I have consistently high-BP, which I've had for many years. The problem I have is with the Systolic (which consistently comes in the 140s or 150s range, which is considered too high nowadays). My Diastolic has always been fine.
I currently take a Calcium-channel blocker (Verapamil), a Angiotensin-receptor blocker (Losartan) and an Alpha-blocker (Doxazosin-XL). Up until a year ago, I was taking a "Water Tablet" (Bendroflumethiazide) instead of Doxazosin-XL, but this had to be replaced by Doxazosin-XL because Bendroflumethiazide made my Sodium dip too low.
So anyway, I'm thinking of asking my GP if I could possibly stop Doxazosin-XL (as it hasn't worked for me in the slightest), and replace it with a BETA-BLOCKER (either Bisoprolol or Propanolol). Reason being because I have a family-member (who recently had a heart-attack) who said Bisoprolol works really well for him. And also I've heard Propanolol used to used commonly in the past to manage high-BP.
So I was interested to hear if any members out there take a Beta-Blocker for long-term management of high-BP? And if it has been successful for them, and whether it has any side-effects? Thank you in advance
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reb_1951
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There are so many BP pills out there that it’s worth a trial, under your doctor. I used to take atenolol (no side effects) with a water pill but the recommendations by NICE changed when I hit the age of sixty so I was given other pills.My husband takes atenolol (along with aspirin) with no side effect.
i dtake nothing at your age bp 140 perfect what benefit you going to see bringing it down to some daft 120 at your age, plus chance of falls etc on pills, i found beta blockers awful and tried them to,do it naturally,
Thank you for sharing. Yes that's interesting - I heard Beta Blockers used to be used very commonly for BP. But then the guidelines changed. But I feel they're worth a try (particularly Bisoprolol I'm thinking about) considering the other categories of medication don't successfully lower my BP. Only reason why my doctor may decide it though is that my average-pulse is slightly low (at 56) and I've heard certain Beta Blockers (or maybe all) are known to lower pulse. May I ask if the Atenolol ever affected your pulse?
Aha. Yes they being the pulse rate down so I doubt if they would suit you
I’m sure you’re aware already, but it doesn’t hurt to repeat, that the best way to keep the hypertension under control is through a good diet and exercise. The charity Blood Pressure UK is a good source of information.
Peter has made a point that I'd love to see others comment on.That is , is there an age related aspect to the systolic number?
I would love it to be true, but am concerned that it could be like saying that the 50mph speed limit only applies to under 40s and that 60 mph will be ok for old folk??
After a month on Amlodipine, I have gone down from 190s to 140s. I'm happy with that, and have so much more energy. But are my arteries still clogged up?? Am I still at some risk?
I don't want to hijack this conversation, but it is very much a part of the OPs situation.
In terms of wanting an accurate picture as possible about what's going on with your heart/arteries, I would suggest getting an Echocardiogram done, or even better a Stress-Echocardiogram. An Echo you can get done via your GP. But Stress-Echo you need referral to Cardiology first. But with Stress-Echo, honestly, I think that it's such a useful test I would suggest getting it done privately (as they can send the report to your GP after to discuss). Stress-Echo privately is relatively affordable at £400 in London (including post-consultation and report costs). I don't know if I am/am not allowed to recommend which doctor I went to, but if you do want a recommendation in London feel free to private-message me.
An MRI is also a very accurate test, it's only disadvantage being is its use of radioactive-tracer (though it's usually considered safe dose) - or you can ask for it to be done without the radioactive-tracer possibly. But again, it's only available via Cardiology referral. But unlike Stress-Echo, this is very expensive (in the £1000s I believe). And then there's Myocardial Profusion scan - which I wasn't keen on because of its use of radioactive substance. The MRI/Myocardial Profusion are the more accurate tests than Echo/Stress-Echo. So I would start with Echo (or even better Stress-Echo), before thinking about MRI/Myocardial Profusion.
P.S. I'm not medically-trained, so all of the above is from experience as a patient only!
The heart consultant told me that blood pressure figures rise slightly each age decade and that he felt my BP was not too bad for my age. My sons blood pressure is still the same now as it was in his twenties my blood pressure is erratic and always has been its a little higher now than say twenty years ago but my doctor does not feel the mean average is too bad considering I have a lung condition.
well amlodipine does not clear arteries just supposed to widen them so i read, i was let out of hospital with bp 170/95 after a virus they said no risk, getting the numbers down is ok but at what risk as you get older, i dont no anyone alive who has been on bp pills for years, they dont seem to lengthen lifespan, over 70 you at risk of everything.ask a 90 year old who is fit and well i bet they are not on bp pills,
You make some interesting points. My opinion is that it's a balancing act. I mean, my family member who's 50 used to take no medications at all, but then he had a heart-attack this year - which could possibly have been avoided had he started BP/cholesterol tablets earlier (particularly high-cholesterol was a problem for him, but he never used to believe in taking tablets). So I wouldn't particularly recommend avoiding medication just for the sake of it or a matter of principle.
