Stomping Headache...Raised Blood Pressure.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Had my second cold in about ten years so not able to exercise for nine days
Two days ago had a headache all day.
Went to bed as usual and awake an hour and a half later, so painful headache had to get up and take some paracetamol.
Got back to bed and after 30 mins or so a bit less painful finally getting back to sleep.
I did not really think my BP was up but it was in the morn 176 / 97!
Before I was diagnosed with hypertension I suffered migraines for a few years, quick check-up at the docs with a locum revealed BP of 125 / 175!!
Don't smoke don't drink not overweight etc etc etc, usual to thrash up Hay Tor on my six speed 42 / 24 gearing
As soon as I got on meds it was stabilised and that was over 30 years ago.
Been on every thing over the years and finally whittled it down to one med low dose.
But as with all meds they have side affects and after five years on any meds I start to feel like a zombie.
So now I am reduced to 50 minute rides and cant carry on, get off bike.

I wanted off the last med but need some med to stop my BP rising whilst not killing myself on my bike
So my BP is erratic and as I exercise more it starts to drop off, on last med I would abstain fom taking med on the day I was planning a ride.
Worked OK...just.
Low BP is sorta ok to deal with but the draw back is that you are a zombie and cant relax at all so you fell unwell.

So I am on a med that supposedly is best for any endurance sport, not having the side effect of affecting you body salts, which in turn kill your endurance and leaves you with very painful muscles post ride for a hour.

Diagnosed with claudication in one leg recently now on blood anticoagulants and cholesterol reducing meds.
I have no idea what the side effects of those are.

Anyway woke yesterday with a headache and BP is still 167 / 90 something.
Tight neck head pressure and general feeling unwell.
Ride last night and this morn BP is 100 / 65.
That's what exercise does for me.

I need to exercise to keep my BP down and weak BP in one leg will not go away but is helped by exercising.

All OK till I cannot do exercise through illness.
Wondering if I try another BP med or just live with the way it is, Candesartan is what I take at the moment, its not very potent and only appears to work for about 8-10 hrs during the day.

https://www.rxlist.com/high_blood_press ... dition.htm

Anybody recommend a med for a sixty year old who wants to exercise?
Been on -
Diuretics - they can lower blood salts which affect muscles, dehydrate too.
Beta blockers they make you like a special type of zombie.
Ace inhibiters .......................yes but cant remember what they can do to exercise, not good I think.
Angiotensin II receptor blockers - on that now and not good at regulating, or maybe not good with me.
Some aren't recommended for age etc, pot luck.

[Spinners]

I'm 57 and have been on BP meds for 13 years taking ramipril and amlodipine after first trying a beta blocker that made me feel terrible.

After one year on meds I was able to do an SR series and PBP in 2007 but then had some time off the bike with what I can only call lethargy. Was this meds related? I honestly don't know.

Thankfully, I've been back on the bike for a few years now but not racing and not going too deep. Being on the meds and keeping myself hydrated has completely ended the pounding headaches I used to get.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Been on a similar type to ramipril in the past ace inhibiter, reduces the product that narrows the blood vessels, my med blocks the product so similar, interesting.
Your amlodipine, calcium blocker is a new one on me, might be worth a try.
Side effect swollen ankles? Did try two that did that, doctor said that will never go.
Ta,

[Spinners]

Your amlodipine, calcium blocker is a new one on me, might be worth a try.
Side effect swollen ankles? Did try two that did that, doctor said that will never go.
Ta,

Yes. Just swollen and not in anyway painful.

[531colin]

I have high blood pressure, but exercise doesn't drop mine anything like as much as you report.
I read that Candesartan has a half life of 9 hours.
(Explanation....you swallow it, some time later the blood level peaks. 9 hours after that peak, the blood level will be roughly half the peak value. So over 24 hours your blood levels will fluctuate considerably, and possibly the effectiveness of the medication will fluctuate as well.)
So now the question....does your post-exercise drop occur at all times of the day, or only for some part of the day ( when you have a high blood level of drug) ?
Wikipedia lists hypotension as a side effect when used with diuretics, or in people who are salt or volume depleted.
For comparison, Amlodipine (which I take) has a half life of 30 to 50 hours, so taking a tablet every 24 hours doesn't give such variation in blood levels.
If you Google "British Hypertension society guidelines" (or NICE guidelines for hypertension) you will find that for over 55s the recommendation is for calcium channel blockers (ie Amlodipine). I have taken Amlodipine for several years, and I like it so much better than the other stuff I have used in the past. (Beta blockers are the pits) A tiny bit of swelling of my ankles ( so I get a sock mark) is to me a good price for excellent blood pressure control.
A couple of other things...
My diagnosis was "essential hypertension" ...that just means they can't find a "cause" for the high blood pressure....the diagnosis was made years ago by the local hospital when the high blood pressure was first picked up. I don't know if your extreme blood pressure drop after exercise indicates something else, and its a question I would be asking.
Some medications with a short half life are taken as a divided dose, ie half the daily dose on 2 occasions roughly 12 hours apart. You may be able to do this with candesartan.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
531colin, this morning 114 / 72, can tend to drift to 105 / 60 something later today.
So a week off exercise and bp climbs to 150 / 90 something.
9 day off headaches and 170 / approaching 100 something.
Next day after 2.5 hour continues ride bp at home 110 / 70 say.
It does appear that the candesartan does very little and noticed that it works for part of the day only as you said.
I think I was on channel blockers, swelling ankles so doc said no good try something else so swapped meds three times in two months a year ago.
Even on max dose of candesartan which I think is 32 mgs (16 at the mo) did very little whilst recovering from fall on bike.
Only returning to exercise remedied the 165 /95, this bp makes me feel ill and more gives all day headaches.
Summoned by GP for well person check recently after reaching 60 so will discuss where I go from now?
Will read up more on the different meds, just a juggling game inut