Fifty Plus (50+) - OMG! Sudden Onset Hypertension!!

I had a routine dr's visit this week and the nurse came in to do the usual vitals. When she did the BP she asked me if I had high blood pressure. I said "No, it's always 120/78" Well it was 152/92! She repeated it and it only went down a few points.

When the Dr came in we discussed it and he took it again. Still high, but a little lower (140/86)

I stopped by 3 drug stores during the day and got about the same results. I have since borrowed an automatic cuff and I keep getting somewhat the same reading, est on the systolic (first number)

I contacted my primary care dr and left him a note about this and I am awaiting his call.

I visit a Dr every 3 months so I have a pretty good idea of my BP and it always has been normal 120/78. Now since my last Dr's visit in July my BP has jumped 30 pts on the high end.

I ride about 100 - 120 mi a week and keep my HR in zone 3 and 4. I've never had any heart problems (not real ones, a few scares but they were always nothing cardiac) and I don't have any family history of hypertension.

I have been drinking a lot of Splenda laced drinks over the past summer as well as Gatorade and HEED. I also take Enduralytes in the summer for long rides. Now that the weather here is cooling, I'll back off of the Enduralytes, and change over to just water for hydration.
I'm a bit puzzled as to why the sudden jump in the BP despite my exercise, active lifestyle and good eating habits.

Feel free to pontificate on my dilemma as I await the Dr's call.

I'm not a doctor (but I play on..., oh,nevermind) but, I copied the quote below from "Splenda"'s website:

Sodium
Low sodium: Contains no more than 140 milligrams per serving.
Sodium free/salt-free: Contains less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving.
Light in sodium/lightly salted/reduced sodium: If a food is light in sodium, its sodium is decreased by at least 50% compared to the regular food. Reduced sodium means it has less than 25% less sodium when compared to the regular food. And lightly salted means the food has 50% less sodium than normally added.
Remember!
Though sodium doesn’t affect blood glucose levels, people with high blood pressure or who are at risk of high blood pressure may need to consume less.
http://www.splenda.com/living-with-diabetes/understanding-food-labels

Google 'splenda blood pressure" and you will see there are reports of people experiencing similar symtoms as yours. Those reports are not necessarily scientific proof but people respond differently to things and there are lots of reason to believe artificial (manufactured - i.e. non-natural) products may cause a myriad of not so nice results.

If I were you I would try to eliminate it for some time and see how your body responds. Try Stevia instead. And by the way it is 'normal' for the body to adjust BP in response to body needs/issues. BP is not a constant number. I believe the key is not to treat the high BP but initially try to determine what is causing your natural body response to raise your BP. Your body is a lot smarter than most doctors. But they may be able to help you determine the cause. Insist on it with your Dr. BP meds may simply cover up the real problem.

I had a routine dr's visit this week and the nurse came in to do the usual vitals. When she did the BP she asked me if I had high blood pressure. I said "No, it's always 120/78" Well it was 152/92!


Was she hot?

You may want to increase your potassium intake (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090126173839.htm). Supplements are not the way to do this; for myself, I take plain yogurt (http://www.mountainhighyoghurt.com/products/fatfree.html) with a banana for breakfast. Collectively, this gives me about 1000 mg of potassium in one meal, a little more than 25% of the RDA.

Sodium intake (i.e., even a pizza) will raise my BP. I take no salt, drink no electrolytes. We don't even have salt in the house. However, you can't get away from it with processed foods or restaurant foods. Somehow, I do my 40 mile rides in the summer just on a bit of plain old water. When I was doing longer rides, I used some gatorade, never anything fancier. Those were the ancient days, before all the new-fangled stuff.

Before my surgery last year i was on a low sodium, low sugar diet, my bp was 117/76 with hr 52 day of surgery. After recovering i went off that diet and an now have border line hypertension. I can go back to that diet but i like salt/sweets. When i ride most of the day is normal or below, night is higher until rising. Pizza is just plain good. When it gets colder i will go back to low sodium, low sugar and see what happens.

Calm down, calm down, or you're going to get your blood pressure up.

