Blood pressure medication

[wc1934]

My doctor has been monitoring my blood pressure for about 4 months now – it averages about 143/75 – pulse 49. He has finally persuaded me to start taking meds to lower my pressure. He has prescribed hydrochlorothiazide –(HTCTZ) 25mg. Doc states that it is effective and that I will not notice a difference in my workouts except that I must hydrate in hot temps. Anyone have any direct experience with this med – please comment on the pros and cons. Thanks

[WadePatton]

what do you eat?

[wc1934]

I eat mostly veggies, rice, beans, pasta, cheese - use very little salt(except in the junk food), drink very little. My doc said that I was doing everythng right - eating habits are good, exercise regularly, don't smoke, not overweight etc. He stated that half the men over 50 are on a diuretic - not a comfort to me - I wanted to be in the half that does not need meds.

[Tom Byrnes]

I take 25 mg of hydrochlorothiazide for high blood pressure and it has lowered my high blood pressure more than the ace inhibitor and beta blocker medications that I was taking. I like this medication (as much as anyone can like any medication).

Tom

[thwart]

IMHO, a reasonable choice, although 1/2 tab (12.5 mg), may be effective for you as well. Other drug classes, like ACE inhibitors, may work as well without the potential side effects.

You may be able to hold doses on very hot days/long workouts to minimize adverse side effects.

I'd get an accurate home BP cuff.

[WadePatton]

I eat mostly veggies, rice, beans, pasta, cheese - use very little salt(except in the junk food), drink very little. My doc said that I was doing everythng right - eating habits are good, exercise regularly, don't smoke, not overweight etc. He stated that half the men over 50 are on a diuretic - not a comfort to me - I wanted to be in the half that does not need meds.

It's a touchy subject, but one I believe in--check out John McDougall. He's an MD and has a site and there are some snips of his stuff on the 'tube. Cliff notes version: cut out the dairy and be very sparing with your oils-all of 'em. I'm no doc, but will gladly answer PM's on the eating side. (And hey, you're not far off, it's just that some things are way bad--but billed as "good". There is good science (albeit unpopular) to differentiate these things)

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Hippocrates, 460 B.C

that boy was onto something. ;)

[wc1934]

"cut out the dairy and be very sparing with your oils" - interesting as I probably get most of my salt from dairy - cheese, and I use TONS of olive oil.
Thanks

[Karl Lee]

I'm on that med as well as Lisinopril for my HBP. My BP is about the same as yours, I'm 50 years old and fairly thin at 6'2" and 180. My "high" BP is more Hereditary than anything else but I have to watch my diet and drink lots of H2O and exercise to keep it there.

As for your question, the med makes you urinate alot, at least it does for me. I don't know your health history, whether or not you exercise regularly, have high stress, stay hydrated etc, but 149/75 isn't that bad. I've seen alot worse.

The only thing about the med is that hydration is key to lowering BP (IMHO) and it's effects are the opposite.

[Dekonick]

HTZT is a diuretic - it will make you pee.

Lisinopril is an ace inhibitor -

whatever works, but it is better for you to have your hypertension managed than it is to avoid medicine...

:)

[WadePatton]

HTZT is a diuretic - it will make you pee.

Lisinopril is an ace inhibitor -

whatever works, but it is better for you to have your hypertension managed than it is to avoid medicine...

:)
yes take your meds--more later.

[soulspinner]

I take 12.5 mgs 3 times per week to prevent the formation of kidney stones(test of your pain threshold-I failed..) and the stuff requires diligent use of sunscreen, as you may burn more easily ...

[Ozz]

I just went on 5 mg of Liprinosil last week....good info on a thread I started about a month ago:

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=54637

[Skrawny]

HCTZ should serve you well. As others have said:

1) use sunscreen as some get skin photosensitivity
2) stay hydrated
3) make a routine to either take it with orange juice or eat a banana a day because HCTZ makes you waste potassium in your urine.

-s

[Dekonick]

HCTZ should serve you well. As others have said:

1) use sunscreen as some get skin photosensitivity
2) stay hydrated
3) make a routine to either take it with orange juice or eat a banana a day because HCTZ makes you waste potassium in your urine.

-s

Absolutely - make sure you watch your electrolyte intake! You will need more with the hydrochlorothiazide (potassium in particular).

If you start cramping, you probably are not getting enough K+.

:)

Listen to Skrawny - he is a doctor. I just play one on the forum. :D

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[WadePatton]

whatever works, but it is better for you to have your hypertension managed than it is to avoid medicine...

:)
The number of deaths and serious injuries associated with prescription drug use rose to record levels in the first quarter of this year[2008], with 4,825 deaths and nearly 21,000 injuries, a watchdog group said Wednesday.

Those numbers represent a nearly three-fold increase in deaths from the previous quarter and a 38% increase in injuries from last year's quarterly average, according to the Horsham, Pa.-based Institute for Safe Medication Practices.

The most dangerous medications were the anti-smoking drug varenicline, which was linked to 1,001 injuries and 50 deaths in the three-month period ending in March, and the blood thinner heparin, which was associated with 779 injuries and 102 deaths.

