Is this gambling? Blood pressure is 180 over 120....

[whiskeytown]

My cousins, the nurses have recently expressed a concern in my well being, and I informed them that except for a couple blood pressure machines in stores, (which I always thought read 10-20 points high) - I was fine...

last week they ambushed me and took three readings, and told me...YOU ARE going to the Doctor...end of story...

gotta wait a week, and I have no insurance as a contractor,

man...this blows...I'm hoping the stress of the last year winds it's way down and takes the pressure with it...I'm only 30 and I have no desire to have a stroke at this age...

grrr......cruddy day...

RB

[John Cole]

I did a quick search for you to look at the cost of various blood pressure meds. One study showed that some doctors prescribe brand name, advertised meds before trying the first line of treatment, beta-blockers and diuretics, which can cost as little as 6 to 10 cents per day. Other drugs run from 75 cents to two dollars per day. I would imagine your doctor will treat you immediately. Good luck.

John

[whiskeytown]

Thanks, John...I better check with a doctor tomorrow...I remember one of my cousins saying she would try a diuretic first...

can someone just walk into a hospital for that sort of thing? - I guess I can just look one up...

later
RB

[Glenn]

Hi whiskey,

Your blood pressure flucuates a great deal throughout the day and can rise a lot for short periods of time if you are nervous, angry, etc..., so maybe it isn't as bad as it seems. However 180/120 is so high that you do need to see a doctor ASAP. While stress will raise your blood pressure temporarily, it is not a cause of true hypertension, so if you have a consistant high pressure, the cause is likely something else. You probably want to go to a GP rather than a hospital so you can see the same person on your follow ups etc...

About med insurance...it sucks but no one should not have it. For all the uninsured reading this...go out and get yourself some! In any state but NJ and NY it shouldn't be too expensive unless you have had major problems in the past. When I was in OH I got a good PPO plan with prescription for $70 a month. You can probably get a cheaper plan that only covers big stuff. You may think you don't need it, but at 23 I have had 2 friends come down with cancer in the past 2 years, nevermind the severly broken bones, appendicitises, etc... That kind of stuff can break you if you are uninsured. It might be slightly negative EV, but the last thing you want to worry about if something bad happens is how you're going to be bankrupt when you get better. *end lecture*

Anyhow whiskey, I ran a quick check for MN and you should be able to get something basic for 50-60/mo and something pretty decent for 100/mo....It is well worth it. Get quotes at

www.ehealthinsurance.com (http://www.ehealthinsurance.com)

I have gotten insurance there twice and it is a great site.

[scalf]

/forums/images/icons/blush.gif not trying to use scare tactics, but one of the great triumphs of medical science in the last 30 years has been the decrease in strokes...the 180/120 bp may be an untrue reading, however, it is clear you are concerned about your health...it ain't fun getting medical attention without insurance, but it is my extremely strong advice to see a good family m.d. or internal medicine m.d. and get a real physical exam and workup....take a look at people with one-sided weakness/paralysis,...it ain't a gamble...it's irresposibility and lack of respect for yourself...this is not something to play around with...gl /forums/images/icons/frown.gif /forums/images/icons/shocked.gif /forums/images/icons/heart.gif

[Ray Zee]

hey whiskey, do like scalf says and get a complete medical. everyone needs one. but get yourself on an excercise program of walking at least a few miles a day and immediately cut back on eating animal products. high weight and high cholestrol also lead somewhat to high blood pressure. you are from minn. and everyone there eats his weight in cow products daily. almost all medical problems come from food and environment. dont just jump on the bandwagon of eating pills, thats sicker than the problem assosiated with it.

[scalf]

/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif i, and nost physicians, would agree that most significant illnesses are products of poor decisions regarding lifestyle..diet, exercise, substance abuse...but when someone presents in an acute crisis, urging them not to take medications is criminal....they just cannot in most cases get down to a safe level very quickly by diet and exercise alone...at least consider the consequences of your admonishments...gl

[whiskeytown]

I have an appointment for a doctor next Wed...(earliest I could get in at a recommended clinic) - I should be good till then...

also taking an asprian a day and trying to relax a bit this week...lay off whiskey and not get too excited..

walking and exercise are good advice I take in summer...harder to do in Winter...but maybe I can hit the skyways or something...

my diet has always been meats and stuff, but there has also been an abnormally high amount of chinese food in my diet lately...I know that doesn't help...must trim salts too...

I'm sure the doc. will have good advice...next week...

thanks for all the info...will check on insurance...(hopefully, I won't get killer premiums cause I'll have this possible condition...who knows...) -

RB

[Ray Zee]

sure you are right if this is a life threatening problem. if it is, then his clinic is the criminal for making him wait a week. or is that normal for the golfing doctor set. why shouldnt he get his eating habits quickly in order so when he takes his tests he will better reflect a livable condition rather than what he was doing. and i stand by my statement about doctors giving pills out too readily and not learning themselves what to really prescribe for a patient. from what i have seen-- most, not all, doctors get their info about the medication they prescribe from the salesmen that visit them. tell me this is not true, and just where do they get this info. except from the very companies that stand to benefit from sales of their product. how many doctors are really doing the rescearch on their pill bottles.