All of the above is cool and all, but a lot of people become hypertensive in their 50s regardless of how careful they are. I work with a nurse who is slender and works out daily (she's pretty hot as a result) but is on both anti-hypertensives and lipid lowering agents.

One day, no matter how healthy a lifestyle we live, we all are going to croak. That's just the way it is. Get used to it.

PS. No. I really had a very good day at the office.

I have been drinking a lot of Splenda laced drinks...
I use the pink stuff. I'd rather die like a lab rat than experiment with all these unknown sweeteners.

Let us know what the primary doc says.

Yuck: Artificial sweetners suck and just make you want more sweets. I use honey or sugar in the raw that is sort of light brown and big granules. Ya kinda need to get used to honey since it gives a different flavor of sweetness to cereal or coffee but its better than those artifical things. bananas are almost natures perfect food, they digest easily and enter the bloodstream fast and water what can be said about water its better for you than any drink out there.

Was she hot?

That was my initial thought, but no, she was cute, but not "hot." As a further proof, when the Dr (male) did it it was the same.

My Primary Care Dr called and after a bit of discussion we decided to limit my sodium intake and take my bp several times a week and record it. I'll then see him in 2 weeks. He was happy that the diastolic seems to have come down to a more normal level.

Weak, I appreciate your professional input, and indeed we all face father time. I guess I was just a bit surprised at how quickly it jumped. It's always been pretty much the same for as long as I can remember, and then suddenly it jumped 30 pts (systolic)

Work with your doc. Two years ago, I went in for my flight physical, and I was 200 over 100. I never cared what it was before, because it was passing, but I'm guessing it was at least a 60 point rise. Tt was a real nightmare for several months -- I lost many thousands of dollars of income from cancelled flights and had to cancel several vacation trips because there was no way to get there.

The good news was that I got my medical back in four months. I've been monitoring my BP at home and tonight's reading was 92/56.

BP is really variable, and highly stress related. Unfortunately, high BP can be a big stressor in itself. Mine goes up about 40 points when I walk into a physician's office.

It's OK. You can get it under control. Also, as my doc keeps reminding me, a single reading is meangless -- what matters is the average value.

Paul

All of the above is cool and all, but a lot of people become hypertensive in their 50s regardless of how careful they are.

You people must stick together or something. My doc told me the same thing when I went to see him earlier this week with my semi-annual sinus infection. He put me on Lisinopril and Hydrochlorothiazide a couple of years back. He's a young snot, but I put up with him because he's a road cyclist as well, and he understands. In addition to sinus infections, bikes, and rides, we discussed blood pressure. He sez my pressure is OK now and the pump appears to be in good shape.

[QUOTE=BP is really variable, and highly stress related. Unfortunately, high BP can be a big stressor in itself. Mine goes up about 40 points when I walk into a physician's office.

It's OK. You can get it under control. Also, as my doc keeps reminding me, a single reading is meangless -- what matters is the average value.

Paul[/QUOTE]

+1 get a cuff and a stethoscope and take it in the morning, and evening for a few weeks,,,
that is really the only way to be sure ...mine averages at least 40/50 points higher in the hassle of theDR's office ...Its a very common situation,tobe much higher there,,,(wife is a nurse and double checks my home readings so I know they are accurate..)
Bud

BP is really variable, and highly stress related. Unfortunately, high BP can be a big stressor in itself. Mine goes up about 40 points when I walk into a physician's office.

Ditto. I also suffer from white coat hypertension (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_coat_hypertension).

Can you tolerate penicillin? If not, you may have a wider range of mold sensitivity. Artificial sweeteners and Gatorade type drinks contain mold based ingredients. Sugarless gum is loaded with them. Yup, it can drive up blood pressure. bk

As a further proof, when the Dr (male) did it it was the same.


Was he hot?

You may want to increase your potassium intake (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090126173839.htm). Supplements are not the way to do this; for myself, I take plain yogurt (http://www.mountainhighyoghurt.com/products/fatfree.html) with a banana for breakfast. Collectively, this gives me about 1000 mg of potassium in one meal, a little more than 25% of the RDA.

