OT-blood pressure

I checked my BP, twice to be sure, and it is the lowest I can remember , 105/60, pulse 49. I don't take any heart or blood pressure meds, except a statin. It's higher at the doctor's office, which I'm avoiding during the pandemic.
'

Tim G said...
I checked my BP, twice to be sure, and it is the lowest I can remember , 105/60, pulse 49. I don't take any heart or blood pressure meds, except a statin. It's higher at the doctor's office, which I'm avoiding during the pandemic.
'

That is indeed impressive, Tim. I don't recall any details about whether you do anything specific regarding diet or exercise. Do you? But I'm assuming that you don't have a big gut, and guessing that you are pretty good about exercise. True? Not true?

BillyBob@388 said:
“Posted 10/23/2020 7:14 AM
Halbert, I am in the exact same situation. Same numbers, up in the last year for no apparent reason. And same worsening of tinnitus.......... I have been taking it a lot since my wife is keeping a close watch on hers, a she has been trying to get control of it with various prescription meds and doses. So she takes hers, that reminds me and I take mine. But my BP has been on the low side ever since I took off 40 lbs with Atkins 20 years ago, I think I came down from 140/90 to 102/60. Even as my weight has slowly gone back up, and at one point a couple of years ago had even regained it all(backed off about 15 lbs from that now), my BP never really came back up. Until just recently, and I was shocked by a 150/90.

I have been trying to get the ball rolling on more consistent low carb eating and/or intermittent fasting, to take off some more of that weight. Since I suspect that would once again solve any BP issues. Plus, for various other health related reasons, I would like to get the ketones cranked up again. But I am failing to be very consistent on either lowering carbs or fasting. But the BP is giving me more incentive than just my waist line, so maybe I will soon get the ball rolling and put it to the test. And now, maybe the tinnitus would also benefit?

I took it just now, after 1 mug of coffee, first one 144/66, pulse 66. “.

BB388 later that day said: “ I'm still hoping to avoid the meds, but if I don't get back to my recent norms soon, I may have to consider them.....….So why am I telling Y'all about her reaction to a very common antibiotic? Because they also took her off her BP med, HCTZ, which they said might have also contributed to her electrolyte problems and very serious close call. So they took her off the HCTZ and put her on lisinopril. They already had to raise her dose, and it is still not lowering the BP all that much, but maybe it will with time. She already has a chronic cough that she blames on sinus drainage, so we are just hoping we don't see any SEs related to that .......Or any other SE. ………..”.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

BB388 says today: OK, since I wrote that 2 or 3 weeks ago, I have been fairly faithful. For the first time in years, reducing carb and over all food intake( I.E. intermittent fasting much more often than I had been recently). I have actually been in either trace, small or moderate ketone production on most days for the last 2 weeks or so. I plan to continue for a while with this approach. And as usual, just as in the past, I have seen immediate and significant results. My gut has shrunk, my gastric reflux is gone, my weight is down a good 10 lbs. All the usual stuff. Aches and pains while sleeping seem to be reduced. If I had a measurement handy, previous experience tells me I would see a significant improvement in HDL. Rarely measured is blood insulin, but some say triglycerides is a stand in for that, and I bet I have had a dramatic improvement in that area. I always have before.

The last couple of weeks my BP has been steadily down on average, with very few much over 130, and lots in the 120s systolic. However, I just now took my BP about 2PM. Usually I take a 2nd one, because a few minutes later it comes in a fair bit lower than the first. But this time the first one was 114/61. It doesn't need to be much better than that, but I bet if I keep on with what I am doing it will be.

So, for the moment, I am no longer concerned with my blood pressure and possible needed medications for it.. Diet once again seems to be having a swift and significant affect on it, along with the usual positive, desired side effects. Of course, the potential problem with that is that I don’t always do well with my diet. But without fail, when my gut starts expanding, I can expect problems in many other areas. Including BP.

Post Edited (BillyBob@388) : 11/15/2020 1:18:20 PM (GMT-7)

Pratoman said...
On oct 23rd I said

Pratoman said...
Same here. I had it controlled with 2 meds, at around 115/75 average. Went for a covid test a few weeks ago and it was 150/90. I figured maybe white coat syndrome, which i definitely have, but got home took it for a few days, it was consistently in the 150's/80's. Dr adjusted my meds a week ago, still high 140's/70-80's/

Seeing him in two weeks we'll see. Its especially concerning to me as i have 2 stents and coronary artery disease.

