Need some opinions from thos who know.

[Politico]

Just dropping the weight will do it. And salt itself does not cause high blood pressure. People's ability to metabolize it does.

 

[strollingbones]

nearly a year ago the docs tried to put me on statins....i refused...lost weight and exercise....now i am passing out due to low blood pressure...none of us are getting out of here alive

 

[S.J.]

Clonidine.

 

[DGS49]

For reasons that I won't go into, I was put on a beta-blocker at about age 30. I was a semi-serious runner at the time. Among other side effects, I found that I could not do any strenuous running for the first 5-6 hours after taking my daily pill. My heart would not go higher than about 90bpm.

So for many years I would simply time my pill so that it didn't interfere. if I took the pill in the morning, then I could run in the afternoon or evening with no problem.

Then, after many years of this "work-around" I started having instances when my heart would start racing out of control during intense exercise. It really freaked me out. After consultation with my cardio guy, we cut the dosage in half and now I take them twice a day. For some reason, I'm still able to run pretty hard, and the racing heart has not recurred.

If your doctor has prescribed a beta-blocker you should work with it. It is not all that important that you be able to hike at whatever-thousand feet, like you want to. I'm sure there are challenging slopes at lower elevations that will give you the level of exertion you want without interference from the drug.

Also, look into interval training. I have almost quit running altogether because I can get a better workout with 6 intervals over 15 minutes than I could with a 45 minute run.

 

[Moonglow]

I plan on it. This dude resists he idea compleatly. He is just to pushey for me. Talks more.then listens. Sure, I'm deficult, but still, my money, me,me,me ! I just need to be able.to hike to 14,000 and maube I'll let it go. I'll ask about hose meds, and thanks.

Fire your doctor. Find one who cares more about you. It is always better to try and lower your blood pressure by getting healthy (losing weight, quit smoking, etc.) than with meds. And a good doctor will support that and help you to get off the meds safely.

My plan is to drop to 180 from 204. Im 6'2" so that should be healthy. Cut caftans in half, dump the ciggi's but keep the pipe, and the weed ( in moderation), less beef, more fish and greens. Oh, and physical theripy for the elbows.

If your getting reggie then moderation helps, the cronic though is good enough to smoke less.

 

[Moonglow]

nearly a year ago the docs tried to put me on statins....i refused...lost weight and exercise....now i am passing out due to low blood pressure...none of us are getting out of here alive

Me too, and I get anemia bad when I diet, my Idea has always been to reduce calories and work harder. Now I can't work harder, but i try to watch what and how much I eat.

 

[flacaltenn]

Whatever you do -- do not decrease or stop Beta Blockers on your own..

That low pulse rate can turn into serious arythmias if you don't wean off of them.. Your doctor MAY HAVE chosen this path if you ever complained of heart palpitations or flutters.

When I was on them -- It was obvious that on an elliptical machine, I could hardly get my heart rate to 100. BUT -- it didn't really affect my stamina at sea levels. Same amount of excercise routine and speed. So hate to diagnose here, but you might be looking at lung function and NOT just heartrate.

The palpitations... in ought-'04 I got up one morning and drank a big cup of coffee, ate a chunk of dark chocolate, then slammed a wad of tobacco under my lip.

My heart started doing the jump-ropes. Could not calm myself down. I ate an aspirin and called the doc. EKG then off to THE hospital (stupid Brits).

Overnighted there, and they sent me home with an RX for Amiodarone.

Initially, I slept a lot. Then got back into routine. Eventually the "side-effects" showed up. Over the ensuing weeks, I took 3/4, then 1/2, then 1/4, then zero pills.

That particular incident has not since recurred.

Had a similiar incident. Won't bore you with the details. But when I was in the ER -- I heard the doc telling the nurse to hook me up to a mocha expresso drip... He wasn't "impressed" with my heart issues.

Was under a lot of stress and a couple pots of coffee and no sleep.
The ER doc told me that most Navy fighter pilots LIVE with palpitations from the excitement, stress and the Navy Coffee.

My experience with Beta blockers is from a tremor that I started to pick up in my late 20s. There is one particular BBlocker that is prescribed "off label" for tremor control. Ruined my potential career as a rock guitarist.

