Tue, Jun-02-15, 08:28
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Senior Member
Posts: 5,324
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Plan: very low carb real food
Stats: 245/125/135
BF:
Progress: 109%
Location: Vermont
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Before I changed my diet and lost weight I took medication for high blood pressure. I can't remember how high my blood pressure was. The first medication, although only a small dosage, caused my potassium level to drop enough that it was causing cramps in my hands and a potassium supplement was added. Then I tried the medication that caused me to cough. At some point I just stopped taking these medications. I can't remember why I stopped. Probaly it was the side effects. Since then my blood pressure has tended to be slightly elevated (130-140/80-90) and occasionally a little higher, but then only in the doctor's office. Medication has been mentioned casually by my new doctor but never really pushed on me. Lately, measuring at home, my blood pressure has fallen to very close to that target 120/70, sometimes a little lower, sometimes a little higher. It may be because of my daily 16 hour fast. There's no way to tell, but I am glad that I never went the medication route again. Dr Gilbert Welch in his books on overtreatment/overdiagnosis says that the closer a number gets to "normal" the more the potential risks of medication out weigh the potential benefits.
Jean
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