OT High Blood Pressure [Archive]

View Full Version : OT High Blood Pressure

Lifelover

11-19-2007, 08:17 PM

Any one have any experience with High Blood Pressure and specifically a med called Lisinopril (generic for Prinivil)

My BP has been hovering at 165 over 90 so my Dr. suggested I start taking 10 mg daily. I fully trust him but was wondering if anyone has personal experience.

It bothers me to think I maybe taking something for the rest of my life. I'm going to try and lose weight and cut down on my salt. If I can get it down he says I can try going back off of it.

Thanks

ButtedMoron

11-19-2007, 08:26 PM

if you feel like you can only pedal @ 80% power and start getting cramps get off it.

in all honesty I'd avoid any of the statin (staten?) based HBP meds. there's an older med (I think it is not so nice tasting powder you mix with water) that Docs don't presribe anymore (statin med lobby) you may still be able to get that is far easier on the system.

but yes, lose weight and cut out the fat in your diet. it will suck

no eggs
no cheese
no ice cream
no butter

it will suck but you will be amazed how quickly the pounds come off on this type of diet and steady riding

I topok a quick look I don't think it is a statin

malcolm

11-19-2007, 08:45 PM

It isn't a statin. It is an ACE inhibitor. It's a common class of drugs and often used when athletes have bp issues.

Jeff N.

11-19-2007, 08:50 PM

You should do fine with it. Jeff N.

thwart

11-19-2007, 09:15 PM

Statins = cholesterol lowering drugs (esp. LDL and total)

ACE inhibitors (like lisinopril) = BP controlling drugs

Most common side effect of ACEI's is dry tickly cough that won't go away...

Sounds to me like your doc is treating you appropriately... atmo.

ButtedMoron

11-19-2007, 09:28 PM

and got my HPB and Cholesterol Meds mixed up

saw the 'try to lose weight' and went to Cholesterol

salt was the BP kicker

sorry my misread

Lifelover

11-19-2007, 09:43 PM

Thanks for the replies. After I posted this I did a search and found some other threads with some good info.

Does anyone have any opinions/recommendations on BP monitors.

Seems like they range from $30 to $100 and have wrist or arm.

Any preferences?

Ken Robb

11-19-2007, 09:47 PM

welcome to the club--10mg works for me with no real side effects--or I'm just use to them. :rolleyes:

Blue Jays

11-19-2007, 10:00 PM

Medications of this type are also prescribed to prevent kidney issues even when no renal problems currently exist.

thwart

11-19-2007, 10:30 PM

Wrist BP monitors are unreliable. Avoid 'em.

gasman

11-19-2007, 10:32 PM

Wrist BP monitors are unreliable.
Avoid 'em.

Agree, use an arm cuff.

Also, lisinopril is a reasonable drug for BP control in an athlete.

don compton

11-19-2007, 10:39 PM

has there been any negative info regarding "norvasc"? i have been taking this drug for about 2 years and have noticed no bad side effects.
don compton

Viper

11-19-2007, 11:25 PM

I dig on the alternative medicines/natural approach. My brother-in-law has high BP and I've offered him to look into these (below). I also really recommend this book (about an athletic Dr. who was shocked to learn he had high BP and how he tackled it naturally)..

http://www.amazon.com/Body-Mind-Sport-Mind-Body-Lifelong/dp/0609807897

http://www.nutritionaltree.com/Reviews/Heart/Blood-Pressure/Reviews-twinlab_blood-pressure-control.aspx

http://www.nutritionaltree.com/Reviews/Heart/Blood-Pressure/Reviews-arcadia-herbs-alternatives_high-blood-pressure-support-blend.aspx

http://www.nutritionaltree.com/Reviews/Heart/Blood-Pressure/natures-plus_hypertrol-rx-blood-pressure.aspx

thwart

11-19-2007, 11:47 PM

has there been any negative info regarding "norvasc"? Good question for your doc. In a friendly and diplomatic way, of course.

Keeps medical folks on their toes...

Dekonick

11-20-2007, 12:12 AM

Be careful with homeopathic cures for HTN - ACE inhibitors are safe when used according to directions.

I wouldn't do anything without consulting your doctor before you try any homeopathic treatments as they can sometimes interfere with prescribed medications. Sometimes the strangest interactions can happen like eating grapefruit has nasty side effects with some prescription meds - so just be safe and follow whatever course your doctor advises as long as beta blockers aren't on the menu.

Sounds like your doc has your treatment under control.

Good luck!

:D

Skrawny

11-20-2007, 01:06 AM

Andreas

11-20-2007, 06:32 AM

Any one have any experience with High Blood Pressure and specifically a med called Lisinopril (generic for Prinivil)
One of the most common first line meds for treating HTN. Usually well tolerated, 15% dry cough. Might want to be careful with taking it, getting dehydrated and eating a lot of NSAIDs at the same time.

