How I'm Treating My High Blood Pressure...

Normally on Thursdays I do a Throwback Thursday post with links to previous posts on this day in my blog history. This particular day, June 28th, was slim pickins' as we say here in the South so I decided to do something different. I've been posting uh-lot about my high blood pressure and I thought it might be interesting/helpful/whatever to share with you what I'm doing to treat my high blood pressure... and maybe you'll have some helpful hints that you'd like to share with us as well. Typically when I do blog posts on specific health topics they are my best read blogs which... blah... boring! But, I guess people do what I do and google "high blood pressure" or whatever and that leads them to places like my blog. So... if you've come here looking for expert tips on blood pressure, I'm not your girl. My blood pressure is anything but under control. I can commiserate with you... I can tell you what I'm doing but for medical advice, definitely seek help from your trusted medical provider. I'm just a girl with a blog.

I was diagnosed with high blood pressure with I was 35 years old. I am now 50. I have had varying levels of success with keeping my blood pressure under control. At times it has been ok. Mostly it has always stayed on the high side. I see my Primary Care Doctor for treatment for my blood pressure. He has me come in every three to four months for follow up. I am currently on four different medications to help control my blood pressure. Normally, I don't like to discuss specific medications on my blog for security reasons. Because I am a chronic pain patient and am under a narcotic agreement, I have to be careful about medications... however, I feel like dopeheads aren't going to seeking a hit of atenolol so... I'm not as worried about discussing bp meds. The meds I am currently taking are

• lisinopril - ACE inhibitor*, I take this morning and night.
• atenolol - Beta Blocker, I take this once a day. This treats high blood pressure and also slows my heart rate. My heart beats too fast but it stays in a normal rhythm, just faster than it should be. My mom also had this problem. No idea if it's genetic or coincidental.
• amitriptyline - I take this once a day... this is technically an anti-depressant and pain reliever (which helps) but it also has a major side effect of lowering blood pressure. It was actually our county Health Department nurse who suggested this medication for me because it's 1. cheap, 2. helps so many things that I need help with- pain relief, blood pressure, depression - because all pain patients battle depression, it reduces frequency of migraines and it also helps you sleep. This was the medication I forgot to refill at the end of May and by the time I realized it... I was a hot mess. It's definitely one of my All-Star medications!
• amlodipine - Calcium Channel Blocker. I take this once a day. This is the newest medication that has been added to my roster. I discovered that it is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines - the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system.

I also just started taking beet root capsules because it's supposed to be really good for lowering blood pressure. I have also heard that magnesium, calcium, potassium, garlic and fish oil are all also good for lowering blood pressure but I have (obviously) no scientific data or personal experience with any of those so, as I said, ask your medical provider for advice on what you should take. I'm trying beet root, we'll see what that does and go from there.

I have also done research on foods to eat to lower your blood pressure and I know that celery, fish that are high in omega 3's, things that are high in potassium like bananas and leafy greens, garlic, nuts and seeds... these things are all thought to be good. Right now what I'm trying to do is seriously reduce my processed food intake (goodbye, adult lunchables!) and increase the amount of whole, fresh foods that I'm eating. I don't cook, most of the time because it's just too freaking inconvenient for me to cook just for myself. It's costly and tiring and by the time I've managed to stand long enough to cook I don't feel well enough to clean up. I'm going to try to work around this by doing more of my "fast food" cookie sheet meals where I just put a protein and veggies on a cookie sheet, drizzle it with olive oil and roast it in the oven together. Much less cleanup. Last week I did salmon, green beans and cherry tomatoes that way and they were good both as a hot meal and then cold, like a salad. That's really the route I need to go. I do love yogurt and eat it almost every day for breakfast (and sometimes for dinner). For the most part, I just don't have an appetite so it's hard to feel motivated to prepare a meal. I have also been sharing a car with Austin which means I basically don't have a car so I don't have the ability to get to the store often or I have to just ask him to pick things up for me when he goes. Once he gets his van insured and tagged then I'll have wheels again.

