Newly DX with High Blood Pressure

Updated on March 10, 2009
P.H. asks from North Richland Hills, TX
28 answers

Hey ladies,
I went to the drs on Friday just for a check up and some other meds to kick my anixety. Well my blood pressure was 160/100. He immediately told me I had to start taking a blood pressure medication. Now I honesly think it is high because I have been extremely stressed out and not eating healthy at all.
My question is can you educate me on things I should and should not eat to help my blood pressure verses immediately taking this medication. I am really not one to take meds!
It would be appreciated for any advise possible!

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G.B.

answers from Dallas on

You might trying giving Elsa Maria lorenzo a call,she is fantastic!!!. Elsa Maria has Health and Wellness company and her products are great. If she can help you she will, if she can't she can point you in a different direction through her network of contacts. here is her number
###-###-####. Good Luck!

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E.B.

answers from Dallas on

One thing that no one told me was no sodas. I was drinking 3-4 a day and later found out that was a huge contributor to my problem. I stopped drinking them at all, and along with losing over 50 pounds don't have to take medication at all anymore.

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J.S.

answers from Dallas on

Hi P.,

There is much misinformation about the causes of chronic conditions like high blood pressure in conventional medicine, and misguided treatment programs which do nothing to "heal" anyone. They simply help you to maintain a chronically sick lifestyle. Do thorough research. Here is an article to help you get started.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/0...

Best of luck to you.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.A.

answers from Dallas on

P.,
Do go on the meds as prescribed. Then begin a healthy eating, exercise, and stress reduction plan. It is important to keep your blood pressure at normal levels to prevent damage to other organs.

Good luck,
BA

1 mom found this helpful
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M.B.

answers from Dallas on

160/100 is serious even if you think there are external causes you need to take the meds. to control it and get it down while you are changing your lifestyle etc.... You can't risk waiting, BP that high for any extended time is doing damage to your heart and possibly many other things, your at risk for heart attack, stroke etc. You don't state your age, so it makes it difficult to say if this is early or not, you don't say if you have any family history. The bottom line is you have children that are depending on you to be there for them and that is really the only reason you need to take the meds. get it down and controlled at the same time as making changes that might need to be made. If it is just "life stuff" causing it then when you get them under control it will go down to a point where you will be too low and you won't need it. Get a moniter and record you BP at least 3 times daily. 160/100 is Stage 2 hypertension. There is no stage 3. This is serious don't play with it.

Take the pill/pills whatever it takes to get it down and now.

M.

1 mom found this helpful
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P.D.

answers from Dallas on

160/100 is definitely a high reading. But the most important thing is to monitor your readings daily for at least a week before jumping the gun. When was the last time you had your BP checked? And how high was the reading then? My BP is always on the higher end at the DR's office...they call it a white-coat syndrome!
Your best course of action would be to keep a daily log of your BP readings & going back to the DRs with it & then deciding what will work best for you.
Take care & best wishes!

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E.P.

answers from Dallas on

Hi P., I'm not sure of your age and I don't really need to know, but I assume that you are fairly young either late 20's or early 30's and its a shock to know that you have high blood pressure. You've probably had it a while and didn't realize it and its very important that you get it back down into the normal range. I'll be 61 in April and I've had high blood pressure for a couple of years and I'm on medication and its important because if you don't get your blood pressure down it can cause you to have a stroke or heart attack even at a young age. I'm over weight and am loosing weight and going for a 3 km walk 4-6 times a week to get my fitness up and to loose weight and hopefully get off my medication. We have a niece who is in her early 30's that has had one baby and is about to have another one and she has high blood pressure and is on medication and has been for years. I hope that you will get on medication and get your blood pressure down and it can take a few weeks to get your medication right as this happened to me. Its something you don't really want to put off as you could have a stroke and end up having to be looked after instead of looking after your family. Being stressed doesn't help with high blood pressure and you may need to look at your diet and not eat so much fatty or fried foods and need to eat more vegies or salad and if you do smoke give it up now as this doesn't help your high blood pressure. Once you get your blood pressure down into the normal range then look at other ways of controlling it besides medication as I want to do the same as I don't like taking meds either. Ed

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K.L.

answers from Dallas on

I would recommend eating more fruits and vegetables and decreasing or even eliminating the consumption of animal products until the BP goes down and then you can incorporate a little bit of animal products into your diet after it is under control. There have been a number of studies linking consumption of animal products with cancer, heart disease and diabetes. A great book is the China Study if you are looking for more information on the subject. I would also recommend reading Fit For Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. These are both very easy to read. Of course exercise plays a major part as well especially if you feel this increase in BP is associated with stress. You can send me a personal message if you have any questions. I hope this helps.