I mean, I get what you're saying that any drug has long term side-effects - for example if you Google search the name of a particular drug along with "lifetime cancer risk", you can see studies that argue that there is a possible long-term risk of certain drugs. But, again it's the balancing act, especially as probability-wise, cardiovascular issues are by far the most prevalent issue likely to affect the general-population, so it's certainly not something worth ignoring, especially if you have symptoms.
P.S. Same side-note as above, I'm not medically-trained, all the above is as patient only!
Thanks,Peter. I'm getting some interesting points to put to my Dr when I go for a 3 month review.It looks like trying to discover the actual state of my blood arteries as rebs describes,
determining if the Amlodipine is allowing better flow, without any other cost?
If 140 is good enough, or should I be trying for 120- and then at what cost?
And can the calcium build up be dissipated without risk, or will I just have to live with the everpresent risk of a flake breaking off?
I walk about thirty miles in a week, I do two hours volunteering in a foodbank warehouse (heavy lifting) two hours a week, I volunteer for the National trust as a room guide (standing) two hours a week. I garden.So yes other than breast cancer eight years ago I’m fit and healthy!
thats great,sorry about the cancer,we both deal with bp in different ways lol. i wonder if we both will reach 100 i hope so,i do about 70 miles a week walking,i like early morn one bes,t wake at 3 to 4 then off out lol, ive started taking half a baby aspirin a day, did for 30 years then stopped, but started again never a problem with aspirin, i think a lot at our age give up, got to keep looking fabulous lol
Hi reb_1951, the new BP figures used for guidlines are ridiculous but if you can take tablets then that is much easier . I have tried many but most of them react with my other illnesses, even the propanol from years ago , they do still use them but they have unwanted side effects for some. The Bendroflumethiazide, can cause problems with long term use in some patients, if you can tolerate Doxazosin I would stick with it as many people give up due to side effects . I found Spirolactone was less side effects in my case but it was not reducing the BP. My GP and I decided maybe none drug treatment is better for me. , weight loss, more exercise even if on a home cycle and some over the counter herbals are around now. So our experience of certain drugs may be a lot different to you , you can only test and see. I am allergy prone with Ace inhibiters. Had an adverse reaction to propananol years ago not too good for asthmatics. Raised uric acid levels from other long term use of BP drugs and of course raised uric acid levels can also cause strokes as well as high BP. We are all different so you need to do what is best for you in conjunction with your doctor. Best Wishes
Hi Reb Lots of stuff here! When I was a life assurance underwriter we would classify 140 as no risk at age 50 but a bit risky at age 20 upwards. The charity Blood Pressure UK has some information on this aspect.
One of the posters recommends an ECG or a stress ECG. Both are good indicators but NOT to be absolutely relied on. My husband (Twenty years ago) had heart pains and got through the stress ECG with flying colours, but did in fact have two heart arteries partially blocked and these did not show on the stress ECG.
After unblocking and stent insertion, and with medication, he’s been fine since. I’m fairly sure, at least statistically, that without medication he would have had a stroke or heart attack by now.
How all this is dealt with depends on local protocols, but your own doctor or someone in their practice is probably the best route.
And I’m not medically trained!
Poster Peter 999 often posts on this site (as do I) and his view is that taking medication is worse than the disease it’s supposed to prevent (Peter I think I have classified your attitude correctly?). He and I disagree but we are both entitled to our different views. As another poster has said, any drug can have side effects. And indeed, anything you put in your body will have some effect or other whether it’s drinking water or eating a Mars bar.
i was reading a article from 2021 which said something along the linesAs people age their BP should rise. A person 65 or older should have 150/90 and over 75 160/90 or even higher. The higher BP as we age lead to longer lifespans.
I haven't yet seen evidence that hypertension drugs extend lifespan. I'm sure in some cases they do, but I haven't seen any such studies.i think docs scare us with doom,they did to me ,i was terrified and took loads over the year i was on them, bp dropped but the cost to my health was terrible and i cant be the only one, i was either going to die from them or do it myself thats how bad they effected me,thats why i advocate doing it naturally and getting fit, i still get side effects off amlodipine, mostly insomnia which is getting better.i had every side effects you could think off on them.
peter i love your story because it reflects mine lol!! i really hope you are right about the aspirin as it is my next proposition to my gp!
