High Blood Pressure - reducing using diet and exercise

I sympathise. I have been on BP meds for over 30 years. Most people I know are on them - my husband, sisters, brother, brothers-in-law, some friends. Most of us have never had side effects.

I have terrible white coat syndrome too. I had a call from the surgery in December to get it checked. I said I was too anxious. They agreed I could take some readings myself and then ring for an appointment to get it checked. I only have to look at the machine and it shoots through the roof. I have taken some ok readings but I know when I go there it will be off the scale so I haven't rung.

I have taken all the advice on Gransnet previous threads to no avail. I wish you luck.

I would be interested to know what your readings were.

I, too, suffer from White Coat Hypertension. It's something I've been aware I have for almost 50 years. after being hospitalised due to high blood pressure when expecting my 2nd child.

It's something that is now in my hospital notes. Since 2000 I have had 3 operations and the only difference it has made is that instead of a day op I have been booked for an overnight stay.

I've never been prescribed medication. Whether you need it will depend on what the 24 hour BP test shows. Getting a home BP monitor will help you as you can monitor it yourself .

Another white cost person here, daft as I worked in primary care for many years and my head certainly isn’t anxious about having my BP taken. My home monitor was checked at the surgery and agreed to be accurate. Before appointments I keep a daily note of BP and take it with me, the GP practice and most hospital staff are happy enough to take an average from that.

If surgery requires a lower BP to be recorded I find relaxation/Mindfulness exercises (I listen to some from my phone ) after a chat with someone about everyday things brings the reading down enough. I do warn the staff so I have time for relaxation and and I’ve never been refused a procedure

Worrying will make it worse pinkcosmos. We have many friends who take BP meds as does Mr C, properly prescribed it’s unlikely your BP would drop dangerously. As mine is OK when nowhere near a medic my GP does not want to prescribe meds for me, as she says they aren’t not necessary for day to day life. The BP monitor results will inform your surgery staff and I’m sure you’ll be well advised then. In the meantime if you want to make sensible changes for your general health then do but please don’t make yourself miserable. Good luck. Let us know how things settle down.

PinkCosmos I would second Cressida’s comment about getting a home BP monitor. My husband’s GP urged him to get one and measure his BP 3 times a day over a fortnight, which gives a much more accurate picture than a one day snap shot.
We do this every 3 months and email the results to the surgery ( on my home made spreadsheet!) and he gets a call if there’s anything out of ‘normal for him’ range.

Hi. Yes WCS here too. My bp shot up when I was 52 going through the menopause. It scared the life out of me and caused a lot of stress. It was only discovered because we moved house and changed GP.
I tried everything I could, joined a gym lost 2.5 stone The GP assured me it would make a big difference and I wouldn’t need medication. He was wrong, it made no difference at all, he just said “ there’s always one “ I started taking Losartan I was very worried about side effects but fortunately I’ve had none and it’s been great, my BP has been normal now for the last 13 years I’m now 67.
You may not need medication it’ll depend what the monitor reads, but try not to worry lots of people take BP medication successfully.

I think you already know the answers PinkCosmos - cut down the alcohol, lose weight and eat less. I agree with cornergran about relaxation exercises. Since I retired, my blood pressure has reduced significantly, but every so often I get stressed. I don't follow a Mindfulness regime in its entirety, but I find controlled breathing really helps.

The people I know with high blood pressure, all pour in and on, far too much salt.

It does seem to help when they change that.

growstuff

I think you already know the answers PinkCosmos - cut down the alcohol, lose weight and eat less. I agree with cornergran about relaxation exercises. Since I retired, my blood pressure has reduced significantly, but every so often I get stressed. I don't follow a Mindfulness regime in its entirety, but I find controlled breathing really helps.

Growstuff is right. If you read the British Heart Foundation website (I think this is where I saw it) there is an explanation of how, when you lose weight, your BP lowers. Also controlled breathing really does help.

I’ve used lo salt very infrequently for the last 12 years fancythat still taking the BP meds.

