NSV: Blood pressure

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ncmedic201
ncmedic201 Posts: 540 Member
in Success Stories
I started this journey slowly in November. I'm a paramedic and we had continuing education that month. We were told that the average age of cardiac arrest that EMS responds to in the county where I work is 44!! I'm currently 42. I knew my blood pressure was bad and had been avoiding going to see a doctor for some time. I finally broke down and found a primary physician. She put me on one medication, which didn't work. She added a second medication which helped somewhat. After a very bad call and the stress in the following week my BP shot up to 170/104...and that was after taking 2 doses of my meds! We added a third medication in December. I started watching my eating, exercising a little, but not much. By the end of January I had lost 10 lbs and was limiting my sodium a lot. My BP had come down enough that I was off all 3 meds by February. Then I started adding sodium back to my diet and my BP went back up to 140/90. I've been working really hard adding potassium so that I'm not having to eat a super low sodium diet. I've also started to work out more and even joined the gym yesterday. My BP is at 116/77 today without any medications!! I'm so super excited!!! I think I've found a way of eating that is way more manageable then trying to eat less than 1000 mg of sodium a day.

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  • scwilson38
    scwilson38 Posts: 104 Member
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    That is amazing! That is what I want to eventually do is be off the BP meds.
  • ncmedic201
    ncmedic201 Posts: 540 Member
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    I'm learning thru trial and error just how important potassium is to regulating your blood pressure!! Best wishes on improving your health :)
  • perrinjoshua
    perrinjoshua Posts: 286 Member
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    Good for you! Such positive results. Thank you for posting this, I'm sure it will be inspirational to everyone struggling with their BP.
  • ac_boubou
    ac_boubou Posts: 28 Member
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    Great topic! I actually Learning about BP. Without mediaction mine was around 180/90! HORRIBLE!

    I have 2 medication to take per day. I also need to take pills of potassium. My eating wasn't enough to get my potassium good. It is hard. I'm only 34 years old, I still have to lose about 50 pounds to get healty, but i've already lost 50 pounds. Half way! I eat clean, low sodium lots of veggies and fish.

    My goal is to avoid medication if it's possible! It's nice to know that some people are able to do it!
    Thanks for the motivation
  • Hexahedra
    Hexahedra Posts: 894 Member
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    Awesome!

    A year ago my blood pressure was in the prehypertension range. It wasn't such a big deal, except for the fact that I used to have very low blood pressure, so low that I would get lightheaded at times. That was a horrible progression, moving from one end of the spectrum to the other. Yesterday I had it checked, and it read 111/69!
  • SJackson50
    SJackson50 Posts: 282 Member
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    That is fantastic! Keep up the great work!
  • ncmedic201
    ncmedic201 Posts: 540 Member
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    Awesome!

    A year ago my blood pressure was in the prehypertension range. It wasn't such a big deal, except for the fact that I used to have very low blood pressure, so low that I would get lightheaded at times. That was a horrible progression, moving from one end of the spectrum to the other. Yesterday I had it checked, and it read 111/69!

    Wow that's awesome! I know what you mean about going from one end of the spectrum to the other. Mine was about 106/64 when I was in shape years ago. My medical director was at the station one day and it was 166/122. I thought they were going to make me take my own ambulance to the hospital :/
  • ambiedawnz
    ambiedawnz Posts: 108 Member
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    I'm am also on BP medicine, I take Lisinopril, I believe 20mg. I am only 29 :( I'm not obese and never had any BP problems until my 2nd pregnancy two years ago. They said I had mild Pre eclampsia and that it would go away after delivery. Well my BP never went back to normal and I am now on medicine. I'm not at all a fan of taking pills once a day and I really want to get off of them.
    My Dr thinks its all genetic since my Dad has high BP and started taking medicine around 35 or 40 years old.
    I've lost almost all the baby weight and am about 12 lbs away from my goal weight (I am 5foot 7.5 inches tall and currently 153 lbs)
    I've lowered my sodium and make sure I exercise at least 3x a week if not more.
    How does potassium help and how can I get more other than through my diet, are there supplements?? How much should I take?
    Thanks!
  • emd2570
    emd2570 Posts: 126 Member
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    Thats great!!! I have been on BP meds for the past few yrs, even w a 70 lb wt loss, and exercise 3-4 xs a week, with out the meds its 140/90 highest was 145/98 ..I am not happy but I have 14 lbs til goal and I am hoping maybe it will go down. good luck to u!!!!
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
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    That's super!

    I have lost 23 lbs since January and am down to 130/87. Still on meds but at least I have a goal. They want me down to 110/70 to stop the meds. I must have been consuming 5000-7000 sodium a day for years and years before changing my diet. Every one of my favorite foods was super high in sodium. Now I can easily stay around 2000 a day.

    What is crazy is how your taste buds change. Now something that is mildly salty makes me pucker, like plain shrimp.
  • MyJourney1960
    MyJourney1960 Posts: 1,133 Member
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    awesome! I am also looking to get off BP meds. Also cholestrol. I know that the weight loss, exercise, food, all combined, will make a big differenece
  • 19bulldog60
    19bulldog60 Posts: 96 Member
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    Bump
  • hazelbliss6
    hazelbliss6 Posts: 253 Member
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    I highly caution you not to take potassium supplements unless given to you by your doctor. Elevated potassium causes heart attacks and is the main method used to euthanize. Adding some potassium rich foods to your diet however is much less of a danger and would be very difficult to "overdose" this way. Potassium and Sodium work as opposing balancers when it comes to the water you retain which is why is so directly effects your blood pressure. Bananas, potatoes, and tomatoes are great sources of potassium. However it would still be very important to discuss this with your doctor since many blood pressure medications already operate by manipulating potassium levels and you wouldn't want the scale to tip wrong. Just review the plan with them first; they will more than likely advise a slow increase in dietary potassium with regular BP and potassium/sodium checks. Certainly reducing your salt intake as much as possible is the easiest and safest approach, although less tasty. Would be a great and healthy way to be proactive about your own health and hopefully get off the medications though, so good on you for looking for the natural way!
  • weberk
    weberk Posts: 34 Member
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    Blood pressure is a big motivating factor for me too. I had a baby back in March and throughout my whole pregnancy my blood pressure was insane. I had two previous pregnancies and no issues with either of them. It was very scary watching my blood pressure go crazy and my doctor told me that even tho the blood pressure is pregnancy induced right now, chances are that this will be a problem for me as I get older. My dad also has high blood pressure.

    So needless to say it was a good kick in the pants for me and I am almost at my goal weight!

    Congrats to you! That's a huge accomplishment.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    I had high blood pressure, I started taking cayenne pepper,,, IT WORKS,,, I am in perfect range now, I started running too,, my doc said the combo did it!!!! YIPPEE!!!

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