lost weight, now my blood pressure is too high

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carholl
carholl Posts: 44 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
When I went to the doctor he told me my blood pressure was high and to monitor it for the next month. If it stays high he may put me on medication. I have lost 30+ pounds, do 35 minutes on the elliptical 5 days a week. I'm 58, smoke about 5 cigarettes a day. When I was overweight and inactive my blood pressure was fine...oh, and my sodium levels are a little low!!!! I'm ready to stop exercising and put weight back on...I am so frustrated that everytime I think about it I know my blood pressure goes up!
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Replies

  • smn76237
    smn76237 Posts: 318 Member
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    Smoking is well known to cause high blood pressure. I know you think, "well I was smoking before I lost the weight and didn't have high blood pressure," but that doesn't mean it's not a major contributor to your current high blood pressure. So, I'd look into giving that up instead of blaming exercise and losing weight as the cause of your high bp.
  • rebalee8
    rebalee8 Posts: 161 Member
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    Tell your doctor you want to stop exercising and gain the weight back so you can smoke and not have high blood pressure and see what he says. If he thinks that's a good idea, then that's what you should do.
  • Collier78
    Collier78 Posts: 811 Member
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    Smoking is well known to cause high blood pressure. I know you think, "well I was smoking before I lost the weight and didn't have high blood pressure," but that doesn't mean it's not a major contributor to your current high blood pressure. So, I'd look into giving that up instead of blaming exercise and losing weight as the cause of your high bp.

    ^^This
    Tell your doctor you want to stop exercising and gain the weight back so you can smoke and not have high blood pressure and see what he says. If he thinks that's a good idea, then that's what you should do.

    :huh:
  • AZnewme
    AZnewme Posts: 228 Member
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    That would be frustrating! Ultimately I am thinking you can blame cigarette smoking and genes. Mayo Clinic says this: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/basics/risk-factors/con-20019580
    I know it's hard, but I hope you can quit! You are on target with healthy eating and exercise, why not complete the package? Good luck!
  • Ilikelamps
    Ilikelamps Posts: 482 Member
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    Tell your doctor you want to stop exercising and gain the weight back so you can smoke and not have high blood pressure and see what he says. If he thinks that's a good idea, then that's what you should do.

    If he thinks that's a good idea I'd question the fact that's he's a reliable doctor
  • sue_stef
    sue_stef Posts: 194 Member
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    Quit smoking
    keep exercising
    keep losing weight
    drink more water

    do not fool yourself into thinking that because you were heavy before and smoked that everything was fine it was not
    high blood pressure happens to some people with age it is only a matter of time before the un healthy habits kick us in the tush
  • meganjcallaghan
    meganjcallaghan Posts: 949 Member
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    if your sodium levels are low I would recommend getting that up. I started this whole ''journey'' by cutting sodium because i'm trying to give my dad a kidney and thought i'd better start living like i only have one. i ended up on between 1200 and 1500 a day on average.....some days less and some days up to around 1700. I had normal blood pressure at 310 pounds but it steadily rose to around 144/84 by about a month ago after having lost around 55% of my weight. At that point i said "screw it, if low sodium isn't actually helping, my food might as well taste good" and i started hitting at least 2300 if not more every day. Since then my blood pressure has dropped drastically to an average of around 106 - 110 for systolic and the mid 60s for diastolic. it's counter intuitive and just my own experience but it sure looks like having too little sodium can cause high blood pressure too.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    DH is also focusing on getting his blood pressure down, so this is top of mind.

    First off, he got a monitor and takes his blood pressure at least 2x per day (same time every day), and writes it down. Blood pressure can go sky high for some people as soon as they see a doctor or nurse, so monitoring it at home is a good idea to get a more balanced number.

    DH is also using MFP to monitor sodium and potassium intake. Sodium he tries to get as low as possible, and potassium at least 4x sodium every day. A lot of foods in the MFP database don't have potassium so check the food entries carefully.

