Uncontrollable Blood Pressure Advice

[HappyHiker]

Does anyone have high blood pressure they're having trouble controlling--even with medications?

Without going into all the details, I'm doing all the good lifestyle things such as a healthy weight, exercise, diet and non-smoking. My doctor has tried various meds and combinations to not much avail. My BP does come down a lot after a gym session of weights and cardio.

I'm a "hot reactor" and tend to get stressed easily and even to hold my breath when stressed. I do know how to breathe correctly, from my yoga practice, but it's hard to put into effect all the time.

I'm beginning to think about asking my doc about prescribing an anti-anxiety med instead of these strong BP meds which are having various side effects. Good idea? Which one--with the least side effects? Or, any herbs or supplements you recommend that have proved effective? (already take a multi, Vit. D, fish oil, calcium/mag, beta-carotene and C.)

I'm a troubled sleeper, too--hard to turn my mind off and the least little noise--such as a pine cone falling on the roof, rain, my DH snoring--awakens me with a startle effect. It's rare I get a good night's sleep. Likely, I'm REM deficient.

Love to hear your opinions. Other than the BP spiking to unacceptable highs, and never falling to the latest level we're supposed to have, I'm in pretty good shape and want to remain so.

From what I've seen on the 'net, my situation is not all that uncommon and HBP is still a medical mystery as to cause, and sometimes/often hard to manage.

[treehugger]

I can't speak to anti-anxiety meds and their effectiveness for blood pressure, but I did want to ask if your doctor has checked your kidney function? Kidney function is related to blood pressure, and a problem with the kidneys can cause problems with BP, and vice versa.

Kara

[puglogic]

Hi HappyHiker,

I am from a family where HBP is endemic (all siblings have it, though all lead different lifestyles and most are healthy) so I struggle with this as well. Especially now, when perimenopause is riling up my system something terrible, it's a daily concern.

I find that taking heroic measures to be sure I sleep well at least every other night (or every third) has helped me. That has meant that we do a lot of "sleep hygiene" things like having a white noise machine, no stimulating ANYTHING in the couple of hours prior to bedtime (no TV, only calming reading, meditation, etc), making sure I have a small high-carb snack right before bed, not drinking liquids in the hour before bed, etc. We have a spare bedroom and if the snoring keeps me up, or wakes me up, I simply sleep there. It's essential that I don't allow poor sleep to handicap me, so I do whatever it takes.

The herbals that have helped me the most have been scullcap (chinese full-spectrum scullcap from swanson vitamins, to be precise) for lasting sleep, and hawthorn berry for blood pressure. Ymmv, naturally, but that has worked well for me. Scullcap seems to be superior in my body to things like melatonin and chamomile, because those things help me FALL asleep but don't help me STAY asleep.

Strangely, working with a counselor to identify the stress points in my life helped too. I move through my day in serious stress avoidance, and if something in my life is making me unhappy, I fix it (big or little).

By the way, how do you know that your blood pressure spikes? I ask because I had been checking mine with a home BP unit to follow it, and it was actually making things worse. Not only was the machine not accurate, but the constant checking and worrying was exacerbating things.

Good luck!!

[CathyA]

I had high blood pressure going through perimenopause. I think there's something about that time that causes it. Are you in that age group? My neuro system has always been tweaked too high. And during perimenopause it was horrible. The slightest stress would skyrocket my BP. I finally accepted being on a beta blocker and it helped alot. Also, I found out that I had sleep apnea and have been on a cpap machine for several years.....which appears to help with the bp and also the higher pressures in my eyes. So I would definitely look into a sleep apnea problem. It can cause alot of problems.
I have also discovered that I'm hypersensitive to meds and need lower doses than most people. I'm on such a small dose of a beta blocker that I'm told it couldn't be helping, but it definitely is. It really lowers my "hot reactor" to a manageable level.
Also.....be sure you don't have a thyroid problem or something like a pheochromocytoma.

[herbgeek]

I can't speak to the medication, but perhaps aromatherapy might work in relaxing you after an arousal state. Herbs that support your adrenals or are adaptogens might help for stress, as well as trying to avoid stressful situations in the first place or developing detachment techniques when in a stressful situation so you don't react quite as much.

[Bronxboy]

All I can say is to take it seriously, especially if you are getting very high readings. I have a relative going through the ravages of years of uncontrolled high blood pressure now, surviving once only by a very sharp diagnosis in a small-town ER.

I would consider Puglogic's mention of counseling before anti-anxiety medications. Until the past few years, I minimized the impact of childhood trauma on my life (see screen name).

My wife also has sleeping issues. In reality, it is not always possible to share a bed. Has your husband been checked for sleep apnea?

[HappyHiker]

Thanks for your thoughtful--and helpful replies and advice.

In answer to your questions, I'm post-menopausal. I'm monitoring my BP at home at my doctor's request as she wants to see if there's a pattern and if the new BP meds are working--just started the new one two days ago. I take a reading three times, and average it. I do this upon arising, post-gym work-out and pre-bed-time.

My cuff's been calibrated with the one used in the Dr's office. Mine runs a wee bit higher than hers, but then I have white coat BP so it's a wash.

Today, for example, my BP was 177/94 in the morning and 139/82 post work-out. It usually rises to the 170's/90's again by evening. It's clear that all I have to do is stay on a treadmill and I'll have normal BP!

Tonight I'm going to take it pre yoga and post yoga--that might prove interesting.

Does the fact that my BP can come down from exercise mean anything significant?

[HappyHiker]

Oh, and my blood work shows normal kidney function (creatine) and everything else is within normal bounds. A little low on Vit. D, so my Dr. recommended an OTC supplement. Last time my thyroid was checked, it was normal, too.

And both parents and two siblings also had/have high BP--not surprising--we're all "hot reactors."

[spirit]

I am a 59 year old male. My BP was running in the 150/90 range. Both of my parents were treated for HBP. Both of my brothers were treated for HBP.

I eliminated caffeinated coffee. Drinking decaffeinated coffee did not help, so I quit drinking a mug or two of any kind of coffee each morning. I believe that coffee (not caffeine) was a problem-causer for me.

I added both magnesium (400mg) and potassium gluconate (100mg potassium) daily.

I drink plenty of water (and club soda) - enough that my urine is routinely clear, not yellow.

Suggest the you visit Dr. Andrew Weil's website (www.drweil.com). You can search for his recommendations regarding BP control. Also, you might like to try his breathing exercises.

Also, PLEASE note that Dr Weil recommends ONLY taking potassium under the supervision of a medical doctor. Your mileage may vary.

My BP now is regularly in the 115/65 range.

Spirit

[Tammy]

For what its worth, I work in psychiatry, and clonidine is good for both high bp and anxiety, and its not habit firming like so many anti anxiety meds are.