[BelaySlave]

I'm totally ignorant on this subject.

I visited the doc today cuz I've been sick since xmas. The nurse took my blood pressure twice and I came out 148/106 which is apparently high.

I'm a fairly active 34 y.o. male that hasn't been able to workout too much recently cuz I've been sick and busy. Fully clothed I'm pushing 204 pounds. I eat like a pig....I'm on that all grease, all meat, all fried, OD'ing on soda diet. I'm in a very high stress time of my job. I also work parttime at REI and during the holiday season I worked about 20 hours/week with the exception of one week where I was in Oahu for a very hectic vacation. I don't think my dad had high blood pressure and I'm not too sure if my mom has it or not. Oh and I was taking some OTC cold/flu meds the past couple of weeks.

The doc said that I should get my blood pressure checked again as soon as I'm fully recovered from this damn cold.

I really do hope that this is just a small abnormality and I'll be back to normal in a couple of weeks.

Nick

 

[BruceBrown]

I'm totally ignorant on this subject.

I visited the doc today cuz I've been sick since xmas. The nurse took my blood pressure twice and I came out 148/106 which is apparently high.

I'm a fairly active 34 y.o. male that hasn't been able to workout too much recently cuz I've been sick and busy. Fully clothed I'm pushing 204 pounds. I eat like a pig....I'm on that all grease, all meat, all fried, OD'ing on soda diet. I'm in a very high stress time of my job. I also work parttime at REI and during the holiday season I worked about 20 hours/week with the exception of one week where I was in Oahu for a very hectic vacation. I don't think my dad had high blood pressure and I'm not too sure if my mom has it or not. Oh and I was taking some OTC cold/flu meds the past couple of weeks.

The doc said that I should get my blood pressure checked again as soon as I'm fully recovered from this damn cold.

I really do hope that this is just a small abnormality and I'll be back to normal in a couple of weeks.

Nick

Time for you to get up to speed on blood pressure.

Start here at the American Heart Association....

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2112

Based on your recent test, your systolic (148) is stage 1 high and your diastolic (106) is stage 2 high. Absolutely get it checked again once you are off the cold medications and feeling better.

BB

 

[billee]

Welcome to the club. Any or all of the factors (cold meds, lack of exercise, weight, and genetics) could be causing the problem.

My pressure came down significantly after losing 25 pounds and taking up mountain biking.

There are cold medications that don't increase blood pressure. Coricidin HBP is one.

 

[wayneosdias]

your peristolic is borderline hypertensive, the diastolic is out of control. Your vitals look like congestive heart failure, a condition that can be caused by poor lung function. Like your Dr said, get it checked again after your cold is done. If your diastolic comes down to borderline hypertensive like your peristolic he may give you a beta blocker and tell ya change your life style (diet, ex and stress management).

wayne

 

[dcairns]

I thought I had high blood pressure. Was getting scary readings at the doctors office (I recall a 170 Systolic on one visit!). Doctor said I was pre-hypertension, and recommended I start BP medication. I didn't like that answer and asked to wait and see if my recently started diet would help. So I added salt reduction to my weight loss goals and I got one of those automatic home blood pressure devices. I discovered my BP was not so bad as it was in the doctors office. Tracked my BP over a few months on a spread sheet, took that and my home BP machine with me to the doctor's office. My BP machine and the nurse got similar readings, so I was sure the machine was ok. The doctor was impressed that I actually took an interest in tracking my BP and wanted a copy to show the other docs. Turns out I have "white coat hypertension". Losing 50 lbs (down to 175 lbs now) cutting the excessive salt and fats and getting regular exercise has reduced my Diastolic by about 10 points as well. :thumbsup: I have also discovered that I can reduce my readings at the doctors office by working at relaxing before they take my reading.

But irregardless of your cold, you need start changing your eating and stress habits to avoid high blood pressure in your future. All that healthy living stuff we have been hearing for years about diet and exercise is important but American society is built around high stress jobs, fast food, and too little time to exercise. Sometimes a doctor telling you that you have high blood pressure can change your priorities enough to help you make the changes to your lifestyle that will keep you alive for a long time to come.

It's your health, you have to fight to keep it. The doctor won't.

 

[meloh1]

Your vitals look like congestive heart failure, a condition that can be caused by poor lung function.

What? This is one of the most ludicrous statements I've seen in a long time. How do you think you can arrive at this conclusion from the limited info available AND over the internet without ever laying eyes or hands on this person?

If your diastolic comes down to borderline hypertensive like your peristolic he may give you a beta blocker and tell ya change your life style (diet, ex and stress management).

