I did a search on hypertension on this site so it seems like I'm am not alone here and there is quite a resource to draw from. So perhaps I can get some idea what I am looking at with my situation.
I'm only 34, started swimming again nearly a year ago. Partly because I new I had high blood pressure, but mostly I started swimming for overall health and fitness benifits. Since then I have lost roughly 30 pounds. At 6'2" I now weigh about 200 pounds. I would expect that all this work would have some impact on my blood pressure. Especially since I rarely drink, and my diet isn't terrible. I generally eat healthy meals. But the sad truth is that it hasn't changed. Nearly a year ago my BP was 140 over 100. This week... The same. Absolutely no change!!! As a result, my doctor put me on Lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor. So naturally I concerned about a few things.
1. Does this mean I will be taking BP medication for the rest of my life?
2. How will this impact my swimming/ability to train? is there a better medication that I should ask about so there are not adverse effects?
3. Do I need to start taking things easier in the pool?
4. Since I have a family history of hypertension does this mean there is really nothing I can do aside from medication?
5. Anything else I need to be concerned about?
Thanks in advance for any advice or helpful comments.
Kevin
Parents
Former Member
When my first wife left me a note saying she was moving out and she'd be in touch, I had a period of high BP starting with a reading of 160/100. I was about 35 or 35 at the time. We got back together, figured out it wasn't going to work and have moved on to much greener pastures.
Now, back to the BP issue. My mother has high BP so it runs in my family to some degree. My grandfather died from heart disease compounded by diabetes. I was put on low dose of something... forgot what. I stayed on this dose for over 10 years and then my doctor told me that I was going to need to go on meds for cholesterol, too. THAT'S when I asked, "is there anything *I* could do to prevent taking more drugs?" That was the first time he said, "well, as a matter of fact, there is."
I lost 40 lbs in two months out of pure fear. It wasn't a wise thing to do but I didn't know what I needed to do, what to eat, what exercise to do, etc. Once I lost the weight, I avoided the cholesterol meds and then I set my sights on the BP meds. I was learning about healthy eating, weight training and fitness in general. I was able to get off the BP meds and haven't had to go back! I just had my annual physical and am still off the drugs at age 52. I've been off the meds for 6 years now.
How?
One of the big reasons I was able to get off the BP meds is because I bought a monitor and took my own readings. If you rely strictly on the ones taken in your MD's office and you're like me, you can bet they will ALWAYS be high. When I track my own, I even have LOW readings at times. You BP is the average of readings, not the high readings you might get once in a while. Even thinking about taking my BP will jack it up so I always take several. I have a notation about reading an article in Time (or something) before taking it and the reading was high. Apparently, I'm very sensitive to even the thought of what it might be. When I go to the doc, the nurse takes it and it will be high normal but, when the doc takes it at the end of the visit, it's pretty normal.
I'm not discounting diet and exercise because I know that's the real reason for getting mine down but you need to look at the whole picture and that's often overlooked from what I've learned from others in the same situation. I think weight training was an important part of it. Learning how to eat well was important. I'm swimming now more than before but haven't given up weight training or other forms of terrestrial exercise.
This was one of my proudest accomplishments. My body fat is now around 12%, I'm 6'3" at 205 lbs. I would like to get lower on both. I'm pretty active in terms of regular exercise. I eat 5 smaller meals a day. I eat plenty of protein and less carbs. I eat salmon, nuts, raw veggies and apple for meals during the day and simple veggie with meat dinners. Oatmeal is typical breakfast. Yes, I do drink alcohol but I know that this is a big contributor to high BP so I keep it in moderation. I even eat some salt but try to keep to a minimum. I think that potassium supplementation may play a part in that some elements in our soils are depleted due to constant farming but would be there in the foods we evolved eating. Here's one source on K:
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/.../199716.HTM
So, while many people need to take meds for life, not EVERYONE does! Best of luck to you and don't despair... it'll just raise your BP! ;)
When my first wife left me a note saying she was moving out and she'd be in touch, I had a period of high BP starting with a reading of 160/100. I was about 35 or 35 at the time. We got back together, figured out it wasn't going to work and have moved on to much greener pastures.
Now, back to the BP issue. My mother has high BP so it runs in my family to some degree. My grandfather died from heart disease compounded by diabetes. I was put on low dose of something... forgot what. I stayed on this dose for over 10 years and then my doctor told me that I was going to need to go on meds for cholesterol, too. THAT'S when I asked, "is there anything *I* could do to prevent taking more drugs?" That was the first time he said, "well, as a matter of fact, there is."
I lost 40 lbs in two months out of pure fear. It wasn't a wise thing to do but I didn't know what I needed to do, what to eat, what exercise to do, etc. Once I lost the weight, I avoided the cholesterol meds and then I set my sights on the BP meds. I was learning about healthy eating, weight training and fitness in general. I was able to get off the BP meds and haven't had to go back! I just had my annual physical and am still off the drugs at age 52. I've been off the meds for 6 years now.
How?
One of the big reasons I was able to get off the BP meds is because I bought a monitor and took my own readings. If you rely strictly on the ones taken in your MD's office and you're like me, you can bet they will ALWAYS be high. When I track my own, I even have LOW readings at times. You BP is the average of readings, not the high readings you might get once in a while. Even thinking about taking my BP will jack it up so I always take several. I have a notation about reading an article in Time (or something) before taking it and the reading was high. Apparently, I'm very sensitive to even the thought of what it might be. When I go to the doc, the nurse takes it and it will be high normal but, when the doc takes it at the end of the visit, it's pretty normal.
I'm not discounting diet and exercise because I know that's the real reason for getting mine down but you need to look at the whole picture and that's often overlooked from what I've learned from others in the same situation. I think weight training was an important part of it. Learning how to eat well was important. I'm swimming now more than before but haven't given up weight training or other forms of terrestrial exercise.
This was one of my proudest accomplishments. My body fat is now around 12%, I'm 6'3" at 205 lbs. I would like to get lower on both. I'm pretty active in terms of regular exercise. I eat 5 smaller meals a day. I eat plenty of protein and less carbs. I eat salmon, nuts, raw veggies and apple for meals during the day and simple veggie with meat dinners. Oatmeal is typical breakfast. Yes, I do drink alcohol but I know that this is a big contributor to high BP so I keep it in moderation. I even eat some salt but try to keep to a minimum. I think that potassium supplementation may play a part in that some elements in our soils are depleted due to constant farming but would be there in the foods we evolved eating. Here's one source on K:
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/.../199716.HTM
So, while many people need to take meds for life, not EVERYONE does! Best of luck to you and don't despair... it'll just raise your BP! ;)
