I’m new here & not sure if this is the right place as my issues seem trivial after reading posts.
I’m 46 & went to the drs for a routine appointment in early December & on checking my blood pressure it was 190/110, I wasn’t feeling ill or anything. I returned the following day & while it was slightly better it was still high 180/100 on average.
I was given a blood test which was fine & an ecg. The dr said the ecg showed my heart was under pressure which he wasn’t surprised about but was slightly concerned that I may have had a heart attack unknowingly so has referred me to see a cardiologist(who knows when that appointment will be). I am now on Amlodipine 5mg & indapaminde daily, my pressure is now on average 120/87 which the dr says is still too high. They are keeping in contact once a month & obviously I can ask for an appointment if I’ve an issue.
Side taking the tablets I feel like I’ve constantly indigestion, sometimes gavascon works other times not. I also feel really panicked about it all the time & convinced something worse is going to happen & I’m sure my heart is thumping, I didn’t feel like this before so I’m know I’m panicking myself.
Dont really know the point of my post but just wanted to say hi to people who probably understand. Thank you for reading.
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Holliedog1
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Before I had my first heart attack I was told when I did that I had a little one at some time before and I never knew or when it happened but it is a good thing your BP been high and your Doctor not sure if you have ever had a small heart attack at some stage that you are now on medication waiting for an appointment which I know is sometimes more an anxious time the waiting
But while you are waiting you have your Doctor and if you ever thought anything needed attention there and then you would go to A&E
I suffered years with high blood pressure and never knew you do not seem to get symptoms as such with high blood pressure but more when it is low
The other things you are now feeling most likely could be that it is on your mind now and normal reaction you are worrying and more alert to how you feel
I think if your Doctor thought you were in immediate danger he would have sent you straight up to the Hospital and not wait for an appointment which I hope you get soon
Holliedog, it’s good that the doc has found your bp to be high and has issued you with medication. Forgetting about the cardiologist for the moment (should such a thing be possible!) has your doctor given lifestyle and diet advice? Should have done. Regardless, the website to go for is Blood Pressure UK, the specialist charity.
From there, and following their recommendations, you can be more in control of your health and this should help,to,settle your anxieties.
I’m a bit surprised your doc thinks that 120ish is a bit high.
The part of Health Unlocked to go to is hypertension (I think it’s called) or high blood pressure. Nothing wrong with this part of the site of course.
The NHS lists these as factors which can increase blood pressure
You might be more at risk if you:
are overweight
eat too much salt and do not eat enough fruit and vegetables
do not do enough exercise
drink too much alcohol or coffee (or other caffeine-based drinks)
smoke
have a lot of stress
are over 65 years old
have a relative with high blood pressure
live in a deprived area
There might be some items on that list which you can change which may help you get your BP down further in addition to the meds you are taking.
As for your 'indigestion' that could be the meds you are taking, although 'indigestion' is not mentioned as a side effect . You could try modifying your diet which might help, to find out if there are triggers causing discomfort. If you have reflux disease, as I do, some of the foods to avoid are onions (gas) , coffee and chocolate (relaxes the valve at stomach inlet), tomatoes and citrus (acidity), spicy food (irritant) and large quantities of meat (stays in the stomach longer), And have smaller more frequent meals rather than overeating and don't eat anything at least three hours before going to bed.
But if your indigestion persists go back to your GP, long term Gaviscon use is not the answer in my opinion.
Alfred, this advice was written some time ago I think and a lot of research has gone on since then about sugar, additives and so on. I agree it needs updating!
Very true. The reality is that many of the things mentioned, while not necessarily healthy, won't cause high blood pressure if the metabolism is working properly. A broken metabolism (usually through chronic and excessive carbohydrate consumption) causes fluid retention resulting in high blood pressure. Only then do things like salt become problematic.
Well not necessarily. My high bp developed twenty years ago or more on a very good diet with plenty of veg and very little salt, and no foods with additives.
AlfredV Since you replied directly to me, why not just put a positive spin on the NHS list I provided and just say that excess carbohydrate consumption could also be contributory factor in high blood pressure, which would be of help to the OP and others, including me. The vast majority of us here are lay people and not professionals and only offer opinions or put forward data from what we understand to be from credible references, and have no influence whatsoever in what goes into those reference sources.
You are on this forum because, like the rest of us, your medical history has sensitised you to what are, very likely, very small and unthreatening heart changes. You seem to be under good medical care and so, maybe, just need to relax enough to cheer up a bit and enjoy every bit of life that you can,
I doubt that sugar or carbohydrates would raise blood pressure that high for a start and am sure that he will be updated when they come to a solution for treating this. Lowerfield was just being helpful.
