high blood pressure

[afparent]

i went for my routine physical today...blood pressure was 147/83....they gave me some medicine...chlorthalidone....anyone have any experience with this?

the last few years i have been getting conflicting information on my blood pressure...one time they say it is high, then they give it to me again and say everything is ok...one doc even told me not to worry about it...

[twa]

I would check your blood pressure thru-out the day.Personaly I am leery of doctors over medicating. The reading you gave is a little high,but I would check it periodicaly and attempt to lower it if needed thru diet and exercise:2cents: ps: I have white coat fever mine is out of sight in the dr's office.

[Tarhog]

The current 'thinking' is that ideal blood pressures are much lower than what traditionally has been advertised. Used to by 140/90 was the 'magic number' (above those levels, they would generally treat, below generally not). Now, there is quite a bit of convincing research that even minimally elevated BPs can cause problems (from additional stress on your heart, to weakening or narrowing of your blood vessels, put you at higher stroke risk, etc...).

I'd strongly recommend the American Heart Association website...some great info there.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2114

One thing about your medication....its similar to hydrochlorathiazide....its a diuretic, basically makes you urinate more fluid and your BP is reduced by reducing the amount of 'volume' in your blood stream. Did they put you on a potassium supplement? Its not always a requirement, but being on a diuretic and NOT replacing the potassium/magnesium you'll urinate out of your system can be dangerous, depending on the individual. Might want to ask about that.

[jenmdixon]

Originally posted by Tarhog

One thing about your medication....its similar to hydrochlorathiazide....its a diuretic, basically makes you urinate more fluid and your BP is reduced by reducing the amount of 'volume' in your blood stream. Did they put you on a potassium supplement? Its not always a requirement, but being on a diuretic and NOT replacing the potassium/magnesium you'll urinate out of your system can be dangerous, depending on the individual. Might want to ask about that.

Thanks for the info, Tarhog. I'm on hydrochlorothiazide also and was not advised to take potassium/magnesium supplements.

I'll be following up with my dr as well...::sigh:: sometimes I wonder about my dr...and what she tells me I should be taking (also wants me to be on some other type of blocking medication because my high blood pressure is starting to affect my kidneys...but there are issues with regards to pregnancy, etc. when women take that...). Not to mention that it took her 2 years to want to treat my high blood pressure (it's been as high as 165/105).

[The Evil Genius]

Ditto Tarhog - thanks for the info...I have been on Lotensin HCT (which I think is a dual form of hydrochlorothiazide and benazepril) for over a year and no one ever told me about the potassium/magnesium supplements.

I take a multivitamin every morning - so perhaps this is making up for it...does anyone know what the side effects are for low potassium/magnesium levels in the body? Perhaps I suffer from them unknowingly...

Good news is that my BP is below 120/80 while medicated...working to get that way without medication (joined 24 hour fitness last month).

[Leonard Washington]

i got high bp also. i'm normally around 145/65 and i take meds triam hctz and atenolol.

[thito_da_skins_fan]

The Redskins will do that to you.

[Tarhog]

Just to clarify, I'm not saying anyone here needs to be on a potassium supplement, just that almost all diuretics can drop your potassium level. If it gets down below 3.0, you can have cardiac arrythmias and other problems. Its worth asking your MD about.

There are 'potassium-sparing diuretics' such as aldactone, maxide, dyazide and others, but even with them it can lower your K+ levels if you're not careful.

[rick301]

an extra banana or two a day can help with the potassium

or better yet a potato

Here's more info on the importance of potassium:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/columnnn/nn981104.html

By Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D.

Food Science and Human Nutrition Specialist

Colorado State University Cooperative Extension

November 4, 1998

Potassium. You know that's one good reason to eat bananas. But why? Just what does potassium do for us?

Well for starters, we wouldn't get much done without potassium. Nerves need it to tell muscles what to do, and muscles need it to do what they're told. It helps keep our body's fluids in balance and regulate our blood pressure.

High levels of potassium may reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke. Many people at risk of high blood pressure keep a keen eye on their sodium intake, but few think about increasing their potassium. Not only can potassium help lower blood pressure, some experts feel it may offer additional stroke-protection benefits. One study examined 859 men and women over age 50. Results revealed that those who took in more than 3,500 milligrams (mg) a day had a much lower incidence of fatal stroke than those who consumed less than 1,950 mg daily. The recommended intake for potassium is 2,000 to 3,500 mg a day.

Many foods contain potassium, but it is found in greatest quantity in unprocessed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fresh meats and dairy products. These same foods have the added benefit of being low in sodium.

It's easy to get all the potassium you need if you eat "five-a-day" -- that's five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Many people think of bananas when they think of potassium, and for good reason. One medium banana packs 450 mg. But potatoes actually top bananas in potassium content: a medium baked potato or 20 French fries have 750 mg. Other good

sources include cantaloupe (500 mg per cup), beet greens (650 mg per one-half cup cooked), spinach, winter squash and Swiss chard (all around 450 mg per one-half cup cooked). And don't overlook the common bean. One-half cup of cooked lima beans tips the potassium scale at 475 mg; pinto and black beans dish out 400 mg potassium per half-cup serving.

Potassium is water soluble, so leaches into water during cooking. A boiled potato, for example, loses at least half its potassium to the water it's boiled in. To reduce this loss, try steaming, microwaving, sauteing or even frying vegetables instead of boiling them. Keep the cooking water and add it to soups, stews and casseroles to increase their potassium content.

Deficiencies of potassium are not common, but can result from excessive losses through prolonged vomiting, chronic diarrhea and laxative abuse. In extreme cases, potassium loss can cause heart failure and death.