 

[Spoonman]

I like to hike. I like to do it in mountains and stuff. At 38 I was given blood bressure meds called Bystolic. Its a beta blocker. Since I started takeing those, I can make maybe 9,500 feet before it starts to hurt, at 10,000 feet I'm in missery, beyond 10,000 feet is impossible. I just can't breath. I asked my Dr. about it and he said that the meds worked by slowing down your heart, and because of that, my heart struggles to get oxygen where it needs to be. Fine I say, how about stopping ? He said bad idea. I was bummed. But, this dude I work with was on beta blockers. He said that when he quit smokeing, and lost weight that he was able to get off them (the beta blockers). I already dropped 14 pounds, I'm at 214, BP is in the high green to middle low yellow on the machine at CVS which for me is good. I figure that I can drop down to 180, cut back on cofee, quit the ciggi's and then stop the meds. Anyone.done this with beta blo kers before ? Oh, please read my disclaimer below.


I understand that it is a bad idea to take medical advice from the internet, I understand the risks involved and absolve any poster who replies, as well as USMB and its admin, are not responcible for anything.that results from it.

yes, you can potentially get off BP meds by reducing other risk factors and leading a healthier lifestyle. it's not a given, but anything you can do will probably help. it really is all dependent on what is the cause of your high BP. Weight, coffee, cigarettes, diet, stress, those are all contributing factors.

 

[Vox]

I like to hike. I like to do it in mountains and stuff. At 38 I was given blood bressure meds called Bystolic. Its a beta blocker. Since I started takeing those, I can make maybe 9,500 feet before it starts to hurt, at 10,000 feet I'm in missery, beyond 10,000 feet is impossible. I just can't breath. I asked my Dr. about it and he said that the meds worked by slowing down your heart, and because of that, my heart struggles to get oxygen where it needs to be. Fine I say, how about stopping ? He said bad idea. I was bummed. But, this dude I work with was on beta blockers. He said that when he quit smokeing, and lost weight that he was able to get off them (the beta blockers). I already dropped 14 pounds, I'm at 214, BP is in the high green to middle low yellow on the machine at CVS which for me is good. I figure that I can drop down to 180, cut back on cofee, quit the ciggi's and then stop the meds. Anyone.done this with beta blo kers before ? Oh, please read my disclaimer below.


I understand that it is a bad idea to take medical advice from the internet, I understand the risks involved and absolve any poster who replies, as well as USMB and its admin, are not responcible for anything.that results from it.

on beta blocker at 38? wow. they have some other unpleasant side effects.

lose weight and you might lose high blood pressure.

high blood pressure accompanies increase in weight - be it muscles or fat - does not matter. Our heart is not designed to pump blood through excessive amount of tissue, and in order to do that when needed the cardiac muscle enlarges and the amount of blood the heart pumps increases - and that rises the blood pressure.

Losing weight ( substantially) should improve your blood pressure.
I don't know what they color yellow in CVS, but a normal blood pressure is considered not higher than 130 over 85. Buy a home BP machine ( 20-40$) in CVS and measure it twice daily - when waking ip and before falling asleep - when resting in bed. Record it.
You will see your own trends.

If you can not lose the weight or the blood pressure still will require medication, you might ask your doctor to change your medication from beta blocker to another class of drugs which have a different mechanism of action for lowering the blood pressure.

But lose weight nevertheless - you might find that your heart rate would be sufficient for your tissue oxygenation when you have less tissue to oxygenate

p.s. stop smoking. cut off coffee. but watch your appetite - those two are controlling it now.

 

[BlackSand]

I like to hike. I like to do it in mountains and stuff. At 38 I was given blood bressure meds called Bystolic. Its a beta blocker. Since I started takeing those, I can make maybe 9,500 feet before it starts to hurt, at 10,000 feet I'm in missery, beyond 10,000 feet is impossible. I just can't breath. I asked my Dr. about it and he said that the meds worked by slowing down your heart, and because of that, my heart struggles to get oxygen where it needs to be. Fine I say, how about stopping ? He said bad idea. I was bummed. But, this dude I work with was on beta blockers. He said that when he quit smokeing, and lost weight that he was able to get off them (the beta blockers). I already dropped 14 pounds, I'm at 214, BP is in the high green to middle low yellow on the machine at CVS which for me is good. I figure that I can drop down to 180, cut back on cofee, quit the ciggi's and then stop the meds. Anyone.done this with beta blo kers before ? Oh, please read my disclaimer below.


I understand that it is a bad idea to take medical advice from the internet, I understand the risks involved and absolve any poster who replies, as well as USMB and its admin, are not responcible for anything.that results from it.

