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I take 2 10mm of Lisinopril at night before bed. It makes me sleep like a log. Also, one side effect is a constant dry cough. View Quote |
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My Dr. told me if I get a dry cough stop the pills immediately and we would try something else. I got the feeling that was a potentially serious side effect? View Quote We switched to Diovan - while Lisinopril worked the Diovan (Valsartan) ended up working much much better for me with no side effects. |
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My Dr. told me if I get a dry cough stop the pills immediately and we would try something else. I got the feeling that was a potentially serious side effect? View Quote |
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The best sandwiches are made at the mayo clinic.................
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Lifestyle changes dude.
Eat better (DASH diet), get more exercise, get more sleep, and remove as many stressors from your life as you can. |
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DO NOT rely on the BP machines they have at any store; they are notoriously inaccurate.
Get yourself an Omron unit, that others have mentioned, to monitor it at home. I check it once a week or so when I get up in the morning or late in the evening, after sitting quietly for about 5-10 minutes. I have white coat syndrome so my BP is usually on the high side at the doctor but well within acceptable limits at home when I check it on the machine or manually by someone I know. Weight loss of any kind will help, cutting out most sugar/carbs in your diet will help, and cardiovascular exercise will help. If none of the above works then heredity might force you to use some type of medication. |
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My Dr. told me if I get a dry cough stop the pills immediately and we would try something else. I got the feeling that was a potentially serious side effect? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I take 2 10mm of Lisinopril at night before bed. It makes me sleep like a log. Also, one side effect is a constant dry cough. |
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A good wrist machine is fine, but get one that indicates when the cuff is at the right level. Mine has always synced well with other methods.
Or, if you can find a cheap wrist unit that will allow the pressure to be taken with the wrist at any level you would be amazed at the different readings you get if you hold it at shoulder level vs. waist level. Likewise with an arm cuff, but you can generate pronounced differences with the wrist cuff. |
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That's a very dumb thought process which kills a lot of men every year. Yes, exercise helps some case and maybe even most. But for some their BP problems are heredity and can't be controlled by just exercise. So some men think they can exercise it away and die. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Yup...exercise definitely sucks a lot less than being unhealthy and being a walking heart attack waiting to happen. Yes, exercise helps some case and maybe even most. But for some their BP problems are heredity and can't be controlled by just exercise. So some men think they can exercise it away and die. Doesn't matter how clean I eat and how much I exercise my BP runs high. Same for my dad and three grandparents... My BP was 140/95 as a soph in high school when I was in good shape and playing basketball 6 days a week. |
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Elimination of all high fat foods will show a vast improvement, no fried foods at all.
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What are good VP measuring machines? I recently got an OMRON model that measures it on the wrist. It measures it all over the place despite I do it at the same time in the morning or afternoon. View Quote |
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I'm learning that high blood pressure is due to leaking heart valves, which many have. The medication masks the issue
Have your doc do a echo-cardiogram and they will give you a heart/valve performance rating EDIT They can fix your leaking heart values at a younger age. My mom has one but is too old for surgery. Back then she had high blood pressure |
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I've been on blood pressure meds for more than 25 years. Some of it was caused by heredity, some of it was occupational. I also suffer from white coat syndrome, don't like needles, don't like going to the doctor. I took Vastoec (and later the generic Enalapril) for a long time, the only side effect was the dry cough. I was switched to lisinopril, same thing, had a dry cough but not as bad. Recently switched to Losartan, no cough. Saw my doctor for a checkup several weeks ago, my BP was 122/60. My diastolic (bottom number) has never been that low (I was first put on meds when my BP was 140/108).
Usually, the first reading that nurse takes is a little high. The doc comes in, we BS a little bit about sports and then my BP is taken again. Usually a lot lower then. This last time the 122/60 reading was the first one taken right after getting to the exam room. This is a new doc (very laid back guy), at my age now I do a little bit better with the needles, and I've retired from a high stress job in an ultra liberal/progressive West Coast city. I was a runner for a long time, now to save wear and tear on my hips and knees, I walk a lot. Never really been overweight, but watching my diet a little bit better now |
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buy yourself a cuff so you can monitor it yourself. I have one and it's a good investment. You'll find your BP will vary based on the time of day, and what you've been doing. More reading are better than fewer readings.
