Blood Pressure Meds - on them forever?

[Jader1973]

For the last few years my BP has been a little bit high (and I’ve successfully ignored it) but following a visit to the Doctor today (for a hopefully unrelated issue) I’ve now been told I need to start taking medication.

I was hoping to have time to lose weight etc but given it was high at my last visit at the end of August (for the same issue) it looks like I’m out of time

I hate the idea of taking medication so I’m still going to work on weight loss as well, but I am wondering if the BP meds are one of those things that once you’re on them you’re on them forever.


Anyone got any experience or useful advice?

Thanks!

[Davetheraver]

Change your diet. Stop drinking. Do more exercise and lose weight.

Your blood pressure comes down and you come off the meds.

Might not work for everyone, but worked for me when I was reading 160/93 with 160mg of Adizem for 12 months from 197/120 when I first attended the dr before meds.

Now sitting just very slightly above the normal range an no meds for over six months.

[Jader1973]

Davetheraver said:

Change your diet. Stop drinking. Do more exercise and lose weight.

Your blood pressure comes down and you come off the meds.

Might not work for everyone, but worked for me when I was reading 160/93 with 160mg of Adizem for 12 months from 197/120 when I first attended the dr before meds.

Now sitting just very slightly above the normal range an no meds for over six months.

So it can be done. Gives me some hope. Thanks

Diet already changing (all most all the fun stuff has gone ), stopped drinking, and am starting more exercise.

[rodericb]

Yeah, you change your lifestyle to bring it down. I have high BP, but I don't drink or smoke. Average aussie diet, don't add salt to anything. You should get
an ECG and a stress test too, just in case there's some "non lifestyle" factors at play.

For me it turned out my aortic valve has a prolapse. I found that out from an ECG which showed a slight abnormality somewhere-or-other, that lead to stress test and then an external ultrasound. Then an internal ultrasound to assess how bad it was. What prompted all that was a sleep test where they took my BP before festooning me with sensors and wires - it was 200 over something. I was not having any symptoms. A few years before I got put onto 2.5mg perindopril as I was getting headaches (due to elevated BP) then it started to come good so I started tailing off on the tablets.....

The important two things are to know that you have it (and know what it is with a regular test - get your own machine) and know what the cause of it is so you can take the appropriate steps to manage it (and maybe stop taking them).


After all of that I'm on three different BP medication and a dose of blood thinners. One of the BP meds and the thinners I got when I had a bout of atrial fibrillation a few weeks ago. The doctors at the hospital said the atrial fibrillation was due to obstructive sleep apnoea, which I have and wasn't treating (but now am!!!). This type of thing can go sideways pretty quickly if you don't get on top of it. BP is linked to sleep apnoea so check if you've got that or not.

Edited by rodericb on Friday 20th October 07:32

Edited by rodericb on Friday 20th October 07:36

Edited by rodericb on Friday 20th October 07:37

[Al Gorithum]

Davetheraver said:

Change your diet. Stop drinking. Do more exercise and lose weight.

Your blood pressure comes down and you come off the meds.

Might not work for everyone, but worked for me when I was reading 160/93 with 160mg of Adizem for 12 months from 197/120 when I first attended the dr before meds.

Now sitting just very slightly above the normal range an no meds for over six months.

Same here. Also deleted coffee which is supposed to help.

[Jader1973]

rodericb said:

Yeah, you change your lifestyle to bring it down. I have high BP, but I don't drink or smoke. Average aussie diet, don't add salt to anything. You should get
an ECG and a stress test too, just in case there's some "non lifestyle" factors at play.

For me it turned out my aortic valve has a prolapse. I found that out from an ECG which showed a slight abnormality somewhere-or-other, that lead to stress test and then an external ultrasound. Then an internal ultrasound to assess how bad it was. What prompted all that was a sleep test where they took my BP before festooning me with sensors and wires - it was 200 over something. I was not having any symptoms. A few years before I got put onto 2.5mg perindopril as I was getting headaches (due to elevated BP) then it started to come good so I started tailing off on the tablets.....

The important two things are to know that you have it (and know what it is with a regular test - get your own machine) and know what the cause of it is so you can take the appropriate steps to manage it (and maybe stop taking them).


After all of that I'm on three different BP medication and a dose of blood thinners. One of the BP meds and the thinners I got when I had a bout of atrial fibrillation a few weeks ago. The doctors at the hospital said the atrial fibrillation was due to obstructive sleep apnoea, which I have and wasn't treating (but now am!!!). This type of thing can go sideways pretty quickly if you don't get on top of it. BP is linked to sleep apnoea so check if you've got that or not.

Edited by rodericb on Friday 20th October 07:32

Edited by rodericb on Friday 20th October 07:36

Edited by rodericb on Friday 20th October 07:37

Jeez, I hope you’re going okay.

I insisted on an ECG today (in case the reason I’ve been back twice in 7 weeks was heart related and they were focussing on the BP). They did a quick one today which was all good but getting a 24 hour one on Monday.

[Jader1973]

Al Gorithum said:

Same here. Also deleted coffee which is supposed to help.

I’ve been off coffee for 10 years after my last bout of issues (heart attack according to the hospital that wasn’t an heart attack according to the cardiologist).

