Making My Doctor Happy

gdc2506
gdc2506 Posts: 46 Member
My Dr. is/was very concerned about my heart rate / Blood Pressure. Even put me on an in-office EKG due to concern. Of course he put me on BP medicine to get it down. I HATE TAKING MEDS....

First success in this particular journey of just 20 days... My resting heart rate has dropped from 75 bpm to.... 64 bpm. Just by watching my food intake and a good brisk walk (or 3) every day. (have also dropped the 1st easy 10 pounds)

I cannot wait to see his face next visit. Ima smile a little on the inside.

Replies

  • sweetaddict123
    sweetaddict123 Posts: 116 Member
    I love it when I go to my endocrinologist. He gets so excited when I've been doing good!
  • LAT1963
    LAT1963 Posts: 1,375 Member
    I'm a bit skeptical about the improvement being entirely due to the exercise this quickly.

    Are you taking the BP medication? The change in heart parameters might be the result of the medication, so if you have been taking it, don't stop. (Even so, you may not need it later as your health improves via exercise and diet. No guarantees though).

    There's also a thing called "white coat hypertension", where people have mild anxiety in the doctors office that gives them a bad blood pressure and heart rate while at the doctors office that they don't have when they are out and about. That might be contributing and of course has a near-instant turn-around once you have left the doctors office.

    There are a few transient things (anxiety, unrecognized minor illness/virus/bacteria) that can give you bad parameters that resolve over only a few days. One of these is baseline stress causing increased autonomic tone--if what you are observing really is the result of exercise, it's probably because the exercise is burning off some stress you may not be aware you are carrying.

    Just for everyone's knowledge base--recreational drugs like viagra and its siblings are actually blood pressure medications so make sure if you are taking other blood pressure medications that you verify with your doc(s) that you are not going to get a dangerous interaction between them. If they crash your blood pressure too low you can pass out and possibly even suffer anoxic brain damage and/or blindness (because the BP is so low that not enough blood is supplied to the nerve cells of the brain and/or retina).

    I guess mostly I'm worried that you don't declare yourself 'cured' and stop any medications you may have started without first consulting your doc.
  • vggb
    vggb Posts: 132 Member
    My doctor was very concerned over my BP and my strong family history of heart disease. She went back through my notes from previous doctors and said my BP had been high.

    She wanted to try a nutritional/exercise approach before going to medication (I dislike medication also).

    In 30 days my BP was normal as well as my bpm. I've been eating a recommended diet ever since and still no need for medications.

    Your doctor will be pleased and it sounds like you have a good relationship with him. Congratulations.
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