The data came from voluntary reports of adverse effects to the Food and Drug Administration, which made the data public after stripping information that identified victims. Because the reporting is voluntary, researchers have speculated that fewer than 10% of adverse events actually makes it into the system.

emphasis added, taken from article: http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/23/science/sci-drugs23


atwo:
Whereas nutrition is hugely misunderstood in our society but has profound effects on every aspect of our health. A good jumping off point (into the land of enlightenment) is The China Study, Campbell and/or http://www.drmcdougall.com/

[Bud_E]

I've had marginally high BP for most of my adult life. HCTZ was the first med. the doc put me on. It turns out that a side effect is ( besides having to pee a lot ) is that it raises uric acid. In my case I got a kidney stone so the doc switched me to Atenolol which works better for me.

[Dekonick]

Atenolol would not be my first choice for anyone who is an athlete. There are plenty of hypertension medications that work just fine that have little effect on max heart rate - unfortunately, atenolol is not one of them (beta blocker)

[pbbob]

I'll see your Mcdougall and raise you all in with www.nutritionmd.org. I learned about dr. barnard because my wife went to med school with him.
Dr. barnard has done and continues to do research involving nutrition and health. the science is there along with recipes and info for health professionals and people wanting to make a difference in themselves.
cliff notes version: vegan.
take your medicine.
And keep a food diary.

[Dekonick]

Pbbob - want to ride soon?

[WadePatton]

I'll see your Mcdougall and raise you all in with www.nutritionmd.org. I learned about dr. barnard because my wife went to med school with him.
Dr. barnard has done and continues to do research involving nutrition and health. the science is there along with recipes and info for health professionals and people wanting to make a difference in themselves.
cliff notes version: vegan.
take your medicine.
And keep a food diary.
cool, I'll check it out. Johnny Mac ain't my only source of info-just one of many.

[Skrawny]

Regarding the dangers of taking medicine. It is true that medications have side effects and can be dangerous. However, with hypertension, "the silent killer," the danger lies in NOT taking your medicine. The problem with HTN is that one feels well until the kidneys or heart are irreversibly damaged. Then -take it from me- you're in for A LOT more medications with all the dangers therein.


According to research published in 1995 in the Archives of Internal Medicine:
"reducing diastolic blood pressure by just 2 mm Hg would result in a 6% reduction in the risk of coronary artery disease and a 15% reduction in risk of stroke and transient ischemic attacks"

-s

[Sandy]

My brother is a cardiologist and I asked him about you. He was leaving to go somewhere so he could not talk very long. He did make a few interersting (to me anyway) comments. First, he really would not be able to make many pertinent comments as he has never seen you. I told him your blood pressure was 143/75 and that you had a resting heart rate of 49.

Your medication is a long lasting mild diuretic that will make you urinate more. As a cyclist you might lose substantial fluid so that is a consideration when using the med you are taking.

Because you are a cyclist and have a resting pulse of 49, he surmised that you are probably aerobically fit, and that your heart is most likely healthy and may be enlarged. Because your heart rate is relatively low, you have a high cardiac output per beat. Since the heart rate is slow, your heart has more time to fill with blood (than others), and will push out more blood (assuming a heathy heart). This gives rise to a higher upper number (143) than would be seen if you were not as fit.

I don't believe he thought 143/75 was very remarkable one way or another. In particular, the bottom number is fine. Doctors in the past considered the lower number much more important, but now believe more in the importance of both. He agrees with that. He was going to address more about blood pressures of athletes but he left to go to a bird of prey watch before it got dark.

Still beating,

Thump Thump Sandy

[WadePatton]

According to research published in 1995 in the Archives of Internal Medicine:
"reducing diastolic blood pressure by just 2 mm Hg would result in a 6% reduction in the risk of coronary artery disease and a 15% reduction in risk of stroke and transient ischemic attacks"

-s
I'm not saying don't ever take drugs. I'm saying learn as much as possible about the effects of nutrition on every disease we have. The answer is usually there, but you have to hunt and seek beyond "standard" med school education and beyond the "food and pepsi" boards and beyond "beef is for dinner" bureaucracy to get any gold.

Excerpts from: Salt: The Scapegoat for the Western Diet
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2008nl/aug/salt.htm

During my seven years of medical school and residency training, which began forty years ago, I learned two—only two—dietary lessons to share with my patients: switch from butter to margarine and reduce salt. Both pearls were supposed to save my patients from heart attacks and strokes, but neither did...

Focusing on an impossible dream—“eat low salt”—does, however, assure no consequential health changes will occur in our society—and that means consumers continue their same buying habits, food companies remain highly profitable, people remain sick, and drug companies enjoy record profits. In contrast, a meaningful message, like “stop eating meat and cheese, and instead focus your diet on rice and potatoes,” would revolutionize the world—but those now in control of governments and “health” organizations representing profitable businesses don’t want to see that day come anytime soon.


*Note for comparison: On the McDougall Diet without any limitation of salt added to the foods at the table, the average reduction in blood pressure (for people starting at 140/90 mmHg or greater) in 7 days is 15 mmHg systolic and 13 mmHg diastolic; and blood pressure medications are almost always stopped the first day of the program.

And note that the cessation of drugs in this context is supervised by a medical doctor.

We are jam pack crammed and bombarded with the idea that there's a great new drug for our condition every single day, with new conditions added constantly. Why? Profit. We are not exposed to good and true research and knowledge of the interconnectedness of diet and lifestyle on health for two reasons, less profit and conflicts with the other industry--the big profit one.

eatstrong