Can we talk blood pressure?

It boils down to the the therapy is unique to each person and their lifestyle (and compliance). I am not a big fan of Nrvasc (amlodipine) but it is frequently perscibed as a first line agent. Swelling of the legs and ankles is a common side effect. In either case, it takes many days for people to stabilize on a new treatment regiment for HTN. There are also ethnic and genetic differences between individuals so too say XYZ drug works for me, may not be appropriate for you. Edema in the legs is usually an indication that a diuretic is needed typically I use them in addition to an ACE or ARB, but I recommend you get a full cardiac workup. I would get a referral to a cardiologist, as there may be other cardiac pathologies that need to be evaluated, and/or a different combination of HTN medications.
 
Type 2 for 20 years, high blood pressure, high bad cholesterol.
Meds stopped working, insulin was the next step but I didnt want to go there.
I went on a strict Ketogenic diet.
Within 4 weeks I had to reduce all the meds, after 12 weeks I had to stop all the meds.
Lost 25 Kg but plateaued at 93Kg.
I stayed on the diet for two and a half years and felt great and no meds.
Last christmas I started eating the so called normal diet, I'm now back on 2x diabetic meds, 1x blood pressure and 1 statin and putting weight on.
I WILL re start keto pretty soon as it really improved my general health all over.
I believe it will be difficult for americans to do this diet as its no sugar or carbs in anything.
Its worth looking into but finding a doctor who will believe in it is very very difficult.
I was lucky and found 2 of them.
Keep taking what they prescribe you but start keto and track whats happening.
If you do it properly it will do no harm.
Most people have to drastically reduce or stop their meds .
BUT, and its a big but, removing all the sugar, bread, pasta, rice potatoes etc etc is not easy for some and if you cheat it takes a couple of days to get back into ketosis. (not to be confused with ketoacidosis)
 
I'm 78 years old sleep 5 hours a night, donate platelets every 3 weeks, cholesterol 165, BP 128/60, pulse 58, O2 96%, hemoglobin 14,4. I take thyroid med, vitamin D3, 2 Tylenol 650 mg morning & night for arthritis. work in my shop or cut grass for some local widows 12 hours a day. I can still outwork most young folks. I have worked this way all my life, I retired 20 years ago but never stopped. I am afraid to stop.

fixit
 
I'll just add a couple of things. I have moderate high blood pressure and significant family history of cardiac problems. I did a suite of cardiac tests and was relieved that they didn't indicate any serious problems.

Re medication, my doctor said that there are 5 classes of drugs used to treat high blood pressure. The initial dose of a drug tends to provide most of the benefit. Increasing the dose often only gives a small incremental benefit. Therefore, combining two classes is often more beneficial than increasing the dose of any particular med. Each class has its own side effects and each person's tolerance is different. Unfortunately, you need a few months to really see how a new med is working.

Even better than meds, though, is making the changes in diet, exercise and lifestyle that reduce or eliminate the need for meds. Even a few pounds (kilograms) of weight loss can make a difference.

BTW, I've become a big fan of the Apple Watch. (Only works with iPhone, though.) It measures my heart rate regularly during the day and will provide alerts if it is dangerously fast or slow. It provides gentle reminders prompting me to be more active and keeps track of my exercise. It doesn't measure blood pressure directly, but it is simple to transfer the reading from my Omron cuff to the iPhone. The phone makes it easy to review trends in my blood pressure...and show the doctor. When I went for my cardiac tests, I noticed that the technician was wearing an Apple Watch. She said that the Watch measurements were bang on with testing equipment in their facility!

HTH

Craig
 
I have two stents in my heart and did have high cholesterol. I take a statin and to protect my heart I take a mild blood pressure med. My left ankle will swell by the end of the day if I am on my feet too much or if I sit with my foot not flat on the floor. I have a bad habit when sitting at the desk of rolling my foot onto its side, which restricts the blood flow. All a sign of poor circulation in my leg. I have gotten my cholesterol under control by taking fish oil and flax seed oil daily. I take three capsules each in the morning and at night. The meds were never able to put my cholesterol where it belongs, but the oils have it down to a young mans level.

