BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure

Subject: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: Phot
Date: 04 Nov 03 - 04:50 PM

I went to the Doc for my aircrew medical last friday, and he said I had high blood pressure. Monday I was wired to a 24 hour monitor, and when the results were analised today, it wasn't just high but Stratospheric!
I just wondered if anyone else has had this problem, and may know of any remidies, apart from the usual, cut down on booze etc...?

Here's hoping, Wassail!...(Just an OJ and soda for me ta!..)

Chris

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: Bill D
Date: 04 Nov 03 - 05:04 PM

there are MANY treatments....most involve medication as well as lifestyle and diet attention. I have a 'moderate' problem, but it took 4 tries to find the right medication.

Didn't your doc suggest looking at drugs?

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Nov 03 - 07:00 PM

Surely your doctor will prescribe medication. Maybe there are other things that will help, such as losing weight, but that will take time, and you need to get your blood pressure under control NOW. I hope you have an appointment soon.

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: jimmyt
Date: 04 Nov 03 - 07:27 PM

Phot, what are the bloodpressure numbers? Important to find the mechanism for your problem You are too young and too fit to have this. Let me know jimmyt

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: Peace
Date: 04 Nov 03 - 07:31 PM

Phot: One of the things you have to determine is the cause of the high BP. If you will, what are you calling high? That is, what is your BP? High BP can result from diet, stress, artery narrowing, smoking, drinking, etc. BP can be lowered with meds--ACE inhibitors or Beta blockers (if you are asthmatic, you CANNOT take beta blockers), but that diagnosis has to be left to a doctor. Diet can help, too, but that should be done under a doctor's supervision.

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Nov 03 - 07:40 PM

My sister cut out salty foods, does regular exercise and has not had to take any meds for it.

I've been on meds for it for about 25 yrs, related to other things with my heart. Over those years it has been hit and miss as to what drugs my system won't freak out over. Recently, the docs have comfirmed I am allergic to sulfa-based drugs, which all but one diuretic contains. When I went to fill a prescription for the one non-sulfa based drug, "Edecrin (ethacrynic acid)," I was told it had been discontinued. I've bought up all existing supplies of it in our town and will have to mail out to Canada where it is still available when I run out. Anyway, just be careful with any drugs they may try.

Exercise, losing weight, eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, trying different ways of dealing with stress through visualisation, meditation, guided imagery, breathing exercises, etc. all help. My acupuncturist recommends an acid-free diet. You'd be suprised what is allowed...all fruits, including lemons! Rice, pasta, breads, and meats are all in the acid category. I'll paste in a short list, but you can also find info on google. There are a LOT of natural rememdies which one can try, but I wouldn't recommend them until you've got it under control, then with a health professional's guidance you can try weaning off the meds and replacing them with the natural stuff. I've done scads of research on that and have some info as well as trial and error experience, if you are interested.:-)

Also, have they told you why they believe it is so high? Do you have white-coat syndrome, where it goes up simply because it makes you anxious for them to check it in the dr.'s office? Have you gotten a second opinion?

Take a deep breath and blow out all the anxiety this kind of news can bring.

{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Nov 03 - 07:47 PM

Here's the info from my acu. (PLEASE NOTE, this is NOT medical advice.):

This is only a basic list of Acid and Alkaline foods.

The best way to create a meal is to choose 80% alkaline and 20% acidic. That's it! You can still eat acid foods but now you know how to neutralize them with alkaline foods.


For breads and pasta is use sprouted grain breads like Ezekiel and pastas made from spelt, buckwheat or soy.

For replacing meat try using Boca brand soy products.
If you are not used to using Tofu, an Asian soybean product, it can be sliced and browned in a skillet and it makes for a great main course with vegetables.

For snacks use almonds. Drink water with fresh squeezed slices of lemon or lime. For a sweetener use Stevia, a natural product that has no calories or carbohydrates. Stevia can be found at any health food store. Always try to have a good baby mixed green salad daily. For dessert trv soy ice cream or soy pudding.

Obviously, this is not the end all be all of eating but it is a good place to start to get your health back. Be creative and have fun.

Acid Foods:

All meats: beef, pork, lamb, turkey, chicken and fish.
All refined white flour and wheat products: bread, pasta, pancakes, cookies, cakes.
All dairy: cheese, eggs, yogurt, butter, cream
Coffee, Alcohol, Juice.
Grains: brown rice, white rice, barley, wheat, oats, rye
Nuts: peanuts, cashews, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts
Sugars: brown sugar, white sugar, milk sugar, cane sugar, high fructose com syrup, maple syrup, molasses.
Beans: Lentils, navy, kidney.
Oils: lard, crisco, margarine

Alkaline Foods:

All Vegetables including potatoes and tomatoes.
All fruit including lemons and limes.
Soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, homogenized and non-fat milk
Grains: millet, buckwheat, spelt, quinoa, sprouted grains.
Nuts & Seeds: almonds, sesame, sunflower, flax.
Beans: soybeans, lima, sprouted beans.
Sugar: honey.
Oils: olive oil, sesame, sunflower, corn, safflower.

