u/Wagging_the_dog

I have WCS. I take 2.5 mg Amplodiphine and 50 mg Losartan every night. When I go to the doctor's and get my BP taken it's always stupidly elevated. I've seen 150/105, before one surgery several years ago it was 200/100. They almost postponed the surgery, but opted to put me under and see if it dropped - it did.

In a few weeks I'm scheduled for a surgical procedure and hope to keep the BP down. I don't smoke, don't drink, cardio exercise daily, alternative weights and isometric exercises daily, decent weight, and now do breathing exercises.

Any thoughts on how to get a handle on this?

I am on 2.5 mg Amplodiphine and 50 mg Losartan that I take at the same time each night before bed each night. I have White Coat Syndrome and have awful readings at the doctor's office. I generally do better at home when I'm relaxed.

Yesterday evening I was stressed about another non related medical issue. My BP in the morning was fine (avg 97/72), but I did a run in the evening right before my meds and it was bad (avg 152/95). Each time I sat still for 5 min, then did a run, and subsequent runs after a couple of minutes.

I was getting hyper stressed about my reading on top of my preexisting stress. After the high reading I took my BP meds and chilled. This morning I decided I needed a day to break the stress cycle. Tomorrow morning I'll resume my morning BP test.

Anyone else ever give themselves a break for a day just to reset your frame of mind?

My husband was treated for throat cancer, HPV18, around 3 years ago. 7 weeks of daily radiation, once a week chemo (he only lasted through 4). He got off the feeding tube, able to walk again (he was in a wheelchair by week 3), and was doing well after a couple of months.

In October last year his PET scan and biopsy showed a metastasis in his lymph node in his neck. He did Proton radiation twice a day for 5 weeks, and once a week chemo. He did very well, eating and drinking fine, and not in a wheelchair.

Then in March his CT showed a nodule in his lungs that had grown fast. It was biopsied and found to be another metastasis. He went through 1 week of radiation and is currently doing 6 months of immunotherapy.

In the last month he's had a burst of pain when he initially bites into food. He physically cringes at the first bite. We brought this up to the doctor this week. She said (nonchalantly) "that's 'first bite syndrome'". We were absolutely surprised by this, neither of us had heard anything about "first bite syndrome" before.

From what I've read it usually goes away or significantly reduces after 6-18 months.

Has anyone else here heard or experienced this after effect of radiation? I'm curious about your experiences.

I'm currently on 5 mg Amplodiphine and 50 mg Lorsartan. I also enjoy a nice cup of chamomile or green tea in the evening to get settled down, Sleepytime is really nice. Out of curiosity I looked it up and found that there are warnings about interactions with BP meds, but haven't noticed any adverse effects.

Thoughts or experiences with herbal teas and BP meds?

I'm just putting this out for everyone else who gets frustrated with managing high BP. It's my ongoing BP story, I'll try to keep it concise. I've never smoked nor drank alcohol and have always exercised a lot. My family has a history of high BP and strokes so I take it seriously. I've taken my BP monitors into appointments to confirm accuracy as well.

In high school and college my BP and heart rate were low, extremely low. It would be better called hypotension. I was very fit but aye junk food.

After college I was employed in an industry that employed regular polygraphs. This started affecting me when a BP cuff was put on at the doctor's office. I was heavier and it was around this time that my doctor put me on low doses of HCTZ and Amplodipine. My BP stabilized around 120/80.

Decades go by, I lost about 20 pounds and was able to get off the HCTZ (yay!).

Another decade, I retired and then had to deal with my husband's health issues. I lost another 20 more pounds from stress, but exercised more, ate right, did all the right things.

Unfortunately the stress from my husband's health recently took its toll on my BP was averaging 170/90. I went to the doctor and being put on 50 mg Losartan took my BP down.

My at home averages are now running 110/65, life is good. Then this week I go to my doctor the day before my husband's treatment. My BP at home before the doctor's appointment was a bit higher at 122/85. When i got to the appointment it was 155/110. I showed my doctor my regular BP readings on my phone and she said "White Coat Syndrome". She asked that I send her my readings for the next couple of days.

The next day at home my BP is 108/79 and 4 days later is continuing at 105/75.

So stress is real, healthy changes can impact your readings but so can external things (stress). Do what you can naturally but sometimes you need medical intervention.

** I had to add that I've tried garlic capsules, beet juice, herbal teas, breathing exercises, and even isometric exercises. None have had a real impact. My doctor hopes that as my husband's health issues stabilize that I can get off the Lorsatan.

On my first flight since assigned seats everything was smooth. I was in row 6 paid for the ELR, boarding group 2. Boarding easy, everyone seated, and plane departed on time. Plane had some empty seats in the first 10 rows or so (I didn't stand up and look at the rows in the back)

After we were cruising, and shortly after the FAs started handing out snacks, a woman came from the back of the plane and asked the FA if she could take an open window seat in row 1. I overheard the exchange, her reason: "because there are kids around my seat and they are being loud".

What happened? They allowed her to make that move. Seriously. It didn't impact me or my experience, I was just quite surprised. I expected them to send her back to her assigned seat.

And that is how you get a free upgrade. 😮