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D.C.

answers from Dallas on

I had the same high blood pressure and tried the beta blockers but they made me sick. I tried meditation and that worked until I let the stress win. I've been reading the Relaxation Response and it has really helped with my sleep patterns and my daily stress levels. I wouldn't say its a cure, but it really does help over any change in eating. Less caffine would be good too.

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J.B.

answers from Tyler on

You've already received good advice, but I'll add one thing. Start paying attention to your sodium intake. Salt is bad. Processed food usually has a very high sodium content. And if you eat out a lot, you are getting a day's worth in only one meal. Restaurants load the food with MSG!
Oh, and start walking. Exercise will help tremendously!

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A.P.

answers from Dallas on

If you don't like taking medications in general, you should get the book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" by James F. Balch, MD & Phyllis A. Balch, CNC. You look up each disorder and it will tell you what vitamins, herbs and diet changes have been know to help with it. Good luck!

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W.K.

answers from Dallas on

Hi P.!
My mother has high blood pressure when she eat wrong food. In her case yellow cheese and unhealthy food contribute to BP. She uses vitamins and her favorite is nutritional supplement "Cardiosential" . She does liver cleanse and other simple programs to keep her body free of toxins.
Good luck

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J.T.

answers from Dallas on

Well, it looks as if you have half the equation with reducing stress and eating healthy. Be sure to get regular exercise. A thirty minute walk around the block 3-4 times per week will work wonders. Meditation/Prayer for 10 minutes in the morning will also help to reduce the stress and anxiety throughout your day by starting it off with calm. Be sure your chiropractor checks your atlas on a daily basis. That's where the brain stem lies and what controls your cardiovascular system (particularly BP), respiratory system and muscle tone of all your spinal muscles. I'm sure your boss will also shed some light, be sure to share your health concerns with him/her. I also have have much luck in my practice with my patients drinking pomegranate juice. Because this juice has so much sugar naturally, I suggest you make a very refreshing spritzer with it using Italian sparkling mineral water and squeeze some fresh lime in it as well. In a 12 oz glass fill it about 1/4 full with juice, the rest will the the sparkling water and a squeeze of lime. Very refreshing and your whole family will love it! (Be sure to get REAL juice and not stuff full of added sugar or artificial sweeteners). Hawthorne Berry has shown to work well to reduce BP. Standard Process has a great one. Email me with any other questions or concerns: ____@____.com

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A.R.

answers from Dallas on

BP of 160/100 is considered hypertensive! Have your BP checked again if you don't think it's an accurate diagnosis. (I think BP over 140 systolic on two accounts indicates borderline HPT, and systole 160 and over, with diastole over 100 confirms HPT)
It's very important to take your BP medication! This can prevent heart complications in the future and your risk of stroke, CAD, etc... It's very effective if you take it regularly! Don't stop unless you consult your Dr.
#1 Take your medication!
#2 Exercise...walk each day 45 min, or run 20 min daily.
#3 Decrease your stress...slow down, breathe!
#4 Decrease your salt intake..don't add salt to food (No Gatorade, soup, crackers, fast food, french fries, etc...)
#5 Increase your water intake...8 glasses per day or 2-3000ml
#6 Limit alcohol intake
#7 Have your BP checked regularly (normotensive is ~120/80)
(If you smoke, this would definitely be first on your list to drop)
When you have your BP controlled with the right med, diet, exercise, and lifestyle then ask your Dr about eventually tapering off your medication.
Good luck!

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L.S.