My BP is around 100/75, it varies up or down depending on when I do the measuring. (110 / 80, once I had 90/70 <- that's when they realized they needed to drop my BP meds) I started out with high BP and then decided to do something about it. I've lost 50 lbs and have 10 more to go before I'll be happy. At this point all my blood work is good, low cholesterol and all my metabolic where they should be. My overall health is good, my rest pulse is in the low to mid 50's |
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Basic blood pressure monitors in the $25-$35 range are available at Walmart. Some prefer the arm cuff, others the wrist style. I have both and the readings closely agree if used properly. Be aware that preparation and arm position are important and can affect the readings significantly!
Once you get one, take it by the doctor's office and have them check your method and the monitor's calibration -- it only takes a moment. Most clinics and offices are glad to do it if you call in advance. The pharmacist may even do it for you. Reduce your Sodium intake by using a salt substitute, Potassium Chloride in place of Sodium Chloride. There is a difference in taste, but you can adjust by blending the two and changing the ratio over a couple of weeks or so. Mrs. Dash is another substitute that uses herbs and spices instead of NaCl. Vinegar and lemon/lime juice are other viable options. |
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I've seen recommendations that HCTZ (diuretic) should be the first drug tried because it's cheap and the side effects are low.
Combos are added if that doesn't work by itself. I just bought this BP cuff at Walmart, CR recommends it as a best buy. BP cuff |
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I cleaned up my diet (details available upon request), quit smoking, quit drinking, and started moving around a bit. That was a little over two weeks ago.
My blood pressure has returned to normal. It's been ~160/110 for the last couple of years. My doctor was practically begging me to go on BP meds. I said not until I made some diet and lifestyle changes first, to see how that went. It's 119/73 now. |
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Another +1 for the Omron arm (not wrist) cuffs. I've had the BP785 for ~ 4 years now, take it in twice a year to check against the cardiologist's. It's been dead on since the first measurement.
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I cleaned up my diet (details available upon request), quit smoking, quit drinking, and started moving around a bit. That was a little over two weeks ago. My blood pressure has returned to normal. It's been ~160/110 for the last couple of years. My doctor was practically begging me to go on BP meds. I said not until I made some diet and lifestyle changes first, to see how that went. It's 119/73 now. View Quote lol |
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So you let your diastolic stay in severe range for several years until you changed your lifestyle two weeks ago? lol View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I cleaned up my diet (details available upon request), quit smoking, quit drinking, and started moving around a bit. That was a little over two weeks ago. My blood pressure has returned to normal. It's been ~160/110 for the last couple of years. My doctor was practically begging me to go on BP meds. I said not until I made some diet and lifestyle changes first, to see how that went. It's 119/73 now. lol |
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Ok, about 18 months ago I started running higher than normal blood pressure. I'm 48, 5'11", 185-190 lbs.
