currently is not a predictor as to how one might react to a particular drug. It is for this reason that final phase testing of a drug includes thousands of patients in order to find adverse affects. You seem to be one that falls into the side effect category of Ramipril, but that does not make this an evil drug.

Some side effects can be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them, call your doctor immediately:

• swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
• hoarseness
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• yellowing of the skin or eyes
• fever, sore throat, chills, and other signs of infection
• lightheadedness
• fainting

Ramipril may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.


For my BP meds I take 12 mg. Hydrochlorothiazide once per day. It is a simple diuretic and only side effect is I have to get up at night to pee.

 

[amando96]

Glad it's going down.

My resting heart rate is just over 40, if i relax deeply it can go to 38...

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Glad it's going down.

My resting heart rate is just over 40, if i relax deeply it can go to 38...

Are you officially dead?

A lad used to work with me, Neil (we called him Arnie) was super-fit and a body builder. He got ambulanced to hospital with an inflamed testicle (so big they gave him a sling for it). They wouldn't let him go home again, and when he asked why it was because his heart rate was abnormally low - so he pointed out that was normal for him, as he was so fit.

On a side note, they never did find the cause of the swollen testicle, and it happened twice more later later on.

 

[amando96]

I do a lot of cardio, I hope that's why it's low, the electro cardio gram person wasn't alarmed, but then again health here isn't much.

at testicle

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

at testicle

Apparently it was REALLY, REALLY painful - and to make matters worse, everyone in the Hospital came to have a look, as it was the biggest they had seen

 

[HiTech]

A lad used to work with me, Neil (we called him Arnie) was super-fit and a body builder. He got ambulanced to hospital with an inflamed testicle (so big they gave him a sling for it). They wouldn't let him go home again, and when he asked why it was because his heart rate was abnormally low - so he pointed out that was normal for him, as he was so fit.

That's a medical fallacy -- while there are plenty of physically fit people with pulse rates on the lower side, many high level athletes have pulses well above that. During my bicycle racing days, my anerobic threshold was 206bpm. A cardiologist friend was concerned for me and said I shouldn't be taking my heart above 180 and more like 172bpm. However at those rates I just started to sweat and feel the workout. My recovery rate was excellent as my heart returned to normal rate in 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Given all that level of athleticism who would've guessed I would experience a heart attack years later, just several months after successfully passing a nuclear stress test!!! Fortunately for me, I was with a friend at the time, a doctor that specializes in pain. He knew instantly of my situation (angina and grey complexion) and despite my denials he insisted and guilted me to head to the emergency room. I underwent an arterial stent to an artery that was 99% blocked. The cardiologist claims 3-5 more days and the outcome may have been very different if not catastrophic for me. My heart has no measurable damage and output is normal due to getting to the ER in advanced time.

 

[tvtech]

Apparently it was REALLY, REALLY painful - and to make matters worse, everyone in the Hospital came to have a look, as it was the biggest they had seen

LOL. Here are some very old very big nuts. OW!!!!

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Now he DOES need a sling!

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

OK, another update - back to see the nurse, and doctor, today - Felodipine increased from 5mg to 7.5mg per day (as expected). Go back again in four weeks, where I expect it will be increased again to 10mg.

Went a walk afterwards - this one:

Discover Derbyshire and the Peak District

Or at least tried to , did over seven miles on a four mile walk, and didn't seem able to follow the instructions very well, with paths not been shown on my GPS.
Heres the elevation plot, and some picures I took on the way.

Notice there was some steep downhill on the elevation, at about five miles

You might also notice on these 'country scenes' plenty of mining signs, this area was lead mining country, where as I live in old coal mining country.

 

[HiTech]

Do your BP meds contain blood thinning properties? If so you may notice easier than normal skin bruising and or slowed coagulation.

Oh, btw welcome to the world of us old farts! Now instead of chatting with folks about world events and issues of the day, you can partake in real conversations on arthritis, joint replacement, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, etc.!

