My blood pressure is at it's highest most mornings- averages 190/88
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hello.
I am 72 years old and for some years now I've had uncontrolled blood pressure and it's at the highest most mornings - averaging 190/88 , it never seems to want to go down low enough. despite my medication
My average is around 165 / 88 during the day.
It's up when at rest and lower when active.
I go to bed feeling ok and wake up feeling rubbish.
My cardiologist doctor says I am a non dipper and at risk, but has not be able to help me.
I think now he has given up on me.
My medication:
Bisoprolol 1.25mg am-pm - perindopril 8mg am - Doxazosin 4mg pm- Furosemide 40mg am
Also on Levothyroxin 100mg .
Also Amitriptyline from after effects of abdominal surgery twice and back pain .
I don't think works that well for me but makes me sleep.
I eat healthy, walk daily and drink only water, any ideas anyone?
0 likes, 13 replies
k28587 pat81257
Posted
I feel your pain. My husband had a stroke at 48 and off-the-chain blood pressure readings. They had him on maxed out doses of 8-10 meds and he had every test from kidney tests to heart tests.... the simple answer without going into fifty pages of what we went through, doctors never figured it out. We did. It was an inflammatory response to foods he was eating. When he did a weekend of prep for a colonoscopy, his bp went down significantly, and we said, "Waaaaaaaaiiiiit....whaaattttt?!" Even with all the meds his readings were 199/98 at night. Furthermore, the docs wouldn't believe us that a couple of the meds seemed to be causing his bp to rise. We proved it. (Google "renin response and blood pressure"). After almost a decade of hell, his blood pressure has been 116/68 , and he is off most of his meds. He has discovered that a gluten free and dairy restricted diet, along with avoiding corn was the solution for him. We found out later other people in the family have had the same issues with the same foods. Almost no one looks to food allergies to figure out blood pressure, but it sure was my husband's solution! Dealing with digestive tract inflammation was our key. Not saying this works for everyone. It was his answer. Many of his docs still won't listen, even though we have cut his meds down to 3 And his bp is normal.
pat81257 k28587
Posted
Hello K28587
I am inspired by your response and think you could very well be right especially for me - it makes sense.
I have been trying to stick to a Gluten free diet for years!!!! but do eat old cheeses.
I obviously need to go deeper into this before it's too late!
My doctor seems to have tunnel vision when it comes to alternative help and he just drops his head and looks away and writes me up for another pill .
They know If they stepped outside they box they will be struck off
Thank you so much for your help.
Have a great day.
k28587 pat81257
Posted
I hope you are able to find the source of all this. I forgot to mention ... I also had found this study either Columbia or Stanford ... one of those ... did about renin response and blood pressure, and they mentioned that right after this one woman did the first steps, they did vitamin B injections, and her blood pressure went from off-the-chain high to normal in 6 months. When our digestive tracts are throwing off responses like inflammation and mucus secretion, we can't absorb vital nutrients that regulate hormone balances. Why don't THESE studies make it down the line into the doctors' offices? His blood pressure returned to normal with what we did, but my next step was finding someone who was willing to try the vitamin B thing. My husband's biggest issue was the gluten, corn and dairy, but then on top of that, they were "solving" it with meds that were actually driving it up. Calcium channel blockers do that with a small percentage of people. I think they tend to treat blood pressure as a blanket statement problem, when the sources in each person could be very different.
When they did do his scope tests, they found my suspicions were correct. His stomach actually had lacerations in it, his allergy to some foods was so bad.
pat81257 k28587
Posted
K28587
Four years ago due to severe abdominal pain I had an emergency operation where they found peritonitis causing me to lose the right side of my bowel, I eventually found this was caused by gluten .
I was in ICU and I thought I'd had my lot.
I have since had another op when my bowel had stopped working.
I was also on Amlodipine a calcium channel blocker that made me ill for some years.
I can't get my doctor to listen to the alternative route and the medical profession are not interested in natural medicine no matter how science based it is - they only follow the training of the pharmaceuticals and their toxic drugs.
They will not do blood tests for food allergies and intolerances and going private costs a fortune
I am thinking positive now that food must be the problem of my uncontrolled BP
I shall follow up all the good advice given here on this sight.
Thank you so much for your help.
Kind regards
k28587 pat81257
Posted
I'm very sorry you've gone through all this. Another thing to look into is making sure all the meds they put you on are gluten free. Hydralazine is cut with wheat starch, according to their web site, and that doesn't pair well with Celiac! My husband kept himself on the colonscopy prep diet ... mostly liquids and gluten/dairy-free yogurts and puddings until his digestive tract had rested, then we simply added a food or two here and there to see what caused the spikes. When his blood pressure rises again, he goes back on the "resting eating plan" for a few days until the inflammation eases. It sounds brutal, but it's actually WAY better than living the other way. He also limits "night shades" (potatoes, onions, green peppers), as those tend to be inflammatory. He seems to tolerate them well a couple/few times a week, but he just focuses on gentle, whole, antiflammatory foods he isn't allergic to. Hang in there. You will get this figured out! Such a frustrating thing.
