Have You Decreased Blood Pressure?

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cameronwheeler
cameronwheeler Posts: 89
in Success Stories
I am very happy to say that after having high blood pressure since I was 15, (19 years old now) I have finally gotten it down to about normal. Just a few months ago, (my last doctor visit) My blood pressure was 159 over 87. I slowly got it down to the 140s, but finally after losing about 50 lbs I am at 123 over 69... This has been significantly amazing for me because I now know what it means to be somewhat normal. I have never really been in shape and everything was just higher than everyone else's, and this achievement has become something big for me...

Has anyone else had success like I have??
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Replies

  • ebscrebs
    ebscrebs Posts: 17
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    I've never had high blood pressure but just wanted to say congratulations! I'm in nursing school and I know how bad it is to have high blood pressure. It eventually just completely destroys your kidneys, your heart, and your brain. GOOD FOR YOU!!!
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,452 Member
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    Well done! That's a great result! It's good to know that you've changed your health/risk factors for the better. I think it can be difficult to see the effects on health, so it's nice to have something concrete like those numbers.

    I don't have low blood pressure myself, but I have heart disease and now have less angina, which is a big plus for me. I'm also reducing my medication (under my doctor's supervision). I don't know how much of that is down to weight loss and how much is down to getting fitter, but I'm very pleased with it!
  • ncmedic201
    ncmedic201 Posts: 540 Member
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    That's awesome!!! Congrats on getting your blood pressure under control.

    I had high blood pressure also. Last December I was on 2 meds. I had to leave work one day because after doubling my regular meds my BP was still 170/104! My doctor added a 3rd medicine. Not only did the meds make me feel awful, but I was scared! The average age of cardiac arrest that we respond to here is 44. I turn 43 in a few weeks. I knew then that I had to do something.

    I started walking a little and I worked harder on changing my eating habits. I lost 11 pounds and by the end of January I came off all 3 medications.

    My BP still wasn't as good as I wanted it so at the end of May I really started to walk more. I added bike riding about 2 weeks ago. The change in diet, weight loss and stress relief from exercise has helped tremendously! My BP now averages 110/70.

    Again, great job on bringing it down!!!
  • jcraig1980
    jcraig1980 Posts: 34
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    I had high blood pressure, which continued to rise as I gained weight. It had gotten pretty bad in the 190s/90s. I never took meds, but was pretty close, until a midwife told me that walking was the best medicine against high bp. So I started walking and running. As long as I stay active my bp stays low around 117/70. But even with losing 60 some pounds, if I stop running or walking for a while, like thru the winter, my bp will climb up a little.
  • cameronwheeler
    cameronwheeler Posts: 89
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    Those are some great stories! Congrats to all of you. I agree that walking/running is the best medicine. I love to walk/run, thats all I've been doing as far as exercising so far, i'm about to start doing strength but for me to still be overweight and have my blood pressure normal is just unbelievable.


    So I believe that as long as we stay active and keep walking/running and enjoy the great outdoors we can stay healthy and risk free of many tragic diseases
  • Cannon_G
    Cannon_G Posts: 77 Member
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    My blood pressure was 180/110 when I was 300+ pounds. I never went on BP medicine but that was by my choice and not the doctors. In a little over 8 months of diet and exercise it dropped to 110/68 after I lost 115 pounds.
  • peacemongernc
    peacemongernc Posts: 253 Member
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    Mine has come down a little bit. I've been on BP meds for, I think, the last 4 years. When I started them, my BP was in the high 140s over something around the 90s. Sometimes higher, but that was the average. When I started the meds, it came down some, but never down to normal. I think it dropped to the 130s over the high 80s.