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Do your BP meds contain blood thinning properties? If so you may notice easier than normal skin bruising and or slowed coagulation.

No, Ramipril is an 'ACE inhibitor', and Felodipine is a 'calcium channel blocker'.

I think they leave the 'blood thinners' to last

 

[ericgibbs]

Nigel,
For a fleeting moment reading that 'green' graph I thought it was your BP elevation versus distance walked... glad I was wrong.!!

BTW:
if you start to get a very dry throat, check with your Dr about the Ramipril.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Nigel,
For a fleeting moment reading that 'green' graph I thought it was your BP elevation versus distance walked... glad I was wrong.!!

Not a bad hill was it?

BTW:
if you start to get a very dry throat, check with your Dr about the Ramipril.

Yes I know, I had a very dry mouth for the first couple of weeks, but seem to have settled down OK now.

Now I'm on 7.5mg of Felodipine, I have to take 3x2.5mg, as they don't do 7.5mg tablets - the doctor didn't give me a mix of 5mg and 2.5mg as that would double the price (two prescriptions instead of one).

 

[ericgibbs]

Not a bad hill was it?



Yes I know, I had a very dry mouth for the first couple of weeks, but seem to have settled down OK now.

Now I'm on 7.5mg of Felodipine, I have to take 3x2.5mg, as they don't do 7.5mg tablets - the doctor didn't give me a mix of 5mg and 2.5mg as that would double the price (two prescriptions instead of one).

hi,
I hope you walked past the Black Swan pub, I see its just 50mtrs near the start/finish.

There are ways of paying far less for your long term repeat prescriptions, ask your chemist.

EDIT:
https://www.patient.co.uk/health/Free-or-Reduced-Cost-Prescriptions.htm

Scroll half way down the document.
How can regular prescription charges be reduced?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

hi,
I hope you walked past the Black Swan pub, I see its just 50mtrs near the start/finish.

Yes, walked past it both going and coming back, but it wasn't open

I was so knackered on the way back, I was going to call for a drink and lunch!.

Incidently, I fitted a 50 inch Samsung Plasma on the wall there the other year

Do you know it?, it's known locally as "The Mucky Duck".

Anyway, if anyone looked at the link for the walk I attempted, there's a picture of a huge great chimney, from an old steam engine - and I was trying to find it (and failing!).

I've since been googling, and trying to find details of it, and I've actually taken a picture of it on one of those I posted earlier, and not noticed - it's this picture here, and you can just see the top on the far right, about 1/3rd of the way up! - damn, so near and yet so far!

https://www.electro-tech-online.com/attachments/dscf0008-jpg.44378/

BTW, found it from this picture:

https://www.mindat.org/photo-284260.html

Makes a difference, no leaves on the trees

There are ways of paying far less for your long term repeat prescriptions, ask your chemist.

EDIT:
Free or Reduced Cost Prescriptions | Health | Patient UK

Scroll half way down the document.
How can regular prescription charges be reduced?

Yes I know, but currently my prescription costs are lower than paying yearly. The doctor is giving me 2 months each time, so currently 2x6x£7.20 - if I go up to three lot's of pills, I'll buy a yearly certificate.

 

[HiTech]

No, Ramipril is an 'ACE inhibitor', and Felodipine is a 'calcium channel blocker'.

Strange, how folks age they become dependent upon various "inhibitors and blockers" but, when it involves sexual response it's "enhancements" to the rescue!! I guess I could sum that up by stating: there was a time when they could "do it" all night long; now it takes them all night long to "do it"!

 

[Mikebits]

Have not seen you online so much these days Nigel, hope all is well.

 

[ljcox]

That looks like a nice walk Nigel.

Some of the scenes look like those in Mid Somer Murders.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

That looks like a nice walk Nigel.

Some of the scenes look like those in Mid Somer Murders.

Funnily enough, my daughter's boyfriend lives down near Oxford, and some of the scenes for Midsomer Murders are filmed near them. It's more hilly up here, and the countryside has been sculpted by mining and quarrying.