High blood pressure now!

[Diane54]

Ugh, had 2 doctor appointments yesterday..........one to my Primary for diabetic followup and the other to my liver doctor for my AIH follow up............any how my Primary put me on blood pressure meds since the last 3 times I saw her my blood pressure has been in the 140-160 over 94 range! I take something like 13 pills a day! I mean I got to do what I got to do but at least in the back of my mind I used to think ..."at least I don't have high blood pressure"...............now even that's a joke! Anyone else with SS that has high blood pressure!

[lea78]

Hi, the last few times I have been to doctors mine also has been high so it is being monitered, I think with me its because I don't like going to doctors and get anxious in the waiting room, the last time I went, the doctor said that my blood pressure was performing as usual. Next time the nurse is doing it to see if any difference.

Leanne

[soycoffee]

I have had it in that range. I don't anymore. I don't take any meds specifically to reduce my blood pressure. My salt /sodium intake is now less than 1,000 mg/day -- no more convenience foods or eating out does that, pretty well. Also using Mrs Dash and *some* McCormick spices instead of salt, and Morton's Salt Substitute on the food that I do prepare -- no salt in preparation.

Lots of frozen plain vegetables, chicken, fish, the lowest sodium hummus available, salt free rice cakes. Those are the staples of my diet. Occasionally a low sodium swiss cheese, that I crave.

Also, very important, daily runs on the exercise bike. At least now, it doesn't take much. Yesterday I knew I would have a blood pressure check for an insurance policy. I only had time for 5 minutes on the exercise bike -- no measuring of how much effort, it wasn't much. That reduced my blood pressure to 112 over 68. That's pretty much the usual first morning blood pressure anyway; this was after rushing around a bit. At the doctor's office, my blood pressure generally is about 124 over 72.

Once upon a time it was at 144 over 96.

I am overweight. The blood pressure reduction does not come because I lost weight. But, I've sustained the same low blood pressure while gaining 25 pounds in the last year.

Don't just chuck the blood pressure medicines and go on this plan. See if you can follow it, follow up with the doctor's office, start exercising, start changing your diet. When you've dropped below a 135 systolic, and 85 diastolic, at the doctor's, you could get your own blood pressure monitor, get it calibrated at the doctor's office, and then track your own.

I feel so bossy. But after having been bossed around by my doctors -- especially one -- I wanted to take charge of the whole problem. The thing is, blood pressure very very often responds directly to the things you do to lower it, which means you can take control, not the disease, not the medical establishment, not a spouse, not a family, YOU are in charge.

The only problem left is the food processing and marketing industry in the U.S.! You have to read the labels to protect yourself. Look for the sodium listing, and either keep a mental count, or reject any food with a sodium per serving amount greater than 150 mgs.

Lea added after I wrote this, the truism that anxiety pushes up one's blood pressure -- but not buy that much. Getting your own good highly rated blood pressure machine will check on that. If you keep a record for a couple of months of your first morning blood pressure, you can take that to the doctor -- along with calibrating the machine with the one in the doctor's office so they both measure the same -- so the doctor can advise (or praise) according to your first morning bp, not the elevated doctor's office bp.

Much success,
Soycoffee

[lea78]

Soycoffee, its funny you should mention buying a blood pressure machine, as I bought one earlier today. It seems at home my blood pressure is just fine, so anxiety over going to doctors is likely to be my cause. Although at doctors it is high it isn't too high that they are overly concerned.

[soycoffee]

@Leanne, use it in good health! (The blood pressure machine, that is.)
Soycoffee

[cargillwitch]

yeah soycoffee!!!
I think sometimes we don't realize how much power we have at our own disposal.

As a nurse I wish more people would just  put us out of work- ditch the meds and take a stand for your own health!!
This is one medical issue that you can control on your own.

Good for you!!

[soycoffee]

Thank you, CargillWitch. Yes, we can't quite do without the medical professions, and bless you for being a nurse. Still, with some thought and effort, we can own our positive changes in some areas.

Best,
Soycoffee