I'd been borderline 140/85 for years, and was eating right, exercising, etc. Most meds didn't work well for me, all classes were tried over the course of about 5 years. Some worked fine like lisinopril but I got that horrible cough. Most others didn't work, or raised my blood pressure, or I had real bad side effects. Then one day, 18 months ago, I go to give blood and it's 160/110. Huh. Went to my doc, it was the same there. Monitored at home, the same. They decided to monitor it for a while, and it kept creeeping up. Got to 180/120 in a month. Still gave me no meds (since we know they don't really work well for me). Just advice like to lose more weight, exercise more. Because I kept gaining weight during all this, even eating 1500-1800 calories a day and walking. And I was having night sweats, intermittent racing pulse, adrenalin surges, and felt like crap. Got to 195/125 one night during a heavy snowstorm. Was having palpitations and feeling sick and weak. Nurse friend came over in her 4WD and took me to the ER. They gave me one clonidine tablet for the night and said to call 911 if I have a heart attack or stroke (nice). Next day, it was 200/130. I'm flushed, I'm weak. Go to doc, they put me on an alpha-blocker, which they don't like to use, it's a last resort thing. Dropped it quite a bit. Actually made it fluctuate about 40 points during the day. But mostly I felt better. And so there I stayed for about two months. Then I go to my urologist for an annual checkup and x-ray and they find a kidney stone blocking my right ureter. My right kidney was enlarged. Turns out a kidney stone can be "silent" and not cause any pain, but block the ureter and cause problems, like kidney failure, and adrenalin rushes (adrenal glands are on top of the kidney, when the kidney expands the gland gets stretched and it secretes hormones like a squeezed sponge). The big symptom of this is spikes in blood pressure that don't respond well to treatment. Huh. And yes, it was all in my medical history that I had kidney stones. Didn't know they could be "silent" though. I'd seen 3-4 doctors about my crazy blood pressure and they all missed it. Had the ultrasound procedure to pulverize it. Couple of days later my blood pressure was 140/85. Now they put me on two pills, losartan and a calcium channel blocker. It runs 125/80 pretty consistently now. It's likely that many of my problems for years were due to kidney stones. It's not something that they usually check for, but it's there. So, OP, I'm just saying you might want to get a KUB x-ray to rule out kidney stones. |
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What I've learned in this thread:
Immediately switch off lisinopril 10mg because it didn't work for someone else and is inadequate. Get an echo because it's likely due to valvular damage. Immediately get an x ray to rule out kidney stones. Chloride ions cause hypertension even though every diuretic we use targets sodium re-uptake. Treasure trove of medical advice. |
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What I've learned in this thread: Immediately switch off lisinopril 10mg because it didn't work for someone else and is inadequate. Get an echo because it's likely due to valvular damage. Immediately get an x ray to rule out kidney stones. Chloride ions cause hypertension even though every diuretic we use targets sodium re-uptake. Treasure trove of medical advice. View Quote |
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Stay after it, OP. I've been monitoring and treating HBP for almost 10 years now. Just something you have to do.
My cousin, who was 8 months younger than me (45) a couple of weeks ago started getting numbness in his feet. They took him to the hospital and found that his aorta had ruptured severely due to undiagnosed high blood pressure. He had lost so much blood that there was nothing they could do for him. It was a complete shock and the family is devastated...he's got one boy in college and one in high school. I had to be a pallbearer for him. Never thought that would happen. Just do what you need to do, even though it is a pain in the butt. The alternative will be far worse for you and your family. |
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I ignored my high BP way too long, but I finally went to the doctor to do something about it last month. his reading was 140/80 which was the best I've seen in 5 years, I told him I'd just woken up. he put me on 10mg lisinopril based on the past readings I told him (systolic runs in the 150's, diastolic goes all over the place) after 3 weeks on the lisinopril I checked my BP at walmart with the machine sat at 6AM (my day is 4-5PM till 9AM) and got 180/110 I the cuff didn't seem to fit great though. I checked with my BP cuff and stethoscope just now and got 160/100 I plan to get a reading every morning after work till friday. this fucking sucks. I go back in friday to see the doc again. I have a deductible and I'm broke as shit because work isn't giving any overtime so I was REALLY hoping this first drug would do it so I don't have to keep going back in. View Quote BP meds are cheap although doctor's visits can add up quick. OP, sell a gun or some ammo if you need to. You don't want to fuck around with high blood pressure. A good diet (Paleo is great) and exercise can't hurt and they might even help. |
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I take 10m of lisinopril . It works great for me. BP is a finicky bitch. My pressure was border line high when I was 160 pounds running 25 miles a week along with other exercises. Eating healthy enough. It just runs high in my family . Genetics... Good luck Wardawg View Quote Parents passed away and cut down to just 40 lisinpril got past the stress of dealing with their estate and went down to 20 Now I am breaking that in half and my blood pressure is 120 over 78 most of the time. Stress of dealing with aging parents and running a family business his way for years ran my pressure up It is true not killing people that desperately need it is creates stress. In my case working with my father and doing things his way when I knew we could do much better was very stressful, and spending time caring for him and my mother while my wife giving me hell for it ran it up even more. It was just the way it was. So relieve the stress, cut back on salt, cut back on feed, cut back on some of the booze, start walking and get that doctor to double the dose of give you another med. |
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Bad news OP, its gonna take you a few visits, and probably a few months to get this under control with just the right meds. Hopefully your doctor will work with you a bit and just call in a new medication if it isn't working and not make you come back in.