[whiskeytown]

/forums/images/icons/smile.gif - no concern...I could have gone to Urgent care...I went to a friend's clinic that didn't have walk-in's...not a big deal...way I figure it...if I'm 30, and it's been this way for 6 months, and I die, I'd have been screwed no matter what the extra week would have done...

if not...then I won't sweat it too bad...got my asprain to thin the blood..., chilling a bit this week, and not letting stress get the best of me...

later
RB

[pufferfish]

From my heart to yours...

scalf, please check me on this.

1) If you drink alcohol, back off.
2) If you smoke, back off.
3) Caffeine/stimulants, back off.
4) Salt, I don’t know.
5) Beef/cheese, back off.
6) Cold where you live? Go to the mall after work and walk.
7) Vegetables and fruits - eat.
8) Nuts, seeds and legumes - eat.
9) Dump the cheese (for a while) and take a calcium/magnesium supplement.
10) Get enough sleep.
11) Look up walk-in clinics (~$100/visit) and ask for a diuretic/beta blocker combo (not that expensive). Do it now.
12) Olive oil, try it.
13) Garlic, garlic, garlic – pill form, raw, cooked whatever.
14) Do it now!

pf

[whiskeytown]

thanks...doc's appt is in the works, but based on what you guys say, I can go get a diuretic/beta blocker tomorrow or whatever...(or I can just chill a few, drink water and relax...) - no sense in doing a bunch of stuff before a doc. sees me...

hardest part of all this will be changing foods (if it comes to that) - I'm a meat/potatoes kinda guy....maybe more potatoes and less meat...

and seriously...this has been the worst 8 months of my life...so if stress can have ANYTHING to do with it, that's gotta be part of it...I have job stability now for 11 more months, so that's gonna help a bit..

don't mind telling ya though...scares the hell out of me...I'd rather just have the heart attack and die then have a stroke and spend the rest of my life with only one half of the body working...

RB

[pufferfish]

I am not a doctor, but I do have personal experience with high blood pressure.

You said it "scares the hell out of me". That being the case I'd go to a walk-in clinic today and get started. You still need to get a regular doctor and a complete physical. But, unless there is something in your medical history that prevents you from taking a diuretic/beta blocker combo, that's the best start anyway.

Knowing you're doing something should bring you some peace of mind.

I was able to get off high blood pressure medication (beta blocker only) by following the advice from my previous post. One last thing, if you're over-weight you need to shed some pounds as well.

I know it's tough to give up what you enjoy and are use to. However, you will be amazed at how much better you feel after you adopt a healthier life-style. It's not that hard to do, and you don't have to do it all at once.

pf

[whiskeytown]

gone to the doctor...

went thru urgent care real quick....(he was late from giving a girl stitches...)

he followed up heavily on questions with my alcohol consumption, which realistically, has shot up about the same time frame (as well as that depression, stress, joblessness, and loneliness I was dealing with) - and I told him I probably drank 3-4 times a week, with about 5 drinks at a time, and he informed me that some people's blood pressure REALLY shoots up under that..... (about the time I thought it might be kewl to live up to the name Whiskeytown)

(and I think I was underestimating that timeframe a bit....since Jan., I've only crashed and burned twice, but there were entire weekends where I'm not sure I came under 0.04 during the mid months of 2002 - on bad nights...I was 3-4 long pours of whiskey, and on good ones, 8 or so...)

so I have my pills, and he still wanted me to keep the appt. with the other doctor next week to see how they're working....they're a mild diuretic...so no taking one before tomorrow (or else I'm up all night pissing) -

and odds are good if I stay off the wagon, the bp will come down substantially....that's what we're hoping for..it was always borderline (140 over 90) - but to consistantly see 175 over 120...yep...was starting to scare even me..I've always been incredibly resiliant...but then again, I am 30 now...groan....

what really scares me though....I can quit the alcohol, and am well on my way there (and now more substanitally motivated...) - but I don't wanna give up fast food and chinese food...LOL - maybe giving up whiskey is worth that

RB

[Tom D]

Is that you in your picture?

Tom D

[pufferfish]

I'm glad you went to the urgent care doc.

but I don't wanna give up fast food and chinese food...LOL - maybe giving up whiskey is worth that

I feel the same about chinese food - some things are just too important. /forums/images/icons/wink.gif As far as the fast food goes, you could think about it more along the lines of supplementing it with fruits and veggies.

You could start small, like a glass of "real" fruit juice for breakfast and a salad with your Big Mac and go from there.

Good luck!
pf

[Tommy Angelo]

Just something to consider ...

Low-carb diet. I thought it was a stupid gimmicky idea, until ...

I quit smoking a year ago and instantly gained 20 pounds. I had never tried to lose weight in my life. (I am 44.) I read about the science of the low-carb thing, about metabolism, and the surprising (to me) ingredient to the whole low-card concept: insulin. Then I started doing it, and not only did the weight come off that I expected to keep and add onto forever, but my energy level, no jive, doubled. No more naps. No more drowsiness after meals, no matter how much I ate. It's pretty much made my life as good as I think it can get.

Accept for two kidney stones, I have avoided all doctoring, so I don't know my stats. But apparently the low-carbs' first and biggest feature is a dramatic and fast lowering of blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

I feel silly writing this post. This is a case of, literally, seeing is believing. I would never have thought that the lowcarb thing was for real had I not done it.

So, just something to consider ...

Tommy