My BP has been hovering at 165 over 90 so my Dr. suggested I start taking 10 mg daily.
You need to get that BP under control, ACEs is a good start. Make sure they rule out other reasons, e.g. renovascular stenosis (narrowing of the kidney blood vessels) and others - usually part of the workup.

It bothers me to think I maybe taking something for the rest of my life. I'm going to try and lose weight and cut down on my salt. If I can get it down he says I can try going back off of it.
Diet and weight loss have a lot of impact on HTN. Get your BMI to 18. You might want to look further than just no salt and reducing calories. Go to google scholar and search for preventive cardiology, e.g. Caldwell Esselstyn from the Cleveland Clinic and others.

Be sure to check your BP at home with a reliable cuff device (as others pointed out, the wrist thingies are worthless). Keep a log, write down the numbers every day. Take it your doc when you visit.

Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving. Tofurkey rocks :D

thwart

11-20-2007, 08:02 AM

Get your BMI to 18. Man, you've been watching too many race cycling videos...

All kidding aside, the ideal BMI is felt to be 25 or less. 18 looks like... well... it looks like a fashion model (think Kate Moss) or a marathon runner. Real thin.

Andreas

11-20-2007, 08:23 AM

Man, you've been watching too many race cycling videos...

All kidding aside, the ideal BMI is felt to be 25 or less. 18 looks like... well... it looks like a fashion model (think Kate Moss) or a marathon runner. Real thin.

"Normal" BMI is 18 - 25. Fair amount of evidence that low normal is better.
Just one example: PNAS paper (http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/101/17/6659)

It's all relative. In a country with a 25% obesity rate among children, what is normal starts to shift - clearly that has happened here. People who have obese friends are bigger than those who don't, starting at the same baseline.

ATGO, KM's BMI is 15. But I will give you slackers some room :D , aim for 20 then.

Gotta run, get some doughnuts now.

rpm

11-20-2007, 09:38 AM

Omron makes relatively inexpensive and good blood pressure monitors. If I'm going to the doctor I'll take mine in to calibrate it against the doctor's. It's usually pretty close. As for meds, there are lots of different ones, which is good because each class of drugs has a different profile of side effects.

Be prepared to work with your doctor for awhile to figure out the drugs that work on your blood pressure without messing you up. And don't be alarmed if you have take more than one (e.g., adding a diuretic like HCTZ to your ACE inhibitor). It's pretty routine. I take three.

Sandy

11-20-2007, 10:16 AM

I agree.
ACE inhibitors are good medications. If I had to be on one that's what I would chose. It is also what I have recommended for other cyclists with high BP.

Norvasc is also a good bp med, but works via a different mechanism. Norvasc has no major problems, frequently causes some edema in the lower extremities though.

Some people can normalize their blood pressure through diet and exercise and maybe suppliments -if they can then the more power to them- but the vast majority in my experience need medications.

-s

I am no doctor. I have read the posts in this thread about medication but keep going back to Lifelover's statements about losing weight and cutting back on salts. I assume that Lifelover is overweight. I will use myself as an example of diet and blood pressure reduction, which I know is simply anecdotal in nature, applying to one person, and hence possibly meaningless-

My family has a history of high blood pressure. I have not. The last time that I had a check up by my doctor, my blood pressure was significantly higher than what it has been for years (as was my weight), not as high as lifelover's but close. At the time, I weighed about 235 and had stopped exercising for 4 months. I lost some weight and then went on a stict diet, reaching 190 pounds. I eat (and ate) little fatty foods, cut way back on carbos and calories. I just took my blood pressure (have a machine at home) and it is 118/57 much lower than when I was heavy. My brother, who is a cardiologist, considers my weight loss to probably being the main reason for such a significant drop.

You are a physician, I believe, and obviously, I know very very little compared to what you do. Do you not think that if Lifelover lost a considerable amount of weight (assuming that he is significantly overweight, as we really don't know) that his bp might drop significantly?

Sandy

Skrawny

11-20-2007, 10:46 AM

Do you not think that if Lifelover lost a considerable amount of weight (assuming that he is significantly overweight, as we really don't know) that his bp might drop significantly?

Yes I do.
If it does not actually normalize blood pressure, it frequently makes it easier to control with fewer medications.

However, I have many patients who have normal or low BMI's and still have hypertension. I saw a tiny little 70yo woman yesterday that must have weighed less than 100 lbs but had a BP of 200/105! (yes, for all you other docs out there, secondary causes of HTN have been ruled out)

Also, although I encourage everyone to loose weight, and congratulate those who have, few actually succeed in taking off significant poundage.
-s

spiderman

11-20-2007, 11:06 AM

...i was just going to say...
i can hear that renal artery bruit from here!?!
...what a thrill, eh??

