[Amber1011]

I'm 19 and have high blood pressure. My diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) is 90. The doctor says part of it is because of my weight. I'm just frustrated because I've NEVER had high blood pressure before! Even at my highest weight my blood pressure was normal. Now I'm stressed out even more, which isn't helping my blood pressure at all. I guess it gives me another reaason to stick to losing weight, I just don't need medical problems!

[anastasia]

perhaps it's "white coat syndrome" - my bp goes UP when i go to the drs every time i go.

[Daimere]

I was 18 and had knee problems like a 60 year old. I was 21 and having heart palpitations and racing heart. It is so scary. I had to get on plan and now, I have to stay on. I've even noticed when I get off plan for a day, my heart starts going crazy again. This is my life now.

[Amber1011]

Well, It was tested last week, and I had to go back in to get it checked again today and its still high.
I think it may be in part to my birth control. I recently changed and I'm having other problems with it, and I won't be surprised if that is helping the blood pressure rise.

[rockinrobin]

I didn't have high blood pressure for years, and then - I did. And now - I don't. You are young. Don't do what I did. I waited until I was 42 to take control of my eating.

Obesity/being overweight is a big factor in high blood pressure. And having high blood pressure can bring on a host of very dangerous problems. Take care of your health right now. How I wish I would have at your age.

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've said to myself (and outloud) how I wish I would have lost the weight when I was younger. Drives me crazy sometimes. You are young. You have the opportunity to do this NOW. Life is soooo much more enjoyable being a healthy weight. I know for sure you will not regret having lost the weight.

Take care.

[Amber1011]

I was already planning on losing the weight. the weight isn't the problem. I'm just depressed that it happened to me. Its one of those things that you just think "it won't happen to me".
I think a lot of the problem is the dining hall foods. They have a "heart healthy" menu, but most of the stuff is PACKED with sodium. When all your food choices are processed foods, how in the world do you cut down on sodium?
I'm just going to be very careful when I cook at home for myself over spring break.

I've been exercising more, eating better, etc. One thing I thought was amusing is when the doc was rattling off all the stuff that I should watch out for and she was emphasizing different meats to watch out for... I'm vegetarian lol.
Then she started talking about cheese and stuff- I PURPOSELY don't eat a lot of dairy lol.
It was just interesting to see her try to find a new topic of stuff to warn me about every time I "shot her down".

[Fat Pants]

Originally Posted by Amber1011

Well, It was tested last week, and I had to go back in to get it checked again today and its still high.
I think it may be in part to my birth control. I recently changed and I'm having other problems with it, and I won't be surprised if that is helping the blood pressure rise.

I was going to suggest this. Certain types of bc can cause a rise in blood pressure. I know when I switched bc's (I'm on Yaz now), my blood pressure rose a little. It had never been high before (and this is even after I'd been exercising quite consistently for awhile).

[KDuffer]

I know how you feel. I have always had high blood pressure since I was a kid. I was also overweight since as far as I can remember. After years of trying to treat it with natural means (exercise, losing weight, less sodium) I've recently decided to go on medication to lower my blood pressure. I was so reluctant because I saw this as a defeat/failure on my part.

I would work with your doctor in treating your blood pressure. It sounds like you are doing the right things by eating better, losing weight, etc. Hopefully you will correct your BP issue through these means. If it doesn't go down, there could be many other factors including genetics and you should consider other types of treatment as well.

One thing that's been helpful is getting my own BP measuring device and taking measurements couple of times a day daily and recording them. I definitely find that my BP goes up by about ~10 when I'm in the doctor's office. Oh, also take your BP device to your doctor's office first to get it calibrated and make sure it's not off to begin with.

[kelly315]

you know, usually when I go to the doctor, I have to walk a bit to get there, including walking up steps. When I was heavier, my blood pressure would skyrocket because of those steps. After 20 minutes, it went back down to a normal level.

Any chance this is happening to you?

[Amber1011]

Originally Posted by kelly315

you know, usually when I go to the doctor, I have to walk a bit to get there, including walking up steps. When I was heavier, my blood pressure would skyrocket because of those steps. After 20 minutes, it went back down to a normal level.

Any chance this is happening to you?

No. Its the college doctor, and I literally live right next door, and its all one floor there. I wish it was that easy lol

[mandalinn82]

Here's my thought.

You are where you are where you are. Period. Nothing you can do is going to change where you are at RIGHT THIS SECOND. It's a starting place, no matter how much you don't want it to be, and that's what it is.

Now, from WHERE YOU ARE, you have two options. Option one is to freak out about where you are, get upset about it, and possibly derail yourself. Option two is to take it and use it as motivation to move forward and change where you'll be in the future, which is the only thing you have the power to change.

FWIW, I had high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and was a few small blood sugar points from being declared pre-diabetic. At 23. And now? Normal. But that's because I didn't allow where I was starting to change my mind about where I wanted to go.

[teawithsunshine]

Great advice, mandalinn82!!

[canadianwoman]

Originally Posted by Amber1011

When all your food choices are processed foods, how in the world do you cut down on sodium?

Eat unprocessed foods.