Quit smoking ... And don't stop the meds without letting your doctor know ... Especially beta blockers.

Ask a good doctor about a combination of Lisinopril (ACE Inhibitor ... the low dose @10mg) and Isosorbide Mononitrate (Nitrate ... the medium dose @60mg).

The Lisinopril may or may not give you a dry cough and shortness of breath ... But will help bring your blood pressure down around the 135/85 mark.
The Isosorbine most likely will give you a banging headache about 6-8 hours after you take it ... But it is manageable with OTC pain relievers.
The Isosorbide will dilate our blood vessels allowing more blood flow ... And the low dose Lisinopril will work on the BP without dropping the crap out of your heart rate.

These might be something you can take just on days when you know you are hiking ... And both drugs interact well with beta blockers, calcium blockers and blood thinners.
Also, a lot of people righty suggest exercise ... But remember that the exercise you need is not "max-out" weight-lifting.
You need an exercise that elevates your heart rate and keeps it there for an extended period of time ... Rowing, Bicycle, Running/Walking/Hiking, Swimming or NordicTrack (45 minutes warm-up to cool down ... 3 days a week).

Never be afraid to get a second opinion ... And doctors get stuck in a rut too as far as what they suggest.
Sometimes you just have to let them know when what they are giving you isn't working for you.

By the way ... Quit Smoking.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Quit smoking should help improve things dramatically.

I'm thinking so. I can say honestlh that just changeing what I eat has lost me 14 pounds. And thsts still eating sweets, and drinking cokes. I figure, quit the sodas, quit the smokes, check the bp, and slowly step.down off the meds.

Are you diabetic yet? If not, you will be.

Smoking is a vase-constrictor. Therefore, it raises blood pressure.

14K' with what you have described is asking for a stroke.

Your snot nosed doctor is right. You ARE old (at 40) because of your lifestyle.

My plan is to drop to 180 from 204. Im 6'2" so that should be healthy. Cut caftans in half, dump the ciggi's but keep the pipe, and the weed ( in moderation), less beef, more fish and greens. Oh, and physical theripy for the elbows.

Pipe will still cause vase-constriction and, being an ex-smoker, I can guarantee you WILL inhale, which is even worse.

I don't know what a "caftan" is. Maybe you meant caffeine with is also a vaso-constrictor.

You have described a suicidal lifestyle. Why do you live like this? That's rhetorical. I'm not asking for an answer but I think you might want to answer it for yourself. If you don't make changes, you're not going to be around for grand kids.

If you want a healthy diet, check out John Robbins and Kathy Freston.

Walk.

If this is not already a problem, you will soon lose sexual ability. The drug you're taking isn't as bad as some but combined with your lifestyle, you are aging much faster than you have to.

Do not even consider going off this medication. Your doctor is probably fine but if you're not comfortable with him, change.

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

Quit smoking should help improve things dramatically.

I'm thinking so. I can say honestlh that just changeing what I eat has lost me 14 pounds. And thsts still eating sweets, and drinking cokes. I figure, quit the sodas, quit the smokes, check the bp, and slowly step.down off the meds.

Are you diabetic yet? If not, you will be.

Smoking is a vase-constrictor. Therefore, it raises blood pressure.

14K' with what you have described is asking for a stroke.

Your snot nosed doctor is right. You ARE old (at 40) because of your lifestyle.

My plan is to drop to 180 from 204. Im 6'2" so that should be healthy. Cut caftans in half, dump the ciggi's but keep the pipe, and the weed ( in moderation), less beef, more fish and greens. Oh, and physical theripy for the elbows.

Pipe will still cause vase-constriction and, being an ex-smoker, I can guarantee you WILL inhale, which is even worse.

I don't know what a "caftan" is. Maybe you meant caffeine with is also a vaso-constrictor.

You have described a suicidal lifestyle. Why do you live like this? That's rhetorical. I'm not asking for an answer but I think you might want to answer it for yourself. If you don't make changes, you're not going to be around for grand kids.

If you want a healthy diet, check out John Robbins and Kathy Freston.

Walk.

If this is not already a problem, you will soon lose sexual ability. The drug you're taking isn't as bad as some but combined with your lifestyle, you are aging much faster than you have to.

Do not even consider going off this medication. Your doctor is probably fine but if you're not comfortable with him, change.

