Blood pressure drops immediately after exercising
Posted , 5 users are following.
I am wondering if I should be concerned. Background...been on bp medication since 1998, every so often I'll spike and sometimes end up in ER. Total spikes in all 6.
Recently I was taken off my bp medicine because it was too low.
Through diet and exercise it had been staying around 115/60...felt great.
Last night I had another spike...got up to 170/110 briefly (hour)...when I went to bed down to 135/70. It went back up today to 150/98. Per doctors instructions I took half dose or 20 mg. of generic Benicar HTC. Within 20 minutes bp down 128/70.
This evening I walked briskly...instead of bp rising it went lower 110/50 immediately when I stopped walking. Heartrate 90.
I've noticed this happening a lot...Ill exercise and instead of bp going up as the intensity increases my bp goes down. When my doctor pulled me off the Benicar I was getting bp 80 and 90 over 50 some.
I hope I don't have to start it up again but it is looking like things are not very stabilized.
Anybody with similar symptoms? Thoughts?
0 likes, 10 replies
jx41870 shirley48974
Posted
>Within 20 minutes bp down 128/70
Well now, the problem with that is I don't think Benicar (olmesartan) is effective that quickly. I've taken it on and off for years, and while I've sometimes felt that it had a small effect within minutes, full effect clearly takes at least a few hours, and most doctors or pharmacists would probably tell you it takes weeks.
However once it is in effect then what happens when you exercise is hard to say, the drug probably suppresses some of the natural processes that you would expect from exercise - but one of those effects can be to further relax your arteries for more blood flow. So I can see how that could happen on top of Benicar.
I've never exercised vigorously while on BP meds, it never feels right and I can't judge whether or not to push. Then again I have other conditions to worry about too, which complicates my own case. I don't know how many people do engage in vigorous aerobic exercise while on any BP meds, especially the ACE/ARBs.
shirley48974 jx41870
Posted
I try to watch heart rate as I exercise. I go to a gym environment 2 to 3 days where I am monitored to stay in my target workout heart rate zone for 30 minutes; remainder of time is spent in stretching and cool down.
At home when I walked I monitor heart rate with a fitbit blaze...hope it is accurate.
Thanks again for your comments.
shirley48974
Posted
just got done with morning walk...already hot here. So started walking less briskly once heart rate got to 140. I've been told my target zone (from gym analysis/trainer is 123 to 133).
Anyway bp dropped again this morning. Took it going out and it was 135/70. Immediately following walk it was 108/60 with heart rate of 104.
jx41870 shirley48974
Posted
Hi Shirley I'd add one more thing, I often wake up in the morning with the highest BP of the day. Can't say why, and it's probably not a good thing. Are your high readings before exercise also early morning?
Other than that, I haven't heard of completing exercise and seeing an immediate low BP like that. It may be a well-known thing to others, but it's new to me.
jx41870
Posted
Actually now, 140 from just a brisk walk, is a tad high. Well maybe if it's hot, and humid, outside. Immediately following a walk at 104 is not too bad, just so it slows down a little within an hour or so.
I wonder if a little beta blocker might be a better med to try than the Benicar, beta blockers help keep the heart rate down. But watch the dosage - for me, about 1/4 of the usual minimum dose for atenolol is all I need, more than that and I feel like a zombie.
mike92384 shirley48974
Posted
I haven't heard many stories about a Dr. suddenly telling a patient to stop their medications altogether when the bp gets low. Usually, they will reduce the dosage, i.e. if a patient is taking a 10mg tab, they will say...'take just 5mg then we'll see how it goes". Suddenly withdrawing bp medication could very well cause spiking.
By all means keep exercising & watching your diet. This is a healthy way of living, for sure.
Benicar HCT is really Olmesartan with a diuretic. Olmesartan is in the class of ARB's. Maybe you don't need the diuretic., I don't know...but this is something you need to discuss with your doctor. Quite frankly, I'm surprised he/she would tell you to stop your meds altogether. Most people know that stopping completely causes spikes.
shirley48974 mike92384
Posted
I had to take a half dose again yesterday as it was going back up sitting resting. Interesting when I walked briskly for 20 minutes heart rate got up to 140 bpm (warm outdoors) blood pressure immediately after walking was 119/60. As my heartrate returned to 80 bpm bp went to 139/78. I walked two other times yesterday but heart rate and bp both increased and decreased as expected with the activity.
I plan to see the doctor next week again, so hope to know more after that.
It is probably that I am just out of shape. I have never heard not to exercise while on medication.
I just retired from a desk job where I had to sit with very little time to actually get up and move.
Thanks for the reply.
jason1098 shirley48974
Posted
I’ve always had either a gradual reduction or a change of drug, I have never been taken off all meds for a chronic condition like Hypertension.
mike92384 jason1098
Posted
jason1098..you have said exactly the same as I did! I can't think of any doctor who would do such a thing.
Reduce the medication...yes...but to advise stoppage altogether??...no way!
jason1098 mike92384
Posted
Hi Mike
Yes, it's a good example of why it's worth reading the thread before posting!