answers from Dallas on

Dear P.,
I was diagnosed with hypertension at about age 33. I was not one to take meds either, not even birth control pills. Couldn't even remember to take my vitamins on a daily basis. I had a sinus infection when I presented to my Doctor. My Bp was high. He recommended that I track my bp several times daily, then come back in a month with the journal, which was when my well womens visit was scheduled. I got a wrist cuff that inflates automatically. I tracked my bp, first thing in the morning, after lunch, during work, when I felt stressed, when I went to bed. You get the picture, becuase I was convinced it was dietary, I had eaten to many salty chips, or hadn't drank enough water, or I was worried or stressed. ANd although those things can raise your BP, they usually don't consistently elevate it, it is usually a spike that you can correlate with the event. Anyway, my BP was consistently high, so at the tender age of 33, I was placed on BP meds and have taken them faithfullly for the last 5 years.
Hypertension is called the silent killer for a reason. I will also tell you that the longer you are hypertensive and go without treatment the more damage you are doing to your body. You may not see any problems however until you are older, because that is how high BP is and how it silently does its damage and while it goes untreated or undetected. Silently causes damage over the long haul and then it is to late to correct the damage only treat the symptoms. Damage include kidney damage, vascular damage and cardiac damage from a heart that has been working hard for years. It can also lead to pulmonary hypertension that is worse than just hypertension.
I would recommend a lower salt diet, cut out all soft drinks except for the occassional treat. Exercise. Lose a little weight. Those are all factors contributing to the problem. Mine is mainly hereditary. Because even with all those things and supplements, vitamins etc. mine is still to high to be healthy over the long term.
I would recommend the journal for a week before starting your meds. Then would start them and continue the journal to track and see if the med is indeed helping or making you go to low. I also would seek a second opinion. I think that one BP might not be enough to start on meds, but certainly needs to be checked out and should be a red flag. With your reluctance to take meds, you may need the information in the journal to give you some insight and some more information to take back to the doctor anyways. I would encourage you to to take heed and know that you may not have any complications for years to come and that hypertension is nothing to dismiss so easily as stress or anxiety or even diet. Please do something and also educate yourself so you will be around a long time for the amazing kids you have. After all the best thing you can do for yourself is to take care of yourself, whatever that might be, meds or not, so you will be around a long time for your family.
BTW, I am also an RN and my knowledge of doing the right stuff did not keep me from being hypertensive. But my cholesterols are fabulous!
Good luck,
L.

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B.B.

answers from Dallas on

I would recommend to take the meds to reduce your blood pressure then start your effort of a more healthy lifestyle. My husband we put on meds for his blood pressure then began to slowly change his eating and exercise habits. He has since been able to reduce his med dose and then eventually got off them all together. All of this was done with the advise and guidance of his doctor. The immediate meds helped control his bloood pressure until he could adjust his lifestyle in a healthy and lasting way.

Good luck.

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D.B.

answers from Dallas on

Start taking the meds right away. I am "anti" meds usually, but you need to get this controlled. Then start exercising six days per week for at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise. Start eating eggs for breakfast and a salad with some protein for lunch, have yogurt and fruit for a snack. Once you have those changes down, you should see a change in your blood pressure. Then begin to work on eating better at dinner time.

At that point, you can talk to your physician about your lifestyle changes and ask to begin weaning off the meds.

This is life threatening---act immediately and decisively.

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V.D.

answers from Dallas on

TRY THIS BEFORE TAKING MEDICATIONS: I believe you have got to get your blood pressure down to prevent a stroke. I found out about Pomegranate juice concentrate and tried it on my husband. IT WORKS!! It also worked on a friend. Take your BP first. Then take one tablespoon in morning. Check Bp aprox. 20 plus minutes later, maybe even an hour (I can't remember how quickly it works) It will have come down. Always take in the morning and at night. You can buy it in the vitamin section at the health food store. It is in a glass bottle the size of a coke bottle. Needs to be refrigerated once opened. It is a natural alternative to medication. You can also buy a blood pressure cuff that goes around your wrist. We bought a cheaper one at big lots. Works great. You can also go to walmart or cvs and check it on their blood pressure monitor for aprox. a quarter, near the pharmacy. I can't stress enough how well this works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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S.S.

answers from Wichita Falls on

Typical advice is to avoid foods that make you retain water (high in sodium), and to lose about 10% of your body weight (if you qualify as 'overweight').

That said, 160/100 is high. Uncontrolled, it's high enough to damage your arteries, your kidneys, and your eyesight. Blood pressure medication has a proven track record for safety, and if you get un anxious and stop needing it, the odds are excellent that your doctor will take you off of it.

S.

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J.W.

answers from Dallas on

I hope your Dr explained that your diastolic (the second, lower number) may be especially worrisome since that measures how hard your heart is having to work AT REST. Please take the medicine while working on nutritional, exercise and other remedies. It's possible you can go back off at some point, but those three amazing kids and that wonderful husband of yours want to have you around and they don't call hypertension (high blood pressure) the "silent killer" for nothing!!

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A.F.

answers from Dallas on

P.,

You can control both your anxiety and blood pressure with nutritional supplements. I work with a Company that has helped thousands with different issues. Let me know and I will give you details.

I am amom of 2, married for 18 years.

A.

