Who here has high blood pressure?
I do! I just started Lisinopril a couple days ago.
I need to lose 30 lbs, quit smoking, cut back on caffeine, and exercise.
I am starting with losing weight, and cutting back on coffee.
I'm interested in any experience you guys have with high blood pressure.
I've been feeling a little freaked out about it.
Harry,
I have high blood Pressure, and am on the following:
*Plavix
*Diovan - Valsartan
*Metoprolol
And last but not least, a chewable baby Asprin every day.....
I'm not over weight, I used to smoke (I quit almost a year ago, in March).
Been Diabetic since I was 2....
Got High Cholesterol.
And, here it comes, last January, 2013, I fell and broke my right hand (I'm right handed mind you) and thought it was a curse.....Low and behold, it wasn't a curse, as.....about half way through the healing of my right hand, my left hand, decides its going to go numb!
NOW that sensation scared the ****, right outta me! Its a sign.....of an on-coming heart attack, in my family, they all say, to this day, left hand goes numb, get a visit to your PCP, within the WEEK of that happening, (it SAVED my life!)
I went to see my regular doctor, went through a Stress Test, passed with flying colors, had a Echocardiogram, again, passed with flying colors. BUT, they seen something on the left side of my heart, which made that test result lead into a Heart Cath. This test, found that I A. had no Heart Attack. and B. I need a triple bypass surgery, atleast, possibly a quadruple bypass surgery!!!!!!! The minute, I heard this, was the minute I quit smoking BTW!!!!!
I had this done! April 30th 2013.....I am partially recovered from the surgery at this time, BUT more to come.....As the broken hand was healing still, It kept me from shoveling the snow and such on the tail-end of winter, last year in January, which prevented me from having a heart attack!!!!!
The surgery, itself, was not of the standard surgery because of me, having Diabetes. They did not want to use the vessels from my legs to do the by passes. Reason? It causes Diabetic Neuropathy, which I have never been diagnosed with! SO, they used my Mammary vessels to do the bypasses, which GREATLY slows down the healing process, and ups the possible infection rate. I came out on top, with none of this, but a little never damage with the location of the surgery. BUT, here recently, I have had a sensation of my legs, tiring out, rapidly, and had gone to the doctor for it, and turns out, the whole bypass surgery, haven't 100% worked. The locations of possibly 2 vessel bypasses, healed, but it healed and gained scar tissue, which has narrows the vessels on my heart a bit enough to have slow blood flow to my legs.... This, I just found out, last Wednesday! So, I'll be going through some sort of treatment, again. NOT open heart tho!
The best advice, I could give you is, A. LISTEN to your doctor, stop smoking, (I know its hard, but for your health, you must!)
DO not push yourself to the brink, but try to loose a bit of weight, this too isn't going to be easy.
Coffee? They're crazy! (Coffee with cream only), is my newest addiction and I have been told, its a much better one then any other one I could get, and it is actually good for your heart, as it builds that muscle stronger!
Meds, as its said be careful! They ALL have side-effects and the "pril" that your one, has a "cough" side-effect, as I was once on it and had to have it changed to the Diovan, as it gave me a serious chronic cough side effect that I just couldn't handle and would literally keep me up at night! You develop a seriously non-progressive cough, talk to your doctor about it.. that's the on set of that side effect!
All in all, do what you can and better your health, but do it at a pace, you (and I DO mean, "YOU") ... can live with! your not a super hero, and you can't change everything they want, over night......And even if you could, it be a shock to your body as we as humans weren't ment to have such fast drastic changes to our everyday life.
Hope this helps, your not alone!
Ohh for all those who read this.............. I'm not as old as that --------^ may make me out to be, I turned 35 this past September!
