High Blood Pressure

[Chris]

Anyone suffer from high blood pressure?  Are beta-blockers the answer?

What about the devices you can buy on the high street. Are they reliable? Any recommendations?

[cool hand luke]

Had HBP identified by the doc back in April, apparently it had been raging for a year or two and like most men I had to get quite ill before I went to doc and had a check up, which revealed the problem.

Looks like it has caused some havoc with my kidneys and heart function, so am now due to have an  angiogram etc to see the extent of it. I take an array of stuff at present: beta and alpha blockers, and am also taking Doxazosin (they want me on ace inhibitors really - perindopril etc - but my body doen't seem keen on them, hence the Doxa' instead).

ACE inhibitors are prefered to some of the 'older' medications as there are normally fewer issues / side effects, plus they are 'easier' on the kidneys.

They seem to do the job - I'm just about 140/90 on a good day, but can't say I'm happy about taking any of them really...

I have a BP monitor, bought recently from Lloyds Chemist, which seems to give a decent reading if used properly, although you need to understand all the issues such as blood pressure higher in the mornings / different readings from each arm / etc.

Two of the problems I have encountered with the blockers are 1) tinnitus and 2) can't lose weight even if I starve!

If you can get plenty of exercise and get your eating habits right, that can be a big help; plus you'll feel better generally too.

Just be grateful your HBP has been picked up - it really is the 'silent killer' and lots of people are out there dying as we speak because they are unaware of their problem.

[barmaidolly]

Hi my user name is barmaidolly i have same problem as you very high blood
presure and on the same tablets as you they have brought mine down a lot .
but i have just been put on them

[Finn]

Ask you Doctor for statins : far better than beta-blockers and not so many side effects.  The government should make them available to everyone over fifty as they actually reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure.

[Sally]

Finn - are there any statins which I could buy at the health shop?  I'm sick to death of the medical profession at the moment and would like to try to deal with things myself.