Another whopper. While the life style change is a no brainer it's way too early to know if meds would be needed or what kind. Usually beta blockers are not the medication of first choice. It depends on so many factors that suggesting a particular class of medication at this point is equally as ludicrous as your first statement.

To the OP. When you recover from your illness have your blood pressure checked using a reliable method (no K-mart automatic blood pressure checks) in an environment where you're comfortable over a period of weeks then see your doctor. Change your lifestyle. While it may not be possible to affect all of the stress causing parts of your life you can certainly affect some of them. Change your eating habits. Lose weight. Exercise more. Follow your doctors advice but take an active role in your medical care. Maybe drugs will be needed, maybe not.

 

[BelaySlave]

While hitting up an internet message board for medical advice probably ain't the smartest thing to do, it certainly does help me understand this whole blood pressure stuff. My girl is a nurse so she's alot more knowledgeable about this stuff than me. My riding buddy is a doctor so he can help me with this too. The wife of my boss is dealing with high BP with both meds and lifestyle changes. The fitness director of my gym is gonna help me get checked on a regular basis. Plus there is a wealth of legitimate info on the web. So I *think* I'm gonna be OK for the short term. If things don't change within the next month or so, I definately will visit a doc and go from there.

Some of the lifestyle changes stuff....hmmmm....it's gonna be hard to change my eating habits and I don't think I can make wholesale changes in the short term. I will probably have to take small steps in that department.

With regards to stress related to work...well....it's gonna be like this for the next couple of months so that probably won't change.

My workout routine should hopefully get back on track as soon as I kick this damn cold. I'll be on the bike outside at least once if not twice a week (it is winter after all!!!). I'll be in the gym a couple of times a week to lift and hopefully do yoga and other things like Spinning . I also try to get in a trail run once a week.

Losing weight would definately help not only with the BP thing, but with MTB'ing as well. It's hard to haul 200+ pounds up a hill on a damn SS!!!

Thanks to everyone that has posted so far.

Nick

 

[Biggie]

I know a guy...

who on a routine checkup found out his blood pressure was so high he got sent home to essentially bedrest. He was pretty ripped too, great physique. However, his diet, literally, was Gatorade, Protein powder, Cytomax and Chicken wings.

His employer gave him Short Term Disability which gave him time to turn his lifestyle around(time for you to ride). I think he's ok now.

 

[BruceBrown]

Some of the lifestyle changes stuff....hmmmm....it's gonna be hard to change my eating habits and I don't think I can make wholesale changes in the short term. I will probably have to take small steps in that department.

I eat like a pig....I'm on that all grease, all meat, all fried, OD'ing on soda diet

Nick

If that is an honest assessment of what you eat, then you ought to add learning about nutrition to your learning about blood pressure to your list of "to do" things.

Getting your nutrients from "quality carriers" not only tastes better, but you feel better immediately. It sounds like you are eating too much from the "garbage carriers" of nutrients. Time to rebalance. Overweight, bad diet, stress and high blood pressure seem like the perfect combination to develop health problems as you enter what should be your most productive years (age 35 - 55).

BB

 

[ThrashNY]

I'm a club member!:thumbsup: I'm a fit 40 y.o. expert xc racer (for the sake of putting forth a profile here) whose been on meds for about 4 yrs now. Not a big deal at this point but it was when I had to start them (i.e. "Why at 35 should I be taking BP meds? Sh*t!"). In my case it's hereditary so exercise and diet helped minimally.

So, do that stuff 1st before the med route. Your doc should suggest that anyway. I'd suggest that you routinely check and record it. For example, many stores have the BP monitoring machines in-house....plop a squat, take a few readings to avg. them out a bit, and write it down.

FWIW, I'm on what's called an ACE Inhibitor with no negative side effects. The initial buzz was dizziness when standing quickly but that subsided. I prefer meds over the harm that can come from high BP.

Good luck!

 

[wayneosdias]

What? This is one of the most ludicrous statements I've seen in a long time. How do you think you can arrive at this conclusion from the limited info available AND over the internet without ever laying eyes or hands on this person?

Just tring to correlate what was given in the initial post, how is it ludicrous? Granted Im in rehab dealing w/ortho and gen med and not much cardio.

Usually beta blockers are not the medication of first choice.

This may be changing, but many do consider beta blockers a first choice, such as my PCP who put me on them.

To the OP. When you recover from your illness have your blood pressure checked using a reliable method (no K-mart automatic blood pressure checks) in an environment where you're comfortable over a period of weeks then see your doctor.

Ever heard of white coat hypertension? Who is comfortable going to the Dr? And while I wouldnt say, "This is one of the most ludicrous statements I've seen in a long time" I would say that inferring automatic cuffs are unreliable is incorrect.

