High blood pressure/Stress

[coondog]

Took a physical for a new job last week and blood pressure was through the roof. Saw my Dr. the next day and pressure was high on first check then went down a lot, but still high. My life has been extremely stressful lately. Dr. says part fo the problem is called "White Coat Syndrome." I'm having anxiety attacks at the Dr. office. I agree.
My Dr. gave me 30 days of free sample blood pressure meds. and told me to check my pressure regularly. He believes the elevated pressure is stress related and will pass. He told me to stop any alchohal, tobacco, and salt intake, etc. and get more excercise.
I have one week to passs this physical or lose this job...No stress huhh!
I am doing all that my Dr. recomends. I'm looking for additional ideas that may help. Any ideas on foods, vitamins, supplements? Any ideas on getting rid of this anxiety?
Thanks

[FuzzyIL]

Omega-3 supplements
Excercise - walking, jogging, treadmill, light lifting
Avoid fast food places
Eat more fruit

[Behr]

Blood letting?

More fishing, less work?

All fishing, no work?

Divorce?

Just trying to help.... ;-)

-Behr

[Koldfront Kraig]

Take a 30 minute walk every day.


------------------------------------------------------

I work hard at underachieving….. but not too hard


Koldfront Kraig

[Pokey Fisherman]

Salt can jackup your blood pressure real good. It takes about a week of no salt to get it down. You have to watch all the foods you eat that contain salt. You have to cook your own food so you have control over the salt, If you buy anything canned or processed it probable has salt in it.

[Gilligan unlogged]

What? He did not shut off the caffeine? That will make a major spike in BP.

[Bill Krejca]

Looks like mostly good ideas. Avoid canned soup, it is loaded with salt. Lay off chips and salted peanuts, crackers, pop (caffein), sunflower seeds - unless not salted. Basically, if you include the above posts, avoid anything that tastes kinda good! It may require a major change in your life style, but this may end up being one of the best things that you do to enhance your life over the long run.

Oh, yeah, try substituting water instead of the good tasting stuff!

Good luck in your efforts,

[driftersifter]

More and better sex that will bring down the blood pressure and reduce stress better than anything.
driftersifter

[Reno]

Took care of mine this past January...Quintriplet Bypass...taking blood pressure pills also...walk every day...
Steve

[Suzuki]

Mine was on high end when I checked a month ago. I have increased exercise dramatically but screw giving up booze, tabbaco and salt. No way. Not yet. I'll have to check it soon.

[coondog]

Oh yeah,no caffine. I have been taking a long walk or two every day since this mess started. Thanks for all the great ideas, keep them comming.
Coondog

[GF]

I have never had high blood pressure in my life, but here is what happened to me, I went to the DR. the nurse took pressure and said you have high pressure I questioned her as to how I have never had it before. I stood by this and told her the thing she put on arm was wrong she said well it is the small one, she went and got a proper fitting one and my pressure was right on the money, this has happened 2 times same clinic. Just a thought but the arm pressure thing can be wrong...

[ffishman]

From things I have read, in the old days, they would cut you and bleed out a quart or two. Something you may want to think about. lol


24 hours in a day, 24 cans in a case, you do the math

[Big Julie]

FuzzyIl

Omega-3 supplements
Excercise - walking, jogging, treadmill, light lifting
Avoid fast food places
Eat more fruit

You are exactly right on.

[mac]

Basically, you have two options.

1 change your lifestyle as some of the recommendations suggest, (but I'd get a complete set of instructions on just what changes to make.)

2. go for the quick cures until your pass the test and then go back to your old ways and die.

[bountyhunters]

the B/P cuff has to be the right size ,if your a small guy a small cuff .big guy big cuff, I;ve proved this to them . starting now when you read this , go sit down and relax ,let everything go, sit there for ten min , it;ll drop alot.

[bentrod]

I do all of the wrong things, except drink and smoke. But, what I do right is work out with weights and the machines. I can't walk or run so I use the weights. Whenever I am on a half way decent work out schedule my BP is good. Last week it was 126/70 and the doc said my heart and lungs sounded good. I will be 70 this summer, but I do have a good wife and am active in my church.

[Trollin 227]

Taking a BP reading by a arm cuff is only a rough estamate different sized cuffs, rotated around the arm in a different position, put on tighter, standing, sitting, laying can all make a difference. This is why before most good MD's will have you chart your BP for over a month before making the call that you have high blood pressure and perscribing medication. The only true way to take a blood pressure is a arterial line.

[mudpuppy]

I had my first experience with white coat syndrom last year while getting my medical card for my CDL license. Same thing. Never diagnosed with HBP before, so went through the whole 9 yards of dieting, cutting salt, no cafeine, diet change - on & on & on. Went to my Dr. & my blood pressure was fine there, too. Just couldn't get it down for my CDL test. My Doc finally perscribed a small dose of Xanax and I passed on my next (sixth) try. Now I have to get my med card renewed every year instead of every two because I have a blood pressure "problem".... Sheesh. What a hassle. The nurse there was a total beeeotch & just gave me that blank cold stare when I treid to explain my problem was situational & not really high BP. I think you guys are right about the bands & how it's taken can contribute to the problem. Guess what! Today I have to go & get my card renewed again TODAY. Yippee, but I've got some Xanax for this one, early. But to be truthful I'm starting to get stressed out about it. What a PITB.

[mk NL]

Same thing here. Pressure had been OK for years , slightly towards the high side but not a problem, but went to hospital to visit sick relative. Nurse was checking his BP so I asked her to check mine. She got this funny look on her face when it came back at 170/110. Next day, same thing, same BP. She said to go see my Doc.

