I’ve just had a full MOT at the docs and most of the results are good. Liver and kidney function fine and no diabetes which is astonishing given the amount I drink!

Cholesterol also good and bmi is just a bit over what it could be. I’m 61 and ride about 3 times a week. Job best described as handyman. Don’t sit down a lot.

But my bp is averaging 155 over 90 and the doc is recommending some tablet or other.

I’ve heard bad stories about bp drugs. But who posts on moany websites when they’re OK?

Anyway apart from losing 5kg and drinking less what else has anybody done with success?

Beetroot juice anyone?

Those two suggestions should make quite a difference I’d have thought.

I eliminated all salt I could from my diet as well.

Did they give you a monitor or similar so you could do some testing at home? I had numbers like yours (I’m 35 though) and was given a home tester for a week and told to do it at least twice a day. Turned out the doctors was way higher than what I was recording at home; they re-tested when I was more relaxed and it was much better.

If it’s any help, I take three different types of blood pressure tablet (I have kidney disease) and get along fine with them. I did find one of them (Amlodipine) gave me headaches when I started taking it, but that goes off after a couple of days.

I do plenty of exercise as well, but that’s not enough on its own for me unfortunately.

A chap at work has low blood pressure and was told to eat more salt by his GP….

Whatever you do, Do Not join the prison service ! Or you BP will go into high orbit!

lose weight, give up processed food, do lots of exercise….. take the drugs. I’ve been taking an ACE inhibitor for 3 years…my BP was about the same as yours (measured over a 24 hr period to get rid of the white coat effect). The doctor asked me about my lifestyle and basically said I’d done all I could to reduce it naturally, so had no choice (other than risk stroke, heart attack, etc etc). I’ve had no side effects (fingers crossed)

Yes I bought a monitor and have been using it to establish my average.

I’m planning to put it in my camelbak and measuring at the top of a big hill. Just to give me a proper fright but keep the numbers to myself.

I’m assuming that if I make a few changes I’ll get it down in 3 months. And with any luck this warning will help me keep a healthier lifestyle. For a bit.

10 mg of Ramipril every day does it for me. 😐

Give blood. About six or seven pints.

Do not read the ‘Osbourne says no to a currency union’ thread. And also avoid spending any time with my children.

I was on amlodipine but they gave me horrendous back ache. Now on Candestarten plus something else with no issues. During and right after any phys my BP drops though the floor, its only raised when I’m worried or anxious but my GP isn’t happy with that, she says any occurrence of high BP (150/100 ish at its worst), whether white coat syndrome or not is a health risk and needs to be sorted.

Learn to relax (properly!)
Take up Yoga or Tai Chi.
Take a more relaxed view of life. If you’re not going to get everything done today, well, F*** it!

Lose 10kg and don’t drink at all?

High blood pressure isn’t always stress related and if you have gentically high BP, relaxing won’t make any difference. As Dibs said, 10mg of ramipril will tho 🙂

Give up drinking, junk food and loose more weight. Get fitter.

Trepanning – never done me any haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Tony Curtis

Pills

I gave up drinking for 6 months when I was first diagnosed (6 years ago), and it made sod-all difference. I drink about 10 pints a week.

Lower blood pressure from exercise is always temporary for me, its lower for an hour or so after but then creeps back up.

Pills worked!

10 mg of Ramipril every day does it for me.

Damn near killed me, I had every possible side effect bar kidney failure 😮 I have never felt more ill in my life.

I’m fat & 43. My dad is 70+ skinny & health & also has high bp, so I think its hereditary.
I dont think its possible to do anything bar taking the pills.

Losing weight is the best answer.

Tablets don’t need to give you side effects, especially at lower doses.

Look up the acd guidelines for an idea of which would suit you best.

Unfortunately at 61 doing nothing is probably not an option due to a high 10 year risk of an event

Amylodipine for me too, but that’s because I was allergic to losartan and it had some startling side effects…….my advice is drink even less, I’m not saying be teetotal but make it a rarity, cut out as much salt and processed food as possible ….and take the tablet you are prescribed. Better than having a stroke or heart attack!

10mg of Ramipril here. Was started on them at 21. Blood pressure was topping 197/127 with a average of 150/110.

Spent 18 months having various tests done by Salford Royal and never found any cause. It was picked up during pre op for Hernia Surgery.

It’s now settled to a nice 110/60. Exercise helps, as does no caffeine, limited sugar and good diet.

3 years ago, i had pretty high bp and cholesterol.
i went on a certain internet food eating plan. when i had my medical prior to heart surgary (electric problem) the doctor told me my bp and cholesterol were perfect, and remained so through my stay in hospital.

i put it down to chickpeas, chicken and a bit of chorizo……. 8)

or just cut the proccessed stuff out and drop the carbs a bit.

Well Ton. You and I are fans of the iDave diet. I lost a stone and kept it off a couple of years ago. OK I lost 2 stone and kept 1 off. Time to do it again now there’s (potentially flabby) skin in the game.

Well Ton. You and I are fans of the iDave diet. I lost a stone and kept it off a couple of years ago. OK I lost 2 stone and kept 1 off. Time to do it again now there’s (potentially flabby) skin in the game.

Thanks for the replies. It sounds like all the tablets give some people side effects. But you only ever hear about the small percentage who have the unpleasant ones.