Jeff,
Bottom line, you need to get checked out by a doctor, preferably a cardiologist. They may call for a stress test, where they put you on a tread mill all wired up. But you need to get checked out properly. This forum is not the place for medical advice other than as stated by others, you need to see a cardiologist.

You have just decided to stay in your home, let's make sure you can enjoy it.
 
Papa Charlie said:
You have just decided to stay in your home, let's make sure you can enjoy it.
Click to expand...
These are my thoughts.
I appreciate the opinions. I know we are all different and IU would not ask my PA for a specific drug based on this site. It is interesting to compare and see what has worked for some of you.
I agree, losing a few pounds does make a difference.
Regarding fish oil for cholesterol, I take prescription Lovaza, It's a highly refined fish oil. It works great. My insurance wanted me to go on Lipitor. I stick with the benefits of fish oil.
I just know I need to get the BP down. It's too darn high.
The good thing, I just had an eye exam and the doc said there is zero evidence of capillary damage from high BP.
That's good.
Thanks guys,
 
savarin said:
Type 2 for 20 years, high blood pressure, high bad cholesterol.
Meds stopped working, insulin was the next step but I didnt want to go there.
I went on a strict Ketogenic diet.
Within 4 weeks I had to reduce all the meds, after 12 weeks I had to stop all the meds.
Lost 25 Kg but plateaued at 93Kg.
I stayed on the diet for two and a half years and felt great and no meds.
Last christmas I started eating the so called normal diet, I'm now back on 2x diabetic meds, 1x blood pressure and 1 statin and putting weight on.
I WILL re start keto pretty soon as it really improved my general health all over.
I believe it will be difficult for americans to do this diet as its no sugar or carbs in anything.
Its worth looking into but finding a doctor who will believe in it is very very difficult.
I was lucky and found 2 of them.
Keep taking what they prescribe you but start keto and track whats happening.
If you do it properly it will do no harm.
Most people have to drastically reduce or stop their meds .
BUT, and its a big but, removing all the sugar, bread, pasta, rice potatoes etc etc is not easy for some and if you cheat it takes a couple of days to get back into ketosis. (not to be confused with ketoacidosis)
Click to expand...
Carb restriction certainly is the key to weight loss for me as I find a little carbs leads to a lot more carbs. I had great luck with a Paleo diet--not as restrictive as keto as it allows fruits, although there can be quite a bit of overlap. Like everything it only works if you stick to it, however, and the pandemic has given me an excuse to fall off the Paleo wagon.

What amazed me after about 18 months on Paleo with bacon, butter, etc. (all the things that are supposed to be bad for you), my lipids were better than ever. It really does make me question conventional wisdom of the evil of fat vs. sugar/carbs.
 
The only thing that concerns me about that kind of diet is the lack of fiber.
I am a carb addict.
Breakfast is always protein-fat-eggs, cheese, bacon on an english muffin. 8 hours later I eat my carb lunch.
Apples, mango, strawberries (fruit) greek yogurt and granola. =LOVE THIS. been eating this lunch for ten years.
Dinner is always healthy and well balanced.
Carbs for dinner = Coors light too. Only 2-3. :) A man has to have a vise.
My cholesterol is great, we rarely eat meat for dinner. If we do it's chicken or fish.
You would think with this diet I wouldn't weigh 215 lbs. I am 6 feet though. Lean, good looking :)
Ah hell, my modeling days are long gone.
I'm off on my daily walk......
 
Jeff,
Fiber can be an issue--it's amazing how much kale, etc. you need to eat to get the 27g of recommended daily fiber! I eat 1-2 Quest protein bars per day that have 10-12 g of fiber. Not technically Paleo, but pretty clean and satisfy cravings for chocolate, etc.

www.questnutrition.com

Protein Bars

www.questnutrition.com www.questnutrition.com

Evan
 
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