Hi, thanks for the support & advice. Yes we discussed my lifestyle, I’m not over weight, don’t smoke, don’t eat lots of salt or ready meals & get plenty of exercise with having dogs, the only thing he picked up on was that I always have over the recommended alcohol limit a week :-(. I also run my own business as a sole trader so often feel very stressed.
I didn’t drink for 2 weeks following his advice & then have had less. I’m now not drinking again during January which he also suggested, having weeks where I don’t have anything.
I will look at the sections & pages you suggested. Thanks again.
This sounds like my life story! I was a fit person ,ate mostly the right food,rarely drank,never ever smoked ,walked miles with my dog but had a stressful job in the NHS working all hours and shift work. After a very long and complex journey the cause of my high blood pressure was Conns syndrome, not as rare as you might think!
I was "lucky'" to be diagnosed before serious complications took hold.
Do you have any symptoms like excessive thirst,digestive problems or muscle cramps and twitches?
What are your sodium and potassium levels like?
The treatment for this is different from normal high blood pressure.
Welcome to my world. The old Jim reeves song. Blood pressure one balancing act that for me is an absolute pain. This is my little story. You can always read my bio. But this is where my adventure began. My blood pressure use to be 110/80 when in my prime. However move on a few years say 10 to 15 years. Working shifts stressful job, slowly getting older the blood pressure was creeping up. Never really bothered me because I did not really know it was., but one day went to the opticians to have eyes checked and she saw a small black dot at the back of the eye. She said that could be a burst blood vessel. They happen due to high blood pressure. I think you need checking out. So of I trundle to doctors and get checked out. He was not to bothered with the reading as it was about 140/70 ish. So we go on to fight another day. We then move forward about 3 or 4 years to the lovely pandemic that carnt be named. Now this is when the fun starts. I will not try to blame certain situations that could have caused my blood pressure to go up but let's just say my blood pressure in 2021 was high. Figures of 170/110 where not unusual. Again little did I know until I passed out. So since that day in 2022 I have been on blood pressure medication and was told by my cardiologist that I was ticking time bomb. Unfortunately this is when my congenital heart disease was found and my life is completely turned on its head. My blood pressure now is reasonably controlled. 110/80 or there abouts, but this is the thing. I carnt function if my top figure drops below 100. And it does drop when going from seated to standing. They know this and have explained it to my medical team. What I want to find is my optimum blood pressure to both help my heart and to allow me to function and that is the journey iam on. But I will say from experience don't let the blood pressure go the extreme levels when being tested at rest, if they are high they need to be controlled. Because things will start to fail due to the stress they are under. Hope you get sorted.
morning Holliedog1, There are 2 exercises you can do which will lower your blood pressure if you do them every day.1- Stand with your back against a wall and lower yourself by bending your knees until you are in a sitting position. Breathe normally while in this position. I do 3 x 2 minutes with 1 minutes rest in between.
2- Do a basic plank position and breathe normally. Do the same 3 x 2 minutes with 1 minute rest in between.
There is no rush to get up to 2 minutes take your time and just add a few seconds every day and you will soon reach the target.
Do this and obviously work hard on diet and you will see an improvement.
After 2 months of this my blood pressure is now 110/70 which is down from over 120/80. Good luck. Ian
120/80 is the most ideal blood pressure..110/80 is also fine..for different people 90/60 can be comfortable too..but it should not get lower..although for some taking BP meds for HF it does happen..and we do not feel so great then...so you have found exercises that work wonderfully for you
Quite impossible for me, âge 77, to do these particular exercises though I read the article in BHF magazine a few months ago so I tried to do them. I can do a wall plank though …….
What I do I, on utube, is ten-minute exercises with Joe Wickes for seniors. And I walk almost 10000 paces per day on average.
Here’s a link to the BHF re their assessment on planks and wall squats . Seems that the study didn’t use planks but the media ran amok with reporting 🤦🏼. Consistency in exercise appears to be key along with lifestyle changes. If only we were all perfect and our bodies functioned accordingly .
Wishing you all the best , hope you get to the bottom of it soonest and can crack on . 👍🏻
Yup consistently is the key. Just regular movement and enjoying yourself. You may be like myself and might “just have high blood pressure”.