1000mg potassium from yogurt and banana, interesting. Poster did not state his age. At 75 I can tell you that this is the way high BP starts out. Arteries harden. You can squirm and wriggle, and the BP will go up and down as you keep checking it, but sooner or later the doc will put you on a BP medication. Make it clear you want one that DOESN'T affect your sexuality. (docs don't give a damn, they got tunnel vision).
My BP medicine steals minerals from my blood somehow. Doc recommends banana and tomato juice to supplement them. I get NASTY cramps on the inside of my thighs several hours after a ride. Taking potassium supplements made them go away. I was told this is kinda dangerous, so I called the doc to find out how much was too much. No answers. She elected to have me come in for a blood draw. She then said the amount I was taking was ok. That was 100mg before ride, 100mg during. The banana and tomato juice seemingly had no effect on my cramps.

Was he hot?

I'm not one to judge this. He's 50ish and balding. If I were so inclined, I don't think I would consider him "hot" by any stretch.

Regarding "white coat hypertension" I've never had it before. I had breast cancer in '02 and through it all my bp was always normal. I visit a dr of some sort at least every 3 mo for routine visits, and never had WCH before. On the day before father's day I woke at 5am with nasty painful indigestion that would not go away. At 6am I woke the wife and said "lets be safe" and I went to the ER. Spent Father's day weekend in the Hosp, A-OK. Got a cardiac stress test on Wed, passed with flying colors. Never had any abnormal BP.

Today at 6AM the BP was 152/92 as I prepared for the Sat AM club ride. Did a good workout on the local "hill" and spent most of the time in HR zones 3 and 4. My BP was 129/86 about 30 min after the ride, and 122/67 about an hr later.

I'll just take it AM & PM and record it for my Dr visit in 2 weeks. Meanwhile, low sodium and minimal stimulants.

Lots of good info so far. Here are a couple other things to check out:
>Could this be a result of monitoring? You have labile BP but because of infrequent monitoring you just didn't know it before?
>Diet has already been mentioned. I can't emphasize too much how important diet is to BP. As I've gotten older my tolerance for salt and other chemicals has significantly reduced. My experience is that a single meal in a Thai/Chinese/high salt food restaurant can significantly increase my weight and BP. Why? Water retention. I"ll leave it to you to do the calculation on how much fluid that salt added to your body. Good news is that it all gets eliminated in a few hours with a bit more active kidney function.
>Are your readings just screenings or are they taken as clinical diagnostic measurements? There is a specific protocol for a clinical BP.

Above all don't get too excited, hot or not hot :)


We posted close together: Seems you are on the right track.

1000mg potassium from yogurt and banana, interesting. [...]

Docs will tell you that potassium supplements are risky, because they know that you can have heart problems if your potassium levels get too elevated.

I think the potassium angle is important, as many people with hypertension tend to focus exclusively on sodium intake. I think a wise approach to managing hypertension involves reducing sodium intake and appropriate potassium intake (the RDA is 3500 mg). Do most folks get 3500 mg of potassium in a day? I have no idea, but I don't believe I was getting that much.

Regarding monitoring of BP, I believe it is good to eliminate as much variability as possible from the process. I check my BP first thing in the morning, every day. It does change throughout the day, but if you check it at irregular intervals it will make it very hard to know how you're doing with respect to BP in general.

I stopped using Splenda when I got serious about losing weight. Stevia (Stevia in the Raw, Truvia, or Purevia) is an organic sweetener that is derived from a leaf and the glucosytes aren't metabolized by the body. Splenda and Equal are bad for your health. My sister has epilepsy and she can't take any of them. Since Splenda is the inverse of the sugar molecule, it tricks your body into thinking it's sugar and your pancreas releases insulin, which can cause a hypoglycemic state. For many peole this triggers the desire to eat more.

Hopefully it was an anomaly (the bp).

I dropped the splenda. Gotta get some stevia.

Hypertension is hypertension, regardless of where or when it is measured.

Was he hot?

*Snicker*

Thanks for the tips on stevia. I've been using Splenda to the tune of 1 tablespoon per day for the past couple of years, and my BP has risen. But it is much higher at work than at home, so I suspect that there is a fair bit of stress effect there.

