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-   -   High Blood Pressure again (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=474741)

Whited Tue, Aug-23-16 16:38

High Blood Pressure again
 
Hi. I have been low carb for almost two years. I’m 59. I lost around 80 - 90 pounds and am leveling out. Anyway last fall my BP raised up to 160/100. Eventually (4 months) I lowered it to around 137/87 average. I am a teacher and the rise coincides with the beginning of school even though I don't feel stressed. Well this fall (About a week ago) my BP went back up to 150 over 95, sometimes higher (like 160/100). I've tried everything – potassium (3 99 mg daily), magnesium, hibiscus tea 3 times daily etc. I excercise daily I’ve been doing those things since last year.

I’ve read a lot of stuff on the internet but what do you all think? Would you go on a drug like Valspartin with those numbers? I’m wondering if that would do damage or if ARBs would mess with my blood sugar witch are controlled now. My Cholesterol is 166 with a nice high hdl and lowered triglycerides. Really hard to know.

Thanks

Dennis

Meme#1 Tue, Aug-23-16 16:47

I am no expert but the typical prescription for Potassium is about 750mg. I take one a day or every other day.
I also have started taking vitamin E when I realized my blood would hardly come out when I was checking my BS. I was very dehydrated. I'm not diabetic or pre-diabetic but I just check. What I did was to begin drinking 1 gallon of water daily and taking a vitamin E (it thins the blood)and saw my BS drop by 20 points and blood pressure down 10 points or so but it was never over 115 before.

Whited Tue, Aug-23-16 18:34

99 mg is all you can buy over the counter and I doubt the doctor will give me a perscription for it. They prefer medications

I believe people are cautious about potassium capsules because they can damage stomach linings if not disolved.

Meme#1 Tue, Aug-23-16 20:43

I recently read that 2400mg of Potasium is a usual amount that the body uses. I personally myself become extremely deficient in it, so it really benefits me.

cotonpal Wed, Aug-24-16 03:19

Dennis - I take 6 of those 99mg capsules a day in 3 doses. I've been doing it for years. My reason isn't blood pressure but that potassium is a nutrient that always comes out deficient when I log my foods. I started taking them after reading something by Dr Eades about how he prescribed that amount of potassium tablets for his patients on low carb diets. We had a discussion about it a while back here. I'll try to find the thread. There is some danger for people with kidney problems with too high a potassium dose but I am not one of them. I'm not advising you do what I do but it hasn't caused me any problems.

Jean

Whited Wed, Aug-24-16 11:56

Thanks -- I only eat once or twice a day so that might not work as I read these should be taken with food. I am going to the doctor today and ask for a perscription for powdered potassium but I'm not holding any unrealistic hope. I might or might not take the BP medicine. My half-sister had a blood clot go to her eye when she was 50 and also had pretty high BP. She's been on Valspartin now for 23 years and she says her blood sugars are fine. She sees no side effects but who knows. Both my Grandmothers had major strokes in their early 70s so maybe mine will get worse. Its just a bummer as I do a lot to increase heart health. CoQ 10, excercise, low carb, magnesium, fish oil, weight loss. I would hope this stuff would effect my blood pressure more positively.

Meme#1 Wed, Aug-24-16 12:03

Why do you want powdered Potassium? Just get a prescription for caps. It's costs about $3.50 at Sams.

Whited Wed, Aug-24-16 12:15

I read that capsules can be dangerous as they might not disolve and eat the stomach lining. Maybe some persctition ones disolve more effectively.

khrussva Wed, Aug-24-16 13:01

My BP, while better than it was before, is still kind of all over the place. I get 12x/7x sometimes. I mostly get 13x/8x. But I still have the occasional reading that exceeds 140/90. When it comes up high I check twice (other arm) and usually get a similar reading. My average over the last 99 readings is 132/84. That is not much different than it was 18 months ago when I was still weighing 240+ pounds. I expected that it would improve more than it has.

I have found that caffeine will spike my BP for about an hour. I drink lots of coffee. I've found that I usually get my best readings an hour (or so) after returning from a walk. Beyond that, it is what it is. I have not figure out why it can be higher one day and lower the next when I tend to do the same things day in and day out. My fasting BG is the same way. It floats around from day to day - fluctuating between the upper 70's and low 90's for no apparent reason.

I don't have a history of stroke in my family, so I am not too concerned with my numbers. I am considering cutting back on the coffee, though. I like being off of BP meds. Mine were diuretics and that had me up visiting the bathroom 3 or 4 times each night. I enjoy sleeping through the night.

I hope you find a solution, Dennis. Let us know if you find a good combination of supplements. I may try the potassium thing and see what it does. I'd like to see consistently better numbers, too.

cotonpal Wed, Aug-24-16 13:18

My blood pressure is now consistently normal, even often low normal. My doctor no longer suggests I need to take medication. I just assumed that my diet, accompanying weight loss and exercise were responsible. I don't think it's the potassium, but maybe it helps. Also coffee doesn't seem to cause me a problem. As with so many things we are all n=1 experiments.

Jean

JLx Wed, Aug-24-16 14:55

What kind of magnesium are you taking and is it the same kind and brand you've always taken? Are you taking any calcium or have you changed your diet recently so that you're eating more calcium foods? Just wondering about the calcium/magnesium ratio here.

Also, you can buy potassium chloride powder: http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Pota...-8-oz-227-g/777

Some salt substitutes are also available from grocery stores that are potassium chloride, such as "No Salt" or "Nu-Salt". They're not pure, though.

Nancy LC Wed, Aug-24-16 15:20

Are you taking any supplements or medications? Some can raise up BP. Eating anything like licorice, licorice tea, anything like that?

You can buy potassium gluconate, or Nu-Salt, and get a higher dose of potassium. I sometimes made smoothies and added potassium gluconate powder.

Whited Wed, Aug-24-16 17:32

No medications yet -- I do take a lot of supplements but I don't believe they raise blood pressure. I believe I take magnesium glutonate as I've heard that one is most absorbable. I do eat a lot of dairy but I have for a long time. I may be one of those people that simpley has high blood pressure. I will probably just give in and take a BP pill and see how it affects me. Both my grandmother's had serious strokes in their early 70s and my grandfather died of kidney failure at 64. I'm pretty sure it was untreated diabetes but that was 1934 and they couldn't have done much anyway.


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