Why do you think he'll soon be diabetic? From eating sweets? You don't get diabetes from eating sweets.

 

[Vox]

Why do you think he'll soon be diabetic? From eating sweets? You don't get diabetes from eating sweets.

no. adipose tissue has hormonal activity and therefore interferes with metabolism.

 

[earlycuyler]

Quit smoking should help improve things dramatically.

I'm thinking so. I can say honestlh that just changeing what I eat has lost me 14 pounds. And thsts still eating sweets, and drinking cokes. I figure, quit the sodas, quit the smokes, check the bp, and slowly step.down off the meds.

Are you diabetic yet? If not, you will be.

Smoking is a vase-constrictor. Therefore, it raises blood pressure.

14K' with what you have described is asking for a stroke.

Your snot nosed doctor is right. You ARE old (at 40) because of your lifestyle.

My plan is to drop to 180 from 204. Im 6'2" so that should be healthy. Cut caftans in half, dump the ciggi's but keep the pipe, and the weed ( in moderation), less beef, more fish and greens. Oh, and physical theripy for the elbows.

Pipe will still cause vase-constriction and, being an ex-smoker, I can guarantee you WILL inhale, which is even worse.

I don't know what a "caftan" is. Maybe you meant caffeine with is also a vaso-constrictor.

You have described a suicidal lifestyle. Why do you live like this? That's rhetorical. I'm not asking for an answer but I think you might want to answer it for yourself. If you don't make changes, you're not going to be around for grand kids.

If you want a healthy diet, check out John Robbins and Kathy Freston.

Walk.

If this is not already a problem, you will soon lose sexual ability. The drug you're taking isn't as bad as some but combined with your lifestyle, you are aging much faster than you have to.

Do not even consider going off this medication. Your doctor is probably fine but if you're not comfortable with him, change.

Yeah, it was cafeene. Yeah, I cut downon the cafeene still takeing the pills, and at this point in my life, grand kids are likely not an issue due to divorce. Still, I have things to do. So I cut back tghe smokes, gling to a vaperizer, yes, I know, still nixotine, but no hot smoke.in my lungs, and its somewhat of a starte I guess. Been eating lots of fruit to, because I'll puke if Ineat anything more substancial. It gets me by, and I got some flounder fillets last night that went down good. I bought a gym membership at the place my Dr here sends folks for physical theripy, andvb they will work on my elbows, and I can also get use the machines for excersize. I also got my dog back .lots of walking there.

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

earlycuyler, it sounds to me like you are on the right track. Lose weight, quit smoking, walk your dog...a lot! And like someone else suggested, make sure you're not ingesting too much sodium.

Find a doctor who will work with you in getting off the blood pressure medication.

You know, I quit smoking almost 12 years ago. I had smoked for 30 years and I quit absolutely cold turkey. No nicotine patches or gum. Got that nicotine the hell out of my system quickly. I know it's tough, but I'm glad I tackled the nicotine addiction head on and got it out of the way early on. Then I only had to deal with the "habit" and the "psychological addiction" of smoking. Which are worse than the nicotine addiction, by the way!

I must have missed something...why will you puke if you eat something more substantial than fruit? What's going on with that?

 

[earlycuyler]

earlycuyler, it sounds to me like you are on the right track. Lose weight, quit smoking, walk your dog...a lot! And like someone else suggested, make sure you're not ingesting too much sodium.

Find a doctor who will work with you in getting off the blood pressure medication.

You know, I quit smoking almost 12 years ago. I had smoked for 30 years and I quit absolutely cold turkey. No nicotine patches or gum. Got that nicotine the hell out of my system quickly. I know it's tough, but I'm glad I tackled the nicotine addiction head on and got it out of the way early on. Then I only had to deal with the "habit" and the "psychological addiction" of smoking. Which are worse than the nicotine addiction, by the way!

I must have missed something...why will you puke if you eat something more substantial than fruit? What's going on with that?

Nerves from the divorce. Was married when I started this I have been a mess, but I'm doing ok as I go. Kids are coming next in January. So just upset guts is all.

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

earlycuyler, it sounds to me like you are on the right track. Lose weight, quit smoking, walk your dog...a lot! And like someone else suggested, make sure you're not ingesting too much sodium.

Find a doctor who will work with you in getting off the blood pressure medication.

