on Amlodipine 5 mg since about a month

[monadepot]

I have never had high BP..I am 78..about a month ago, I had a spike that topped 220/110...and stayed there..went to emergency...they kept me off any meds until they did a urine, blood eaxam plus Xrays and an ECG...about 3 hours with the BP at 220 !!..

The doctor said all was good...and prescribed 5 mg...I took it for 12 days...went off it for 9 days when I had a spike of 188...about a week ago, I read about splitting the tab to half dose...I cut the tabs and went on 1/2 dose for 8-9 days..now 3 days ago I have gone off that as well..let's see in about a week if my BP rebounds..because I read that Amlodipine takes about 10 days to clears out of the system...

I had no side effects...to speak of...very mild swelling of the toes...a bit tired...

I have trimmed my excess weight..now at aound 155 lbs..walk an hour every day, one coffe and one glass of wine per day...NO salt in homecooked meals for sure

[Happyrosie]

You’re doing the right things, monadepot, as far as lifestyle and salt intake are concerned. I expect you’ll be eating plenty of vegetables too?

There’s a lot of advice on the website of Blood Pressure UK

The advice I’ve been given is not to alter your BP dosage without referral to a medical person

[monadepot in reply to Happyrosie]

well..most of my life I have eaten fruits and veggies...and lots of nuts every day...so have been lucky with no medications at all ... till now at age 78....the spikes are unexplainable( idiopathic ) according to the doc....

I do not take any vitamins or mineral suppplements...my belief is to get all that through food...I eat an egg a day, have butter and use whole fat milk..I eat meat and associated fat, of course with veggies...for the past 30 years, I have made it a point to eat one apple and one orange and one banana every day

so I hope I can return to the life I knew a month ago....zero medications !!

keep you folks posted at my attempts to stay medication free...I am doing all this ,of course against the orders of my doctor !!!

[Hidden]

With all you are doing for your health, you deserve to be meds free at 78 yo!

As for the high BP, it is never "idiopathic". There are no things that happen without the cause - the question is only if we are able to detect the cause. So many people who have received "magic water", as a protection against COV-19, have the BP spiking over 200. You will know if it applies for you...

Sometimes, our body gets in the state where the BP regulation fails and lets it be very high. In one occasion, I measured 190/120. Usually, such high values do not last for long and are the consequence of severe stress. In my case, the things settled within couple of days (I am not jabbed). Hope, it happens to you too!

[monadepot in reply to Hidden]

thanks Nesko...I hope I am in that category...but high spikes can be deadly I have been told...still ok on my 7th day with NO pills...cheers

[peter999999999]

another oldie like myself who wont take bp pills, i add a bit of sea salt to my food,i had low salt and high bp, goesagainst what doc tells you, aspirin a day and like you i walk 10 miles a day out at 7 it was freezing, i wonder how meny on bp pills will last to 78 and be fit and healthy like yourself,not meny,

[monadepot in reply to peter999999999]

today is day 7 of no pills...I am still having a decent bp of 135/80 most of the day...sometimes it has gone down to 119/76 as well..usually at night after my one glass of wine and a meal...I also stumbled on Sten Ekberg, ex Olympian decathlon , on You tube...some good advice ( buyer beware of course on anything on the net !! )..I have learned to do slow breathing from him...it worked ...I went from 142/88 to 134/80 in just 3 minutes of relaxing whilst doing his slow breathing...

[monadepot in reply to peter999999999]

yes..very lucky ...still passing my pilot medicals and still employed in flying !!..this first trip on bp meds will not affect my license...but most likely my travel inurance will go up..maybe I just don't tell them...and take my chances...of course I will carry my pills with me...

[Hidden in reply to monadepot]

Lol

[Miriam123]

I am 83 years and, like you, med free apart from levothyroxine which I have taken for many years. I also had a sudden spike in BP 245/125 and ended up in emergency. I am now on meds and blood pressure is way down but heart rate is still very high (90 to 115). I have always walked daily and kept to a good diet and have been very well to this point. I need to get heart rate down without lowering my blood pressure any more than it is now. Does anyone have any suggestions. I am trying "box breathing" with limited results.

[onadiet in reply to Miriam123]

Is that high heart rate all the time or only sometimes it. after exertion or a scare?

[Miriam123 in reply to onadiet]

Resting rate, most of the time. Sometimes lower 75-85 but not very often. Before the AFib, requiring A and E visit, it was always 60-70.