Try hibiscus tea. I have been drinking this for about a month, one cup a day. My BP has been as high as 230/110, today it was 139/67. May be coincidence but worth a try.

I haven't added salt when cooking for years. I don't even notice it now, but my mother always used to complain about my food and pour loads of salt on everything. I think it helps too.

My husband has extremely high blood pressure for decades. I think he is on about 6 meds for it currently. He is not overweight, he is very fit and active, he neither smokes nor drinks, we eat a healthy diet, we don’t use salt and he is not a stressy or WCS person. Consultants say he can do nothing to help himself as the above are the main causes!

He has had a truly rotten time the last few years.some meds make his ankles and feet swell so he can hardly get his shoes on, others give him pounding headaches, another makes his legs feel like severe sunburn.

9 weeks ago he had a haemorrhagic Stroke caused by high BP and is very lucky to be alive. He cannot stand, use his right arm or leg and his speech is poor. He is still in hospital. Since then his BP has come down after all these years.

There's loads about Mindfulness and breathing online, but what I do is very simple. I find somewhere comfortable, close my eyes and breathe in for a count of five and breathe out for seven. I have to concentrate on the breathing, so there isn't room in my mind for anything else.

Skydancer growstuff if you suffer from White Coat Syndrome you have it so it's something you have to accept. It's not going to go away if you practice controlled breathing or mindfullness although it might ease stress.

So sorry Primrose

Glad to hear that he's still alive and his BP has reduced Primrose53 (hope he's on the mend generally too). Does anybody know why his BP has reduced?

Kate1949

I would be interested to know what your readings were.

At the hospital they were 210 over 120 which his very high.

I am worrying myself to bits about this now

Cressida

Skydancer growstuff if you suffer from White Coat Syndrome you have it so it's something you have to accept. It's not going to go away if you practice controlled breathing or mindfullness although it might ease stress.

Hmmm ... not so sure about that. I used to have terrible WCS too, but it is psychological and I've found over the last few years that I'm much calmer generally, including when I have my BP taken.

Cressida - I have ordered a home BP monitor but I am nervous about using it because I am worried about the result.

I am in a terrible anxiety spiral about my health at the moment. I have never had any illness before. I also have a few other things going on in my life at the moment that are quite stressful.

Kate1949

Try hibiscus tea. I have been drinking this for about a month, one cup a day. My BP has been as high as 230/110, today it was 139/67. May be coincidence but worth a try.

Hi Katie1949 - I have been reading about hibiscus tea. What brand do you buy and where from. Also, how often do you drink it. Thanks

Sorry Katie1949 I have just seen that you drink one cup a day. Do you drink it at a specific time - morning, afternoon, evening??

PinkCosmos

Kate1949

I would be interested to know what your readings were.

At the hospital they were 210 over 120 which his very high.

I am worrying myself to bits about this now

Telling somebody to stop worrying is futile.

I stopped worrying about my health when I had a heart attack. I remember being in the ambulance on the way to hospital, thinking I wasn't going to make it. Since then, I've had two cancers (breast and skin). I guess my attitude is that I've had a glimpse of the worst outcome and everything now is better than that, so I try to look after my body but don't worry about it.

Primrose53

My husband has extremely high blood pressure for decades. I think he is on about 6 meds for it currently. He is not overweight, he is very fit and active, he neither smokes nor drinks, we eat a healthy diet, we don’t use salt and he is not a stressy or WCS person. Consultants say he can do nothing to help himself as the above are the main causes!

He has had a truly rotten time the last few years.some meds make his ankles and feet swell so he can hardly get his shoes on, others give him pounding headaches, another makes his legs feel like severe sunburn.

9 weeks ago he had a haemorrhagic Stroke caused by high BP and is very lucky to be alive. He cannot stand, use his right arm or leg and his speech is poor. He is still in hospital. Since then his BP has come down after all these years.

I am sorry to here about your DH Primrose. Do you think it is hereditary.