Since then, I too have been very low carb, and dropped 8-9 pounds. Gut is mostly gone.
Unfortunately, while BP came down some diastolic is still too high, averaging around 135-140. Seeing Dr a tomorrow.
This is the first time weight loss has not helped, very frustrating, especially since I’ve already upped Losartan. Very frustrating

.............................................................................................
Maybe it will yet help even more. But that is frustrating. I was sort of worried that this time, that was going to be my experience, but I lucked out again. I think that quite often it can be the cure, or close to it. At least you are down 10 to 15 points. That is significant. I don't think my wife has done that well with her prescription meds, yet. Actually, I think a 10-15 pt drop would be considered a big win with most BP meds... EDIT: you mean SYSTOLIC "averaging around 135-140" is still too high?

Post Edited (BillyBob@388) : 11/15/2020 2:14:55 PM (GMT-7)

Lots of issues on the Side effects involved with lisinopril that I am still not willing to take! I too have had goos success in the past with Atkins diet but now have a new enemy called high BUN which effects the kidneys. It's kind of a catch 22 - to lower BUN you apparently need to lower you intake of protein. This is tough on a low carb diet! So the vicious cycle, High BP can raise heck with kidneys as can too much protein. Dieting off some of my obesity will have to be accomplished with something other than low carb.

BillyBob@388 said...
Prato, I forgot to include this: in this study, the average BP drop with Lisinopril by itself (group A) was about 11 pts(8.8%) systolic and 6(6.4%) diastolic. So if you have come down from the 150s to 135-140 with diet alone, you have had a rather large success. Though I know you naturally desire to lower it some more.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc6657010/

Billy, yes i meant Systolic, i will correct it.

It came down the 10 points or so not with diet alone, i also increased dosage of Losartan, an angiotensin receptor, from 50 mg once a day to 50 mg twice a day

OK, Brothers, on 11/15 I said:
"BB388 says today: OK, since I wrote that 2 or 3 weeks ago, I have been fairly faithful. For the first time in years, reducing carb and over all food intake( I.E. intermittent fasting much more often than I had been recently). I have actually been in either trace, small or moderate ketone production on most days for the last 2 weeks or so. I plan to continue for a while with this approach. And as usual, just as in the past, I have seen immediate and significant results. My gut has shrunk, my gastric reflux is gone, my weight is down a good 10 lbs. All the usual stuff. Aches and pains while sleeping seem to be reduced. If I had a measurement handy, previous experience tells me I would see a significant improvement in HDL. Rarely measured is blood insulin, but some say triglycerides is a stand in for that, and I bet I have had a dramatic improvement in that area. I always have before.

The last couple of weeks my BP has been steadily down on average, with very few much over 130, and lots in the 120s systolic. However, I just now took my BP about 2PM. Usually I take a 2nd one, because a few minutes later it comes in a fair bit lower than the first. But this time the first one was 114/61. It doesn't need to be much better than that, but I bet if I keep on with what I am doing it will be.

So, for the moment, I am no longer concerned with my blood pressure and possible needed medications for it.. Diet once again seems to be having a swift and significant affect on it, along with the usual positive, desired side effects. Of course, the potential problem with that is that I don’t always do well with my diet. But without fail, when my gut starts expanding, I can expect problems in many other areas. Including BP."

Then came Thanksgiving. Even worse than TG are the left overs, particularly the delicious desserts my wife makes, which guests don't seem to eat as much of as they did back in the old days, which leaves me having to consume them as required by law. So I fell off the wagon big time. I gained 5 or 6 lbs in the days around TG(probably a good bit of that was water regain, just as happens with rapid loss when first going low carb, since I could not tell very much dif in my waist size), and it seemed to take me forever to actually get back into ketosis. But as of this morning I am finally not only back where I was weight wise a day before TG, but a couple of pounds under that.

But, that is not the main reason I am posting. I just got back from my daily 2 mile fast walk ( average 3.3 MPH), and after sitting a few minutes, decided I should check my BP. 108/70. I doubted that one so after a couple of minutes I took it again: 103/68. Clearly, I no longer need BP meds as I was afraid I might a 1 1/2 months ago.

Here is the bad news though: experience shows that I might check it on another day and measure 130 or even 140 systolic, at least on a single measurement, usually if I check a little later they will drop 10 or more points. I am simply not going to worry about that, about occasional high readings. Mainly because of the difficulty treating a wide ranging BP. If a doc medicates my 140s, then that will probably drop my 103 days down to 80, and I might be doing like some of the older than me folks at church do: get on a new BP med, next thing you know they are falling over and injuring themselves.

Dang, I wish I hated carbs! Better yet, I wish eating lots of carbs caused my BP, gut and blood insulin/sugar to drop. I wish if I wanted to do something really good for my health, the best thing I could do is have a carb heavy supper- all the bread and potatoes with gravy I want, followed by a big piece of pie or cake with ice cream on top. Oh, and at least once per week, maybe Mama's Pancake breakfast from Cracker Barrel.