BP Variation

[willsie01]

Hi all, my meds are keeping my BP within good boundaries for most of the time although I do find that the two flights of stairs up to our bedroom, when retiring for the day, raises it by around 20 mmHg and this higher figure is the same first thing in the morning. What can I do to stop it going up and maintaining it overnight. I do take the stairs very, very slowly and earlier in the day they don't cause me the same problem. Just happens at night. Don't want to move downstairs but expecting I'll have to post procedure for a while.

Wishing good health to us all, as always.

[Calliope153]

assuming you have already given up caffeine you could try this tip I was given (not tried it myself but it won;t do any harm) eat dark chocolate (high cocoa content 85%) about half an hour before you climb the stairs..... and then let me know whether it works or not! - I think it;s supposed to be a couple of squares per night for about a week to give it a fair trial. I know it sounds nuts....

[willsie01 in reply to Calliope153]

Thanks for the tip but...I'm not someone who can eat a couple of squares of chocolate and put the bar down

So this tip is going to be very difficult, if not impossible, to try.

PS to combat chocolate addiction we ration ourselves to "Saturday Night Sweets".

Typically, a 100g bar or box of maltesers, etc.

Not sure what the dieticians amongst us are going to say to me about this given my naff arteries.

[Lezzers in reply to willsie01]

A box of maltesers on a Saturday night is my idea of heaven, you gotta live!!

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to willsie01]

Try a 95% dark chilli chocolate!

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Being more serious what BP meds are you on. There may be some mileage is spitting the dose as the half-life of many means the effect is wearing off towards evening.

[willsie01 in reply to MichaelJH]

I knew there was a sensible person here. I just had to wait 😉

Just kidding folks, I appreciate you all 🤗

I’m on 1.25 mg Bisoprolol, 60mg Isosorbide Mononitrate, 75 mg aspirin.

Was on 2.5mg Bisoprolol but it depressed my BP too much.

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to willsie01]

The Bisoprolol is around the minimum dose. I was on isosorbide mononitrate as an anti-anginal prior to my bypass. Its effect does tend to wear off towards evening but the good news it can be split. Usually this means a slight increase in overall dose. For example the same morning dose and 20mg before your evening meal. It can be a bit of trial and error to fine tune though but should not really be undertaken without your GP's buy in. Good luck!

[Qualipop]

My BP always rises towards evening but is uncomfortably low right after taking the tablets. I'm on Candesartan and furosemide and by keeping records of BP and times, we ( GP and I) just discovered that when taken together they cause heart fluttering. By taking Candesartan 2 hours after the furosemide we've been able to stop it. My BP always rises after going upstairs but minimally. A slight alteration in our tablets like splitting the dose over the day may help but see your GP.

[Pippa1234]

Your blood pressure goes up and down all the time, whatever meds you take. I only take my blood pressure once or twice a week. It can get obsessive.

[willsie01 in reply to Pippa1234]

Absolutely admit I’m obsessive about so many things and suddenly finding out I’ve got coronary heart disease, rightly or wrongly, fits into this category. I shan’t be stopping checking my BP frequently anytime soon.

[dragonheart]

hello I have same problem I drink a glass of cold water before a shower that helps I also have a blood pressure machine that I check when I need to I saw my gp last week and have been told that as long as my blood pressure falls back not to worry wen I do my excises it's up but soon returned back down maybe see your gp and just have it checked it's normal if been told we all are a little cracked with heart problems my lovely