hypertension

I hope you calmed down with the xanax it generally works. Last month I had to go to a new Dr for my PAP etc my bp was 175/92 and no one was the least worried. Asked me what it was generally and I said 117/82 or so, sometimes stress can really raise it so like Marliece said do whatever you can to calm down, for me excercise really helps or sometimes a good book. God Bless and remember it is faster to call God then 911. Linda

My blood pressure has gone up quite a bit in the past year. I finally went on lisonopril and it's fine. I'm hoping that with some weight loss I can get off it. Good luck!

seeknpeace said:

Thank you guys!! The doctor that I am no longer seeing was my doc for 20 years. I had to talk him into the meds. So, I have tenex, but, recently, I have been slack taking it. I need to just do it. My problem is my lower number. Does anyone know why? Is there a connection to why ppl get either elevated top numbers vs lower? I know that the top number is usually in response to something stressful, either physically or emotionally, but, have never really been given a good explanation of the lower. One doc said that it was due to something actually physically wrong, or something. My heart does not get the proper rest, that is the resting pressure. So, mine is resting at 95-105 most of the time.

Thank you all, you are my lifeline so many times. The best ppl on the web, without a doubt!!

Love...Jan

Hey Jan!

Your last post seems brighter and that's great news. All the replies to your post were so encouraging and held good wisdom. And there's no doubt that in today's world, it's tough to keep our wits about us sometimes. With so much anger, anxiety, frustration, and selfishness all around us, we seriously need sanctuary to remain balanced. We're the lucky one's in a sense, because we realize that we NEED this, you know?

What I know about hypertension, I learned from having it myself. My bp went skyward 17 years ago when I was in the latter stages of pregnancy. I developed pre-eclampsia and was hospitalized, etc.. After giving birth to my son, it remained high (160/90 roughly) for several months, at which time, I was put on medication to control it. After a year, my doc did a trial and we found that I could come off the meds. It remained mostly stable (would spike occasionally though) until I began chemo. My readings remained about 156/upper 80's throughout chemo, which is not uncommon. I've continued to have occasional spikes since chemo and more recently it has tended to be higher, more often, so my doctor asked me to monitor it at home, 3 days/week, at different times of the day and evening for a month and bring the results to him.
It seems to be running, at this point, up and down with the highest reading having been 171/91, on one occasion. So not quite sure what to make of that. I use an automatic machine, so will let the docs figure it out in another few weeks. I meditate, do Yoga, lots of relaxation stuff and am generally a calm individual who takes time to reduce and manage stress. I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian with a healthy diet and don't consume much salt at all. I also exercise regularly, so don't know what the doc may recommend for me regarding lifestyle changes. Hoping he'll order
"April in Paris"! LOL Dream on, right? May be that I'll have to go on meds, which I abhor the very idea, but will do whatever I need to do to remain healthy.

The info I have (from doc) says this:

Optimal: 120/80
Normal 130/85
High-Norm. 130-139/85-89
Stage 1 Hypertension (mild): 140-159/90-99
Stage II " (moderate): 160-179/100-109
Stage III " (severe): >180/>110
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These are notated as "general guidelines" because bp depends upon our age, general health, morbidity and treatment strategy by a physician.

The info booklet says this: Hypertension can only be determined by regular monitoring, because so many things influence it. Stress, running around a lot (as in being late or too many things to do at once)can raise the systolic number (top number). There are primary and secondary forms of hypertension, so it seems that we need to know which type we have before any treatment begins.

Things we can do to reduce our bp: Low fat diet, low salt diet, and changes in living habits such as quitting smoking, losing weight, getting more exercise. Reducing alcohol intake may be recommended as well. Your doctor will decide whether you need medicine in addition to dietary and lifestyle changes.

The most important thing is to get it addressed!
Consequences of uncontrolled bp are listed as: stroke, heart attack, heart failure and kidney failure. We certainly don't need any of that, after coming so far!

There's a thing, called "Whitecoat Syndrome", wherein our bp is likely to be higher in our docs office, due to the stress and/or fear of just being there and having our bp taken and being anxious about the numbers, etc.. That's why we're asked to monitor it at home I think.

If you prefer a specialist to oversee your bp, you can consult with a cardiologist or nephrologist. They most often treat hypertension and know all there is to know about it. You could also begin with a GP, if that suits you better. Just get on it as soon as possible.

Hope that may be helpful to you. In the meantime, focus and "work" on relaxation and maybe consider changing jobs to eliminate some of the stress there as it sounds major.

Hoping you're feeling better soon and get this thing medically addressed and under control. Not something to fool around with.

Something which the printed info from my doc does not state, (but he mentioned) is that certain chemo drugs and/or radiation, can potentially
bring about some cardiovascular changes for us. Who knows? Bottom line is that WHATEVER causes something to go awry, we need to deal with it as effectively as possible, because we love ourselves and it's so important to also love our lives!

Please keep us posted.

Love, light and laughter,
Ink