    Now, 115 pounds down and still on the meds, it is typically about 128 over 78ish. My resting pulse is down from the 80s to the low 60s or high 50s. I keep hoping I'll get off the meds, but seriously hard to manage BP runs in the women in my family, even the very small, slim ones, so I'm not sure I'll get there. But I'm very happy that it is down so close to normal now, with my meds. And I'm really happy with my resting heart rate, although I'm not sure if that comes with health benefits. :D

    128/78 is considered boarderline, I think. But I remember when I was in grade school (high school probably) it was always around 124/72. So I'm pretty close to where it was before I got really big and old. :)
  • ScatteredThoughts
    ScatteredThoughts Posts: 3,562 Member
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    My blood pressure was mostly borderline high for the last 5 years or so. I tried a couple of medications, but they made me nauseous. I once I started using the treadmill, and eventually running outside, it gradually decreased.

    It was around 140/95, and now is about 125/90.
  • stephenszymanski
    stephenszymanski Posts: 114 Member
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    Grats in getting BP down! I've always been on the elevated end of BP, even whilst at my current weight and lower. Genetics. My dad is healthy, and has always been a normal weight range, and he has high BP. My last BP back in May, about 20 pounds heavier, was high 130s/75ish. The lower number is more important though, so as long as that stays under 80 I'm not too worried.
  • kjg1965297
    kjg1965297 Posts: 121
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    I have only lost 11 pounds and I have eliminated 1 of my BP pills
  • Hadabetter
    Hadabetter Posts: 941 Member
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    A couple of weeks ago, my doctor said I could stop taking BP meds, because my weight loss had taken me back down into the normal range. That was my biggest NSV to-date.

    (Cholesterol meds are next!)
  • BenKnowsFitness
    BenKnowsFitness Posts: 451 Member
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    mine was good for many years then started to creep up as a hit age 40. little bit of weight loss and healthy eating and I now have normal BP:glasses:
  • kw85296
    kw85296 Posts: 265 Member
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    My blood pressure wasn't high, but it still is significantly lower after losing weight and exercising.
  • littlewhittles
    littlewhittles Posts: 402 Member
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    Mine started to get a little high, but I'm happy to report since I've started changing my lifestyle that I'm at 117/76. :)
  • marciebrian
    marciebrian Posts: 853 Member
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    I have ;-) I was on Benicar 40 mg for about 5 years. then reduced to 20 mg... then the pressure was running really low 98/60 so the doc took we off with the caveat that if it went up higher than 130/80 we revisit... love losing the med.

    Congratulations to you:flowerforyou:
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    My blood pressure wasn't high, but it still is significantly lower after losing weight and exercising.

    Me too. It used to always be very normal but it's now dropped to averaging about 110/60 after losing weight and exercising.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    I was on two different meds, one in the morning and one at night and i'm off both. BP is normal.
  • happieharpie
    happieharpie Posts: 229 Member
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    I was pre-hypertensive, and my doctor said I absolutely HAD to take medication. Off and on over the last several years, I had taken trials of different drugs, about 7 of them, all with terrible results. My blood pressure would go down, but I'd feel terrible. Finally, my back was against the wall.

    One day I decided to find out everything that could lower my blood pressure, trim everything that was not totally nutritious from my eating plan, and begin eating in a 22-2 eating schedule.

    And that's what I did! I've omitted all salt, sugar, grains and dairy. I've lost 10% of my body weight, eat only established nutrient dense foods, and move more than sit.

    My blood pressure now averages 110-115/60-68. I feel incredible!
  • ebscrebs
    ebscrebs Posts: 17
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    Your systolic blood pressure (the first number) looks much better. You do want it under 120 though. Your diastolic (second number) at 90 is still considered frank hypertension. Keep working hard to get that lowered. Have it monitored as well. Congratulations on bringing it down as low as you have!
    My blood pressure was mostly borderline high for the last 5 years or so. I tried a couple of medications, but they made me nauseous. I once I started using the treadmill, and eventually running outside, it gradually decreased.

    It was around 140/95, and now is about 125/90.
  • ebscrebs
    ebscrebs Posts: 17
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    The lower number and upper number are equally important. The upper number tells the pressure in your cardiovascular system when your heart is contracting, the lower number tells the pressure when your heart relaxes. It is important for everybody to work in conjunction with a physician when it comes to blood pressure. It is a very very deadly condition.

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