Hypertension

[Claireysmurf]

I'm currently being treated for hypertension. I'm 46, maybe a couple of stone overweight. Morning BP is typically C. 200/100 and 190/90 in the evening. Highest I have seen on a home monitor is 260/160!
I am currently banned from cycling by the GP and she wants me to keep my heart to maximum 60bpm (resting heart rate is typically 50-55).
I have been prescribed Amlodipine 5mg then upped to 10mg but it hasn't really come down.
I have had loads of blood tests and an ECG and all fine.
I feel I have had the rug pulled from under me. Cycling is functional travel, a hobby and an amazing head-clearer.

Any wise words please?
Claire

[531colin]

Claire.....As you know very well, those numbers are much too high.
The great thing about high blood pressure is that it is completely treatable, with minimum side effects. I have had it for maybe 25 years, modern drugs are so much better than the stuff I started on.
I'm currently on 10 of Amlodipine and 12.5 of Captopril, that one is twice a day. I can't get by without either one.
Go here http://bhsoc.org/latest-guidelines/sub-page-11/ and read all about British hypertension society and national institute for clinical excellence guidelines on treating hypertension. they lay out exactly what treatment is recommended depending on age and pressure at presentation (and race, as it happens). Then go and talk to your GP armed with this information.
Usually, exercise is recommended for people with hypertension. Sure, exercise will put up your heart rate, but it shouldn't increase your pressure.
How long has this been going on?....If the usual treatments are not bringing your pressure down, then I would argue that a hospital specialist should be taking a look at you. Most people's hypertension is "idiopathic" ie of unknown cause, but there are also clinical conditions which can cause hypertension.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi, didn't drink or smoke and was not overweight about 30 - 35 years ago when first diagnosed.
You will have to probably go on more than one med.

It probably wont affect your cycling unless you ride flat out for several hours.
My BP is kept lowish by exercise about 30 - 25 points on the higher figure.
Week off and it climbs back to wanting more meds.
But am still on one med after all this time, was on three.

Keep daily records of you BP so when you vist docs they will ask you for a weeks worth.

As 531colin says modern meds are better, and you will be fine when your BP settles.

Edited -

Over 125 (lower) is stroke country, so be careful and follow advise of G.P.

[Spinners]

I'm currently being treated for hypertension. I'm 46, maybe a couple of stone overweight. Morning BP is typically C. 200/100 and 190/90 in the evening. Highest I have seen on a home monitor is 260/160!
I am currently banned from cycling by the GP and she wants me to keep my heart to maximum 60bpm (resting heart rate is typically 50-55).
I have been prescribed Amlodipine 5mg then upped to 10mg but it hasn't really come down.
I have had loads of blood tests and an ECG and all fine.
I feel I have had the rug pulled from under me. Cycling is functional travel, a hobby and an amazing head-clearer.

Any wise words please?
Claire

Hi. Fellow HBP sufferer here. Currently on Ramipril 10mg and Amlodipine 5mg.

I can't understand your Doctor banning you from Cycling. Surely low to moderate intensity cycling is a GOOD thing.

[Claireysmurf]

I understand the ban is until my BP is more normal.

The information posted is very useful, thanks.

I am quite stressed at the moment as I am about to move home to a different area and my job finishes this week. I suspect that the cycling ban is self defeating as it seems to have been the main thing to cut through anxiety and mild depression. Clearly I don't want to damage myself or have a stroke so I will comply.

I have only recently started riding with a ladies' road bike group and have found it intense but great. I may have a bit of an issue truly ambling along, but maybe I need to learn.

[Eyebrox]

Hi. I have been on a mix of the above-mentioned pills for 20 years. I am 59. Work with your doctor to find the right medication and dosage as well as losing weight. Once they get your BP at an acceptable level they will keep you on a maintenance dose and check your readings every time you're in the surgery. All will be well now that you are "in the system" and being monitored. You will soon return to cycling with the backing and guidance of your GP. I stopped using the home blood pressure monitor right at the start because the high readings had me thinking I wouldn't see the morning.

[Vorpal]

I understand the ban is until my BP is more normal.

The information posted is very useful, thanks.

I am quite stressed at the moment as I am about to move home to a different area and my job finishes this week. I suspect that the cycling ban is self defeating as it seems to have been the main thing to cut through anxiety and mild depression. Clearly I don't want to damage myself or have a stroke so I will comply.

I have only recently started riding with a ladies' road bike group and have found it intense but great. I may have a bit of an issue truly ambling along, but maybe I need to learn.

I would recommend getting another opinion. Or do as Colin suggests; research and go back armed with information.