USRider69 pat81257
Posted
I don't know if it's reassuring, but my BP is highest when I first wake up in the morning, even if I take it lying in bed. And I'm talking 160/105. I'm on Losartan (100 mg) and Norvasc (10 mg) and was doing a little better before I started chemo, so I blame that for at least some of this craziness, but my diastolic has been near 90 consistently for three years despite the addition of Norvasc that was aimed at controlling that. And like you, when I'm most active is when my BP is lowest--116/82 --if I've been doing the work on the farm that requires heavy lifting and carrying. Obviously the answer is more exercise, but in mid-treatment it's all I can do to do what I have to without adding anything more. I'm getting frustrated, and my onco can't seem to decide whether this is worth addressing or worth just leaving alone to see where it goes when I'm finished, but "finished" won't be for another year after the regular chemo course. One week there's great concern and verging panic among the pratictioners and two days later it's "Well, let's just watch it for a while" calm. One PCP did try to add another drug, the name of which I never got as both Medicare and the pharmacy refused to support or fill the prescription. That doc took it upon himself to order it at a compounding pharmacy under third-party coverage I never agreed to at a cost of $125/month out of pocket, so I just refused the scrip and changed docs.
I'll be curious to hear if you find another route to getting yours under control.
pat81257 USRider69
Posted
Hello USRider.
I do sympathize with you but it's Good to know I am not the only one who suffers with morning high BP. I feel so unwell most of the day and find it very scary
I walk for at least an hour everyday. I am fit but sadly my BP stays the same.
Since my discussion with Patient I now think it could well be my diet ( like intolerance to gluten and dairy etc) There is and old saying "you are what you eat" which makes sense
So I shall seriously give this a go.
I've had no alternative help from my doctors but I think this could be the way forward,
I'm sorry to hear you are having toxic chemo which does effect all of the body, system and not just the parts that it suppose to.
You need very good nutrition when on chemo plus it could help with the blood pressure.
I thank you for your help and wish you all the very best. x
jx41870 pat81257
Posted
I'm another who has highest readings in the morning - and highest of all Monday morning! I tell the morning part to my doctors (I don't dare mention the Monday part) and they just shrug. But I see it's a pattern mentioned here and there on the Internet. I've asked about it before here, got no response.
My BP has been up and down for some years, meds sometimes work and sometimes not so much. If you take turmeric or curcumin please mention it, or any MAOI meds, and look up "MAOI cheese effect". It shows how some dietary items can affect BP dramatically. Even without the MAOI you might want to try cutting out high tyramine foods and see if that helps, including aged cheeses, beer, sausage, even yogurt. Took me the longest time to figure this out, I mention turmeric to my doctors and again they just shrug, the one response I ever got was, "oh that couldn't possibly ...". Yeah right.
pat81257 jx41870
Posted
Hi JX41870.
Sorry, I think I pressed the wrong key when trying to post an answer to your letter.
Pat
pat81257
Posted
Hi JX41870
My BP has been uncontrollable for years.
I am one who know when it is up.
I used to feel very unwell with high morning BP especially early starts to work,
I have had appointments with many doctors they all seem to follow the same stance and each prescription never seems to help me for long.
I've come to the conclusion conventional doctors are not trained in alternative medicine and don't have a clue about BP in general and why I have this horrible problem.
I take Turmeric/ Curcumin daily with lots of hot water to help the thin blood and it works.
I mentioned this to my doctor and he doesn't comment, he's not allowed to step outside the box.
I taken on board your advice on cheese, yogurt and tyramine foods.
I realize it's process of elimination regarding all foods, even supplements and medication
Thank you kindly for your advice.
jx41870 pat81257
Posted
I'll just add, there is nothing "alternative" about "the cheese effect", and it's just shameful that EVERY doctor is not alert to this situation.
But I'd say shame on Mister Internet as well, and Mister Supplements companies too, there should be a warning on every bottle of turmeric sold, or at least on the web sites that pretend to discuss these things in any detail.
It's shameful that every primary care physician does not receive even the most basic, up to date, training on nutrition and supplements. And even every cardiologist or other specialists, it's even MORE important to their patients who presumably have the worst problems.
My endocrinologist never really mentioned food or supplements to me beyond "count your carbs", but after a year I asked him, "So, what about helpful supplements?" and he KNEW THEM ALL (almost, didn't mention green tea!), but he had NEVER MENTIONED THEM TO ME. What's up with that?
pat81257 jx41870
Posted
JX41870
I seem to having a minor problem sending you another email... see below.
Sorry Pat
pat81257
Posted
Hello again.
I know I've strayed off the reason of my original letter but I just wanted to say I agree with you.
I have come up against the same situation as you - in fact more than once.
Doctors only go down the pharmaceutical route - they won't step outside the box.
Example;
In March '98 my daughter 30 suffered terminal full blown ovarian cancer. At that time we're told only 2% Survive this cancer and chemo was the only answer.
We decided to go completely alternative; rather than use the toxic chemotherapy
We sort an integrated medical approach from a UK Harley street Christian doctor who was ahead of his time.
That was twenty- one years ago and she continues on using the same advice also cutting out sugar totally which includes carb's that end up as sugar - cancer loves sugar. She is so lucky to be alive.
I thank God for this man who sadly has moved away!!!!
My best wishes and thank you.