[Glosphil]

Blood pressure was 160s/high80s in 2010 when I had a TIA. Put on a number of meds including blood thinner. BP steadily dropped to such an extent it was 90s/low60s with occasional high80s/high50s with no dizziness.

Two of the meds stopped & I ceased drinking (although never aver 15 units a week), swapped to non-caffeine coffee & only 1 cup a day. Diet was already reasonable but knee trouble limiting excerise. Blood pressure now around 115/75.

[rodericb]

Jader1973 said:

Jeez, I hope you’re going okay.

I insisted on an ECG today (in case the reason I’ve been back twice in 7 weeks was heart related and they were focussing on the BP). They did a quick one today which was all good but getting a 24 hour one on Monday.

I am okay - I have to manage it and be careful with exercise. If my condition degrades to where I'm running out of puff doing normal activities I'll have to get a new valve.

I had an ECG as part of a 45yo checkover, the person who gave me the ECG said it looked okay but my GP saw some tiny delay in the report which came out later which could indicate thickening of the muscle. He sent me for a blood test for previous heart attack (came back as negative) and the heart stress test and the rest, they say, is history. I don't know if GP's are usually this alert. Your mileage may vary....

[Paul Dishman]

Jader1973 said:

Davetheraver said:

Change your diet. Stop drinking. Do more exercise and lose weight.

Your blood pressure comes down and you come off the meds.

Might not work for everyone, but worked for me when I was reading 160/93 with 160mg of Adizem for 12 months from 197/120 when I first attended the dr before meds.

Now sitting just very slightly above the normal range an no meds for over six months.

So it can be done. Gives me some hope. Thanks

Diet already changing (all most all the fun stuff has gone ), stopped drinking, and am starting more exercise.

I wouldn't count on being able to drop the blood pressure medication though, you might be able to, but most people are on it for life. I've known lots of patients as well as family members who take it every day without problem, so even if you do have to carry on its not the end of the world.

[Slowboathome]

I take 6 different prescription medications every day. I expect to be on them for the rest of my life. I never give them a second thought.

I'm glad to live in a time when these drugs are available.

[spants]

Doctors do not want to cure you because of this - a patient cured is a customer lost.

Change your diet, you will lower your BP and will get out of the diabetes risk zone.
High sugar and animal fats will kill you.

[Bill]

spants said:

Doctors do not want to cure you because of this - a patient cured is a customer lost.

Because they're not already overwhelmed by customers??

[Yahonza]

Get some exercise in, even regular low level activity will bring BP down quite quickly. GP's will offer drugs first, particularly if BP is high and will offer lifestyle advice second. In the longer term, work on weight / BMI as well because that impacts on heart health. If you want a lifetime on drugs that can happen too, particularly if you have a condition that isn't modifiable by lifestyle changes. Blood pressure also increases naturally with age - and is a major risk factor for all sorts of things.

Edited by Yahonza on Friday 20th October 18:57

Edited by Yahonza on Friday 20th October 19:00

[Red9zero]

Doc reckons my high BP is hereditary. Tried changing diet, cutting out caffeine, alcohol etc, regular exercise too. Nothing seems to make a difference. It doesn't help that I have white coat syndrome and my BP shoots up as soon as I walk through the door though.

[Bill]

Red9zero said:

Doc reckons my high BP is hereditary. Tried changing diet, cutting out caffeine, alcohol etc, regular exercise too. Nothing seems to make a difference. It doesn't help that I have white coat syndrome and my BP shoots up as soon as I walk through the door though.

Have you got a monitor at home?

[Steve H]

BP is just a measurement, can be caused by a dozen things and improved by another dozen, or not, it all depends.

In the meantime if it’s high, it’s trying to kill you. Silently.

If the meds stop the awkward killing-you thing, why wouldn’t you take them?

[Maxf]

Red9zero said:

Doc reckons my high BP is hereditary. Tried changing diet, cutting out caffeine, alcohol etc, regular exercise too. Nothing seems to make a difference. It doesn't help that I have white coat syndrome and my BP shoots up as soon as I walk through the door though.

I’m similar - my dad has high BP which I thought was down to lifestyle, but I’m fit and active, eat very well, rarely drink etc but still am ‘high’ compared to to advisable levels.

What has slightly confused me is that the consultant cardiologist I recently saw for some heart palpitations measured it at 137/87 and said it was ‘fine, don’t worry about it and live your life’. I fully intend to take his advice being eminently more qualified than me and Dr Google, but it has confused me somewhat tbh. Full 48 hour ecg and echocardiogram were totally normal - fit as a fiddle and free to train for whatever I want… just with ‘high’ BP.

I’ll keep an eye on it at annual health checks but I’m assuming some people just run higher.

Sorry to run the thread off topic.

[Red9zero]

Bill said:

Red9zero said:

Doc reckons my high BP is hereditary. Tried changing diet, cutting out caffeine, alcohol etc, regular exercise too. Nothing seems to make a difference. It doesn't help that I have white coat syndrome and my BP shoots up as soon as I walk through the door though.

Have you got a monitor at home?

I have luckily, so I know it's not as bad as the surgery readings indicate.

[Bill]

Red9zero said:

I have luckily, so I know it's not as bad as the surgery readings indicate.