High Blood Pressure Help

It sounds like you are already doing a lot of the things recommended to treat high blood pressure. If you've been doing those things consistently without seeing your numbers change, that is probably why your doctor doesn't think that restricting sodium further would help.

Have you been checked for other underlying conditions that could cause your high blood pressure? I'm assuming you have, since this is a long-term issue for you, but it's worth asking your doctor about potential underlying causes since that number is VERY high and you do not sound like you have ever had the major risk factors for high blood pressure. Thyroid problems, for example, are among the things that can cause high blood pressure.

I never had any luck with reducing BP by losing weight or cutting sodium, unfortunately. Mine's hereditary as well.

I am in a similar situation. I am 53 years old and have had high bp since my mid 20's. I have tried nearly everything.....proper diet with exercising, meds.....nothing drops my bp to where it should be. The meds lower it a tad but it's still pretty high. Last time I had it checked at the Doctor's office it was 190 over 88, and that's on my meds. Here's the funny thing, about 8 years ago I started taking anabolic steroids. The only real bad side effect to this particular steroid was that it could raise my bp. So I closely monitored my bp while taking this. The entire time I was using this steroid, my bp was 120/80. Only time in my life since I started monitoring that my bp was normal. Unfortunately, steroids are illegal and I no longer have a way to get it. So frustrating. Good luck with yours.

I am also on high bp meds.. I've lost 30lb (currently 5'2 125lb), am always under my sodium goal, work out and nothing helps my bp besides medication, unfortunately. Sometimes it's just genetics.

Back when I started losing weight (250lbs @ 5'6") my BP was 140/95, now I'm down 118/75.

That was losing 70lbs and going from no exercise to 5 days a week and eating better.

From what my Dr. says that some people respond to diet and exercise better than others do. Some will always have high BP regardless unless medicated.

My wife is @ 160/100 or so all the time no matter what she does unless she's on meds.

I would really recommend taking your Dr. advise if they say you need BP meds. 220/120 is high risk for cardiac issues.

I guess there's some sort of calculation they can do to determine risk for heart attack. Mine now is down to 1.5% in the next 10 years. I believe previously it was more like 30% and I'm 42.

Also yes, high BP can be genetic, However your top number should never be left alone at 200+!! You run the risk of damage of stroke, and other side effects. If your BP doesn’t come down from the 200s, you NEED medical attention.

Your doctor must love how hard you have tried. I know ours is always impressed that we follow their recommendations.

On the meds you are taking is your BP normal (or close) and you have no serious side effects?

If yes, then just be thrilled that you have a solution and keep taking such good care of yourself.

BTW, reading comprehension, huh? 😁

Your body actually needs sodium, so be careful going too low. If you eat right, exercise and still have High bp, you still need medication.

I wwas 20 when my BP started going up. Until it starting shooting up, it was consistently 100/50, until it wasn’t and shot up to 160/105 at rest. At that point, I wasn’t overweight and was at the gym doing high intensity aerobics 5-6 classes per week. I remember being at a class and struggling for the first time ever and thinking, “wow, I’m out of shape. I need to come workout more”. A few weeks later, something completely unrelated got me to the doctor, and the vital sign check revealed the hypertension. I had a series of tests and home BP checks over a few weeks, and it stayed up. None of the blood work was abnormal, so no explanation for the sudden hypertension. Same thing happened to my Dad when he was 23 and had a highly active outside job so probably in even better shape than I was when I got diagnosed. I initially tried deeply cutting sodium which meant giving up most of the foods I liked, but when I’d try getting off the meds (with doctor monitoring, never try it without the doctor approval), the numbers would creep back up.
Sometimes is just genetic. Some people are able to be off meds for a while but if it’s primary hypertension (not caused by something else) most people are eventually going to have to be back on meds.
I’ve tried multiple times over the years to get off the meds. It works for a few months then creeps back up, and then I have to restart them and go through the adjusting to the side effects all over again. I decided a long time ago that it’s not worth it to me, and I just stay on my dose of whatever med I’m taking at the time. I’ve always been on the lowest dose possible.
I taught multiple aerobics classes in college and had a resting heart rate in the 60s while on BP meds. It’s not a death sentence and can be managed if you mind your doctor. If your doctor ever says you can try get off the meds, just be sure you are monitoring it at home so you can see if/when the numbers go back up. Weight loss does work for some, but you won’t know that until you’ve tried it. If it doesn’t work, then at least you are still healthier and fitter, even if you do have to take a pill everyday.