You know, I quit smoking almost 12 years ago. I had smoked for 30 years and I quit absolutely cold turkey. No nicotine patches or gum. Got that nicotine the hell out of my system quickly. I know it's tough, but I'm glad I tackled the nicotine addiction head on and got it out of the way early on. Then I only had to deal with the "habit" and the "psychological addiction" of smoking. Which are worse than the nicotine addiction, by the way!

I must have missed something...why will you puke if you eat something more substantial than fruit? What's going on with that?

Nerves from the divorce. Was married when I started this I have been a mess, but I'm doing ok as I go. Kids are coming next in January. So just upset guts is all.

Hmmm. Stress will cause high blood pressure too, you know.

 

[auditor0007]

Quit smoking should help improve things dramatically.

I'm thinking so. I can say honestlh that just changeing what I eat has lost me 14 pounds. And thsts still eating sweets, and drinking cokes. I figure, quit the sodas, quit the smokes, check the bp, and slowly step.down off the meds.

I have no idea if anything you do will make a difference. What I do know is that I personally will not take any meds unless they are absolutely necessary. Your first step has to be giving up the smokes. It's actually easier than you may think, provided you really are intent on quitting. I quit cold turkey over two years ago. I also lost 17 pounds within three months of quitting. I had been gaining weight at a rate of about 5 pounds every six months.

The key to quitting successfully while losing weight at the same time was very simple. I did two things. I cut out almost all soda and sweet drinks, replacing them with water. I also dumped the flavored coffee creamer and began drinking my coffee black. Just by doing those two things, I dumped about 4500 calories per week. The second, and most important thing I did was to start working out and running. Three months after I quit smoking, I ran my first 5k finishing in just under 27 minutes. I can now run a 5k in just under 22 minutes. I finished 4th out of 80 in my age group in the last one I ran. Run, lift weights, use the elliptical or ARC Trainer. Join a gym. There are a lot of gyms you can now join for $10 per month. Spend one hour per day, five to six days per week working out. And I do mean working out. Don't be one of those people walking on the treadmill and reading a book at the same time. While you may need to start off slowly, the goal is to actually work out and to get your heart pumping.

When I work out, my goal is to get my heart rate up to 90% of it's maximum for at least half of my workout. That means sweating a lot and actually pushing yourself. Just check with your doctor first to see how much he/she thinks you can handle starting off. Don't over do it in the beginning. You do need to build your heart up.

I smoked for 30 years, and now I am in better shape than 90% of people my age. My BP runs around 110/65 most of the time. My resting heart rate is around 45. My cholesterol was 169 last time I had it checked. If you can do all these things, I think there is a very good chance your BP will drop. Eat healthy too. Stay away from sweets and processed foods. I try to eat mostly whole foods, meaning veggies and real meat from the butcher. Eat fish a couple of times per week also. If you want sweets, eat fruit. You can pretty much eat as much as that as you want.

Last thing I'll tell you is that while I lost weight, I actually eat a lot more now than I did when I was gaining weight and before I lost the weight. If you do what you need to do, you will increase your metabolism and you'll actually be able to eat more and still lose weight. Just don't forget to lift weights. Building muscle is very important because muscle burns a lot more calories than fat does. You don't have to bulk up but just keep your muscle toned and strong. This is really important as we get older.

 

[auditor0007]

earlycuyler, it sounds to me like you are on the right track. Lose weight, quit smoking, walk your dog...a lot! And like someone else suggested, make sure you're not ingesting too much sodium.

Find a doctor who will work with you in getting off the blood pressure medication.

You know, I quit smoking almost 12 years ago. I had smoked for 30 years and I quit absolutely cold turkey. No nicotine patches or gum. Got that nicotine the hell out of my system quickly. I know it's tough, but I'm glad I tackled the nicotine addiction head on and got it out of the way early on. Then I only had to deal with the "habit" and the "psychological addiction" of smoking. Which are worse than the nicotine addiction, by the way!

I must have missed something...why will you puke if you eat something more substantial than fruit? What's going on with that?

Best way to quit smoking, cold turkey. That's how I did it, and I smoked for 30 years also. You are correct about the psychological addiction being worse than the physical. I smoked a straw cut to the size of a cigarette. That was my crutch when I really felt I needed to smoke; I would just pretend the straw was a cigarette. I could even convince myself that smoking my straw tasted like a cigarette.

 

[jon_berzerk]

i dropped my weight

still doing so actually

i changed one thing and one thing only

i stopped drinking soda all soda including diet soda