Some are short some are tall some have high blood pressure. Don’t get wrapped up in it if the docs say your functioning fine 👍
I will say I’ve done the things recently I’ve always been threatening to do and places to visit, because time (at a lowly 49!) has caught up on me without realising. Treating myself has worked wonders for my peace of mind - this can stable your blood pressure too don’t forget ❤️
Hi,Lots of good responses here so can I just add that the blood test you had was probably for Tropin level. That's a protein released by the heart if under stress. As it is a natural occurance, if the levels are stable, normally it's taken as not a heart attack.
You might want to check that out with your GP for reassurance. It certainty reassured me when I got into trouble!
As others might have said, if it was desperate, you woud have been whisked into hospital.
I have been on Irbesartan for many years after it was discovered I had very high blood pressure, and I can say it does the job for me. I did feel a bit 'odd' for couple of weeks when I first started, but then any side effects disappeared
Gosh what a worrying time for you, and you've definitely come to the right place. People here are really supportive. Ive found the BHF nurses are really worth calling if you're concerned about anything. Look after yourself, mind and body.
I had a HA in November'22, aged 54,out of the blue, and now take 2-3 pills daily to control hypertension, thin blood, keep heart strong etc,.to sit alongside my tent. I have a pretty healthy lifestyle and diet, but still BP is consistently around 140/80. I have similar sensations to you more often than not, and suspect it's a side effect of the pills. I too have become more conscious of my heart beat, but since it's resting rate is 58-62, I know it's my mind playing games. I'd suggest getting a blood pressure monitor for a weekly home measurement (Omron is the brand the medical fraternity use), log the results, same day/time each week, and use that in your discussions with cardiologist & GP. Good luck.
I have had similar problems, now controlled through medicine including HRT as well as blood pressure tablets. Menopause had a dangerous effect on my heart but now I am on EvorelSequi after a HRT slow increase using gel and progesterone tablets for a year, I am in a really good place. I saw your age and wondered if that had been taken into account. X
120/87..is a pretty ideal blood pressure...hope you will get your appointment soon and if they do an echocardiogram then, you will learn a lot more..but try not to worry till then
I had exactly the same symptoms as you in July 23 and my doctor sent me straight to the hospital. From there my bloods showed Triponin was overly high and they then blued and two'd me to Papworth as a Primary Pathway and immediately had a Stent fitted. Bloods at doctors I was told don't test for Triponin levels.
Not to worry you but I would get myself to A&E and don't drive yourself. Xxx
Well first of all try not to dwell too much on it i was in your boat several years ago. You can bring your bloodboressure down by getting some easy going aerobic excercise, cutting down on salt and temporarily by drinking bottled beetroot juice. Keep the excercise gentle like walking or cycling the mechanism isn't sweating I've even been told that by medical people, when you excercise your body produces two main byproducts h2o and co2. So you breath out and pee out any excess fluid your body might have stored. Anxiety can be a side effect of heart problems, but it could also be youre a worrier. Take sensible easy going steps now and your BP will come down. So walking cycling swimming are aok, weight lifting is not a good idea, but you can use light weights with repetitive actions. Deadlifts and heavy lifting will put undue strain on your ticker. I just stick to walking 6099 to 10000 steos a day. Just get a pedometer or pedometer aoo for your phone. Good luck.
Hi and welcome - sorry you have to be here! I find Gaviscon never works for my reflux, I take Peptac! If you have any severe symptoms you can phone 111 or 999 and they will check you out. At least your GP is on the ball,
Sorry to hear of your troubles. I was someone who was on many tablets including amlodipine and indapamide and what i found was they can inflame the pancreas hence the upper abdominal pain.
remember Gaviscon is quite high in salt. I had to stop using it. If reflux persists many other bp meds you could be switched to. Like post above mentions my cardiologist told me to take drink of beetroot juice daily as the research has shown this to work too. Your bp is very good.
Your indigestion ( heart burn ? ) could be related to the meds you are currently taking . I take Omeprazole which is stronger than gaviscon , for the side affect of blood pressure meds . 40 mg dose as recommended by my doctor . It’s also available over the counter in 10 mg size
Of course it's the right place and it's not trivial. Undiagnosed High BP kills thousands every year so it's really good that your GP has found out and that the treatment is lowering it. If your GP thinks its' urgent you won't have to wait too long for your appointment. Why don't you ring the BHF nurses; their number is on the main page of the website. They are very knowledgeable and can give advice. Meantime, any sudden chest pain , don't hesitate to ring 999. Stopping worrying will help keep your BP down. Feel lucky that it's been found and can be treated.
When I asked my GP what is a good level, she said .."less than 145 over 85".. I'm on Amlopine 5mg and taking my own BP and pulse daily on a home moniter which I was given to use by the GP. Any sort of health issue can be worrying and produce anxiety but talking to other folk is always a good route.