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G.A.

answers from Dallas on

buy your own blood pressure kit and take it about three times a day and record it to see what it says. I have one that you have to pump yourself but that was not a good idea when I had arthritis in my hand and had a hard time doing it. My granddaughter had to pump it up. I went to the dentist a week ago and they had this really neat thing you put on your wrist and hold it up to your chest and it went off with a reading. Probably too expensive for us common people but would be nice. Get one that pumps on it's own. It should read about 140/85 so keep a log on it. If it does not go down then yes you need to take the meds. I had a normal reading and a day later it was 200/ something and I had a stroke so nothing to fool with. I know salt is a no no. Good Luck, When they put me on the meds I had to monitor it for a week or two but they decided I needed the meds. I had it go up a couple of times that scared me. The last time was really scary. I had to get it checked in order to get blood work done. They took me in just before the clinic was closing on a Sat. By the time they got me out of there the blood clinic was closed and I had no meds for the whole week end. They would not give me meds until I had blood work done. Well, I had to go to a Care Now with $91 charge to get a week supply of meds until the blood work was done. By then the pharmacy charged me a full price for the 7 day supplies. Then I was told that if I came in with new prescriptions they would cancel out that and I would pay nothing. So I went back to my doctor and they gave me another 30 instead of 23 pills. The pharmacy then said because it was a new prescription from another doctor they were not refunding and re pricing the meds. We had to pay again. This is a Walgreens we had not used before and never will again. Moral of the story call in prescriptions before Thurs or Fridays. G. W

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E.T.

answers from Denver on

A couple of resources for you...check out www.HeartHub.org. Great information from the American Heart Association. A couple of tools that might be helpful for you can be found here (along with a whole host of other information):
HeartProfilers: An online treatment decision tool...here it will help you assess your risk and give you a run down of all sorts of lifestlye changes you can make and medication options. Helps you come up with a list of questions for your doctor and other things.
Risk Assessment Tools: Will help you understand your risk of dying from heart disease in the next ten years and the impact each change you make. (for instance if you lose 10 lbs, how that affects your risk, etc)- a real eye opener!
AND- one of the best tools, I think is Heart360. This tool allows you to track your BP readings (among other things) online- and if you buy a compatible BP monitor it will do it for you automatically! The data feeds into a MicroSoft Health Vault personal health record to help you manage your health easily and keep all of the information in one place.

Good luck- HBP is tough- but you are lucky you know and have time to do something about it! 1/3 of all people with HBP don't even know they have it...that's why it is called the silent killer. Yikes!

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A.N.

answers from Dallas on

Blood pressure is nothing to mess around with. Take your medicine. A friend of mine had stroke level blood pressure, even on meds, and started to drink a two ounce serving of the liquid nutrition I take, and it started coming down. To make a long story short, she is off all her blood pressure medicine, and it is better than it ever was even on medicine. She is doing great. Mine was too high, too, but not as high as hers. My blood pressure is doing great. I am off my cholesterol meds, too. ____@____.com is my email if you have more questions. The body needs the vitamins and minerals to heal itself. That is all this is in liquid form. It is safe for ages 2 up and pets. Took care of the arthritis pain I had. It goes after inflammation in the body as well.

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B.S.

answers from Dallas on

As others state - take the meds right now and buy a BP cuff to monitor each day. Try adding in lots of celery which is a natural BP reducer and also adding in lots of asparagus which is a natural diuretic. These two foods along with daily walking took me off meds after a while.

Good luck and God Bless you.

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C.P.

answers from Dallas on

Hello P.,

coffee/caffeine will raise your blood pressure. So will pain/headache, anxiety, and lack of sleep. Also if you're retaining fluids, that will affect your blood pressure too.
get bp monitor at walgreens and monitor your bp. write it down (date, time) read about how to take it properly, etc.

Also, are you drinking enough water. if you're dehydrated, your bp will go up too. listen to classical music. it will help you relax. just listening for 5 minutes can lower your bp 10points (so I've read)

take Omega 3's supplements
increase your magnesium intake
increase your fiber intake (constipation will raise your bp too!)
evening primrose can help w/ bp
excercize... just go for walks
increase your potasium intake (eat more bananas)

-----don't listen to the news in the morning! you'll have a better day.

last but not least... get adjusted (smile)

check out this link:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FKA/is_7_66/ai_n#...#

NOTE: some bp monitors don't work well for some people. I had to change mine because it always gave me a high bp reading and when I went to the doctor, it was OK. talk to the pharmacist, they're very helpful.
good luck! ~C.~

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A.I.

answers from Dallas on

I would say that tey should have you monitor your bp fr at least a week before diagnosing you....so i would either buy a cheap cuff or go to your local cvs or walmart or somewhere you can check it at random times for a bit.

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L.C.

answers from Dallas on

Be sure not to take decongestants - they increase your BP.

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