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: Bassic
Date: 04 Nov 03 - 08:01 PM

Good luck with it Phot, had simmilar thing 12 months ago but all sorted now and no major lifestyle impacts and feel fit and well so there is a lot of hope! The medics seem to have a good understanding of high BP so nothing to fear except from delaying things. Sent you a PM.

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: mooman
Date: 05 Nov 03 - 05:06 AM

Dear Phot,

I've had the same problem and my BP suddenly went stratospheric too a couple of years ago.

I recognised the symptoms (I work in the med tech field) and went to a very good cardiologist who did a battery of tests. I don't smoke, don't drink, don't (...let's not go there!), am vegetarian (25 years), am reasonably fit. The tests revealed no artery narrowing, major vascular problems, respiratory problems or heart disease although my heart wasn't relaxing after pumping as much as it should have been.

The cardiologist diagnosed essential hypertension which is high BP when there doesn't seem to be any obvious cause and said the reason was probably stress (I had been hugely stressed at work for the previous year).

I am now on some rather expensive drugs and a recommended (by the doc) glass (one) of red wine a day. As I don't really drink I therefore buy the best I can find and can blame it on the cardiologist! My BP is now generally a healthy and normal 130/80.

My doctor also asked how I relaxed. I said I liked to play music and to meditate (I'm Buddhist). He said it would be very good if I did more of both and tried some changes of lifestyle. Since then, under doctors orders, my meditation has become more frequent and deeper and my quality of playing has definitely improved (not sure whether it's the increased practice or the glass of fine red wine). In relation to diet, I stick to the vegetarian diet which he liked, and avoid all processed food and salt (the latter is very important if you have high BP). Kat's diet

What's the point of all this rigmarole? I think it would be to stress that high BP should be taken seriously (its called the "silent killer" as left untreated it can lead to strokes and other serious conditions) and it is essential to seek good medical advice as well as the obvious things like proper diet, exercise and relaxation and mentioned by others in this thread.

Peace,

moo

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: mooman
Date: 05 Nov 03 - 05:07 AM

...sorry! Kat's dietary advice sounds interesting amd I will look into that too. Thanks Kat!

moo

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: jeffp
Date: 05 Nov 03 - 09:31 AM

I have been treated with ACE inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers for 4 years now and my BP is under control. I can do a lot more without huffing and puffing and feel much better in general. Fortunately, high BP is eminently treatable. It can take a while to find the combination of lifestyle changes and (possibly) medications to work for you, so have a bit of patience.

Good luck to you. Don't worry, it's not the end of the world. Quite the contrary, you'll be delaying the end of YOUR world.

Jeff

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Nov 03 - 10:59 AM

LOL, you're welcome, mooman! My acu's a pretty neat guy.

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Nov 03 - 03:37 PM

I had very high BP. Like 180/135. For those not sure the high one is when the heart is pushing blood out - the other is when it is resting.

I take ACE because of asthma. Ramipril (Tritace) and amlodopine plus benzofluoaridine (water tablets) and the combination works well. IAm now 140/90 or thereabouts. It took a while to get the right combination. I stopped smoking (Stop smoking or stop breathing they said) and I have been a veggie for 25 years.

I now need to lose a couple of stone.......................

Hope this helps,


Dave
www.collectorsfolk.co.uk

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: Phot
Date: 05 Nov 03 - 07:06 PM

Thank you all for your advice, I saw the Doc yesterday, and the results of the 24 hour thing gave a maximum reading of 220 over 102!
It may have been higher, but that was the limit of the machine!
I'm now on these Ace things, but after reading the booklet that came with them, the side effects seem worse than the symptoms!! The wonders of modern science!!

Wassail!

Chris

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: Cluin
Date: 05 Nov 03 - 07:10 PM

Sometimes it's just genetic. No other reason for it. That's the case with me and mild daily dosage of a beta-blocker keeps it in check.

Subject: RE: BS: Treatment for v high blood pressure
From: Hawker
Date: 06 Nov 03 - 08:52 AM

Phot!
I have had high BP for about 15 years, I am on a cocktail of medication to keep it under control, most of what has been said here& what your GP says are right, there are many causes, both my parents are hypertensive, and so it may be a family thing, does it run in your family? Stress is another cause, when I did that little bit of healing on you at Wareham you did 'feel' a little stressed. Meditation and relaxation may help that. cutting down on salt is good, and as a biker, may I comment that riding at exceeesive speed to get that FANTASTIC rush, does, sadly put up the old BP! Tee heee.
I wish you luck with bringing it down, do remember that it is important too to have fun, change your lifestyle and eating habits, but don't change yourself! being depressed can be as stressful!
Cheers, Lucy ;o)