quote:

Originally posted by pianojuggler


My goal when I'm done working is to get some exercise, lose some weight, get my stress down, and get off the BP meds.

Wish me luck.

And I wish all of you the same.

This is where I am at.. I will take the meds for now but at the same time work on other measures.

Still, given my family history I expect to be on meds. My goal is to be on as few as possible and at the lowest dose.

quote:

Originally posted by wtg:


https://www.upi.com/Health_New...study/4161624304809/

https://www.alzinfo.org/articl...-against-alzheimers/

My confusion here may be a result of tech ignorance, but here goes.

When I copy the link to these two ...links (using the. WTF. platform) the first one turns up including something about statins. (the second doesn't).

This is quite important to me, as I've been religiously avoiding statins (and to achieve that - so cardiologist won't make me take them, I had to get my lipids in normal range. For some reason my familial dyslipedia (really a longer word) responds. to. weight loss - to the point of considerable slenderness, almost thinness.

OK, so far so good.

One of the main reasons I wanted to avoid statins is because I've read in more than one source, they increase the risk of dementia.

It looks to me, though, from how these articles parse on WTF into URL links, especially the first one, that this class of BP lowering meds, are related to - or even a form of - statins.

ARE the meds recommended to lower BP (and reduce dementia risk) not only good for BP but also for lowering lipids - because they're also a form of statins??

If so it seems there are contradictory results re dementia per the two classes and how they affect dementia risk.

I. was getting interested in taking one of this class (looking into it more, of course) for the preventative effect of cognitive. decline.

But not if it's also a form of statins (that also works on BP).

Hoping my question is clear enough to elicit some responses. (You may have to enter the article into the WTF. translation device in a comment box to see what I'm referring to).

I. don't have high BP but I DO need to. be careful about my lipids.
I. make a special effort to avoid anything that is credibly reported to influence. dementia.

I'm having trouble teasing out a recommendation for or against them to help avoid dementia.

(I'm also having trouble preventing my new laptop from sticking. periods into messages - at random. )

BTW. I suppose most of you are familiar with Dr. Andrew Weil's famous. "4-7-8 breathing" technique - the one that significantly lowers BP within a few minutes.

This. DIY Method might interest those of you who are troubled by high BP - also factors influencing BP measurement. BP doesn't stay down for that long, but repeating 4-7-8. can have a significant effect on lowering BP in a more long-term way. It's like a concentrated dose of mindful/Aryuveda breathing.

(It really relaxes you too.)

https://integrisok.com/employe...se%20energy%20levels.

I could have tried dealing with this with diet. I did cut my salt and start paying attention to the sodium content of things.

I decided to take the drug, though. I didn’t see any improvement from cutting salt, and I wasn’t willing to be on a no salt diet. I already exercise, I already avoid processed foods, I already cook. I wasn’t seeing a whole lot of room for drastic improvements. And I didn’t want to risk a few months of a failed effort to control it.

My mom’s kidneys began to fail, and I learned there’s not much they can do about it. Dialysis looked awful. I want no part of that.

quote:

Originally posted by Cindysphinx:
I could have tried dealing with this with diet. I did cut my salt and start paying attention to the sodium content of things.

Yup..sometimes DNA trumps all..I am starting to realize that no matter what I do, this is my lot.

Well, keep us posted. This thread cause me to pull out my cuff and see where things are, so thanks for starting it.

quote:

Originally posted by Cindysphinx:
Well, keep us posted. This thread cause me to pull out my cuff and see where things are, so thanks for starting it.

Your welcome?

Thought I'd share a couple of articles that I found recently.



Controlling blood pressure with fewer side effects

Older diuretic drug may be safer.

Thanks for these links WTG.

It's so hard to evaluate all these variations of treatment options. It also, to me, underscores how problematic our medical model is, in terms of the tendency to throw drugs at a problem and then look the other way. By which I mean, it seems like a lot of doctors don't pay close enough attention to individual patients and seem instead to just prescribe the meds they're used to prescribing in the way they're used to. :/

Separate from that, re the first article you linked (about combining drugs in smaller doses), I wish they'd included info about how blood pressure was tracked for the study. How often was blood pressure checked, under what conditions etc....

Helpful info about the drugs.

The only real problem I have is exercising in extreme heat and humidity. I had never cramped or felt close to heat exhaustion until I was on the diuretic.

I have to play tennis for four hours next Friday for state league championships, and the heat has been oppressive lately. I’ll skip the meds, drink Gatorade, and hope that gets me through.

An update.

I have been having cold laser treatment on my back injury and the pain is almost gone...YAY!!

At the same time, my blood pressure has lowered, enough on Saturday night that I didn't feel well, so fatiqued...My pressure was very low..

So yesterday, I halved my dose and will continue to monitor...I am eating better, losing a bit of weight, getting more exercise..

We shall see.

At the risk of sounding like I'm not taking things seriously, one thing that's really helped me is meditation. I've not done a big controlled study or anything, but I really believe that it's helped me. Not saying meditation alone is a solution, but it's a good thing to add, in my experience.

An update..

So after my low pressure incident a few weeks ago, I stopped meds for a few days and felt better...

When my pressure seemed to tick up a bit (with my back pain) I resumed at half a dose.

Well, the side effects got worse...I had fatigue and worse was the cough..I have asthma and having to suck on my inhaler several times a day is NOT good. It was not only the cough but a raging post nasal drip. That caused a raw throat..I went to have a COVID test just to rule that out and assure my coworkers. Sigh..

This has cost me many a night's sleep.

Did I mention I am just a borderline BP patient?

I stopped the med on Sunday and took a sick day on Monday to catch up an sleep. Tuesday, I never felt better and my back felt great!

So feeling better, I have taken to the road again and have pounded the pavement 'running' for 3 days since...so far the bp is good.

I did call the dr's office re the side effects and today was texted with a new med..amlodipine..never heard of it and will not be taking it till I read more on it.

In the meantime my BP monitor and I are now becoming friends...that and my spreadsheet..I have all the data in hopes I can convince the Dr. that I don't need meds.

My mom was on amlodipine and had the swollen ankles that are a common side effect.

Maybe you can consider one of the old fashioned diuretics like Cindy is taking? Been around for a long time....Doctors sometime reach for the big guns prematurely...

wtg, I am still not convinced I need to be on meds at this point.

A few pandemic pounds could be lost, getting back to exercise after an injury and I feel like I will not need meds for some years...

Today I am UNDER 120/80.. not an emergency as far as I can tell.