High Blood Pressure

It's really not the best place to ask about health problems.

You need to take your worries and questions to a health care professional.

That’s a bit harsh jeannie. My reading of the OP is that she is regularly going to the GPS but is looking for a bit of reassurance as it’s proving difficult to get her no fown enough. Of course its worrying as all seemed to have been well for a good while. Have you thought about getting your own monitor to use at home OP? Hope it settles down soon

Thanks maryeliza yes I do have a home monitor. Just wondering whether anybody got their bp down by changing type of medication rather than just increasing the dose of their usual tablets. I believe it becomes more difficult to treat with age. Jeanie99 this is a health forum so my question is appropriate, it is meant for people to exchange experiences.

Have you decreased the salt in your diet and have you any weight to lose? These two can help lower your blood pressure.

Have you read the guidelines for treating HBP? My recollection is that if it cannot be controlled when you are on 3 different medications, you should be referred to a specialist. In your situation, that’s what I’d now ask my GP. You are on a standard combination now and the only change I think is possible is changing your ACE inhibitor to an ARB but that change often happens because of side effects and not for efficacy

www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Medicines/Choosingmeds

This is a useful summary - it suggests adding a 4th medication if it’s not controlled with 3 ( or referring). So perhaps you could discuss that with your GP?

Thanks again Maryeliza very informative site. Will see GP again after the Christmas break and we'll go from there.

Hello everyone, Blood Pressure is a common problem in both men and women. Blood pressure is the strength of your blood pushing against the sides of your vessels. Hypertension, headache, shortness of breathing these are reasons for high blood pressure. You can avoid stress through physical exercise, medications and eating a healthy diet with less salt.

I cant add anything more useful to this bluesky other than to hope it settles down soon. Is there anything you can do to relax a bit more - yoga perhaps?

You could do some research about Lercanidipine, few side effects and seems to work. One consultant told me that it was the one his relatives were on.

Bluesky,
You could also have a look here:
healthunlocked.com/blood-pressure-support

I have been taking Lercanodipine (a CCB) for 10 years to control HBP. It has one side effect for me, within 60-90 minutes of taking a 20mg tablet I have to have a mega pee. Leaving the house early can be awkward so I try to take the tablet an hour or two earlier than usual so I will be comfortable. No other side effects to report.

I was taking Candesartan for years for very high blood pressure ( genetic ) and one day about 4 years ago I nearly collapsed in a heap as BP suddenly dropped.

I stopped taking them altogether after phoning the GP of my intentions and since that day my BP is normal to low but I take Bisoprolol for A-fib and no BP medication as such. It has a tendency now to be low------can't win.

The best thing you can do is invest in a cuff monitor for home use to keep a record of your BP for a week then go back to your GP.

Thanks for your helpful replies. It's got to the stage where I dread having my bp taken or even checking it myself. Guess after 20 years on the same medication my body got used to it. But as you say there are other tablets to try. Bisoprolol seems very effective for high bp as well as for AF, never heard of lercanidipe, worth investigating, will mention to GP.

I have no experience with genetic BP so my experience is probably of no help but will explain just in case.
About 30 years ago myself and a friend were diagnosed with raised BP. She is happy taking meds, I'm not. She chose to take something and still is. I gave up tea and coffee and within 3 months mine was back to normal. During the last few years I've gradually returned to drinking both and when checked, my BP was raised. I gave up both drinks again and sure enough my BP returned to normal.
I'm wondering if in addition to genetic reasons for raised BP maybe in addition there is a lifestyle reason now?

BP still high at GP but luckily much lower when checked at home with own monitor. Now waiting to be fitted with a 24hr bp monitor as GP suspects a strong connection with anxiety which I know I suffer with, even if I don't show it and people think I'm so cool. Carrying on with my medication, happily no side effects. Will also see consultant at his bp clinic on a regular basis.

BlueSky inner anxiety is probably the trigger as I think the majority of mine when it was raised,was.
A lot has to do with stress too which affects every part of your body. Family and work bring their stresses.

I sometimes curse my parents for drilling the " stiff upper-lip " into me when I was a child. No matter what injury I suffered when playing, that voice in my ear " don't cry, be brave " echoed for years during all the injurious moments of a lifetime. It's okay to an extent but when you keep a lot in it isn't as there's no safety valve.

Anxiety is definitely contributory. Mine was sky high a year ago when I had an ailing dog who we lost. Summer, 2 hols and the fab weather and it came back down again. Recently up due to worries about a DS. Hey ho.

It just shows how easy it is that medication is dished out for a non-existent problem, which when taken can create other problems that weren't there before. BP being one of them.
I used to tell the GP's I had " white coat syndrome " but it was never taken seriously as it's a common problem among " worriers ".

You could try building in a glass of beetroot juice daily. Sounds crazy, but this is endorsed by the British Heart Foundation www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2015/january/beetroot-and-blood-pressure - and works for me! Not overly keen on the earthy taste of beetroot, so mix in a bit of apple juice.

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High Blood Pressure is when your blood pressure, a force of your blood against your artery walls. Causes of high blood pressure over-weight, poor diet, lack of physical activity and so on. Eat a healthy diet, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, morning walk.

You can have all that you've written, adv, but a high stress level will produce a high blood-pressure and worse. Many fit and healthy, usually men, in their fifties die from sudden heart attacks due to the stresses of their jobs.
Athletes have died suddenly.

So the only way of avoiding blood-pressure in the first place is to eat healthily, no smoking or alcohol and a stress-free job/life.
The nearest Monastery/Convent is------------

Adv none of the above in my case. As I have said my high BP is genetic plus my anxiety doesn't help. I'm now retired but when I was in work it must have been even higher because of work related stress. Not overweight, eat healthily, never smoked, walk everyday. And yet I've met overweight people with sedentary lifestyles with text book 120/80 BP!