Blood Pressure Medicine

[paulsed1]

I'm not quite sure if this is the best section for posting this, but it looks like there are some pretty good minds at work here, so hopefully yes.

I have been battling high blood pressure off and on now for about 2 years, I am 37, soon to be 38. There were periods of time where I was feeling good and it didn't seem to be too much of a bother, lifted heavy, took different supps, what have you. Lately though it has been pretty consistently high and I just seem to be feeling pretty crappy. Sometimes I feel okay during everyday life but feel crappy in the gym, I'm guessing from the BP spiking. I get that "gush-gush" sound in the left ear. I've had tests run for that area though, everything looks okay vessel wise.

The diastolic number is usually the problem area, that is usually somewhere in the 90's. The systolic is sometimes high in the 140's or 150's, but usually in the 130's. I'm not sure if this is the only issue at play, I am seeing a homeopathic guy in addition to my regular doc and he says the issue stems from my adrenal glands being overworked. He has me taking some supps right now to help with that, ADHS, Mo-Enzyme (both for the adrenals), EFAs, Amino Acids and Magnesium. No other supplements being taken now. He seems confident this will bring the BP down, but I am really not sure.

As far as the BP meds, my regular doc put me on Benicar last yerar. I had some nasty side effects from that, my heart was acting weird and having PVCs, so he got me off it. I wasn't feeling too bad after that for a while. This year after it being high at his office again, he prescribed Lisinopril. While not as bad as the Benicar, that one seemed to kind of mess with my heart too. Only 5 mgs. He had me get off that one too.

As it's looking right now, I think I may still need to eventually take meds, side effects or not, because I can't let the BP go untreated. Trust me, I have tried just about everything under the sun, cardio, diet, natural supps, breathing techniques. Last check I was around 260, mostly mass, some fat. I could probably lose about 15 or 20 lbs of fat, but I honestly don't know if that would drop the BP.

So who out there uses BP meds and still trains successfully, getting bigger and stronger? Do you have to limit youir supplement intake in any way? Which med do you think is best for bodybuilders? I guess Ace Inhibitors are generally considered best for what we do, but even that seems to make me feel funny, unless the body eventually adapts to it after a while. The 5 mgs. got my BP down, but I noticed it still spiked a lot during my workout and I felt pretty light headed and a strong heartbeat. Maybe need a higher dose, who knows. I just hope I can get it down and still lead a somewhat normal bodybuilding lifestyle, I've done it for so many years. Kind of depressing. Sorry for the length, thank you for any feedback.

 

[RV63T]

i would think a homeopathic would also have you trying hawthornberry and maybe coq10. and of course switch to sea salt.

 

[FRKNHUGE]

try a qtr of a 325mg aspirin and 5g arginine 2x a day for 2 weeks n get ur bp taken again, coQ10 wouldnt hurt either ubicardone to be exact

frk

 

[paulsed1]

try a qtr of a 325mg aspirin and 5g arginine 2x a day for 2 weeks n get ur bp taken again, coQ10 wouldnt hurt either ubicardone to be exact

frk

I've tried arginine in the past but I thought it was messing with my heart. Maybe I was taking too high a dose at once. Split the 5 gram dose up? With or without food?

 

[elvisman99]

Yeah bro i gotta agree wit ya Paulsed, i just dont have the motivation that i had before my meds.. Im currently on Rampril 2.5mgs twice dailey, a very light dose..I think alot has to be in my head and just a bit nervous to push myself.. See i was diagnosed with an enlarged left ventricle so im resticted to how much i can actually lift until i go back to the cardiologist March 11th to check my status..

 

[paulsed1]

Believe me, I am not big on taking meds. I would prefer to do it the natural way, but I am so far getting the impression that this doesn't get the BP down that well. The hard part is I am already pretty healthy. When people tell me to improve my diet, I just roll my eyes because I have eaten healthy for years. Lowfat protein, low-glycemic carbs, lots of fruits and veggies. I occaisonally have a not good meal, but who doesn't? I haven't done a huge amount of cardio, but I am no stranger to it. I could bring my waist down a few inches, but I don't know if that would make a huge difference.

I wish it was as simple as just taking a pill, but I've yet to find a good one.

I read somewhere about taking it before the workout. That lately seems to be when high BP bothers me the most is during training, so if I go back on meds, maybe that is the thing to do. Of course if one gets into the habit of doing that, I guess no more pre-workout stimulants, which I suppose isn't good if the BP is high anyway. I was hoping I could take those again at some point in moderation when and if things are normalized, but I don't think it would be good to swallow that and BP meds at the same time. When I was on Lisinopril, I had some coffee within about a half hour or so of taking the med and my heart didn't seem to like that combo.