I use no sweeteners of any kind. We have no sugar in the house. The only exception being some honey if I have French Toast or pancakes, rarely. However, I do eat some frozen yogurt from time-to-time. Hard to get away from sweeteners in restaurants and processed foods. I only drink water and skim milk.

I drink water, a cup of coffee most days, and lots of fresh made green tea (usually matcha). Although I have a pot of Yerba Mate tea this morning.

I've looked at the data on the web and cannot find any credible information showing sucralose as a causitive agent for hypertension. Anyone?

Feel free to pontificate on my dilemma as I await the Dr's call.

I would completely ignore your doctor's opinion. You are right to rely on the internet, especially BF.

I would completely ignore your doctor's opinion. You are right to rely on the internet, especially BF.

Thanks. I really needed someone to confirm my beliefs. I thought everyone was making fun of me.

I am a coffeeholic and will never change. I start every day with a fresh pot, freshly ground and with a smile. I switched to Splenda for awhile a year or so ago. One day I got ready for a ride, jumped on my bike, heart rate 100-110, it was up to 150 by the end of my driveway. At 154, my legs start building lactic acid and at 165, I'm totally anaerobic. I knew something was wrong, I didn't feel any different.

My normal blood pressure is 110/70. I ran to the doctor with my new heart rate problem, he looked at my blood pressure 178/120 and immediately scheduled a stress test in a few days. I thought what I may have been doing and the Splenda was the only difference. I switched back to sugar and haven't had a problem since. By the way, crushed the stress test, 52 resting, perfect textbook EKG. I asked him how hard I could go, he told me to go kill myself. My doctor is also a cyclist.

I asked him how hard I could go, he told me to go kill myself. My doctor is also a cyclist.

He just wanted to thin out the competition ;)

I've looked at the data on the web and cannot find any credible information showing sucralose as a causitive agent for hypertension. Anyone?

I guess it all depends on your definition of credible. I'm assuming you don't trust anecdotal.

http://www.askdrhull.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=953


I guess it can be Big Sugar vs. Big Pharma

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/09/splenda_study.html

A new Duke University study finds that the artificial sweetener Splenda contributes to obesity, destroys beneficial inteestinal bacteria and may interfere with absorption of prescription drugs.

Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/09/splenda_study.html#ixzz10mPFvHLE

http://stason.org/articles/wellbeing/health/nutrition/How-To-Prevent-High-Blood-Pressure.html
...Avoid any artificial sweeteners like aspartame, neotame, saccharin, cyclamate, acesuflame-K and sucralose sold as Splenda found in most pop drinks and even in bottled water, food and sugar-free chewing gum and large amounts can elevate blood pressure...

The range of responses is from "I don't use sweeteners of any kind" to "I use artificial sweeteners to the point I think they may be killing me". Why not be normal humans and use refined sugar, honey, etc., in moderation?

BTW, the new Hawaii Five-0 is pretty cool. Especially the girl.

Also, if you need to add a lot of sugar or cream to your coffee, you need to drink better coffee.

I guess it all depends on your definition of credible. I'm assuming you don't trust anecdotal.

http://www.askdrhull.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=953


I guess it can be Big Sugar vs. Big Pharma

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/09/splenda_study.html

A new Duke University study finds that the artificial sweetener Splenda contributes to obesity, destroys beneficial inteestinal bacteria and may interfere with absorption of prescription drugs.

Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/09/splenda_study.html#ixzz10mPFvHLE

http://stason.org/articles/wellbeing/health/nutrition/How-To-Prevent-High-Blood-Pressure.html
...Avoid any artificial sweeteners like aspartame, neotame, saccharin, cyclamate, acesuflame-K and sucralose sold as Splenda found in most pop drinks and even in bottled water, food and sugar-free chewing gum and large amounts can elevate blood pressure...

Credible is information from someone without a vested interest in the result, information on point (hypertension), reviewed and agreed to by others, replicable by others if a study, in short the type of information none of these provide. We can criticize the FDA and other agencies but they are the ones charged with protecting us.

Provide reviewed on point information and you will find a very willing eye.

