I'm a 36 year old female, I'm 5'6 and weigh 13 stone. I'm worried because I've had raised bp for at least 5 years, I monitor it at home and it's usually between 140/90 - 156/105.
I hate going to the dr, and my bp is always worse there. Last time I went was 2 years ago and they wanted to fit a bp monitor to me for 24 hours to see what it's like at home but I refused. At the time I was really stressed because I had microscopic haematuria (blood in urine). My dr bullied me into having a cystoscopy for this, the results were negative. I haven't been back to the dr since then.
I know I need to lose weight but I'm wondering if this will be enough to lower my bp, or could I have an underlying kidney problem?
My love...let's get with the program...I would bet the first thing you do in the morning is NOT to go for a long brisk walk! It's your life...do you want to slowly enjoy life less and less until you develop joint problems, or diabetes, or kidney problems as you feared! You're obviously no dummy...and thanks to the miraculous bodies we inhabit, all the bad we do to ourselves can be reversed...starting almost immediately...start a modest exercise program...put less in your mouth....and you'll start to see how wonderful life can be...it's really unbelievable how good a human being can feel....IF...you do the right thing. It's not easy to start, so I'll get a little rough and tell you right now....put the donuts and the chips in the garbage....or you're on a fast track to the obituary column!!
Hi, if I were you I would make another doctors appointment , try another doctor in your practice, there is help out there.
It's very rare for an underlying condition to be found as a cause of high BP and they don't want to spend money testing for it.
I would try dieting and exercise for a while to see it it comes down. You obviously know or can google the things to cut out of your diet. I read somewhere that regular swimming can bring down your weight by a pound a week. I doesn't seem to wortk for my wife who swims for about 4 1/2 hours a week!
I record my BP readings and give them to my doctor. A 24 hour monitor to me is just as big a cause of my BP going up as having it taken at the surgery or hospital.
In fact my doctors receptionist sometimes phones to say that it has not been taken for some time and the doctor knows that I record it and can I give her a reading.
Thank-you for your comment, however I would like to say that I walk twice a day every day for between 30-60 mins. I do need to adjust what I eat, but I do feel I'm on the right track having lost a stone so far this year. Of course I want to keep improving upon this, and hope that it feel help lower my bp.
Sadly there are no doctors at my current practice, they seem unable to recruit any so we're stuck with 2 locum doctors.
Hi Moomin78, Sounds like you know what you have to do as unless you go back to the GP (locum or not)you will not get any answers .. and High Bp left to it'sown devices is a killer. So you have to take it seriously ... but you can be in control of it. Go to the GP and get the 24hr monitor ... from that they can help you decide the right treatment ... but if you do nothing you could end up with not only kidney problems but heartproblems or strokes. It is up to you what happens next ..it is your life.
For me it was a shock to find I had high BP but I took control and now I feel better than I have in years.So take that first step ... and get yourself checked out 
Good luck
Howhigh was your BP and what is it now?
moomin, a consultant told me a few years ago that for every stone of weight loss, blood pressure could lower by 10%. As for your experience with blood in your urine, that could simply have been a urine infection (I had similar just over a year ago). Plus it was, you say, some 2 years ago. I'm not a medic, but I would say that as you've had the cystoscopy with a negative result and no repeat of the urine infection in the last couple of years, then all sounds well.
As far as your high BP is concerned, you are only young and and putting your mind to losing the excess weight now will not only help your blood pressure, it will keep you off pills. I have a friend who developed high BP at around your age and failed to find the willpower to lose weight but continued to gain it to the point where she is obese - now many years later she is on several BP pills and has a host of other health problems. You could start by cutting out all salt from your diet and as much sugar as possible, and reducing all refined carbs as they turn to sugar in our bodies. Meanwhile, you would be wise to take some medication to get that blood pressure down. You can do it - good luck.
I endorse what others say here. Get yourself to the GP and a 24 hr monitor. Cut out salt, eat less and check out the LCHF diet. I've been a weight watcher for over 40 years and always lost weight then put it back again until I was told I had hypertension. That shook me to the core and I vowed to alter my life style and lose weight. I ditched weight watchers and their high carb way of eating and went to diet doctor and the LCHF diet and lost 3 stone. BMI now <19. It worked for me. I do take meds for BP but just one ditsy dose of Losartan. High blood pressure is a killer.
Don't take it for granted because it will damage your heart eventually. It is just unfortunate that there are no doctors aroung your area because I second opinion would be much better.
Thanks for your comment. I am going to lose the weight as the last thing I want is to keep putting weight on year after year. I worry that if I get put on medication for my bp now, then I'll be on it for life. My concern is that doctors are very quick to prescribe drugs and seem very resistant to any alternatives.
Thank-you for your comment. I think part of the thing that panics me, besides just being at the doctors, is that tightening feeling when the bp cuff grips my arm...I know it's silly but I'm sure that elevates the reading.
The last thing I want is to be put on medication for high bp without having first ruled out any possible underlying cause and I worry this is a real problem, as like you say, doctors don't want to spend money testing for things.
I'm going to keep a regular check on my bp at home and think I'll do as you suggest and see how my bp is when I've lost a couple of stone.
Thanks for your reply. I don't think LCHF diet is for me, I want to eat a healthy balanced diet. Different things work for different people, so I'm happy you've found what works for you.
Average was 220/110 - once on first 4 different tablets it came down to the 170/100 mark. Then diagnosed with Primary Hyperaldosterism, put on Spirolactone and it was 118/75 at my last review I did take charge and changed diet, level of activity and cut out as much sodium as possible. Now I realise how serious I need to take it and it is down to me as this is for life- and it is MY life - time to love myself
Drugs are the easy way out for them. There are so many faddy diets around....a new one every month. Remember that Dr Atkins died of heart disease so his high fat diet did him no good. Obviously the only way is to eat the right things but less of them. Some practices have a visiting dietician who can give advice.
Micheal Winner lost weight (wastefully) by coooking what he wanted but only eating half of it. Are you cooking for others as well as that may make it more difficult if you are cooking what they want.
You were fortunate that the Hyperaldosterism was diagnosed. Most patients don't get a full investigation. I'm going to a renal unit in two weeks after 14 years of hypertension. I had some kidney tests previously that did not show anything but this will be a more thorough investigation
Think my GP felt guilty for not investigating for nearly one month after initial reading. Also no previous BP history (except very low when teenager) and resistant to 3 or more drugs all at maximum dosage ... had lots of CT's and bloods and 24hr urine tests, all showing nothing until final test ha to be sent off to London and that showed problems. Took over a year but I know I am very very lucky to have been tested. Good luck with your testing Derek and let us know how it goes.