    Finally, DH is doing all he can to get his blood pressure down through food choices and exercise (he quit smoking about 10 years ago), but ultimately, genetics are not on his side. He wants to try and get it down as low as he can without drugs, so that when he HAS to take the drugs they'll have more range to work for as many years as they can as he gets older, since his blood pressure will increase over the years.

    Good luck.
  • meganjcallaghan
    meganjcallaghan Posts: 949 Member
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    He wants to try and get it down as low as he can without drugs, so that when he HAS to take the drugs they'll have more range to work for as many years as they can as he gets older, since his blood pressure will increase over the years.

    Good luck.

    A lot of BP meds cause diabetes as well, so the longer you can go without, the better
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
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    Stop smoking.

    Did you do anything out of the ordinary before you went to the doc? Any external stresses? Did someone call you to complain about something? Were you thinking of something stressful? Were you simply over caffeinated?

    Lots of things can make blood pressure readings go up. It's probably the smoking, though.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    He wants to try and get it down as low as he can without drugs, so that when he HAS to take the drugs they'll have more range to work for as many years as they can as he gets older, since his blood pressure will increase over the years.

    Good luck.

    A lot of BP meds cause diabetes as well, so the longer you can go without, the better

    Please stop spreading misinformation. BP meds don't cause diabetes - they can increase the risk but that's not the same thing.

    Also, just because raising your sodium intake seemed to help decrease your blood pressure, that's not necessarily true. Perhaps there were other factors like increased exercise, improved diet overall, etc.
    Low sodium intake does not cause high blood pressure.

    OP, we can all come up with some various reasons for this but the only person yuo realy should be talking about this with is your doctor. Did he suggest changes in diet, exercise, etc to increase your sodium and decrease your blood pressure? If not, you should call and talk to him about it.

    Also, do some research on your own. Here's a link to the AHA

    http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/High-Blood-Pressure_UCM_002020_SubHomePage.jsp
  • JoeSzup
    JoeSzup Posts: 51 Member
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    Quit smoking.
    Start Yoga.
  • Always_Belle
    Always_Belle Posts: 73 Member
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    Sometimes when people reach a certain age genetically their BP just seems to start rising and no matter what you do physically (eating, activity) can keep it back down. Definitely recommend stop smoking altogether. Also someone mentioned yoga. I am a firm believer in the power of yoga over the body. Check out the most recent Prevention magazine. I have been doing yoga for a long time now and it has helped me in all areas of my life and continues to. Good luck!
  • skippygirlsmom
    skippygirlsmom Posts: 4,433 Member
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    Does your family have a history of high BP? When I was younger my BP was low, over the years it has steadily increased, the doctor contributes it to family history. I run 3 or 4 times a week, do cardio or strength work 5 days a week. I take BP pills, much better than ending up on dialysis or having a stroke.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    When I went to the doctor he told me my blood pressure was high and to monitor it for the next month. If it stays high he may put me on medication. I have lost 30+ pounds, do 35 minutes on the elliptical 5 days a week. I'm 58, smoke about 5 cigarettes a day. When I was overweight and inactive my blood pressure was fine...oh, and my sodium levels are a little low!!!! I'm ready to stop exercising and put weight back on...I am so frustrated that everytime I think about it I know my blood pressure goes up!

    Blood sodium levels can be tied to blood pressure levels. Dieting can stress the body, especially if you are not getting enough calories, or enough of certain nutrients, and stress may also affect BP.

    Also, if this is the first time your BP has been high it could just be a one time thing. That's not uncommon. Just monitor it as your Dr. suggested and go from there.
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
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    Does your family have a history of high BP? When I was younger my BP was low, over the years it has steadily increased, the doctor contributes it to family history. I run 3 or 4 times a week, do cardio or strength work 5 days a week. I take BP pills, much better than ending up on dialysis or having a stroke.