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I ignored my high BP way too long, but I finally went to the doctor to do something about it last month. his reading was 140/80 which was the best I've seen in 5 years, I told him I'd just woken up. he put me on 10mg lisinopril based on the past readings I told him (systolic runs in the 150's, diastolic goes all over the place) after 3 weeks on the lisinopril I checked my BP at walmart with the machine sat at 6AM (my day is 4-5PM till 9AM) and got 180/110 I the cuff didn't seem to fit great though. I checked with my BP cuff and stethoscope just now and got 160/100 I plan to get a reading every morning after work till friday. this fucking sucks. I go back in friday to see the doc again. I have a deductible and I'm broke as shit because work isn't giving any overtime so I was REALLY hoping this first drug would do it so I don't have to keep going back in. View Quote Call and talk to the nurse. They may be willing to change your med without a visit. |
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that chart is why people need high blood pressure meds and get type 2 diabetes. OP, go on a keto diet, cut carbs to 20 grams per day and lose weight and you will start seeing your BP come down in 2 weeks or so View Quote |
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My Dr. told me if I get a dry cough stop the pills immediately and we would try something else. I got the feeling that was a potentially serious side effect? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I take 2 10mm of Lisinopril at night before bed. It makes me sleep like a log. Also, one side effect is a constant dry cough. Now on lorsartan, no cough but bp still pretty high |
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I eat like crap, Exercise sparingly, and have hereditary issues. Mine runs routinely 130/90. Am I going to die soon. 37 y/o.
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It's amazing how low carb seems to help all of the fat related ailments. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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that chart is why people need high blood pressure meds and get type 2 diabetes. OP, go on a keto diet, cut carbs to 20 grams per day and lose weight and you will start seeing your BP come down in 2 weeks or so The progression of insulin resistance ( metabolic syndrome ) is well documented, so is the cure. and people ignore it and opt for health problems, drugs, and more health problems. |
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Even more amazing is how many people just discount all the evidence that sugar and carbs and the insulin response they create is the reason for all these health problems. They completely ignore it. The progression of insulin resistance ( metabolic syndrome ) is well documented, so is the cure. and people ignore it and opt for health problems, drugs, and more health problems. View Quote |
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Lisinopril, HCT, Metoprolol, Diltiazem, all generic, all cheap.
If you don't develop the lisinopril cough, you can go up to 40mg/day, however you might have some other underlying issue, where a Beta blocker might be preferable. |
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Nothing wrong with carbs if you are active. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
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I'm now on lisinopril, hctz, amlodipine and bystolic. Bystolic is the only drug that has ever decreased my lower number and it has made my life a lot better. Prior to that I would take medicine to get the upper number down but then have problems passing out when I stood up too quick. I just wish I could find a generic equivalent, it's expensive as hell, even with my insurance which is pretty good.
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A list of recommended home BP monitors for the arm. The wrist ones do not seem to be suggested by anyone, really. Mine is one of the Omrons on the list, though I don't recall which one. It consistently gives a read about 3-4 mms higher than my doctor gets when I bring it in with me.
http://www.dableducational.org/sphygmomanometers/devices_2_sbpm.html |
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Many people don't even know that there are several size cuffs. My wife has BP that is usually 100/60. She had to go the emergency room. They took her BP and it was like 200/160! They took it again and again. They started all this commotion and I was telling them to hold on, wait.... I finally figured out they had used a child's cuff. With correct cuff, her BP was normal and the staff stood down. If I had not been there, I think they would have put her on meds. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I had one girl take my pressure and she was awful. Insisted I didnt need the large cuff even though it kept coming off and she did a few other strange things I was not familiar with. Gave me a reading of 245/140. Now I had a reading like that, but I felt it at the time, hot sweaty dizzy. Told the doc it seemed suspect, he took it and came up with 145/90 which I could believe. My Cardiologist (Nurse Practitioner) practically jumped up and down when I mentioned Paleo. I did paleo for two months and lost 30lbs and pressure normalized. Cuff too big? Pressure will read low. |
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