Lifelover

11-20-2007, 11:18 AM

Yes I do.
If it does not actually normalize blood pressure, it frequently makes it easier to control with fewer medications.

However, I have many patients who have normal or low BMI's and still have hypertension. I saw a tiny little 70yo woman yesterday that must have weighed less than 100 lbs but had a BP of 200/105! (yes, for all you other docs out there, secondary causes of HTN have been ruled out)

Also, although I encourage everyone to loose weight, and congratulate those who have, few actually succeed in taking off significant poundage.
-s

My weight is clearly part of the issue. I'm currently 250 (6' 1") down from a high of 290 a few years ago. My BP has always been a little on the high side and my father suffers from High BP.

It seemed strange to me that my pressue has gone up over the last few years even though I've lost weight and excersize more. My Dr. did not seemed to alarmed by this.

Stress is not a big problem for me (hence my screen name) so I don't think that is a factor.

My DR. said that a 1 point drop for every 10 lbs lost is common and If I got my bottom number down near 85 he would consider taking me back off the meds.

Truth be told, I don't see me maintianing a weight much lower than 220 for any amount of time. I will work to lose what I can.

Viper

11-20-2007, 12:00 PM

My weight is clearly part of the issue. I'm currently 250 (6' 1") down from a high of 290 a few years ago. My BP has always been a little on the high side and my father suffers from High BP.

Stress is not a big problem for me (hence my screen name) so I don't think that is a factor.

Truth be told, I don't see me maintianing a weight much lower than 220 for any amount of time. I will work to lose what I can.

At 250lbs, you could probably stand to lose another 50lbs, but you offer "I don't see me maitaining a weight lower than 220lbs for any amount of time. I will work to lose what I can" and to me, that is a defeatist attitude; you've already lost a battle before it begins.

There are many types of stress, the (self) perception that one is easy going isn't always true. There is a great stress on your kidneys and heart due to the high bp and I have yet to meet someone with hypertension/high bp and sense they are calm.

It takes discipline to achieve a goal such as losing another 25-50 lbs etc, or one could fall back on modern medicine for a crutch.

benb

11-20-2007, 12:14 PM

Yah if you're 250lbs @ 6'1" you have a lot of weight to lose.. but the 18 BMI thing is totally nuts for someone with any muscle on their frame.

I'm 6'1" too... I was 179 this morning. That's 23.5. My lowest this summer was 175 IIRC... that's 23.1. The lowest I've been when racing is 165.

18 is 136.5lbs.. now I'm a relatively skinny dude, very skinny by american standards.. my BP is normal. I'm guessing if I was to somehow diet to 135lbs I'd pickup some other health problems...

Sandy

11-20-2007, 12:58 PM

thwart

11-20-2007, 01:11 PM

I weighed about 235 and had stopped exercising for 4 months. I lost some weight and then went on a stict diet, reaching 190 pounds. I just took my blood pressure (have a machine at home) and it is 118/57... Sandy, what a great success story!

The folks at Serotta (and the other talented bike builders) craft machines that can, in a way, literally save your life... and have a helluva lot of fun in the process.

Lifelover

11-20-2007, 03:28 PM

... that is a defeatist attitude; you've already lost a battle before it begins.....

I just don't see putting all that much work into since I will most likely die any day from a pit bull attack.

http://www.clipartof.com/images/emoticons/thumbnail2/1971_dancing_dog.gif

Viper

11-20-2007, 05:20 PM

I just don't see putting all that much work into since I will most likely die any day from a pit bull attack.

http://www.clipartof.com/images/emoticons/thumbnail2/1971_dancing_dog.gif

LOL. YOU will be the one who will survive the attack, it'll be me having to scrap with it. Why? How? The !*$&-ing pit bull will attack the bacon cheesburger you're eating. :)

Sandy

11-20-2007, 06:25 PM

I just had a short visit at the shelter to visit King, the pit bull. All he attacked was the biscuits that I gave him (has an insatiable appetite) and my face with some of the biggest and strongest licks I have ever gotten from a dog. :rolleyes: King would attack a bacon cheeseburger, but only if you gave him permission to eat it. Lay it down on the ground and look away and poof, it would be gone. Then he would be looking for another one.

Sandy

Viper

11-20-2007, 06:29 PM

I just had a short visit at the shelter to visit King, the pit bull. All he attacked was the biscuits that I gave him (has an insatiable appetite) and my face with some of the biggest and strongest licks I have ever gotten from a dog. :rolleyes: King would attack a bacon sheeseburger but only if you gave him permission to eat it. Lay it down on the ground and look away and poof, it will be gone. Then he would be looking for another one.

Sandy

www.burgerking.com

And I'll have them deliver! :)