High blood pressure (in athletes)

[channlluv]

Blood pressure problems run in my family, too, and I take Lisinopril, as well. I have to be careful, though, when I do longer workout rides because my bp will drop too much. My doctor told me to not take a pill on a day I'm doing a long workout. I also have to monitor my blood pressure at home. I have a digital cuff and a journal and I take my blood pressure at least once a week.

Roxy

[soprano]

Thank you for all your answers.
Most people consider themselves "active" and think that they "eat well" even if they don't - and probably doctors are used to this.

I find that rather than saying that I'm active or that I get plenty of exercise, it helps to tell the doctor something solid like "I'm currently riding 80 miles a week." After that, they take my concerns about maintaining my lifestyle more seriously.

I ride for most of my transportation, and everyone at my cardiologist's office loves it when I come with helmet in hand

[zoom-zoom]

I find that rather than saying that I'm active or that I get plenty of exercise, it helps to tell the doctor something solid like "I'm currently riding 80 miles a week." After that, they take my concerns about maintaining my lifestyle more seriously.

Yes. #s put things into perspective. My doc knew I was a serious runner and not just a fitness "jogger" when I was training for marathons and putting in 45-55 miles/week on a regular basis and he approaches my care with this knowledge. How to treat someone doing relatively intense workouts 5-7 days/week is very different than it should be for someone doing the minimum 30 minutes 3x/week. A good physician should get this...if they don't I'd be taking my business elsewhere. But I think we have a responsibility to make them aware of the #s, too. Heck, we should be PROUD to present them with this info.

[tulip]

It sounds like alot of people here go to the doctor alot. Curious--how often do you go? I go once a year max; sometimes I extend it to once every two years. Then it's only to my women's health nurse practitioner for my annualish exam.

The last time I went to the doctor for a "check up," she told me that I only need to see her if I get sick. Otherwise, I'm healthy and keep doing what I'm doing. Fine with me; I haven't been to see her for nearly two years. That time was because of bad tendinitis in my arm from typing and mousing too much.

[Crankin]

I agree that numbers should talk. That's why I am changing. When I told her "I rode my bike 3,227 miles in 2010, I got a blank stare and she continued on to ask me if my marriage was OK.

Tulip, I go to the doctor when I have to. I used to be there, lots. Usually now, it's twice a year for sinus infections/allergy related stuff. I go for my annual gyno exam, and I see an endocrinologist for my osteoporosis. This year I decided to see my PCP for an overall check up, get all of the blood work, etc. That's when I was asked about the stair climbing/chest pain.

[tulip]

I'm so sorry to hear about your chest pain! If I had anything like that, I'd go right away. I count my blessings that I don't have to go to the doctor much at all so far in my adult life. When I was a kid...that was different. I had all sorts of ailments.

Come to think of it, I do go to a specialty eye doctor once a year, too, so I guess that counts.

Hm, I guess I go more than I figure.

[zoom-zoom]

It sounds like alot of people here go to the doctor alot. Curious--how often do you go? I go once a year max; sometimes I extend it to once every two years. Then it's only to my women's health nurse practitioner for my annualish exam.

1x/year for pap. 2x/year for asthma follow-ups. In 5+ years of running and biking I have only had one injury that sent me to the doctor...well, aside from that sprain that had me in urgent care for an x-ray a week after the fact (I was pretty sure it wasn't a fracture, but everyone else urged me to have it confirmed). For a while I was in the office every couple of months with sinus issues...the neti pot put a stop to that garbage!

[ultraviolet]

Until I started having chronic migraines, the only regular doctor visits I made were my once a year gyn exams. Other than that, I really only went if something was wrong (cold longer than a week, injury, etc.). I had a whole slew of visits with various specialists when we were trying to figure out my migraine issues. The last time I went to the doctor to check-in on how things were going on that front, we decided that a once a year check-in was fine unless or until something came up--recurrence of the migraines, a change in nature of the migraines, or some complication/problem related to the bp meds. Mostly he's worried about my pressure dropping too low, so I monitor every day at home. So far, I'm on track to not have to see him again for a while.

[Crankin]

Tulip, the chest pain was not "chest pain," i.e. cardiac. It was my normal congestion/asthma, which I have had all of my life. If I get a sinus infection, it can go quickly into bronchitis, if it's not caught in time. She just freaked out and did not listen to me when I told her my symptoms... and if she had half a brain, she would have seen "allergies" written all over my chart. It's like as soon as they look at my birthdate, they judge me as an unfit, unhealthy person, despite the fact that I look like I am in great shape.

[emily_in_nc]

1x/year for pap.