Jan. 2006 BP for physical was 130/90, one year later, no lifestyle changes (except now have 2 teenagers instead of one at home) and it went up to 170/110. No real reason the Doc can figure out after complete physical. Now on BP meds, pressure usually around 120/75 with 1/2 pill of Diovan HCT.

One thing that will lower pressure is being slightly de-hydrated. Don't drink too much fluid for a few hours before before you get it checked. With the BP meds, I have to drink lots of fluids when I'm busy outside or BP will drop too low. Felt bad one day after working outside in the heat; didn't want to move, almost blacked out when I stood up, etc. Checked pressure and it was 85/50. Called Doc and he said to drink a quart of Gatorade, NOW. He says BP meds will dehydrate you quickly resulting in less fluid in the blood, causing BP to drop.

About the "white coat syndrome", Doc says I probably have some of that too but his take is that if my BP will spike that high that quickly because of a visit to him (he's my cousin) then the BP needs some attention.

[Gary Korsgaden]

Take this warning seriously. your situations sounds identical to my experience!!!! I suffered a massive heart attack in January. Here are just some of my lifestyle reccomendations....no salt, cut down on red meat,know your fat index and get your weight down to that. Eat more portions of fruits and vegetables fish and skinless chicken. I ideally your plate should be 2/3 vegetables. Get on a monitored excercise program, preferably cardiac rehab if you can get in. Here is a example of my workout three times a week.................and what they do at rehab.
Weigh yourself,sit down take resting pulse and blood pressure, then a series of warm up excercises, 12 minutes on the treadmill at incline of seven and a speed of 3.7. Go to the nu-step at a level 6
at met level of 6.0. for twelve minutes, then I go to the eliptical for 12 minutes at a level 9 for 111 steps, then I go to the air-dyne bike for 5 mintes at a level 5, and finally the recumbent bike at a level of 13 for five minutes and a 7 minute cool down at the completion of this get a pulse and blood pressure again. It is important to get into a montitored program to see the remarkable results and with the support of others in the group, you will be amazed at how you will feel. Some departing comments: know where your salt comes from, it doesn't just come from the salt shaker. White bread consumption should be minimized for weight loss. And know how to handle stressful situations, one way that helps me is deep breathing.If you snore when you sleep get tested for sleep apnea. Again don't brush this off get serious and do something about it.

[mac]

Like Gary says, you can do this now before your heart attack or stroke or after (should you survive.)

[Gary Korsgaden]

Thanks for the comment Mac, let me add that if wasn't for a adopted kitty, who landed on our door step on my birtday a few years ago, being persistent about waking me when my breathing stopped that night. A wife that calmly took me to the emergency room, the emergency room staff and the clot buster medication and of course the hospital staff I wouldn't be here. The odds of waking from the level of heart attack I suffered are one in three. i don't want you to go through the risk of not being able to enjoy a full life. Fad diets don't work, portion control and exercise is what works.I still enjoy the foods I did before just less. Montiored excercise programs is the only way to determine how your getting conditioned, feeling better isn't always the best means of determining your program is working.I found i lost alot of weight at first then it plateaued
for awhile as my fat turned to muscle now I am again losing slowly. If it wasn't for others support I would of given up or become discouraged.Your fortunate, that you can reduce your risk now before it could be too late

[mudpuppy]

That's what makes "white coat syndrome" so tricky, & frustrating. I just can't start taking blood pressure medication because I don't have high blood pressure normally & it'll lower it too much. At first I tried some meds to "stabilize" it, but they didn't work at all. Finally I just had to take something to calm me down. Didn't really want to go that route, but I had to get my medical card to keep my job (no stress there, is it). Xanax is very highly addictive because of the feeling of "well being" you get & only used for short term fixes, as a general rule.
Then on the other hand it makes it hard to tell if I should happen to develop HBP later I don't want to assume it's just my syndrome kicking up again. So I try to play it safe & get my BP checked regularily & follow a heart healthy life style, better for ya anyway.

[T Mac]

And... go up the steepest hill you can find when you do it.

[mudpuppy]

Well, passed my blood pressure test first time through this time armed with my Alprazolam (Xanax). Hope you pass yours too, coondog. This little wake up call you got may be a blessing in disquise. It changed alot of the way I do things in my life & made me more aware of the importance of stress management, diet, exercise & regular blood pressure monitoring. Good luck!!!!!!!!!

[Dacotah Eye]

I'm going to be 64 in August and when I took my BP yesterday it was 101/61 and that was before I went to the lake for a calming day of fishing. Maybe giving my ex-son-in-law a good stomping in court Wednesday had something to do with it.There's nothing like scratching an itch. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :cheers:

[pepe]

like someone said, take it seriously. also avoid monosodium-glutemate. sodium is part of the name. my dr told me that dying was not the worst thing that could happen to you, having a severe stroke is right up there. my wifes cousin had one about a year ago she lived about 3 months and died. she was totally bed ridden and said she did not want to live like that. someone had to feed her and see to all her needs. she was in a nursing home those 3 months. not the way i want to go. take the warnings seriously...pepe

[airkiller1]

Was diagnosed with HBP 37 years ago. Never knew I had it until a fellow teacher was practicing to show his class how it was done. He was amazed at how high it was and I was still walking. Went to the school nurse she took it and called my boss and said I was done for the day.
The first doctor I went to perscribed a water pill. By eliminating urine you are eliminating salt from your body. I then went to a kidney doctor. We tried many medications until we found one that was working best. Also I take a potassium pill every day. That has sometyhing to do with it. I still take a water pill.
Most important is weight gain. When I gain weight my pressure goes up. Eliminate caffiene, only a couple beers, salt, and smoking.

Remember

High blood pressure is called the silent killer