What do you know about high blood pressure?

[Tuckervill]

The first time my BP was ever recorded high was some time after my car wreck in '06....I was laid up for a while and taking pain killers. My weight ballooned up to 206. On a follow up visit to the doctor, my bp was over 140/90 (I don't remember the exact number--I know it was 140+ and 90+). They mentioned that it was high, but it was an isolated number and I'd never had a high reading before, so they said don't worry about it.

Two weeks ago I went out to dinner with my hubby. I had a margarita (with salt). I felt cruddy afterwards--my head wasn't hurting but it was pounding, like there was pressure. Something made me think BP?, so I stopped into Wal-Mart on my way home and sat in the machine. It was a similar reading 140+/90+.

I went to bed and decided to take a wait-n-see approach. The next morning, I was still feeling that pounding feeling, and my heart was skipping beats occasionally so I went to the drug store and took it again. High. Went straight to the doctor. High.

I talked her out of giving me medicine. I told her about my weight loss (37 lbs so far). She said I had 3 months to get the BP down to normal before I would be on a pill. I asked her about a cardiac work up, and she didn't think it was necessary. I got a BP machine. My average BP for the last 2 weeks is 131/81.

I've started watching my sodium intake (on Calorie King, though I haven't been logging a lot lately). I exercised a lot today (boot camp, then plenty of gardening with lots of shoveling and hauling wheelbarrows full of dirt, and I scrubbed the large kitchen floor on my hands and knees). I feel okay, except I do feel a little short of breath when I'm sitting around. BP is high enough tonight to raise my average a couple of points. The skipped heartbeats are here with a vengeance tonight, too..

Other than watching my sodium intake, continuing to get the weight down, exercising, staying hydrated...what else should I know? I've picked up a few books but they seem to be written for the chronically unhealthy set. I want to know how it could affect an active life.

Karen

[maillotpois]

What's the definition of "high"? What do they want you to get it to? 131/91 doesn't sound very high to me, but I am no expert. (and of course today I was just looking at med records of a guy whose was 250/150 !!!)

[Tuckervill]

Now that's high!

131/81 is termed "prehypertension" according to the newest guidelines. The readings at the doctor's office were "Stage 1 hypertension". I get those readings often. This part is why I'm taking it seriously:

The relationship between BP and risk of CVD events is continuous, consistent,
and independent of other risk factors. The higher the BP, the greater is the
chance of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease. For individu-
als 40–70 years of age, each increment of 20 mmHg in systolic BP (SBP) or
10 mmHg in diastolic BP (DBP) doubles the risk of CVD across the entire BP
range from 115/75 to 185/115 mmHg.8

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/...on/express.pdf

But, that's an average over 60 readings--I take it morning and night, in both arms, and if it seems high or low, I take it again.

What's really bothering me is this shortness of breath/heart skipping thing that's been going on for the last two hours. The symptom is so vague that I can't really describe it. I hesitate to say "pressure on my chest" to any medical person because that brings in all kinds of urgency. But, that's what it is, like a clutching on my chest, like a panic, and I have to cough a little. It only lasts for a second. This happens a lot when I'm driving so I sometimes wonders if it's postural or something. I can't relate it to caffeine, or anything like that. And I can shovel dirt and mulch for hours, and run sprints (this morning) and ride my bike a long way.

It's one of those symptoms that you kind of ignore until it goes away, but it hasn't gone away, and now coupled with the higher BP readings, I'm starting to wonder....

Karen

[Jolt]

The BP doesn't sound all that bad at this point--yes, it's a little higher than it should be but it's not ridiculously high (it's not like you're gonna explode or something ). The shortness of breath and palpitations should be checked out though, especially if it's new. Most cases of palpitations aren't anything serious but occasionally they can be a sign of bigger problems; the shortness of breath along with yours is another reason to get it looked at. Let us know how it goes.

[Di bear]

What's really bothering me is this shortness of breath/heart skipping thing that's been going on for the last two hours. The symptom is so vague that I can't really describe it. I hesitate to say "pressure on my chest" to any medical person because that brings in all kinds of urgency. But, that's what it is, like a clutching on my chest, like a panic, and I have to cough a little. It only lasts for a second. This happens a lot when I'm driving so I sometimes wonders if it's postural or something. I can't relate it to caffeine, or anything like that. And I can shovel dirt and mulch for hours, and run sprints (this morning) and ride my bike a long way.

Karen -

This paragraph is the key to your problems. First and foremost, you need to be treated for anxiety. Stick with the tried and true: Prozac. Go to your family doctor and get on a SAFE antidepressant/anti-anxiety drug (SAFE is why I recommended Prozac). If the first drug doesn't work after two months, then you need to switch. They are all chemically different, and you need to find the one that works for you.

I think you'll find that your BP will normalize after treating the anxiety.