 

[Gambel]

I would recommend giving Lisinopril another try at a higher dose. The symptoms you are describing are not characteristic side effects of Lisinopril and a dose of 5 mg per day is very low. I would recommend that you talk to your physician about a trial of 10 mg per day and then increasing it from there. Some patients with consistently elevated diastolic levels respond well to a combination of lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide (the combo drug is generic and actually comes in a single pill). The only other recommednation I have is to monitor your salt intake (if you suspect that you might be salt sensitive) and keep your intake of stimulants (caffeine, etc.) to a minimum.

Just as an aside, how long have you had the elevated diastolic BP? If you haven't had a cardiac work up performed, I would recommend that you consider having one done. An EKG, possibly a treadmill test, and an echocardiogram. The echo will be useful to determine whether or not you have experienced any cardiac remodeling to date due to the high BP (e.g., concentric hypertrophy of the left ventricle). These tests will also serve as an excellent baseline for the future.

Best of luck to you. Keep us posted on what ultimately works out!

G

 

[paulsed1]

I would recommend giving Lisinopril another try at a higher dose. The symptoms you are describing are not characteristic side effects of Lisinopril and a dose of 5 mg per day is very low. I would recommend that you talk to your physician about a trial of 10 mg per day and then increasing it from there. Some patients with consistently elevated diastolic levels respond well to a combination of lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide (the combo drug is generic and actually comes in a single pill). The only other recommednation I have is to monitor your salt intake (if you suspect that you might be salt sensitive) and keep your intake of stimulants (caffeine, etc.) to a minimum.

Just as an aside, how long have you had the elevated diastolic BP? If you haven't had a cardiac work up performed, I would recommend that you consider having one done. An EKG, possibly a treadmill test, and an echocardiogram. The echo will be useful to determine whether or not you have experienced any cardiac remodeling to date due to the high BP (e.g., concentric hypertrophy of the left ventricle). These tests will also serve as an excellent baseline for the future.

Best of luck to you. Keep us posted on what ultimately works out!

G

Thanks. It has been about 2 years with the higher BP. I have had a bunch of tests run within that time frame. I wouldn't mind getting some more up-to-date tests run, but the docs seem to think there is no need for more since they weren't too far in the past. My doctor did say my heart was a little enlarged from the higher BP.

So what are your thoughts on stimulants if the BP is under control? Off them for life? I have heard a couple that are on meds talk like they can take anything and their BP stays normal.

 

[Gambel]

So what are your thoughts on stimulants if the BP is under control? Off them for life? I have heard a couple that are on meds talk like they can take anything and their BP stays normal.

I would recommend staying off stimulants until your BP is under control for a period of time. Then if you are interested in taking stims again and your BP is under control, gradually add them back and determine the dose you can take without inducing hypertension. I would also recommend adding them back one at a time (e.g., start with caffeine, then add...).

 

[Nssca]

Try a low dose of Viagra. It was originally made to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) one of the more common types of high BP.
When someone has PAH, the pulmonary arteries become narrow or blocked. This means the heart has to work harder to push the blood through the lungs. Over time, the heart cannot keep up. Less blood flows through the lungs to pick up oxygen. This results in PAH symptoms such as trouble breathing, dizziness, or feeling tired a lot.
REVATIO (sildenafil) is prescribed to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (WHO Group I) to improve exercise ability and help lessen symptoms and slow down worsening changes in your physical condition

 

[Tyler Durden]

I was using toprol for several years. It is a time released beta-blocker. It worked really well and had great effects on my personality as well. I was always a hot-head, and with the toprol I was always calm. It decreased aggression somewhat, but now that I'm off it, I see no difference in gains, so it didn't inhibit anything. The only area that is really different is with clen and ephedrine. They had little effect on toprol (duh), but now they kick my ass.

 

[paulsed1]

I was using toprol for several years. It is a time released beta-blocker. It worked really well and had great effects on my personality as well. I was always a hot-head, and with the toprol I was always calm. It decreased aggression somewhat, but now that I'm off it, I see no difference in gains, so it didn't inhibit anything. The only area that is really different is with clen and ephedrine. They had little effect on toprol (duh), but now they kick my ass.

I know that beta blockers are supposed to limit how hard and fast your heart beats. That didn't effect your workouts at all?

 

[Tyler Durden]

I know that beta blockers are supposed to limit how hard and fast your heart beats. That didn't effect your workouts at all?

I felt lethargic for the first week, but after that no problem. My heart rate doing cardio is now, on average, about 10bpm higher doing the same workout, but other than that, there was a negligible effect on my workouts.

 

[paulsed1]

I felt lethargic for the first week, but after that no problem. My heart rate doing cardio is now, on average, about 10bpm higher doing the same workout, but other than that, there was a negligible effect on my workouts.

OK; I just might need to give whatever meds I take again, if I do, time to work and for my body to get adjusted. I tend to freak when I think I am having side effects. I've always had this stigma too of only old or unhealthy people taking the meds, but it looks like there are plenty of athletes/weight trainers that do too.

