Drinking and BP
Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Mar 15 2010
Q: I drink 32oz. of dark red wine a night. My blood pressure is about 130/95 without meds. Is that okay?
A: I am more worried about your drinking habits than your pre-hypertension. Your blood pressure is in the range where you should start making lifestyle changes to get it into better control. You are drinking over an average sized bottle of wine a night. This is not healthy. I suggest you discuss this with your doctor.
Tags: blood pressure, Blood Pressure & Hypertension, bottle of wine, bp, Diet & Exercise, hypertension, lifestyle, lifestyle change, lifestyle changes, pre-hypertensionAmlodipine and constipation
Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Mar 15 2010
Q: I have been taking 5 mg of Amlodipine daily for about one year. My blood pressure has been good since I started taking it, but I have noticed that I get constipated with this medication and I was wondering if there is another kind of medication in the same group of meds that would not have that side effect.
A: Amlodipine is a type of drug known as a calcium channel blocker. Constipation is a frequent complaint with this type of medication. Since you are doing well on Amlodipine, you might want to try increasing the fiber in your diet. A couple of prunes a day can make a difference.
Tags: amlodipine, blood pressure, calcium channel blocker, constipation, diet, Diet & Exercise, medication, side effect, Taking BP MedsDoctor wants BP lower
Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Mar 15 2010
Q: I am a 74 year old woman with lifetime asthma. My bp runs at 120-133 /67-70. My doctor wants it lower. I cannot function with a lower bp. I have tried it. I am sluggish, dizzy. Should I ask her for another drug brand? What should I do?
A: I do not know why your doctor wants your blood pressure to be lower. Your current blood pressure is in an acceptable range. Your blood pressure meets the treatment goal of less than 140/90 for people without diabetes or kidney disease. You are also very close to the goal of 130/ 80 for people with either of those conditions. You certainly should mention your dizziness to your doctor and further discuss your treatment plan. Click here for hypertension guidelines.
Tags: acceptable range, asthma, blood pressure, Blood Pressure & Hypertension, bp, Diabetes, Dizziness, hypertension, hypertension guidelines, kidney disease, treatment goalBlood pressure and heart rate explained
Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Feb 12 2010
Q: Is Systolic blood pressure the same as the heart rate that you read when you are on the treadmill? Is your pulse different from BP or HR? You say that normal blood pressure shouldn’t increase when doing normal activities. Doesn’t blood pressure go up when you are exercising, or carrying something heavy?
A: Systolic pressure is the pressure in your arteries that occurs with the contraction of your heart. Diastolic pressure is the pressure in your arteries between heart beats. With each heart beat blood is forced through your arteries creating pulsations. The number of pulsations that occur in a minute is your pulse. As this reflects your heart rate, the terms are somewhat interchangeable. Blood pressure increases with activity but should remain within the normal range.
Tags: arteries, blood pressure, Blood Pressure & Hypertension, bp, diastolic, diastolic pressure, heart, heart beat, Heart Health, heart rate, normal blood pressure, systolic, systolic blood pressure, systolic pressureHot flashes and blood pressure
Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Feb 10 2010
Q: My blood pressure is high when I have hot flashes associated with menopause. Why is that happening?
A: Hot flashes have been associated with an increase in systolic blood pressure. The reason for this has not yet been determined. Menopause is a time of change. As more medical studies are performed on this phase of life in women, perhaps an answer will be found.
Tags: blood pressure, hot flash, hot flashes, menopause, Pregnancy & Menopause, systolic blood pressureDizziness from lisinopril-hctz
Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Feb 10 2010
Q: I have been taking BP meds for 6 days and it makes me feel dizzy and lightheaded. The doctor said my body needs to get used to it and sometimes it takes a while. Is this normal? I take lisinopril-hctz 10-12.5 MG, he told me to take half of this to see if that helped the problem.
A: It sounds like your blood pressure medicine is working. Dizziness, especially when you stand up suddenly, is a common side effect of blood pressure drugs. It also may mean your blood pressure has been lowered too much. This is why your doctor wants to see how you do on a lower dose.
Tags: blood pressure, blood pressure drug, blood pressure drugs, blood pressure medicine, bp, Dizziness, dizzy, hctz, hypertension, Lisinopril, medicine, side effect, Taking BP MedsBlood pressure highest in the evening — is it normal?
Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Jan 27 2010
Q: My morning blood pressure is regularly 130/80 every morning around 8am. As the day goes by, it gradually increases, sometimes getting as high as 150/85 by 11pm. Is this normal? I’ve been led to believe blood pressure is highest in the morning.
A: Blood pressure naturally increases in the early morning as the body prepares for the day. This is different than the increase in blood pressure caused by activity. Your blood pressure is not normal. Blood pressure increases caused by activity should remain in the normal range. A systolic pressure reading that is repeatedly over 140 needs to be treated. Make an appointment to see your doctor and bring in your blood pressure readings.
Tags: blood pressure, Blood Pressure & Hypertension, blood pressure readings, morning blood pressure, systolic pressureMedication changes while on RESPeRATE?
Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Jan 27 2010
Q: If using Resperate lowers the blood pressure of one of your patients, would you approve that patient to discontinue taking BP medication while on Resperate?
A: Using RESPeRATE alone to control blood pressure is a possibility. Many factors need to be considered by a doctor prior to attempting to wean a patient off blood pressure drugs. A person with mild hypertension and no other health problems being treated with a low dose diuretic would be the best candidate. Don’t stop taking medicine on your own. Talk to your doctor.
Tags: blood pressure, Blood Pressure & Hypertension, blood pressure drug, blood pressure drugs, control blood pressure, diuretic, hypertension, medication changes, mild hypertension, RESPeRATE, Taking BP Meds, taking medicineHow hypertension affects the kidneys
Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Jan 27 2010
Q: How does hypertension cause chronic kidney failure?
A: Over time, uncontrolled blood pressure damages blood vessels. Diseased blood vessels are unable to deliver blood effectively to vital organs such as the kidneys. Without enough blood, tissue dies. When enough tissue is lost, the affected organ no longer can function at full capacity. As more tissue dies, function continues to decline. With intervention, loss of function can be stopped or slowed.
Tags: blood pressure, Blood Pressure & Hypertension, blood vessel, Blood vessels, chronic kidney failure, diseased blood vessels, hypertension, kidney failure, kidneys, Medical Conditions, vital organsTreating anxiety without medication
Written by: Dr. Rowena | Posted: Jan 27 2010
Q: I am prone to anxiety. What is the best way to help it without medication? Also, every time I go to the gynecologist, my blood pressure is sky high even though I take Inderal 60 mg on a daily basis. What helps white coat syndrome?
A: Exercise. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety and is good for your heart. Most of us don’t make time in our lives for enough exercise. Shorts bursts of exercise scattered throughout the day are effective. Thinking it takes an hour long session to get results is wrong. Do what you can when you have some time. Ten minutes here and there can really make a difference. Learning to control your anxiety especially that is associated with a doctor visit can help with white coat syndrome. Wikkipedia offers a good discussion of the topic. Click here.
Tags: anxiety, Anxiety & Stress, blood pressure, Diet & Exercise, doctor visit, exercise, hypertension, inderal, medication, white coat syndrome, wikkipedia
