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So I've been officially diagnosed with hypertension.

I've probably had it for a while, but haven't had a proper doctor's office visit since pre-covid. Last year my optometrist mentioned "oh hey your blood pressure looks kinda high, you should get that looked at." I never followed up with a doctors' visit.

Back in March I attempted to get my annual tooth cleaning. The dentist took my pressure before numbing me, stopped what we were doing and told me I needed to go to the urgent care across the street *right now*. I never really understood the context of what the BP numbers mean, but I was 175/120, which is apparently Very Bad™. EKG and blood work came back normal, but I was put on Amlodipine, which gave me chest pain as a side effect. Doctor switched me to Hydrochlorothiazide, which functions as a diuretic but that's much more manageable, I just take it in the afternoon before I go to work instead of in the morning after I come home/before sleeping so it doesn't wake me up with extra bathroom trips.

I still never got my tooth deep cleaning. The dentist says they won't numb me until I come in with normal blood pressure levels, so I have to wait until my BP consistently measures in a normal range. This is a problem also because I still have my wisdom teeth and was planning to try to get them removed this summer.

This is something I'm going to have to commit to some serious life style changes over. My grandfather died at 60 due to heart issues and I've always had it in the back of my mind that something similar might happen to me if I had his genetics and this seems like a wake up call I should listen to. I'm already not a smoker or daily drinker like he was which is off to a good start. I was drinking heavy duty energy drinks (Bangs, Red Bulls, Celcius mostly) at my night job, but those have been surprisingly easy to quit, I'm feeling okay without caffeine. What's really hard is the sugar and sodium. It's in fucking *everything.* It's way too easy to grab a snack and realize halfway through eating it that the package says 140% daily value. And it feels like if I even think about cutting back sugar my body starts screaming at me to bite into the nearest chocolate bar. I'm going to need to put serious effort into actively exercising and meal prepping.

Yeah, I've managed to return to fairly normal values these days but at one time during high stress I was measured at 240/180 and my doctor wondered how I was still standing.
I now hover around 150/90 which is high but not abnormal or dangerous.

Good luck! Also, move to a place with healthier snacks

David said:

I never really understood the context of what the BP numbers mean, but I was 175/120, which is apparently

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That... that basically means if a samurai cuts you, you do the Kurosawa blood geyser.

It's practically "Punched a hole in a wall in an Evil Dead sequel" levels of blood pressure.



Wishing you the best bringing it down.

GB, 130/80

Am having to deal with this, have seen notes from my doctor saying that I should probably go on some drugs, but I am pretty sure my elevated BP is due more to my other drugs (yes, I'm including caffeine) and that means I am facing the possibility of having to switch to decaf for everything, which is a thing I am very much NOT looking forward to. Or maybe I could finally make a habit of exercising, like I keep promising myself.

--Patrick
Varied 128/78-151/99 so far this month depending on day, time, mood, food, caff level, etc.

PatrThom said:

Varied 128/78-151/99 so far this month depending on day, time, mood, food, caff level, etc.

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Unless I'm mistaken you're a bit older than I am. Neither of those is anywhere near "you need to make significant changes to your lifestyle" levels. What kind of doctor are you going to?!

One whose pay is based on the percentage of people who are within baseline, I suppose.

--Patrick

151/99 is actually pretty high. Under 120/80 is normal. Hypertension starts at 140/90, and is considered severe at 180/120.

GasBandit said:

151/99 is actually pretty high. Under 120/80 is normal. Hypertension starts at 140/90, and is considered severe at 180/120.

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Psht. Wussies.
The only moment my doctor got really concerned was when I had 184/167, because that was so close together it meant my heart was pretty much not relaxing anymore.

I just ate cheeseburgers for two consecutive meals.

The self-discipline has not been going well.

I've been given an additional medication, as the HCT wasn't moving the needle enough. After taking it before sleeping I woke up to my alarm for work groggy and not caring to get up and ended up being 4 hours late, which is not ideal. I still didn't feel like myself until I broke my caffeine embargo and had an energy drink.

Good luck. I am heading that way myself. I have had luck going vegan for extended time periods (3 ish months) but now I can't seem to stop eating salty junk.

Hey bruddah. I am on Irbesartan 150 for my, which a doctor at one point called malignant, hypertension. I was taking the 300s at one point, but have had it come down. I hover at 120/70 so it's managed. Would love to not need it, but it's a family trait I'm not likely ever going to shake.

When my doctor took my blood pressure the first time after I had avoided it for so long, it read 212/149. I was shocked. She looked at me and asked if I had headaches. I said no, which I don't, in fact, I only get headaches when I'm actually sick with a virus or something. I do not get headaches. She said that my brain should screaming in constant agony at that level. Not a single symptom. She tested me for a half hour straight to make sure. Sure enough, I was probably weeks at best from a stroke. She wanted to admit me to hospital there until it was brought down, but was convinced to let me take some light meds at home and come back for tests and more severe meds the next day. God I miss her, she was the best doctor I ever had.

We've found out a friend of mine who had his heart stop on him and he's now on month four of barely recovering the ability to speak, well his problem was caused by untreated high blood pressure. He's going to be spending 6 months at a traumatic brain injury hospital in Ponoka to hopefully recover something, but it looks like he's going to require a lifetime of care.