Hi. This is my first posting. I have been reading with interest the various
blogs about high blood pressure and how to reduce it and thought my
experiences may help some of you. I am a 63 year male. I am 5' 11" tall
and thought I was a healthy weight at 12st 10lbs. Moderately active. Enjoy
a glass or two of wine each night plus the occasional beer!
My readings were always about 150/95. My father died some years ago of
a stroke and my GP put me on 10mg ramapril. Little if no change to my
readings so a month ago I decided to change my lifestyle.
I have cut out ALL alcohol, I have dieted (weight now 12st) I have cut out
ALL coffee and reduced tea. I walk EVERY day, fast, for at least 30mins. I
include foods such as beetroot, lean chicken, porridge, fruit and veg in my diet. No packaged sauces, crisps, bacon etc.
You've guessed it....my bp is now in the region of 120/80 each day.
I am still on the ramapril but am seeing GP next week to see what she
thinks.
Be interested to hear if anyone else has gone down this route to try and
resolve high bp.
Great advice, Fisherman, and well done you. I'm sure following your diet/exercise and weight loss routine would help many with their blood pressure. Unfortunately, it does't seem to help me but I am a few years older than you and have other problems that could have a bearing on my BP. Keep up your good work, and if it ges you off the Ramipril, even better.
Good on you, I'm glad the diet and exercise regime has worked for you.
I did more or less the same as you although my BP was 163 initially and the diastolic too was far too high. I had wanted to get it down by lifestyle means but after 2 months of trying it didn't really work so I was put on Ramipril later changed to Losartan. I took a medium dose and after about 15 months had it reduced to the lowest measure as either the meds were working overtime or the lifestyle had finally kicked in. Who knows? I still hate taking the damn things anyway !!!
Do hope your stays the same way, 150/95 isn't really so bad but perhaps the 95 was? I had tended to disregard the importance of the diastolic number but the dr told me that I had TWO high BP readings and she seemed to think that was more serikous than just one. Not sure about that though.
Hello there yes it is the bottom number that is the important one with regards to your heart, and the top number goes up with excercise climbing the stairs etc it has to, so your organs can receive a supply of blood. Great news for you keep up the good work and let us know what your gp thinks. I was talking to a lady the other day whose husabnd takes numerous bp meds and still has 200/110 reading his kidneys eyes and heart have all been checked and are fine, he feels rotten with all the meds he takes it does make you wonder if there is too much hype about bp readings, all the doctors can put it down to is stress at work amazinghowsome people have resistant hypertension..
thats excellent news You are a good example to others with this problem. Well done,
Richard
Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. It has been hard work as I love my food and I love real ale! But I am determined to carry on. What is interesting is that I don't think its just one thing that has
made the difference. It is a "life style" change.
Hi Jane. Thanks for your thoughts. This "life style" change thing that
everyone bangs on about appears to be working for me but it is early
days AND its forever. I love my food and I love my real ale. I am sure
weight loss has helped though so will have to watch diet. Can't wait to
hear what my GP says next week.
Hi Helen. Thanks for your comments. I am embracing the life style change so far but have family over tonight for dinner and friends joining us for dinner next Friday and I find it a bit embarrassing by declining certain foods and alcohol. Silly isn't it? Its my body and my high blood pressure! Keep you posted re my GP's comments next week.
Thanks Richard. Just got to "keep troshing" as they say here in Norfolk. It means keep going!!
After 14 years of labile BP with not unusual readings of 210/110 I have no reported damage. My blood glucose has been considered to be high for around ten years and touch wood no known damage. I have some lack of feeling in my feet but that was there 40 years ago with no known cause.
Year by year the goalposts are being moved on how low our figures should be.
Hi there,
Very similar, failed my flight medical, BP 160/90, have been on medication before and started again but went radical with weight loss, cutting out alcohol and most of all, ANY processed food.
Eat fresh food, no red meat, lots of fish and almost no wheat, when I know there is wheat in the food, little sugar.
Lost weight, BP came down to 120/70, now averaging 130/80.
I notice as soon as I do more excersise, my BP is lower.
I try to measure same time each day, just after wake up, before medication.
Hate the medication as I suspect it has an influence on my balance, have read report suporting this.
Medication is 80/12.5mg Telmisartan/Hydrochlorothiazid
Want to move away from medication again when I can, using Respite
I'd often wondered about the systolic numbers and how you are told not to take a reading after exercise. If I take mine after a brisk walk my BP drops, really drops down quite low, it always does this. It's back to normal quite soon. I asked the dr once why this was and as long as things are soon back to normal she didn't seem bothered.
Mine normally goes down after being out walking.
Hi Tom. That's billiant. I suppose we shouldn't be too surprised by our results as the medical profession keep going on about these lifestyle changes. I do miss my wine/beer and do miss some processed foods that I used to eat but prefer my lower bp! My GP may decide to keep me on ramapril for the time being so will have to see how that pans out.
A little red wine is not a bad thing but the processed food contains many substances, never intended for the human but help the pockets of the producers.
life must go on, just measure regularly, at the. Same time, you will see, Chocks send mine up over night.
Just avoid, by once again, a little culinary fun is part of life, just find have to keep in check.
Go well
T
This walking/exercise lark does have some merit. I always considered myself fairly fit for my age but rarely put my heart under pressure for sustained time. Walking briskly for 30mins every day does that. Always check with GP tho if you think you want to do some strenuous exercise. As I have said before it was the "package" of changes that appear to work for me. Can I keep it going though?!
glad I'm not alone in that then.
I wondered exactly the same Fisherman, could I keep the walking up every day. Then I bought a labrador puppy a year ago so now have to walk her - and me too. Mutual benefit
. Better and cheaper than a gym any day for my money, I'm lucky that I live in the country though.
hi Jane its something to do with the fact that blood goes to the lower part of the body when walking, thats what I have read, mine also goes low after brisk 40 min walk in the morning and also feel amazing, it does get rid of alot of stress. I have also found that if I don.t give a damn about what my reading is, it is always lower, in other words less anxiety which is what I think is the culprit for alot of high readings. I am sure we are all going to be fine.. lets have alovely day and throw caution to the wind .
Interesting theory, I'd often wondered about it, not bothered about it you understand.
Re having a lovely day, if only the weather wasn't so foul today - I have to push myself to take the dog out. Will feel better when I've done it I'm sure.