Anyone got high blood pressure....

[carole]

Thank you so much for your input Pam, i know what you are saying, yes i am not afraid to take medication,but if i can lower it by continuing to loose weight, and exercise more then so be it ,I will, but i am realistic enough to know that might not be all that is needed, it is just that i already take two medications, so not keen to add another, but yes i certainly do not want to suffer a stroke, i nurse aided a stroke patient, when i was 16 and i have never forgotten it,my uncle has one at 68, so i am not going down that road, if i can help it, great to hear you had no side effects,that is the worst about medication eh.?

[Pam]

Thank you so much for your input Pam, i know what you are saying, yes i am not afraid to take medication,but if i can lower it by continuing to loose weight, and exercise more then so be it ,I will, but i am realistic enough to know that might not be all that is needed, it is just that i already take two medications, so not keen to add another, but yes i certainly do not want to suffer a stroke, i nurse aided a stroke patient, when i was 16 and i have never forgotten it,my uncle has one at 68, so i am not going down that road, if i can help it, great to hear you had no side effects,that is the worst about medication eh.?

At least it has been brought to your attention so you know to keep monitoring it. Many people who don't go to see a physician very often have no idea. Good luck with the weight loss and exercise. It may very well make a difference, and it is always better to adopt positive life changes rather than rely on medications if you can help it.

[Karen]

My parents both had high blood pressure, though both were overweight as well. My dad has been on blood pressure medication since I was a little kid, and never complained of any side effects. I am just glad he knew about it, and has taken care of it as, at a healthy 78, he is several years older than his parents were when they died, both from conditions that may have been caused by high blood pressure, I don't know.

[slick]

I've very familiar with this and I've had HBP for years now. Ask your doctor if you can try a diuretic (water pill) first. I will make you pee more but it gets rid of excess water in your body. I think it's alot easier on your body than BP pills. I take two pills for my HBP - Atenolol and Cozaar - each once a day and they have done wonders.

[carole]

Thanks everyone, yes Slick my mother was put on diuretics when she was about my age, very mild one i believe, i did not know if they still did that, hey does it help you loose weight then? lol, would be nice plus wouldn't it? I heard they can deplete the potassium out of your'e body,well i love my bananas, so i guess i will just have to eat more of them, yum.

I am not that overweight, but i am sure if i lost what i need to it might benefit my BP,but the exercise i am not good at, i really need to up that one for sure to see if it all helps.

I am willing to try these first, i think i would tell the doc to give me six months and see if there is a change, if not, then i will opt for the meds i guess reluctantly though.

[sirrahbed]

Yup - in our family in seems to be hereditary and may be related to thyroid?? My bloodpressure is due to kidney disease and so I take medication. I had hoped that the weight loss would help me but it did not in my case. My current med is Micardis. Have been on a few others too.

Glad you are on to this possible problem early Carole!

[pomtzu]

I am fortunate and do not have HBP altho everyone in my family had/has it. How is your cholerterol by the way?
A little story about my brother who had HBP - he hated taking meds of any kind so didn't take what his doctor prescribed for him. He wasn't overweight and was VERY active and looked like the picture of health. But at the age of 59 he suffered a massive stroke which he never recovered from - never worked another day in his life - was confined to first a wheel chair and then bed - and passed away at 64 due to complications. Don't let this happen - if your doctor wants you on meds - then you really should be taking them! Good luck!

[lizbud]

I've very familiar with this and I've had HBP for years now. Ask your doctor if you can try a diuretic (water pill) first. I will make you pee more but it gets rid of excess water in your body. I think it's alot easier on your body than BP pills. I take two pills for my HBP - Atenolol and Cozaar - each once a day and they have done wonders.

I have HBP too & am not overweight. I take Atenolol & 1/2 of a water pill
every day per Doctor's orders. The scary thing with HBP is you can't tell
you have it by symptoms. There aren't any.

I too, hate taking any medication if I can get by without it, but HBP is too
dangerous to ignore.

[Grace]

I too, hate taking any medication if I can get by without it, but HBP is too
dangerous to ignore.

Absolutely!! And once you start any medication, don't stop without your doctors approval. That's what happened to Cindy McCain. She stopped taking her meds for hypertension - didn't check with her MD. Then she had a stroke. Fortunately for her, it was a mild stroke.

[carole]

Yes i am taking it seriously,will make an appointment to see about it soon.