High blood pressure

HI Amy - i am not sure how old you are, or where you are in this crazy peri/menopausal journey, but from what i have read, blood sugar, blood pressure & cholesterol can all go a bit wonky during this time in our lives. i am 61, 6 years post menopausal & 6 years ago had to be put on my first B/P Rx, it was 1 of 2 that i was put on. Like you, that was a very stressful period of my life, i was the sole caregiver for both my parents, managing two households, one kid in college, & trying to help the other kid get into college & helping my husband with his business. You would of thought with all that stress that i would be as skinny as a toothpick...nope! my cortisol went thru the roof & i swear i just had to look at food & it was on my hips or on my gut. So, during all this crazy stress & weight gain, my B/P was still not ideal on 2 B/P rXS!!! After about 2 years on one of the B/P rX's i started having really weird issues, not sure if it was delayed menopause or really bad side effects from the drug, but i didnt even think about the B/P Rx being the cause of my problems, until the DR wanted to put me on yet a new B/P rX & the pharmacist told me the side effect of the new drug could raise my cholesterol. Now why would i want to raise my cholesterol, when that was one of the things i had going for me...so i came home & for the first time googled the drugs i was on and came across this one patient forum just dedicated to the poisonous blood pressure drug that i had been on for 5 years, never questioning whether it could be the cause of all my issues. i immediately weaned myself off the drug & only remain on one for the last 16 months. i have learned a lot about this stuff, all Rx's have some kind of side effects, some can be tolerated better than others. i suppose what i am trying to say to you, is before you agree to any B/P rX, research it first, but by all means try to lose weight (easier said than done) & make lifestyle changes regarding dealing with your stress. i would also suggest you invest in a B/P Monitor & start taking your b/p at home at all different times of the day & record it. Many people suffer from white coat syndrome (me being one of them). i also dont believe that everyone will always be a perfect 120/80. i think genetics, age need to be factored in. In addition, sudafed & advil both raise your blood pressure, if you have been using a lot, try & find some alternatives for those. Start taking magnesium & eating beets or even the beet root tablets, reduce processed foods & sugary foods & limit salt & try to exercise & start dealing with your stress thru meditation, exercise, acupunture, massage etc. i would first try my darndest to try to change my lifestyle before getting on this merry-go-round of B/P Rx's & if everything still points to you being put on a Rx, research it thoroughly first!!! Good Luck!

I wasn't diagnosed with high BP but I was about borderline. I was told by a doctor to cut out salt and exercise. So I did both while also watching my diet. Lost some weight. Last spring I was at the doctor for flu. BP was very good.

I also started taking beet root powder every day. They think beet root powder helps you maintain a healthy BP. It has no caffeine but it gives you a little lift.

There is salt in everything. Particularly in condiments and processed foods. Stay away from all of it. I started keeping track of the sodium. I was shocked how fast it adds up. You should have only about 1300 to 1500 mg. per day.

Hi Amy,

My BP has been slowly creeping up as well. I have always run low (98/60). However, now when I take it at home, it is 115/72 or thereabouts. I have a bit of white coat syndrome so when it is taken at the doctor's office it is even higher - 132/81 was my last reading at my primary care office.

I have also noticed that my LDL cholesterol is rising. My overall is below 200 but now my LDL is 101. Last year it was 100. Five years ago (before peri/meno), it was 70 and my diet is actually better now. I read that lack of estrogen affects LDL and raises it....ugh.

Lastly, my sugar is up too. The last two physicals it has been 100 and 101 so it has been flagged as high. My primary care was not concerned as it is just over the threshold but again it was always in the low 90's before I started peri/meno.

Estrogen affects almost every aspect of our bodies and when it nosedives it leads to such suffering. Not fun...

I know that decongestants will cause a rise in BP, especially if you use them often. And as I've been dealing with this menopause journey, one of the MANY things I've been plagued with is allergies.

I was also diagnosed w HBP, and told to drop the weight. Just like that - just drop the weight,, he said. If only it were that simple, sir....

Anywhooo....I dropped some...20 lbs. But BP was still slightly high after 3 readings so I'm on a beta blocker. He said my anxiety sends mine up, as I've made diet and exercise changes he is lowering the dosage. Hopefully I will be able to get off it completely but I dont want to die trying.

So ...walk, walk, walk...eat more fiber, fruits, greens. And beet juice is awful tasting but does amazing positive things for BP. And doc also told me to stop taking my own pressure so often because anxiety will have it high every time. he also takes mine twice when I visit...it always goes down after we chat and I relax. He calls it white coat induced hbp....you see the doc and freak out.

Keep us updated, hon...you can do it.