Unless there is an underlying medical condition that will be adversely affected by cycling, exercise will *help* your blood pressure. It may even make it worse to stop, if you have been exercising regularly until your GP told you not to.

Warming up and cooling down are more important for someone with high blood pressure. So, don't go from nothing to intense exercise to nothing. Go at a leisurely pace for 15 or 20 minutes. Don't overdo it. You don't have to amble, but you should always be able to carry on a conversation (e.g. you shouldn't be gasping for breath). If you work up a sweat, go at an easy pace again at the end, until you aren't sweating anymore.

edited: I don't have high BP, but I used to lead a weekly health ride from our local surgery & had a couple of high BP riders who had the health rides 'prescribed' to them. The nurse gave me the warm up / cool down recommendations and some of the information given out to patients.

[Mick F]

Well .................
I have high high blood pressure, and mine sometimes goes up to 200 over something. Often, it's completely and utterly normal, so it's swings and roundabouts for me.
No-one has said to me to give up cycling. I wouldn't listen to them even if they did.

The doc put me on a low dose of 1.25mg Ramipril and all was well for a month and my BP came down a little, so the doc doubled my dose to 2.5mg.
Within a few days, I felt ill. Sleep was disturbed, loss of appetite, feeling sick, headaches, generally under the weather.
A few days later, I stopped taking them, and within 24hrs I was right as rain. They can stick the Ramipril where the sun doesn't shine!

Now I'm on 5mg of Amlodipine. Been on them three weeks and no side effects so far, but I've not checked my BP for ages. Maybe I should do, but TBH, I don't give a fig. Next time I see the doc, he'll check it and make his mind up what to do next ........ up it to 10mg?

Meanwhile, I'm under a specialist for my sky-high cholesterol. Again, I don't give a fig. I'll be seeing him again late next month and we'll take it from there. I've given up worrying about it all.

My BP comes and goes due to stress and anxiety. Measure my BP in a clinical environment, and it's high. If you were to measure it in a social environment, it would also be high. The only time it's low, is when I'm quiet and at home in my own chair.

We were at a BBQ party yesterday. 60 people, and I was stressed. We had to leave early.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Yeh but Mmmm but yeh but all that gibberish will see you in an early grave get a grip Mick F

[Mick F]

You'll be there before me.

Stress.
Brother in Law said to me recently, "What have YOU got to be stressed about?"
The only answer I could give, was: "If you have to ask, you'll never understand."

Tell you what, I'll dig my digital sphygmomanometer out and measure my BP.
I'm nice and relaxed and I'm half way down a pint.

Back soon.

[Mick F]

135 over 88
60bpm

[531colin]

In general, they will treat you for hypertension if your diastolic is 85 or over, or your systolic is 145 or over. (or thereabouts)
However, in Mick's case there is the added factor of familial hypercholesterolaemia.....this is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke, so I imagine Mick's GP is trying to reduce other heart attack/stroke risk factors, in this case, high blood pressure.
However, if you only have high blood pressure when you are anxious or stressed, then you don't have hypertension.....your blood pressure always goes up when you are stressed, its how we are made.
If you look here, this is the "daisy chain" for deciding on treatment for hypertension, from those nice people at the British Hypertension Society, and the national institute for clinical excellence. https://pathways.nice.org.uk/pathways/hypertension#path=view%3A/pathways/hypertension/treatment-steps-for-hypertension.xml&content=view-index
If mick is over 55 and of white/European ethnicity (?) he should be started on a calcium channel blocker (amlodipine) so why was he started on Ramipril, which is an ACE inhibitor?
Claire tells us she is 46, so she should be started on an ACE inhibitor (or angiotensin II receptor blocker) unless she is of Afro-carribean ethnicity, in which case Amlodipine (ca++ channel blocker) is the right choice.

.....Do the GPs actually read the guidelines, or do they just prescribe whatever the last drug company rep. was flogging?

[Mick F]

.....Do the GPs actually read the guidelines, or do they just prescribe whatever the last drug company rep. was flogging?

Wisdom, as usual.

Thanks for the info.
Ramipril isn't any good for me.
Amlodipine seems to be fine so far.
I'm white, with Lancastrian heritage, 63 going on 64. 12st and 5ft 9ins. Fit as a flea.

I have some records of recent BP tests from the health centre.
157 over 105 was my last one in late June.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

135 over 88
60bpm

Perfect you will live long
Only do when you are rested and have not just eaten sitting down, morning and at end of day.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Col.

G.P's use generally 3 main suppliers which they pick drugs from (contract freebies whatever).
In my experience you have to keep hitting the docs until you get your way, cyclist need not apply.