The Blood Pressure Superthread

[pipboy48]

Hi everybody....    I've been having a really tough time getting my blood pressure down lately.   I had meningitis (Spelling?)   that almost killed me! Since then I have SLOWLY worked my way up to being healthy again. The problem is that ever since I was sick I have had high blood pressure and it seems that it is going down bit by bit but not enough for me to pass a medical. I am able to run 6k if I push myself. I've given up red meat, salt, alcohol and all those other good things that I love. I exercise every day so that isn't the problem.   My job isn't a worry and I have a happy life!   I don't want to cheat or try to fool any tests but I am really frustrated because this is something that I have always wanted to do. Does anybody out there have any suggestions? Nutritional guides? Diet? Menu?    ANYTHING!!!!!!   I'm willing to go all out for this but I have hit the wall and need some support!  
Thanks!
Pipboy48

 

[Born2Fly]

http://www.dietitians.ca/english/menuplanner/MenuPlanner.html

 

[ark]

Some things you may consider

your age
high blood pressure among your relatives
current medication

If your conditition does not improve, make sure you visit your MD and he should be able to help you

 

[quebecrunner]

if you exercise well, then eat properly and still get hight blood pressure, go ask a doctor right now. It maybe a kidney problen or an thyroid trouble. Dont wait too long.

Hight blood pressure its not a good sign...

 

[pipboy48]

Yeah.. i've been through all that. I was tested for so many causes that it seems like I have very little fluid left in the bod.    My doctors (and a few others in the med field) told me to diet and exercise.   They were not a big help! It is coming down, But not enough for me to be confident. So.... I'm willing to do anything at this point even if its eating porridge and fruit for a month!
Thanks for everybodys help.
Pipboy48

 

[quebecrunner]

are you taking medication ?

Exercise will eventually help you with the high blood pressure... But be carefull to go gradually. Yo can run longer than 6 km, but monitor your heart rate and keep it at 75% of your max (slow enought to maintain easily a conversation).

Good luck!

 

[pipboy48]

no medication as yet.... I don't think I need it since it isn't what it was... When I was sick I had about 200 / 120 and it jumped down a few times.... I usually test around 130 / 85 right now. But when I went in for testing last time it jumped up because i was nervous and not breathing.  My goal is to get it down to a normal level before I go in again just to make sure. 
Pipboy48

 

[quebecrunner]

Wow! What an improvement.

You did great without medication... Continue this way and you will be at normal level.

 

[pipboy48]

Well... thanks.  I know it seems like I did a lot of work. But most of that number change came from not croaking! It dropped to 170/110 within the week and down to 150/95 by the end of the month. Its been a year and a half since that whole incident and I am now able to climb stairs without gasping and can actually run after only a month and a half of practice. 
Thanks for everybody who has had an interest in this post. Keep any suggestions coming for me and anybody else with blood pressure problems (Including the dreaded "white coat fever")
Pipboy

 

[cgyflames01]

This may so wierd, but is there a problem with having really low blood pressure, im around 101/48?

 

[combat_medic]

cgyflames: It could be a symptom of something like excessive weight loss, poor diet, or things like eating disorders or anemia. It can cause problems like dizziness or fainting, and could be an indicator for another medical problem such as diabetes, heart problems, or orthostatic hypotension. In any case, if your BP is consistantly that low, I would seriously consider seeing your doctor.

 

[pipboy48]

A girlfriend of mine has low blood pressure and they didn't give her any trouble... She said that they were worried about it until they did another test or two.  See what they say. Just a thought!
pipboy48

 

[Duotone81]

Hi pipboy48,

I too was denied due to highblood pressure. Although my numbers were not quite as high as yours their was cause for concern for any possible serious problems in the future. On average my BP is around 130/78 but it elevates whenever I get a doctor to test it due to anxiety because I want it to be low. I suffer from whitecoat hypertension which means i get nervous around doctors. Their is also an history of high BP on my moms side so genetics also play a role in my numbers. Their are a whole lot of vitamins out their where studies have shown to significantly reduce mean BP readings after a few months of daily use such as Coenzyme Q-10, vitamin C and Omega 3 fatty acid. I find in my case that keeping hydrated has positive effects on my BP so I don't eat a lot of sodium packed foods or drink a lot of alcohol and I always have a bottle of water in the car or at my desk or in the field. Their is also the DASH diet which focuses on a diet rich in fruit and vegetable and low in red meat. This has also shown to significantly reduce BP. Take all this with a grain of salt (no pun intended) and speak with your doctor first. He'll know the safest and most effective route to get to a healthy range.

 

[pipboy48]

  Nick,
    Like I said, my hypertension came from being sick. I'm glad that you pointed out the whole genetics thing. I never really looked at it from that point of view. My familiy does have a little history.  You said "in the field"  does that mean you made it? It would be nice to actually have a success story go up here! You were also talking about vitamin c, coenzyme 10 and omega 3 fatty acids.  Those and quite a few other things have been brought to my attention (Like garlic).  We have that information but now we all need to find the best ways (or products) that will deliver those things to us! My goal is to have a meal plan. I am very thoughtless when it comes to nutrition (with hypertension in mind). I would like to have set meals and snacks through the day that will give us those high blood pressure fighting vitamins. Maybe even have a three day cycle for variety.  Does anybody have any input?
thanks,
Pipboy48

 

[Duotone81]

Pipboy48,

No I am not in yet. What I meant by the field was I work in the civil engineering field and I spend about 80% of my work day on the construction site. It's just a term me and my peers use. It's good that you're dedicated to lowering your BP and I hope you can get it under control soon. An Army career aside it's more important to do so for your longevity. Your family doctor or a cardiologist will offer you the most sound advice though.

Cheers and good luck.

 

[cgyflames01]

I getting my medical test done next week, and i have a question. I'm 19 and healthy in all ways except, i have very low blood pressure. 102/71. There don't seem to any problems with me, but I'm afraid that they might reject me on this? does anyone know the lowest your blood pressure can be? Is there even a minimum?

 

[Inch]

The thing with blood pressure is that although there is a normal BP range, it varies from individual to individual. I'm at the opposite end from you, my normal BP is around 130/85 and it's been like that for as long as I can remember. It's just normal for me. If they give you a hard time, the worst that will happen is you'll have to pay to go see a cardiologist. It seems like I'm a medical anomaly, when I first got my Cat 1 medical for Transport Canada, I had to go see a Cardiologist because my resting heart rate was 44 bpm while my blood pressure was 130/85. I had the ultrasound on my heart, I wore the heart monitor for 24 hrs and I had to do a VO2 Max test. Everything checked out and I got my medical. Then while getting into the military I had to go see a Neurologist to find out again that although I didn't fit into the normal range, it was normal for me and I'm in perfect health. Anyway, don't give up and good luck.

Cheers

 

[cgyflames01]

Right on: thanks.

 

[Jarnhamar]

For someone joining the reg force, how much of a show stopper is someone having slightly high blood pressure?

My blood pressure is a little high. Last time I got a physical from the army docs they said it was sonething to watch but nothing life threatening (this for pre-deployment check up)
I've cut out coke (pop), salt and am excersising a lot more but i think it's still above normal. Is this going to redflag me?

 

[JAFMA]

No it should not cause any red flags to come up.  So long as you are in fairly good health and are taking precautions to reduce you BP.  Does you FMD have you on any meds for your BP and are you taking it regularly and you don't see any major highs, then it shouldn't be a problem.

So long as you are aware of the situation and are in control and taking care of it, it shouldn't get any worse.


Hope this helps you out.