i take Lercanidipine 20mg, it's like horse medication!! except i'm 5 ft 2 in female so feels like a mega dose! i know it's not but i seem to react badly, however, it's the gardening/walking route for me from now on as it's only a half life with all the side effects,
mention it to docs they have a fit,i took it for 30 years never ill stopped it 3 yearsago got ill, started again perfect,well as i can be at my ,,bit of anxiety now and then and the sleep not brilliant,i now take a 75 mg everyday of aspirin, nothing else
yes it was no life for me on bp pills,felt awful .i knew id got to get off them, doc still thinks im on them,had a blood test/urine test the other week all came back perfect,they did not come back perfect 3 years ago on bp meds, so god knows what they do to you. never slept well since i started them even now ive stopped them lucky if i can get to 3.30am, never get past that time but on them use to only get 1 or 2 hours a night or none
Hi. According to my doctor's thinking (and local hospital), your BP is near perfect. I was put on 2.5mg Bisoprolol by my local hospital when my BP suddenly went up (220/116 - still don't know why!!). I found that it lowered my BP to 150/90 - ish but my pulse rate plummeted to the low 40's beats per minute. I found I was constantly taking deep breaths to try to get enough air. It does evidently take a few weeks to feel the full benefit of these tablets and as weeks on on I was feeling more breathless and anxious about the low pulse rate. Eventually I saw a different doctor at my health center and he agreed that my pulse was far too low, and told me to reduce the Bisoprolol to half a tab at night, and added Lercanidipine 10mg each morning. I've been on this combination for two weeks now and it's actually the best I've felt in ages. Pulse is now high 50's and BP 135/86 - ish. We are all happy with that, and hoping it continues.
it seems a lot of docs now think 150/90 is perfect,its only these american drug companies who fund studies suggesting daft low 120./70 numbers,think how much money they make getting new customers everyday who are perfectly healthy, how meny on here felt fine till they started bp pills, the trouble is they the docs scare you into taking them i wonder why ,do they make money prescribing drugs,off course they do, i no they got 27.pounds per person they put on statins 12 years ago, god knows what it is now, they put me on them ended up in hospital,consultant told me colestral fine should not have been on them and wrote to the docs telling him,they get 30 pounds now for telling you u are overweight and get you on a course, im 5ft 8 11 stone tried it on with me, was not playing that one,
Hi, yes I knew about pushing statins- I read a book a few years ago on this subject - my surgery ring me periodically suggesting I might like to try them!! I sweetly refuse (I forgot to say that I'm 76). My surgery BP Nurse was trying to get my BP down to 120/70's and I felt like a zombie, hardly able to get up the stairs. I was prescribed Lercanidipine and candesartan and had gone from taking lots of exercise (12mile walks twice a week and gym twice a week) to being practically house bound. This can't be right! I also found I was getting palpitations on this medication. Eventually managed to see my allotted doctor at my surgery, which had been extremely difficult since Covid, and had a good talk with him. Things seem to be ok at the moment, but it's early days...x
it depends what you meen by healthy, so a person of 75 with a bp of 150/90 fit as a fiddle what benefit would there be to his quality of life,long life etc by bringing it down to 120/80, none at all i would imagine, only a lifetime on bp pills,and a lot on here no the misery they cause at least we agree on eating healthy,dash diet etc,
We are individual patients with experience of BP treatment some like myself for years most Drsfollow guide lines issued by NHS nice as it is called now. Not sure where there evidence for these figures comes from . But I do know some of the advice does not work for all patients and its never researched as to whether the patient has another illness causing raised blood pressure . The Drs responsibility is to the care of the patient I believe, but of course they can only go on tried and tested guide lines very few GPs suspect other causes.possibly because they are GPs and are trained to treat the obvious. As you can see from replies on here there are many things that are not always detected by tests, plus many patients get stressed at the mention of blood pressure which automatically raises it. The constant changing of chart figures must confuse staff anyway, never mind the patient. Enjoy your day , I am busy as I am having two rooms decorated in my house. PS I recall being taken off the pill in my twenties due to BP being 140 /75.
Hi, thanks for your reply. I've finally managed to get an appointment with my allotted doctor at my surgery (not just the BP Nurse) which has been virtually impossible during Covid, and have been amazed at the difference in his opinion. He is quite happy for me to be reading around 140/80's, (age 76) which I find much better for me, as I can now move around and run up and down stairs again without getting half way and feel like I'm close to fainting. I'm doing regular readings at home and will be able to discuss with my doctor in a couple of months. Hopefully things will continue to go well. x
Maybe this may interest you…but please do not fire back with a response until you have read and understood surface chemistry of an artery bombarded with inflammation due to a bad eating habit…I happen to think this is the real truth behind high blood pressure…I am approaching 70 and am on no medication…bp 118/75.
I have found trying to achieve BP-Systolic of <140, let alone 120 *extremely* difficult to achieve, despite trying so many different combination of 3 BP-meds, and despite taking all the obvious steps of diet/exercise (I even managed to lose body fat and get my Type II diabetes within normal-range). So whilst I understand 120 would be more ideal, I understand the frustrations of many on this post of why Systolic of ~120 feels SO difficult to achieve, I'm in the same boat!
Hi BPDoctor. Thank you for this insight. Is Pulmonary Hypertension also a common cause of Resistant HBP? Don't think I mentioned it in this post, but I am currently being investigated for that (not yet diagnosed), after a recent Echocardiogram stated I have "intermediate probability of pulmonary hypertension"
Bisopronol was no good for me and you have to be weaned off of it after taking for a short time. Did not lower my bp and made my hb too low.Be careful with this drug as very potent.
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