You can try eating a few spoons of natural live probiotic yoghurt with a little honey to sweeten it before your pills or before a meal , this helps lots of people reduce the chance of acid reflux or indigestion while on medications.If you still find difficulty it would be worth speaking to your doctor about a medication called a PPI which helps to prevent acid reflux and GERD caused by illnesses if medications. Some people take them long term , others find after they've got used to their medication and made some diet changes that they only need it occasionally or not at all.
But it can help early on when you are getting used to things to have a PPI.
Gaviscon can irritate some people's symptoms because some people are sensitive to peppermint.
Warm or Iced caffeine free green tea or camomile tea can often help too.
Drinking more cool water through the day and during meals also helps , it's good to try to get the recommended amount of fluids each day as well if you are trying to improve your blood pressure.
Try reducing both salt and sugar in foods , having smaller size meals per day ( 5 small portion meals instead of three big ones) and get rid of all artificial sweetener as best you can, these small changes can help both blood pressure and acid reflux.
If you need salt you may find lo salt a better alternative.
Everyone feels a little scared and unconfident at first , especially during what feels like an endless wait for appointments.
Try to find ways to distract yourself if you start worrying about it .
You can try reminding yourself with little sayings that it's better to relax and worrying will just make you feel worse , or thinking of things you find positive and calming while sitting with your eyes closed and doing some deep breathing exercises help both you and your blood pressure to calm down.
Wow, thank you for all the responses & the support. I have been reading everything over the weekend but didn’t get chance to respond. I drink a lot of peppermint tea & also clock up around 20k steps a day as have springer spaniel’s 😀 but I’m going to start doing those specific workouts mentioned so thank you.
Interesting re carbs because I do eat a lot of pasta to be fair so will look at that & someone else mentioned menopause over the weekend because I’m certainty well into perimenopause, verging on menopause this was confirmed by a different dr in April last year.
We do have an Omron so I check my pressure several times a week at home now - hubby ordered one straight away when I got home from the drs.
This forum & your support has really helped me & I feel a lot more comfortable with everything now, so thank you again. I will keep you posted on my journey with everything & hope to be able to support others now I’m here. X
Hello Holliedog , don't think high bp is trivial ,it is not. I hope you find some useful info on the Blood pressure uk charity website.
I have a short interesting tale to tell you.
I had very high bp in my 50s after years of normal,my GP just treated me for the hypertension, when in fact, in my case I had a serious hormone problem causing the high bp which was not diagnosed for many years.
Did you have a kidney function blood test?
Are you displaying any other symptoms?
Am not trying to scare you but just be aware sometimes other health conditions can cause a sharp rise in BP.
Good luck with your journey ,hope you manage to reduce your blood pressure, keep an eye on it yourself too.
The drugs you are taking will definitely make you feel weird for a while and now that you are consciously aware of a problem you're going to be more nervous about it and probably have higher blood pressure... Time is probably needed to see how things even out and once you get used to seeing lower readings you will feel more confident. I was taking Olmasartan for years, a very small dose, then all of a sudden it didn't work at all even at the highest dosage. my doctor added in some Norvasc (Amlodipine) and it lowered fairly quickly. But I didn't like the way it made me feel... I then started backing off the Olmasartan to 1/2 to see if I'd still be ok since that wad the part that didn't seem to he doing anything anyway... I seem to be stabilizing, and also feeling better after a couple weeks in. I guess what I'm trying to say is give these some time but don't be afraid to push your doc to try adjustments in your meds if your gut tells you to! I asked if changing from one ARB would help and they said no, but I read studies that said one may be more effective than another so I may do a switch to see for myself. Doesn't hurt to try.... definitely a process to get things right and being patient is hard, but necessary... ☺️
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Time is probably needed to see how things even out and once you get used to seeing lower readings you will feel more confident. I was taking Olmasartan for years, a very small dose, then all of a sudden it didn't work at all even at the highest dosage. my doctor added in some Norvasc (Amlodipine) and it lowered fairly quickly. But I didn't like the way it made me feel... I then started backing off the Olmasartan to 1/2 to see if I'd still be ok since that wad the part that didn't seem to he doing anything anyway... I seem to be stabilizing, and also feeling better after a couple weeks in. I guess what I'm trying to say is give these some time but don't be afraid to push your doc to try adjustments in your meds if your gut tells you to! I asked if changing from one ARB would help and they said no, but I read studies that said one may be more effective than another so I may do a switch to see for myself. Doesn't hurt to try.... definitely a process to get things right and being patient is hard, but necessary... ☺️
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