Labile hypertension anyone??

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m5johnson
m5johnson Posts: 21 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm interested in hearing from people who have labile hypertension. I'd especially love to hear from people in their 20s and those who experience elevated levels of anxiety. Your experiences, how you're treating it, etc.

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  • J_Matt
    J_Matt Posts: 13
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    I am 34 but I started treatment for this when I was 29.

    I take Blood Pressure Meds and I also take 40 mg daily of Citalopram (Celexa) for anxiety.

    The Citalopram has helped tremendously with my anxiety issues which has resulted in lower BP numbers I believe.
  • peachNpunkin
    peachNpunkin Posts: 1,010 Member
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    If you arent taking anything for axiety, perhaps you should talk to your dr about a low dose med for controlling spikes of anxiety. You can also try meditation and yoga. I personally don't have labile htn, mine is benign, which means they don't know what is causing it. So mine is fairly easy to treat with an ace inhibitor. Yours is a bit more tricky. It could be caused by anxiety, diet, or some other factors. So the nurse in me says, speak to your dr about certain changes you can make in your lifestyle. You can also talk to a nutritionist about foods that will help reduce anxiety spikes. There are foods that help relax the body, but off of the top of my head I couldn't name them.

    Hope this helps.
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
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    I wasn't officially diagnosed with labile hypertension but have been told that I might have it. That led to me investing in BP monitor and checking regularly until I figured out what kinds of things were causing BP spikes for me.

    In my case, my BP will definitely shoot up when I get too much sodium, so I limit it. Getting too emotional or stressed will do it, too. That's harder to control than sodium but I'm working on it.

    My doctor suggested increasing the amount of potassium in my diet as well as decreasing the sodium. She said to aim for limit of 1500mg sodium and goal of 3500mg potassium daily, or at least try to get more potassium than sodium. I was also told recently to increase the magnesium in my diet. These changes definitely seemed to help bit by bit.

    After working on it for about a year, I'm not spiking nearly as much. The only times my BP goes up now are when I'm upset or when I get a migraine. Otherwise my average is 117/64, which at my age is pretty darned awesome.
  • m5johnson
    m5johnson Posts: 21 Member
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    Thanks for your comments!
    I've been on Sertraline (Zoloft) for 6 weeks and Labetalol as of yesterday.
    Just feeling uneasy about being on BP meds...am I in denial?? :)
  • J_Matt
    J_Matt Posts: 13
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    Thanks for your comments!
    I've been on Sertraline (Zoloft) for 6 weeks and Labetalol as of yesterday.
    Just feeling uneasy about being on BP meds...am I in denial?? :)

    What are you uneasy about?
  • peachNpunkin
    peachNpunkin Posts: 1,010 Member
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    Just monitor your bp. Make sure to take your bp before you take the bp med. I would not take it if my bp were less than 110 systolic (the top number). Otherwise, you should be ok. Once the Zoloft gets into your system, see your dr again about the bp meds. If the zoloft helps keep your anxiety down, and your bp stays fairly normal, they may be able adjust your bp meds to fit you better.
  • AnnieNymous
    AnnieNymous Posts: 1
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    Did they check your thyroid, adrenals, kidneys, liver? They can all do odd things to bp and pulse.

    And since it's mostly linked to emotion in your case, you and your doctor might want to read this: cmbi.bjmu.edu.cn/uptodate/hypertension/secondary/Paroxysmal%20hypertension%20-pseudopheochromocytoma-.htm

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