Once you get your physical symptoms/reactions under control, then you can step back and take a look at the changes you need to make in your life. I'm not talking about food and exercise, I'm talking about stress coping mechanisms.

Your sharp pains most likely were gas. Also, anxiety/depression can cause a lot of physical pain. I know - I've been there.

Di

[teigyr]

Definitely get it checked out. Yeah, it could be anxiety and your body is trying to tell you something

I just had my final visit to the cardiologist today. I have arrhythmia and had some funny readings during my stress test at my doctor's office. After much testing, the cardiologist says I am completely healthy. I asked about the PACs and the high resting heart rate and he said that people are all different and these things are normal for me.

So I guess I'm saying to check out to make sure nothing is physically wrong. If nothing is (and I'm telling you, it is a HUGE relief to learn that!), then you can look to the mental and what you can do to calm yourself down.

One last thing I think is people handle things like breathing problems (there are things like smoke that I can't tolerate), stress, and other things differently. For those of us who have little "skip" things going on or are prone to high blood pressure, that is when we feel it.

Just go step by step and I bet once your stress level is lowered, your blood pressure will follow. And again, make sure that your doctor checks everything there is to check.

[Tuckervill]

Thanks gals.

The pains were not gas. I had been fasting so there was no digestive action going on. I'm a pretty gassy gal. I know gas! lol. It wasn't heartburn--I know what that's like. If it wasn't my heart, it was more likely a pulled muscle or rib cage stuff. I go to boot camp and work out hard. I get aches and pains. This is why I mentally went through a checklist of posture, cracked my neck, checked my state of mind, etc. I don't think it was my heart, either. If I had really thought that, I would have gone straight to the hospital.

It may sound like I'm obsessing over all the stuff going on, but really, I'm not. I don't have a paying job. I make my own hours. I can afford the time to spend the whole day in bed if I want. I'm not anxious. I just didn't want to interrupt the one week when I have a lot to do! lol.

I also am already on Zoloft prophylactally, for depressive symptoms. I've been on and off it since the birth of my last child. About a month ago, I decided it was time to go back on, and I'm happy I did. But it's not anxiety/panic/nervousness that is my problem. It's the exact opposite, whatever that is.

The BP was up back in 06, and I think it has been up or creeping up for a long time. It's not going to go away over night.

One more day of this week, then I can rest.

Karen

[shootingstar]

Keep watching your sodium. Perhaps ask doc if you will have to watch sodium intake for the rest of your life...even after weight loss?
My mother has been hypertensive for almost last 15 years..yes, she's about 30 lbs. overweight. She does take a pill of sort daily. Of course, she's 74 yrs.

She has changed her diet drastically to eliminate much salt...including soy sauce. Yes, it is STILL possible to cook Chinese cuisine without or hardly any soy sauce..it's in technique, etc.

Keep us posted.

[OakLeaf]

Star, I'm sure you and your mom already know this, but for others watching their sodium intake: soy sauce is salty and no way around that, but different types vary widely in how much sodium they contain. So if you use soy sauce, read the labels, and if you change brands, don't assume you're getting the same amount of sodium you were with your old brand.

mmmmmmm... Nama Shoyu...

[Tuckervill]

Sodium is HARD to think about. A new thing I have to learn. I've not used the salt shaker since the day I went to the doctor. It's going to be really hard during PMS because the only thing that helps is hot salty french fries.

I ordered an Albuquerque Turkey from Schlotsky's today--but I did remember to tell them to leave off the bacon. I've been counting calories all this time, and now I have to think about calories AND sodium. oy.

I had my yearly exam at the gyno today. I told her about the BP and the heart palps, and she said I should go back to my regular doc and get it checked, for sure. She wasn't panicky--she said it could just be PVCs, but it should be checked. She said they would probably do a 24 hr. Holter monitor or an event monitor. Unfortunately, I had to take my son in to our doc for his knee today, too. (He got hammered by the dogs running in the yard and he has his father's bad knees.) So that has taken the focus off of me for the moment. Xrays and a trip to the ortho is next.

I am sure that dh will have something he needs to go to the doctor for, soon, since we're going. It always works out that way!

Karen

[crazybikinchic]

Have you been under more stress than normal?

[jesvetmed]

Tuckerville:

I can't believe it... you perfectly described what I get... I've never been able to put it into words, and I've not heard anyone else talk about the pressure / cough thing. That is exactly what happens to me, and I feel the palpatation. I had ekg's, a holter monitor (3 day ekg continuous reading) and of course, they never found it then. But I will say, when I am tired, have had too much caffeine, or am stressed (especially when all of the above align), I have a lot more of them. It's my body's way of telling me... WHOA THERE! They feel scarey, though, even though I try to tell myself they are nothing. I'd have the ekg / cardiac exam done no matter what -- just to be sure there is nothing else underlying it. Apparently they are quite common and harmless in most cases. Good luck and I hope you are feeling better than a couple days ago.
Jes