I know that exercise plays a big part in lowering blood pressure but I'm limited in what I can do because of my back and other pain issues. When I have an active day it takes me 2 or 3 days to recover. Exercise is just not ever going to be an option for me so I have to work harder on diet, supplements, taking the right medications, etc.

I had a great conversation with a lady at the ballfield a few weeks ago about high blood pressure. She's a Respiratory Therapist so we talked quite a bit about the role that sleep apnea plays on blood pressure. She explained to me that what happens when you have sleep apnea... your body spends all night in a fight or flight mode of survival. Your breathing is obstructed and then your heart starts pumping really hard and it's a constant battle night after night. Over the course of many years, the stress on your blood vessels takes away their elasticity and you end up with what is called, "refractory hypertension". Also known as resistant hypertension... this is basically blood pressure that remains high despite medication and other measures taken to lower it. From a completely non-clinical perspective, she felt like this was where I am with my blood pressure and honestly, that's how it feels. That doesn't mean I stop taking meds or give up on eating healthy and doing everything in my power to lower my blood pressure but... that may not help.

Another really important piece of the puzzle is living with chronic pain. Pain truly raises your blood pressure and it is so very rare that I have a day that is completely pain free. I can't even remember a time without pain. I wake up in pain and I go to sleep in pain and a lot of days I never really get a break from it. It can ease up if I'm very careful and do all the things and take all the meds and am very kind to my body. I just try to balance being gentle with myself with having a life. I have people that I love and things that I love and quality of life is very important to me. I'm in the best place I've been in a long time from a standpoint of having few responsibilities so that I can rest as much as I need. My dad, Marvin and Austin all do a lot to keep me comfortable and make sure I don't carry more than I should but I'm pretty stubborn and independent and I would mostly rather do things myself than ask someone to do them for me.

I do try to build moments of relaxation into my life. I go to bed early most of the time. I nap when I need to. I make sure I have recovery days after I've had busy days. I do things I enjoy and pamper myself when I can. I have a weekly spa night where I soak in the tub until I turn into a prune. I watch tv shows that make me happy. I spend time with my grandbabies and my honey and I avoid stressful topics as much as I can. (i.e., I don't watch the news). I feel fairly certain that my life will never be easier than it is at the moment which is why I think it's really important to get on top of this blood pressure thing as much as I can right now.

I also have health insurance, which is so very important. It allows me to see the same doctor every few months and have continuity of care. It allows me to afford the medications I need both to lower my blood pressure and treat pain issues. Fortunately, our county has a wonderful program for people with chronic health issues that provided me care while I was waiting for my disability to be approved. You don't necessarily see the same provider each time but they do make sure you receive treatment and I was so grateful that was available for me. I was also able to receive care from the county Health Department and the Nurse Practitioner I saw there helped me understand a lot about my blood pressure and how to treat it. If you have high blood pressure and don't have access to health care, look for these kind of programs and services in your area. They may save your life!

I have a follow up appointment scheduled in August but I think I'm going to try to get in to see my doctor sooner. He had said at my last appointment that I needed to let him know if my blood pressure reading was higher than 150 on the top or 100 on the bottom and that has happened several times lately. Usually if my blood pressure is high, I don't feel like getting out and doing anything - even going to see a doctor. Well, especially going to see a doctor... but the more frequently I have high blood pressure readings, the more concerned I am becoming about the situation.

So... this is the audience participation portion of the program... tell me what you are doing to have a healthy blood pressure. Are there tips and tricks you can share with me? Is there a supplement you swear by? Something that helps you to relax? I would love for you to leave a comment below so that anyone who visits the blog, even at a later date, can see your suggestions. Has there been a medication that helped when nothing else did? Tell me!

Take care of yourselves! Love and hugs, y'all!

*angiotensin converting enzyme