Have a nice day

wayne

 

[80z28s6]

I was also in a similar position. Was overweight, ate the wrong things, wasn't excersizing enough. BP was 145/105. Doc put me on the lowest dosage of meds. Told my self I don't want to be on meds. Dropped 30lbs, ate much better, riding at least 4-5 times a week. BP is now 130ish/81 with no meds.

 

[robdamanii]

Wayne, any competent PCP would prescribe a diuretic as a first course of treatment unless there were complicating factors in bloodwork or other exam findings. Of course, a competent Dr. of any kind would take a series of readings over a couple months and advise on diet, exercise and lifestyle before prescribing any medication. Alas, nobody does that anymore, and it's all about writing a prescription and shoving you out the door after swiping your credit card.

 

[venus1]

I visited the doc today cuz I've been sick since xmas. The nurse took my blood pressure twice and I came out 148/106 which is apparently high.

I think if you even went to a doc you must have more than your average cold unless you are a total wimp. Having a fever can raise your BP as can OTC decongestants. Before you panic, wait until you are well to start worrying about your BP. Then check it a few times a week to make sure your diastolic (bottom #) is les than 90. I'm not a doctor but I did stay at a …

 

[Nat]

your peristolic is borderline hypertensive, the diastolic is out of control. Your vitals look like congestive heart failure, a condition that can be caused by poor lung function. Like your Dr said, get it checked again after your cold is done. If your diastolic comes down to borderline hypertensive like your peristolic he may give you a beta blocker and tell ya change your life style (diet, ex and stress management).

wayne

Yikes! You just told someone he's in heart failure! Scare the hell out of him, why don't you?

"Systolic" not peristolic. Were you thinking of peristalsis perhaps?

 

[Nat]

Wayne, any competent PCP would prescribe a diuretic as a first course of treatment unless there were complicating factors in bloodwork or other exam findings. Of course, a competent Dr. of any kind would take a series of readings over a couple months and advise on diet, exercise and lifestyle before prescribing any medication. Alas, nobody does that anymore, and it's all about writing a prescription and shoving you out the door after swiping your credit card.

Damn, Rob...

 

[meloh1]

So, you can diagnose congestive heart failure from a high blood pressure reading over the internet? That is ludicrous.

ACE inhibitors are prescribed more often as a first choice than beta blockers, WHEN medication is advised. That's a fact. The choice of medication is determined by many factors, as I stated.

Sure I've heard of white coat syndrome. Why do you think I advised him to have his blood pressure taken over a period of weeks "in an environment where you're comfortable"?

I didn't infer that all automatic cuffs were unreliable. I said don't trust cuffs like the automatic machines at K-mart. These are notoriously unreliable, never calibrated, abused and pretty worthless.

 

[wayneosdias]

So, you can diagnose congestive heart failure from a high blood pressure reading over the internet? That is ludicrous.

I dont want to detract form the OP so Im not going to go back and forth w/you. I didnt diagnose anyone, sorry if you interpreted as such. High diastolic, normal peristolic --correction systolic-- hallmarks of CHF as seen w/smokers and chest edema, or so I learned when I was in school. Like I was said before, I was simply correlating his cold(decreased respiratory function) to added pressure to his heart.

ludicrous? Sure why not, lets put this one to bed.

ACE inhibitors are prescribed more often as a first choice than beta blockers, WHEN medication is advised.

I dunno where you got this. Not according to my PCP or father in law who is an MD.
Mind you these are professional opinions I got regarding my own health, not wikipedia.

I didn't infer that all automatic cuffs were unreliable. I said don't trust cuffs like the automatic machines at K-mart. These are notoriously unreliable, never calibrated, abused and pretty worthless.

Thats stating the obvious, your really think his follow up is scheduled at Kmart?

wayne

 

[wayneosdias]

Yikes! You just told someone he's in heart failure! Scare the hell out of him, why don't you?

"Systolic" not peristolic. Were you thinking of peristalsis perhaps?

Thanks, yes systolic, hopfully his gut is moving pretty good.

Sorry I didnt mean to scare anyone.

wayne

 

[ThrashNY]

{I dunno where you got this. Not according to my PCP or father in law who is an MD.
Mind you these are professional opinions I got regarding my own health, not wikipedia.}

Unless there is more recent information out there on a med regime, the typical course of treatment has been diuretic, ACE inh., then a BETA blocker since these typically carry more side effects, especially hurtin' the chances for good wood.

While the Target or KMart BP cuffs aren't the best they will give you a decent estimate inbetween dr visits. When my BP was elevated I had the privilige of having the school nurse closeby for accurate rdgs.

I too get the white coat hypertension thing, and my doc has my chill out a few minutes before taking my reading.