5 Day Cure High Blood Pressure!

[Zen]

What is the course like?
If it's relatively flat can't you just ride at a leisurely pace without raising your BP to excess?
Walk up hills?

So what if it takes five hours

[Crankin]

My usually low BP shot up 2 years ago when I was sick. They convinced me to take the same medication you are taking; no one told me to stop riding! We already had a home BP machine, so I took it everyday. After 2-3 weeks I went back to the doctor and told them I was weaning myself off of the meds. I took my BP everyday and presented them with the printout of my numbers when I went back in. My BP is now between 90/72 and 120/78.
My BP routinely went up when I go to the doctor, until I started doing yoga and meditating. I just make sure I have no coffee or run up the stairs before I go to their office.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

The "White Coat Syndrome" is a possibility here- where you get naturally nervous at the doctor's office and it raises your blood pressure temporarily.
Lots of drugstores/pharmacies in the US have blood pressure machines where you can take your own reading for free. See if there are any near you and start going there to check your blood pressure.

This happened to me this year, and I went to the drugstore about twelve times over two weeks after having two very bad readings at my doctor's office, with a 15 minute 'rest' between them. My doctor recommended my doing this to check for office nervousness- he didn't want to put me on medication until he was sure it wasn't just from office visit nervousness. Well, every drugstore reading was well within normal range, much to my relief. I checked it on two different machines to make sure. Now six months later I still check it every time I'm in the drugstore just out of habit.

[OakLeaf]

I just went to a hospital for a research study I'm participating in, and the first time they took my BP it was 150-something over 103. Total white coat syndrome, even though I knew exactly what was going to happen to me that day and it wasn't anything bad. I could feel my BP go through the roof the minute I walked into the building. It did come down somewhat after 20 minutes or so, but not all the way.


ETA: elevated blood pressure is a common side effect of meds, though. I'm very sensitive to several of them, including OTC decongestants. Look into what you're taking and see whether that's a possibility - and talk to your doctor about it, don't just quit taking something on your own.

[tctrek]

You've been through so much this year... it's conceivable that stress could be driving up your b.p. I take Lisinopril and it will not interfere with your life. Just take it until you are under control... if you start to feel sleepy or listless, you may need a lesser dose. I take 1/2 the recommended dosage every day because my b.p. goes too low and I get kinda dizzy... not that I'm not dizzy most of the time anyway

They don't call high blood pressure the "silent killer" for nothing. You need to pay attention to it, take your med and monitor. Chances are very good that after your feeling better with your other health problems, exercising more, getting rid of some of the stress, that it could get better on it's own.

My DH took b.p. medication for about two years. Then mysteriously, it went back to normal. I have hypertension, so I will take it for the rest of my life no matter how healthy and active I am.

[maryellen]

Be sure that they are taking your BP properly--you should be sitting in a seat with your back supported, arm supported at heart level, w an opportunity to sit quietly for a few minutes before they take your BP.

Good luck!