High Blood Pressure

Hi guys,

To add to my previous post about the hypos I've just been told I have high blood pressure (155/60)

I don't smoke or drink, I exercise a lot (gym, football, squash, taekwondo), I'm vegetarian (I eat a good amount of fruit and veg although I could eat more veg)

My weight is ok for my height..I'm 11 stone and 5 ft 8

I was also diagnosed with pre-proliferative retionpathy in my left eye last year but since it's been ok (I'm due for my nbext check up next week, hopefully I won't need anymore laser surgery..although this obviously doesn't mean it's getting better)

What could be the cause of the high blood pressure? The doctor gave me little to no explanation and just sent me away with a prescription for lisinopryl (as far as I know this is for diabetic patients with high blood pressure)

What do you think?

I also have high blood pressure, 140/90, sometime slightly over. No one has told me why, but I can assume its my weight. For you it may be done to diet..........there may be some things your consuming that are contributing, I would try and do some research on the food you eat and the quantities.......

However, there can be other reasons for high BP that are genetic/hereditary etc......

Sorry, not much help.........

Hi guys,

My BP usually hovers around 175/65 but on Feb 1st I was at Monklands Gen. Hosp. for other reasons and my BP was tested as a matter of procedure. It was 234/84. They didn't believe the machine and said it must be a fault as it couldn't be that high. I told them that it had been way over 200 several times in the past few months (I test regularly at home), so they did two more tests over the next half an hour (all at the same level) then told me that it was above the level at which they were obliged to do something, so I was immediately sent to casualty. I sat there for an hour or so then was looked at by a guy who said he didn't know what he was supposed to do with me. He tried to get hold of my medical notes, having noted that I had been sent down from the Diabetes Unit. After a very long wait he gave up on trying to get my notes and asked me what medication I was on. Fortunately I had in my pocket a repeat prescription list which I gave him. Looking at this he said "You shouldn't be taking Meloxicam with Lisinopril! Stop taking the Meloxicam immediately and get your GP to check your BP and put you on a 24 hour BP check".
I did all of this, and the hospital sent a letter to my GP confirming all of this. Within 48 hours of stopping my Meloxicam my BP dropped from the 180 -190 it had been at to the 155 - 165 level and has since risen to 165 - 175 most of the time, although it was just over 200 a few days ago.

So, look carefully at the leaflets for all the medication you take. Take particular note of the contra-indications!

Roger

Wow Roger! 234/84 - it's a wonder you didn't explode!

Your GP should have picked up these contra-indications before prescribing this combination of medications. That's part of the job.

I have been suffering from high-blood pressure for a long time. It seemed that every time I had my BP checked, my medication was increased, until I was taking the maximum recommended dose of 4 different BP tablets. About a year ago I started to feel really lousy in the mornings - everything was a real effort. I even had to have a lie-down after taking a shower. I went to my GP who referred me to the hospital for investigation.
I had various scans and procedures, but nothing showed up. After all these hospital visits I was passed to the Cardiology department. While this was going on, I checked my BP with my own meter, which showed that every time I felt lousy, I had low BP. One day it was 84/44. The Cardiology department gave me a 24 hour BP meter, which was then returned for analysis. When I went back to see a Cardiologist I took my prescription re-order form. When he saw all the BP medication, he immediately said that I was on too much. He stopped one of the tablets and halved the dosage of another.
Since then, I am glad to say, I have stopped feeling lousy and my BP is not too bad.

As you might guess, I have a pretty low opinion of my GP after this.

Hi Alan,

I don't have a very high opinion of my GP's either. One of them actually told me to stop going to the practice nurse for BP checks after I had reported a BP reading over 200, which he asserted could not possibly be correct. I either had a faulty machine or I had made some sort of mistake. This was before the hospital incident.

Just after the hospital incident I was given another tablet, for my gut. Anyway, after getting it I read the leaflet very thoroughly and found that, if I was taking certain medication, I should consult my doctor or pharmacist. As I was indeed taking these medications I asked for a telephone consultation. I pointed out that no-one had alerted me to the Meloxicam/Lisinopril conflict so, having read this warning on the leaflet I wanted to be sure that it had been taken into consideration. She assured me that everything was fine and I was not to worry. However, at the first renewal of that prescription I was given a different form of that medication which does not carry the warning about possible problems with the other things I am taking. I think there are many people out there suffering all kinds of problems caused by conflicts in their medication which should have been picked up by their GP's. I am equally sure that many will have died for the same reasons, but their deaths will have been recorded as a natural result of whatever they were suffering from.

I would have thought that modern computer systems would automatically flag up contra-indications when new medications were added to the list. If not, why not?

My DAFNE team are excellent, but I fear that my GP's, and many non-diabetes medics in hospitals are just as likely to kill me as cure me. You may feel that I am paranoid, but of course being paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get you. The older you get the more people you see slip off this mortal coil in questionable circumstances. Many of the circumstances will appear questionable only because of the ignorance of the layman, but many more are questionable because things were done, or not done which should not, or should have, been done.

Please forgive this rant. I am so frustrated that we all seem so helpless when it comes to getting our healthcare systems to work properly.

Kind regards,

Roger

Hi folks. High blood pressure is a very important sign in Type 1 diabetes as it can (although not always) signify early diabetic kidney disease which might progress. Anyone with type 1 diabetes should have any high BP reading considered along with the results of urine testing for early kidney damage (indicated by increased protein in the urine, what's called albumin/creat ratio) ideally measured on an early morning urine specimen. If two specimens show increased protein levels then even if BP isn't particularly high, we would advise treatment with either an ACE-inhibitor, (lisinopril, ramopril) or what's called an A2 receptor blocker (candesartan, losartan). So I agree that a high BP in isolation needs careful assessment with perhaps a 24 recording but if protein urine levels are raised we would be keen to start these treatments as soon as possible. They definitely slow down progression of kidney damage particularly if the BP can be lowered. Simon

I am about to go on another 24 hour BP monitoring session............

Is there sign of damage if the majority of the time I am in range but only high in the morning and at nights.............?...........I understand an average is taken, how is this average used when considering medication....?

In people with diabetes, if there is no protein in the urine then the average BP should be below 140/80, if there is protein then pressure should be below 130/75. But side effects, overall kidney function and other conditions should be taken into account. Simon

hi, I have a question about my kidney function. After the birth of my daughter I was put on blood pressure medication (Coversyl). as I had pre-eclampsia durng the pregnancy and my BP stayed high long after the birth. About 6 months after her birth my kidney function test showed moderate microalbuminuria, and my BP remained over 140/90. My endo claimed this was due to poor diabetes control causing impaired kidney function.
However over thefollowing 2 years my kidney function has returned to normal, based on spot urine tests. My Bp remains around 140/90. Should I still be having 24 hour urine tests for kidney function, or are the spot urine tests sufficient?

Hi Jackie. I think spot urines measuring alb/creat ratio are probably sufficient. It is possible that your Coversyl has helped to fix the microalbuminuria which might not be due to your diabetes but an uncovering of a BP issue during your pregnancy. If your BP is still at 140/90 I would actually be trying to reduce this further, perhaps with an additional agent. Certainly worth discussing with your specialist. Also you should know that if you intend to become pregnant again you should stop your Coversyl before you conceive. Simon