 

[paulsed1]

Try a low dose of Viagra. It was originally made to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) one of the more common types of high BP.
When someone has PAH, the pulmonary arteries become narrow or blocked. This means the heart has to work harder to push the blood through the lungs. Over time, the heart cannot keep up. Less blood flows through the lungs to pick up oxygen. This results in PAH symptoms such as trouble breathing, dizziness, or feeling tired a lot.
REVATIO (sildenafil) is prescribed to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (WHO Group I) to improve exercise ability and help lessen symptoms and slow down worsening changes in your physical condition

Interesting suggestion, I will look into that. Not sure if what I have is PH, but some of the symptoms during the workout sound like it.

 

[Tyler Durden]

OK; I just might need to give whatever meds I take again, if I do, time to work and for my body to get adjusted. I tend to freak when I think I am having side effects. I've always had this stigma too of only old or unhealthy people taking the meds, but it looks like there are plenty of athletes/weight trainers that do too.

I started on toprol at 26. I'm 32 now and have switched to lisinopril. Both drugs had sides the first week or two, but they quickly subside. These drugs are meant to be taken long term so persistent sides should not be an issue. With lisinopril, I didn't notice any side other than a dry cough.

 

[paulsed1]

I just got it checked today and it was 120/80. I'm glad but kind of confused. I guess it just varies all over the place. That is not the kind of reading that requires medicine, but I think it might still run high. I still feel crappy when weight lifting.

 

[hotttsauce]

Smaller cuff sizes will show your blood pressure all over the place. Make sure blood pressure is being taken accurately and that it is a larger cuff if you have larger arms.

As for myself, have been on 25mg Lipitor for years for cholesterol (runs in my family) and ended up having high BP issues when I had cut back on the working out, cardio and was dealing with some stress with work a few months back.

Currently, I am on 25mg Hydrochlorothiazide for water and 25mg Meteoprolol for BP and it has helped out tremendously. Still able to train and make gains fine. No side effects except lower BP

 

[heartless68]

im on exforge 10/160 mg right now and feel great while training

 

[Canecorso2010]

I'm not quite sure if this is the best section for posting this, but it looks like there are some pretty good minds at work here, so hopefully yes.

I have been battling high blood pressure off and on now for about 2 years, I am 37, soon to be 38. There were periods of time where I was feeling good and it didn't seem to be too much of a bother, lifted heavy, took different supps, what have you. Lately though it has been pretty consistently high and I just seem to be feeling pretty crappy. Sometimes I feel okay during everyday life but feel crappy in the gym, I'm guessing from the BP spiking. I get that "gush-gush" sound in the left ear. I've had tests run for that area though, everything looks okay vessel wise.

The diastolic number is usually the problem area, that is usually somewhere in the 90's. The systolic is sometimes high in the 140's or 150's, but usually in the 130's. I'm not sure if this is the only issue at play, I am seeing a homeopathic guy in addition to my regular doc and he says the issue stems from my adrenal glands being overworked. He has me taking some supps right now to help with that, ADHS, Mo-Enzyme (both for the adrenals), EFAs, Amino Acids and Magnesium. No other supplements being taken now. He seems confident this will bring the BP down, but I am really not sure.

As far as the BP meds, my regular doc put me on Benicar last yerar. I had some nasty side effects from that, my heart was acting weird and having PVCs, so he got me off it. I wasn't feeling too bad after that for a while. This year after it being high at his office again, he prescribed Lisinopril. While not as bad as the Benicar, that one seemed to kind of mess with my heart too. Only 5 mgs. He had me get off that one too.

As it's looking right now, I think I may still need to eventually take meds, side effects or not, because I can't let the BP go untreated. Trust me, I have tried just about everything under the sun, cardio, diet, natural supps, breathing techniques. Last check I was around 260, mostly mass, some fat. I could probably lose about 15 or 20 lbs of fat, but I honestly don't know if that would drop the BP.

So who out there uses BP meds and still trains successfully, getting bigger and stronger? Do you have to limit youir supplement intake in any way? Which med do you think is best for bodybuilders? I guess Ace Inhibitors are generally considered best for what we do, but even that seems to make me feel funny, unless the body eventually adapts to it after a while. The 5 mgs. got my BP down, but I noticed it still spiked a lot during my workout and I felt pretty light headed and a strong heartbeat. Maybe need a higher dose, who knows. I just hope I can get it down and still lead a somewhat normal bodybuilding lifestyle, I've done it for so many years. Kind of depressing. Sorry for the length, thank you for any feedback.

The 1st time I ran tren enth for a long period of time, my BP went thru the roof, that was about 3 years ago, since then I have been on 10mg ed of Bystolic (bp med) since then I have cycled on and off ran tren enth with test enth for 10 months straight and my bp was fine, the whole time I was on my meds......so no problems for me. Right now I am off, but I plan on going back on in April.....GH, test, and tren.