Anyone here on blood pressure meds for high blood pressure? I’m hitting the 130/140s range and doctor wants me to monitor it for a month. If it’s still high he wants to put me on meds.. I’m doing thing like recently started exercising again in order to lose weight and get back in shape so I hope that helps.
Just concerned about potential side effects of BP meds..
Others have already posted a bunch of good advice regarding lifestyle modification. If you want a specific diet plan, check the
DASH diet or the MIND diet (which is basically a modified DASH that is associated with a substantially lower risk of Alzheimer's).
Diastolic (bottom number) is generally a better predictor of heart disease issues when the numbers are only slightly elevated. 130 or 135/80 isn't as concerning as 130/90. AAFP clinical guidelines are that high blood pressure should be treated when systolic goes above 140 (mid quality evidence) or diastolic above 90 (
high quality evidence).
Also: blood pressure is a notoriously finicky vital sign that can change on a dime. Things that seem very mundane can cause 10-20 point systolic spikes. If your provider wants you to measure your BP at home,
- Take it about the same time every day
- Piss before you take your BP, because a full bladder can increase BP
- Don't cross your legs, because crossing them can increase BP
- Sit quietly and don't talk, because talking can increase BP
- Don't take a blood pressure reading with a sleeve on your arm, because wearing a sleeve can...you know.
But to directly answer the question regarding meds, the most common side effects that they all share are dizziness and fatigue. These happen in about 10-20% of people and can be annoying at first, but they often go away if you stick with the meds for a few months, because your body eventually goes back to its old "set point."
ACEs (lisinopril and all the -prils) and ARBs (irbesartan and all the -sartans), the major scary side effect is angioedema (swelling of the tongue, which can be a legitimate medical emergency, because your tongue/throat can swell so much that it blocks your airway. Angioedema is uncommon, however - 0.1 to 0.7%, in ACEs, and even rarer in ARBs.
Thiazide diuretics can cause you to piss a lot, but they are typically not used as a first-line agent outside of black people (they respond better to thiazides than ACEs/ARBs).
DHP Calcium channel blockers (nifedipine/amlodipine/isradipine/all the -dipines) can cause minor swelling in the ankles, but this is generally more a cosmetic issue than a serious problem, and it may not be a problem at all if you stay active, which will keep the fluid moving. They can sometimes cause people to feel "flushed" or hot.