I don't know your situation, but my PCP advised me that since I've never had an abnormal pap and am in a long-term monogamous relationship, I only have to have a pap every 3 years. This after years and years after having them yearly. I guess they've changed the recommendations. Works for me!

I do go to my PCP (no separate gyn, she does my pelvic exam too) yearly not because I'm sick but b/c preventive care is 100% covered by my insurance. Basically, we talk, she renews my asthma inhaler Rx, does a pelvic and breast exam, and tells me how great my health is. She's a runner and a cyclist so totally gets me.

I can't even remember the last time I had to go for a sick visit...

[zoom-zoom]

I don't know your situation, but my PCP advised me that since I've never had an abnormal pap and am in a long-term monogamous relationship, I only have to have a pap every 3 years. This after years and years after having them yearly. I guess they've changed the recommendations. Works for me!

I think I could go less often, but insurance covers it and it always seems that I have some female issue or another that I need to address (I have endo, adenomyosis, and 8 years or so after having thermal ablation my periods are getting heavier, again...and my cycles have been stupid short for years, so it always seems that I'm trying to find another way to push back the inevitable hysterectomy until I am at least in my mid-40s).

[soprano]

It sounds like alot of people here go to the doctor alot. Curious--how often do you go?

Chronic migraines here, plus my cardiologist is convinced that I have a connective tissue disorder (I am not convinced myself, but it's fun to see my heart on TV) so they like to see my face pretty often. I do think that there is something else wrong with me that has yet to be identified. I am naturally neither energetic nor strong. If I don't eat extremely well, or get lots of exercise, I feel like crap and get very lethargic very fast. Working full time is a struggle for me. Bike commuting has been a lifesaver in terms of keeping me fit enough to make it through a normal day.

I often get the impression that many people feel that being healthy leads to an active lifestyle, and not the other way around. Drives me nuts.

[Susan]

Good idea to tell them an actual number. If I only knew those numbers myself
We both don't train for any events, so officially are no serious athletes. We live without a car, so do everything including commuting on bike, and usually get an extra hour of exercise per day by running, going on a MTB-ride or doing weight training. And we spend our weekends with long bike tours.
So, without being serious about the sports we do, we still do more of it than most people I know (but less than a lot of you on TE).

It's a bit difficult to communicate this sometimes

Regarding your question Tulip, I go when I think something is so wrong that it won't heal by itself, and I try to do the annual checkups.

[ny biker]

Well, let's see...doctors...GYN annually for check up and rx for mammogram, pulmonologist annually for check up and to get asthma prescriptions renewed, pulmonary function test every 2 years. I used to go to the neurologist annually for migraine check up and rx renewal, but since the migraines are not as bad as they used to be I go the PCP for that rx now. Also dentist checkup/cleaning 2x per year and eye exam annually because my contact lens rx expires every year. And the annual dermatologist exam.

Then there's the as-needed stuff. Last year I had two trips to an allergist to deal with head to toe hives, plus one emergency Saturday PCP visit when the hives first appeared to get prednisone. Also two visits to an ENT, plus a CT scan of my sinuses, to address bad sinus pain. Then there were the visits to the dentist for the root canal, which wound up also solving the bad sinus pain.

In previous years my as-needed doctor visits have involved long-term neck and shoulder pain, knee pain, frequent periods and breast pain. Plus various upper respiratory infections that turned into breathing problems, injuries from cycling crashes, that insect bite that turned into cellulitis...

Plus the flu shot every autumn.

[Crankin]

Susan, you don't need to be training for an event to be a "serious" athlete. Your lifestyle most certainly qualifies as "serious." The same way I would put myself in this category. I do think medical people have difficulty envisioning this lifestyle, especially if they are more casual exercisers or extremely competitive.
As far as the the doctor visits, what I mentioned before is pretty much my visits to my pcp. I go to the dentist 4X a year, as both of my parents had pretty bad periodontal disease and I was going in that direction. This has helped get it under control greatly. I get a mammogram yearly, and a bone density scan, as osteoporosis is the only real "thing" I have, other than allergies/asthma. I see the endocrinologist a couple of times a year, for tx of the osteoporosis.
I spent most of 2007-2008 going to various specialists to diagnose my mysterious pain, tingling, headaches, stomach issues. Although I ended up under the care of a rheumatologist for fibromyalgia, there really was no definitive diagnosis. I may have a mild presentation of the disease, as I never had the cognitive symptoms. Because of this experience, I know my body a lot better and now know the pattern of what happens if I am over training, stressed, etc. I also don't run to the doctor as much. But, my tipping point is if I think I might have bronchitis or if my asthma is acting up because of a cold or sinus infection. My asthma is 100% better and under control than it was 20 years ago, so I do not ignore that.