High Blood Pressure Not Responding To Meds

Cheers guys, it's useful to hear other people's experiences.  The drug side-effects becoming more annoying when I the doctor's assume that they're not drug related.  I developed bad gout on one drug (I forgot which) and they wanted me to start taking anti-gout drugs.  I switched off the drug a couple of times and had a total of 5 gout attacks all while on the drug - not had any gout for 2 years since stopping it.  I could barely walk downstairs in the morning last year due to Achilles Tendonitis and stumbled on an article linking it with Amlopodine, which I was taking.  I'd also been getting physio massage to ease arthritis for a year as this had been causing real problems.  Within 3 days of coming off Amlopodine all the aches went and I haven't had any for over 6 months.  I only mention it in case it sounds similar to anybody else's experiences as I found that the doctors would deny that there was any connection when asked.

One question though, how would you guys test your own BP?  I've got a reasonable Boots monitor but just ordered the latest Which best buy (it was cheap) to get a second opinion.  The thing that I find strange is that if I take a number of readings at the same time (a couple of minutes apart) I can get very different results.  For example I had 186/116 and then 177/107 - could there be an issue with the monitor or does this indicate another issue - whch should I use?

 

My wife was given an anti inflamatory for gout. She said that she had a history of ulcers but they said that with also taking a PPI she would be all right. She later had an endoscopy and was found to have sixty gastic ulcers. 

I have had tendonitis in the past and could pin down reasons for it. It suddenly started again early last year when I was prescribed a certain antibiotic. It was in the leaflet as a side effect and other users also reported it.

I have an Omron MIT Elite BP monitor. It does not take multiple readings on its own but instructions with them all tell you take three radings and use the average. My one works the average out for me. Readings do fluctuate quite a bit over a shrt period of time.  

This morning before getting out of bed I got over a ten minute period

176/88 49

171/77 48

163/79 48

Average 163/79 48

After a fairly strenuos walk up  a very steep hill this afternoon (first time since my cardioversion two months ago) I checked it about twenty  minutes of getting home and got 120/64 51

Now two hours later it is 164/72 43

A doctor one said to me that our BP changes due to demand like the oil pressure in aircraft engines. Another after a conversation with a non hypertensive nurse told her to check her own BP hourly during the day. She was amazed at the variations in a 'normal' person

Bo readings in ariw can easily vary by as much as that. Relaxing your shoulders, or shifting position - or talking during recirding will do that. Monitor is fine.

keep a detailed journal of what you do, eat, and your reactions. This helped me a lot. I am 28 and BP was 220/110 in May 2017. I was hospitalized and after test told I just have high BP. After many doctor visits to my primary, cardiology, and kidney doc I was told still just high BP nothing else. I started keeping a notebook and found that my BP was high when I ate certain foods and food groups. Since eliminating my blood pressure went from 220/110 to 117/84 in six months. I hope this helps you on your BP journey. 

What foods did you eliminate and which foods do you now eat?

What foods were raising your BP?

Licorice…….as in liquorice bullets and ended up in A & E with blood pressure screamingly out of order.  Never again.     Seems lots of people knew about the dangers of eating liquorice but I had never heard of it.  Long time before I got it under control again.

Aloe vera will help digestion but what will it do for hypertensiion ?

Omega 3 is OK with most doctors except if you are on blood thinners. Same applies to Garlic that acts a a blood thinner.

A decent diet does away with the need for vitamin C and most other vitamins. 

I was told that it was more beneficial to actually eat the omega 3-containing oily fish several times a week rather than take the pills.  Likewise with the garlic - I eat it freshly ground with my evening meal (except if I'm going out!!).  Not sure that any of these really help with stubborn blood pressure, but after reading this week about olive oil being helpful in reducing BP, I am now trying to have a daily salad at lunchtime tossed in a good helping of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

And don't forget your five a day plus dark chocolate and red wine for flavonoids. We must also not overdo the fish because of PCB's and mercury. My fish is extra healthy as it is a mile walk along the seafront to where we buy it.

You could try odourless garlic capsules. 

Yes Derek I have my five a day, in fact I have even more, plus my 3 squares of G&B dark chocolate! No wine for me apart from a tiny drop with the Sunday roast to keep hubby company!  Not really wise for me to have alcohol as I have only one kidney and chronic kidney disease.  I am mindful of the PCBs but believe certain fish is safer than others.  Lucky you with easy access to the seafront with all that fresh sea air!

Ours mainly come straight from the boat apart from farmed trout and slamon. I did read an article that said that ozone is bad for us and the air on the south coast is contaminated by fumes from passing shipping.

From another article: "Contrary to some suggestions, ozone is not found at the seaside in any greater quantities than inland areas.  The sea air smell is not that of ozone but of decomposing sea life and vegetation"

At least they don't put sewage straight into the sea nowadays.

 

I'm sure there's a certain amount of contaminated air over most of us but the South Coast has got to be far less contaminated with pollution than here in the South East not far from Heathrow! In our younger days we often used to enjoy a day of sea air at the South Coast with youngster and dogs in tow. I bet an early morning dip in the sea would get your blood pressure down!!

Three of my elderly neighbours rent a beach hut between them and have a morning dip. I have never thought to ask if they have hypertension. 

Did you read the article in the Daily Mail this week about diet and the ageing of the brain?  My scores for their diet and way of life meant that I must be brain dead by now!   

Yes, my brain age came out in line with my actual age - don't think I cheated!!!