Blood Pressure meds page 2

[cavequeen]

great job! I was able to get off my bp meds as well. I know there are times of the month where my bp rises especially around that time of the month due to hormonal fluctations If I have anything really high is salt, that does it as well. Also time of day is a big difference. I am higher in the morning, lower in the afternoon. At one point, I was on lisinopril but I was able to move down to hctz once I lost weight. Now I am on no meds. My doctor said if I need to take a little hctz if I am too high or that time of the month, I can do it without being on it all the time. She said she does the same. So you might have a conversation with your doctor.

I think there was a recent study published that one of the paleo guys had on his facebook page, can't remember who. That talked about how for mild hypertension medication is not that helpful for preventing heart attacks, strokes.

I use an app on my iphone that tracks my bp. It's proven very helpful and I always have it with me to show my doctor. I have a family history of high blood pressure, 2 brothers and a father who also has diabetes. My older brother and I can control it with diet and weight loss. My other brother probably as well but he has no desire. It's sad because he moves from job to job and doesn't have reliable health care of pay for bp meds. I am waiting for the day when he has a heart attack or stroke and is definitely going to become a diabetic as well.

[Kate Ruckman]

Thanks, cavequeen! I'm not completely off them, but only taking a half or a quarter of 25 mg. of Atenolol. The weight loss and primal diet has helped, a LOT. Just had my Well Woman checkup and EVERYTHING was normal, including cholesterol, first time in years. Happy!

I'm so glad you've been able to control it! I should ask my Dr. about only using it when I need it...I went to the nurse practitioner, told her I didn't like taking it since it's not good for your liver and I NEED my liver, and she said "yeah, but you need your heart, too." Well, yes...siiiigh.

great job! I was able to get off my bp meds as well. I know there are times of the month where my bp rises especially around that time of the month due to hormonal fluctations If I have anything really high is salt, that does it as well. Also time of day is a big difference. I am higher in the morning, lower in the afternoon. At one point, I was on lisinopril but I was able to move down to hctz once I lost weight. Now I am on no meds. My doctor said if I need to take a little hctz if I am too high or that time of the month, I can do it without being on it all the time. She said she does the same. So you might have a conversation with your doctor.

I think there was a recent study published that one of the paleo guys had on his facebook page, can't remember who. That talked about how for mild hypertension medication is not that helpful for preventing heart attacks, strokes.

I use an app on my iphone that tracks my bp. It's proven very helpful and I always have it with me to show my doctor. I have a family history of high blood pressure, 2 brothers and a father who also has diabetes. My older brother and I can control it with diet and weight loss. My other brother probably as well but he has no desire. It's sad because he moves from job to job and doesn't have reliable health care of pay for bp meds. I am waiting for the day when he has a heart attack or stroke and is definitely going to become a diabetic as well.

[Nigel]

I took two lots of meds for blood pressure. I started what I call Primal Light (I cheat a bit) in March. After losing getting on for 28lbs I found my BP coming down so I contacted my doctor and came off one of them. I have also been doing HIT exercise & strength training which has brought my pulse down from 60ish to mid 40ies. When we went on vacation we stayed a few days longer than expected and I ran out of pills. I stayed off them when we got back and I sent an e-mail to my doctor stating I am staying off them unless the BP goes up again. I have now lost 36lbs and weight still coming off so I do not expect I'll have to go back to medication.

[workinprogress]

There are other meds you can take to control B/P also. Atenolol controls B/P via slowing you heart rate, as with any drug that ends is OLOL. Maybe if your B/P isn't controlled with diet and exercise you can talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options that have fewer side effects.

[Kate Ruckman]

I took two lots of meds for blood pressure. I started what I call Primal Light (I cheat a bit) in March. After losing getting on for 28lbs I found my BP coming down so I contacted my doctor and came off one of them. I have also been doing HIT exercise & strength training which has brought my pulse down from 60ish to mid 40ies. When we went on vacation we stayed a few days longer than expected and I ran out of pills. I stayed off them when we got back and I sent an e-mail to my doctor stating I am staying off them unless the BP goes up again. I have now lost 36lbs and weight still coming off so I do not expect I'll have to go back to medication.