    Agreed. I'm 21, exercise regularly, don't smoke and still take 40mg Lisinopril a day. Sometimes it's just inevitable.
  • rebalee8
    rebalee8 Posts: 161 Member
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    Tell your doctor you want to stop exercising and gain the weight back so you can smoke and not have high blood pressure and see what he says. If he thinks that's a good idea, then that's what you should do.

    If he thinks that's a good idea I'd question the fact that's he's a reliable doctor

    Clearly I need to find a profile picture that conveys my sarcastic self better.
  • nancy10272004
    nancy10272004 Posts: 277 Member
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    He wants to try and get it down as low as he can without drugs, so that when he HAS to take the drugs they'll have more range to work for as many years as they can as he gets older, since his blood pressure will increase over the years.

    Good luck.

    A lot of BP meds cause diabetes as well, so the longer you can go without, the better

    Can you provide a link to some research that show a causation between BP meds and diabetes? Both of my parents have been on them for decades, so have I, so has my sister. Everyone except me is athletic and has never had a problem with weight.

    No one in my family on those meds is diabetic or pre-diabetic. None of us has ever been warned of a relationship between BP meds and diabetes.
  • meganjcallaghan
    meganjcallaghan Posts: 949 Member
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    Also, just because raising your sodium intake seemed to help decrease your blood pressure, that's not necessarily true. Perhaps there were other factors like increased exercise, improved diet overall, etc.
    Low sodium intake does not cause high blood pressure.


    As I increased exercise, lost weight and immediately switched from an unhealthy diet to a healthy one (which I have maintained since last august until a few weeks ago when I increased sodium) my BP has continued to rise. Within about a month of lowering my sodium intake (and about 20 pounds down) I had gone from 124/74 or lower every time I was checked to 130/74.....when I checked with the doctor every few months after that it got higher....first 138/80, then 141/80 and finally 144/84 (though it did get as high as 146/85 on a 24 monitor they made me do to rule out 'white coat' syndrome)The only thing that has changed in the last 3 weeks since my last high reading is that I've increased sodium levels to around the recommended maximum. As I said, the results of this just happens to be my experience. I'm not saying for sure that correlation is causation....I'm just saying that it looks like it's worked for me because that's what my numbers say.

    I know it's not SUPPOSED to happen that way, so I've scoured the interwebs looking for reasons why....only possibility I can think of is that I drink anywhere between 150 and 200 ounces of water a day....if sodium levels are too low and you overdo it on the water you can end up with hyponatremia, which apparently can be linked to high blood pressure. Looking at the other symptoms I see that I had a lot of those as well and they've been markedly absent over the last few weeks.

    Regardless, if her sodium levels have been found to be low as she mentioned, then BP issues aside, there's no harm in getting it to the level it's supposed to be at, regardless of whether or not it has the same effect as it did on me.
  • meganjcallaghan
    meganjcallaghan Posts: 949 Member
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    He wants to try and get it down as low as he can without drugs, so that when he HAS to take the drugs they'll have more range to work for as many years as they can as he gets older, since his blood pressure will increase over the years.

    Good luck.

    A lot of BP meds cause diabetes as well, so the longer you can go without, the better

    Can you provide a link to some research that show a causation between BP meds and diabetes? Both of my parents have been on them for decades, so have I, so has my sister. Everyone except me is athletic and has never had a problem with weight.

    No one in my family on those meds is diabetic or pre-diabetic. None of us has ever been warned of a relationship between BP meds and diabetes.

    I misspoke....I didn't mean to say it WOULD cause it. However, I do know that because I'm genetically predisposed to diabetes (Dad has it, hence needing the kidney, sisters and mom all had gestational diabetes, my fasting blood sugars are already high and a glucose tolerance test comes back as "just' within acceptable range) the doctor was particularly concerned about my higher blood pressure because if I were to give up a kidney and then end up having to be on beta blockers for high blood pressure which is linked to higher blood sugar, that might give me trouble in the diabetes department, which is worse when you already have reduced kidney function because you only have the one.

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