By the way, it occurs to me that we have been uncritically accepting the current BP numbers. I have a tendency, as do many I suspect, to uncritically accept the pronouncements of the medial community. As a person who has survived other medical recommendations that later turned out to be not so good I wonder whether this is a fad, or an improvement that will result in increased life quality and longevity.

No passion in the question, just curiosity.

Overtraining can also cause high blood pressure.
As we get older what used to be a normal training schedule can lead to overtraining as our bodies recover slower.

I've been attending Hypertension Clinics here in the UK for some years.
Due to 'white coat syndrome' it was felt surgery BP checks were unreliable.

So, now they regularly monitor me over a full 24hr period.
I get to wear a belt pack and cuff that will randomly record BP as I go about my life.
A more intense check will require you to keep a diary of activities for the time monitored.

Mike

The range of responses is from "I don't use sweeteners of any kind" to "I use artificial sweeteners to the point I think they may be killing me". Why not be normal humans and use refined sugar, honey, etc., in moderation?



I'm dumfounded.

Is there some benefit to sweeteners that I am missing? Some nutritional value or vitamin fulfillment?

Why should one use something "in moderation" that - to my knowledge - adds nothing. You write as if not using these items is somehow bad???

Did I miss something?

What does this have to do with being a "normal human."

I'm dumfounded.

Is there some benefit to sweeteners that I am missing? Some nutritional value or vitamin fulfillment?

Why should one use something "in moderation" that - to my knowledge - adds nothing. You write as if not using these items is somehow bad???

Did I miss something?

What does this have to do with being a "normal human."

Apparently you are missing something - pie.

Apparently you are missing something - pie.

Pie - well, now . . . . . :)

Pie - well, now . . . . . :)

I knew you were normal. ;)

The range of responses is from "I don't use sweeteners of any kind" to "I use artificial sweeteners to the point I think they may be killing me". Why not be normal humans and use refined sugar, honey, etc., in moderation?

...

Because a bit, even just a little bit, of research shows that artificial sweeteners are hidden in so many products if I were to add any it wouldn't be "in moderation".

Because the definition of what is good for humans has been warped to actually mean that the product does not contain active toxic bacteria, and sometimes not even that. The end result is that our "food" only kills us slowly rather than quickly like it would if it contained disease bacteria.

Because the more we learn about human nutrition the more we realize that the best food is the closest to its' natural state as possible.

Because current agriculture and food processing follows an industrial model rather than a nutrition model. Hence the term "industrial food".

Because the working definition of normal is too often being a conformist to popular image rather than being inquisitive and thoughtful. Even the saying "think outside the box" presumes as a norm we will fit inside some thought parameter. I've made a good living and a fruitful life using my natural and normal attibute of not ever having a box.

Because a bit, even just a little bit, of research shows that artificial sweeteners are hidden in so many products if I were to add any it wouldn't be "in moderation".

Because the definition of what is good for humans has been warped to actually mean that the product does not contain active toxic bacteria, and sometimes not even that. The end result is that our "food" only kills us slowly rather than quickly like it would if it contained disease bacteria.

Because the more we learn about human nutrition the more we realize that the best food is the closest to its' natural state as possible.

Because current agriculture and food processing follows an industrial model rather than a nutrition model. Hence the term "industrial food".

Because the working definition of normal is too often being a conformist to popular image rather than being inquisitive and thoughtful. Even the saying "think outside the box" presumes as a norm we will fit inside some thought parameter. I've made a good living and a fruitful life using my natural and normal attibute of not ever having a box.

I agree wholeheartedly with this. The problem I have with the FDA is the politics and $$$ that are ever present in our regulatory agencies.

Because a bit, even just a little bit, of research shows that artificial sweeteners are hidden in so many products if I were to add any it wouldn't be "in moderation".

Yep - bad wording on my part. My idea of moderation is based on knowledge of what I'm eating, and how much. So I'm abnormal by definition. If you eat mostly fresh food, the content is under your own control. I've never used artificial sweeteners (as a stand alone product), and use as much sugar and honey as I want - which is very little. I'm like my Dad in the sense that I'm good at "moderating" my food intake. ;)

I know it is bad form to resurrect a thread, but I came across a recent article (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100913161826.htm) that speaks to the points I raised. That is all...