Hey, good for you! What's HIT exercise? I'm doing some resistance training, love it. I find BP varies quite a bit, but not scarily so, at this point...I'm down to about 1/4 pill.

[Kate Ruckman]

There are other meds you can take to control B/P also. Atenolol controls B/P via slowing you heart rate, as with any drug that ends is OLOL. Maybe if your B/P isn't controlled with diet and exercise you can talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options that have fewer side effects.

Thanks for the info, workinprogress! I'll check on that. Unfortunately I don't get to do some exercise I'd like to because of arthritis, so sprints are out, but I am doing what I can! Much stronger upper body, since that's what still has cartilage! (Knees don't.)

[Paleobird]

My Dad was able to get off of two BP meds and a heart medication by going Primal. I second what was said earlier about keeping a log and gradual weaning off by pill splitting.

Dad now has BP that measures consistently at about 115/65 at the age of 86! Yay Primal!

[Nigel]

Hey, good for you! What's HIT exercise? I'm doing some resistance training, love it. I find BP varies quite a bit, but not scarily so, at this point...I'm down to about 1/4 pill.

High Intensity Training. I use a Concept II rowing machine in my garage. Before going Primal Light I would do 30 minutes of reasonable effort on the thing. Now I do 30 seconds flat out. Get my breath back and do it another twice. That's a minute and a half of HIT exercise. It can be done with no equipment by sprinting. I also read Body by Science and now do strength training once a week. This takes roughly 15 minutes to do seven exercises and move between bits of equipment. Then I wait three days to do the rowing, two days to the next rowing and that leaves two days before the strength training session.

Apart from the BP being down, my pulse was about 60 when I started the HIT in early March. When I took BP to e-mail my doctor on Friday it hit 41 but it's usually mid to high 40ies. BP is now averaging 118/69 and I am happy with this progress and can eat grapefruit again. Weight is still coming off at about 6lbs per month. 203lbs this morning, down from 240lbs on March 7th. I reckon I'll be closing in my "look" by Christmas. Once I'm happy with that I can eat a bit more bacon (and other goodies), nuts and fruit as I am counting calories at present to keep myself on track.

[Kate Ruckman]

My Dad was able to get off of two BP meds and a heart medication by going Primal. I second what was said earlier about keeping a log and gradual weaning off by pill splitting.

Dad now has BP that measures consistently at about 115/65 at the age of 86! Yay Primal!

Paleobird, that's fantastic! Give my congrats to your dad...

Mine's a bit higher than that, usually, but I'm okay with that. I've noticed an interesting thing, though, playing with my monitor. When I first walk over to my shed/studio in the morning it may be a bit higher, and once I journal or paint or sketch for a while it is consistently lower! Cool...so doing what you love does indeed help!

[Kate Ruckman]

High Intensity Training. I use a Concept II rowing machine in my garage. Before going Primal Light I would do 30 minutes of reasonable effort on the thing. Now I do 30 seconds flat out. Get my breath back and do it another twice. That's a minute and a half of HIT exercise. It can be done with no equipment by sprinting. I also read Body by Science and now do strength training once a week. This takes roughly 15 minutes to do seven exercises and move between bits of equipment. Then I wait three days to do the rowing, two days to the next rowing and that leaves two days before the strength training session.

Apart from the BP being down, my pulse was about 60 when I started the HIT in early March. When I took BP to e-mail my doctor on Friday it hit 41 but it's usually mid to high 40ies. BP is now averaging 118/69 and I am happy with this progress and can eat grapefruit again. Weight is still coming off at about 6lbs per month. 203lbs this morning, down from 240lbs on March 7th. I reckon I'll be closing in my "look" by Christmas. Once I'm happy with that I can eat a bit more bacon (and other goodies), nuts and fruit as I am counting calories at present to keep myself on track.

Nigel, thanks for the info! Rowing machine sounds like a good solution. I can't sprint because I don't have much cartilage in my knees and they hurt like crazy if I even walk too much, but I DO have good upper body strength. I use my Thera-bands a lot. I'm sort of counting calories right now too, because I'm on a long plateau. Maybe my body thinks it should weigh 159, but I don't! (I'm short.)