For starters, I realize what causes high blood pressure and how it can be naturally lowered through diet, exercise, etc. and the importance of doing this. My question really relates more to why there would be no change despite significant changes in the dosages of my medications and to my diet, etc.
The background info is that I was started on high blood pressure medications a couple of years ago–but not for high blood pressure. I was prescribed Verapamil ER, 120 mg once per day to prevent headaches, a common off-label use of this medication. Over the last few years though, I have started seeing a neurologist/pain management doctor who specializes in hard to treat chronic daily headaches. In the time since I started seeing this doctor, she has significantly (though slowly and cautiously) raised my dosage of the Verapamil ER to my current dose of 120 mg three times per day. She also (again slowly/cautiously) added Inderal…starting at 40mgs per day to my current (cont…)
Inderal dosage of 80 mgs 4 times per day. I work in a medical setting and know that most people on this much of these two medications would likely have significant side effects on these dosages. Commonly people would be very tired, lethargic, etc. due to low blood pressure given the amount of blood pressure lowering agents taken each day….but not only is that not the case for me, but I actually have not seen any drop in my blood pressure throughout the last couple of years—not even the few times the dose was raised by large amounts. In fact, although I did not have high blood pressure at the time these medications were started, I will now often have boderline-high blood pressure (140/90) when it is checked despite the amount of these meds. I do take several other medications…but none of which are known to cause hypertension (though some are known to lower BP) because my doctor is very cautious and expresses concern that it is still so high (see more add. details….)
despite the doses of the meds I am already on. When I first started seeing this doctor, it would have made sense if I had high blood pressure because I was eating very poorly, not exercising at all, and almost constantly in pain. Since that time, she has been able to get my headaches under control to a greater extent than before and was able to determine that much of the pain is actually due to a sleep disorder that does not allow the muscles to really rest properly at night…though through treatment I have seen great improvements in all of the symptoms (though not 100% by any means) and I have been eating a more balanced, lower sodium diet because this has also helped with the pain management…but again, I did not have high blood pressure before but now—despite all the BP lowering meds, and despite a better diet and losing 80 pounds, I continue to have boderline-high BP numbers on a regular basis.
Any thoughts? Suggestions? Ideas why this is the case?
Thanks for any info.
Sorry…just saw a response RE: age info/health background
I am a 25 y/o female with a diagnosis of migraines that seem to be more closely linked to a sleep disorder that causes muscular pain and significantly lowers my pain tolerance threshold when I go through bad periods. I have no other really significant health problems except for several bouts of kidney stones–one was pretty big (5.6 mm) and the rest have all been pretty small.
I have spoken to my primary care doctor about the problem (which was the specialist’s suggestion) and he did not seem very concerned based on the fact that it is not always that high…though since I have been keeping track, it rarely goes below 125/87 and usually averages approx. 133/88–and in truth, I very rarely ever see my primary care doc.
