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I have Stage 2 Hypertension. My reading (just today) was 167/104. I take Amlodipine 10mg. daily
I've been dealing with up-and-down BP for many years, but of late it's gotten up there. I'm 60, definitely not overweight (I'm a skinny guy), physically active and rarely get sick.
I hear about people younger than me dying from heart attacks and strokes. I take my meds and my BP drops but then it climbs again. I'm getting a little scared here! I don't know what else to do.
Keep doing what you're doing. You might also want to take this up with your doctor and discuss what steps you can take to bring your blood pressure down. That may be adding another blood pressure medication to what you already take, paying more attention to lifestyle measures( being mindful of salt intake, increasing your exercise, measures to mitigate, as you're able, the effects of stress on your blood pressure), or all of the above.
I've had high blood pressure since I was in my late 30's, and had periods of time where the blood pressure was high before that, ie, when I was pregnant, when I was on birth control pills, or during periods of extreme stress. With me it's hereditary, my dad had the same issues as do two of my siblings, and unfortunately, we're now seeing it among our children.
I take several medications for blood pressure control, two of which double as heart rate control meds to keep my tachycardia/A-fib under control. These work pretty well to control my blood pressure under normal ( nonstress) situations. But I find that the lifestyle measures, such as diet and exercise are as important as the medication in controlling my blood pressure, and most of the time, my blood pressure is ok, for me. Though ok for me would generally be a systolic between 120's and 130's, and the diastolic often in the high 70's to the 80's. Seeing where it can go when it's high ( systolic in the 190's, diastolic in the high 90's low 100's sometimes) I will take the lower numbers, I'm 75 years old.
I have a harder time controlling the blood pressure during periods of stress, and this happens during both good and bad events. If I get excited, up goes the blood pressure. And that's even with the medication, diet
and exercise. That's a normal physiological reaction to stress, but the blood pressure numbers I get during thosr times are not. At those times I do my best to practice deep breathing, meditation, thinking of things that make mr happy, and exercising more. Depending on what is happening, it helps, though sometimes it might take a few hours to a few days to get to a better blood pressure.
A pt who newly develops hi BP should first be evaluated for "treatable" HTN- ie- conditons that cause elevated BP, like kidney disease or various endocrine disorders....and also to rule out "white coat HTN."
If no particular cause can be found, then the pt is said to have "essential HTN." ... Traditionally, new cases are treated first with a simple diuretic. This is adequate for a large number of older pts (At 60, you're not young, but not old.)...
Issues of weight control, smoking cessation, getting exercise, and salt restrictions should be addressed as warranted.
Calcium channel blockers (like amlodipine) or ACEs & ARBs cause vasodilatation. That results initially in a lower BP by giving you more space in your blood vessels for your given amount of blood, so to speak...but the kidneys should sense this and take steps to "fill you back up," so the BP often drifts back up and may even result in swelling of the feet & legs (edema)....That's treated by adding in a diuretic (which they should have started in the first place to see if you can get by with just one med).
One cardiac risk factor (HTN) is not enough to definitely warrant a cardiac stres test at this point, but if DM, smoking, hi chol/lo HDL or family history of early CAD (before age 55 or so) are also present, then this would be a good time to start checking your heart with a stress test.
I have Stage 2 Hypertension. My reading (just today) was 167/104. I take Amlodipine 10mg. daily
I've been dealing with up-and-down BP for many years, but of late it's gotten up there. I'm 60, definitely not overweight (I'm a skinny guy), physically active and rarely get sick.
I hear about people younger than me dying from heart attacks and strokes. I take my meds and my BP drops but then it climbs again. I'm getting a little scared here! I don't know what else to do.
Often doctors will put a person with high blood pressure on two drugs rather than just one.
Taking 40mg of Lisinopril along with 200mg of Metoprolol Succinate ER (extended release) works really well.
Taking your Amlodipine 10mg seems to be a quite inadequate approach. Since you are getting 167/104 I would take action, as in getting another doctor or discussing further with current doctor - but from what you say, I have little to no faith in your current doctor.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by matisse12
Often doctors will put a person with high blood pressure on two drugs rather than just one.
Taking 40mg of Lisinopril along with 200mg of Metoprolol Succinate ER (extended release) works really well.
Taking your Amlodipine 10mg seems to be a quite inadequate approach. Since you are getting 167/104 I would take action, as in getting another doctor or discussing further with current doctor - but from what you say, I have little to no faith in your current doctor.
Yes, this. Mine also fluctuates, even 5 minutes later it can be much better. You really need to discuss with your doctor. I too have been on Amlodipine 10 mg but then he recently added Losartan 50mg. He claims that those two work well together to make a big difference. Since I just started that last week I don't know yet how it's working, my BP is always better here at home relaxing.
I think at the doctor's office waiting 15-20 minutes or more after the appointment time increases mine so it's higher there.
My patient experience and my doctor's prescribing practice have been that for hard-to-control HBP, taking several or more meds in different classes at lower dosages can be very effective in keeping BP under good control.
These smaller doses of several or more meds can also prevent many of the hard to live with side effects that may come from taking a large dose of a single BP med.
My cardiologist rarely prescribes diuretics as a first choice*. Too many side effects and potential electrolyte imbalances IIRC. But he does believe in small doses of more than 1 med. (*it might be because I live in a dry climate too IDK)
Lifestyle changes has not done jack for me. Doctor says it is inherited in my case as they have found no cause in my kidneys, etc. and parents and grandparents had difficult to manage HTN. I do not smoke or drink and am not overweight.
Probably the OP needs to add a second medicine. If that fails perhaps a third. But OP should have had a workup to include renal scans and blood/urine testing. Need to ensure there is no blockage or adrenal dysfunction.
My cardiologist rarely prescribes diuretics as a first choice*. Too many side effects and potential electrolyte imbalances IIRC. But he does believe in small doses of more than 1 med. (*it might be because I live in a dry climate too IDK)
Lifestyle changes has not done jack for me. Doctor says it is inherited in my case as they have found no cause in my kidneys, etc. and parents and grandparents had difficult to manage HTN. I do not smoke or drink and am not overweight.
Probably the OP needs to add a second medicine. If that fails perhaps a third. But OP should have had a workup to include renal scans and blood/urine testing. Need to ensure there is no blockage or adrenal dysfunction.
Excellent advice. My stubborn HBP wasn't brought under control until low doses of 3 meds were prescribed--from 3 different classes. Since HCTZ is one of them, I do make a point of drinking adequate water--and regular blood testing, too, to check for electrolyte imbalances...
(all my lifestyle changes re diet and exercise did not affect my HBP--both my parents and 2 siblings have/had HBP--so it does/can run in families...)
Excellent advice. My stubborn HBP wasn't brought under control until low doses of 3 meds were prescribed--from 3 different classes. Since HCTZ is one of them, I do make a point of drinking adequate water--and regular blood testing, too, to check for electrolyte imbalances...
(all my lifestyle changes re diet and exercise did not affect my HBP--both my parents and 2 siblings have/had HBP--so it does/can run in families...)
I have a strong family history of hypertension as well, and I can tell you that while lifestyle changes alone may not keep the hypertension under control, diet and exercise do well, working in conjunction with the medication to control it. I'd never give up on diet and exercise as adjuncts along with the medication( or maybe it's the other way around), to keep the high blood pressure under control.
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