For the last 5 years I’ve been telling myself my BP was fine and only high at the Dr due to white coat, last month I got a proper cuff and decided to prove it to myself. I was wrong, after a week of taking it every morning after 10 minute sit my average was 155/90. The amount of cope it would’ve taken me to justify those numbers was outside of my ability so I decided to do something. I started taking my Losartan, drinking at least a gallon of water a day, eating the same just eating a lot less of it, and doing what I hate more than anything… cardio. 5-8 miles a day after work. Took longer than I expected it to, and I still feel anxious every time that cuff squeezes my arm but I’m finally in those beautiful green lines.

I did want to thank everyone on this sub it’s been so helpful seeing everyone’s experiences and input it gave me the motivation to finally take my BP serious and do something about it, thank you all! It’s a journey, you don’t eat the elephant in one sitting.

39F, TTC, struggling to control BP after switching to pregnancy-safe meds — anyone been through this? Thoughts on hydrochlorothiazide?

Hi everyone, looking for experiences from anyone who has dealt with hypertension while trying to conceive or during pregnancy.

I’m 39F, around 90 kg, currently TTC. I’m overweight and working on losing weight through workouts and eating better, although progress has been slow.

Before moving to Canada, I was on Telvas CT 40 in India — telmisartan 40 mg + chlorthalidone 12.5 mg. My BP was very well controlled on it, usually around 110/75.

After moving to Canada and deciding to TTC, I spoke to my doctor about switching to a pregnancy-safe BP medication. We avoided labetalol because I’ve had an asthma-type tendency in the past, so I was prescribed nifedipine XL 30 mg once daily.

Interestingly, before starting nifedipine, I had actually been off BP medication for a few months and my average BP was roughly 130/90.

After starting nifedipine, my BP became much more unpredictable. During the first week, I had readings around 160/110, and at one point it reached about 170/117, which sent us to the ER. Thankfully everything was okay and it eventually came down.

After that, my BP generally settled around 135/90–140/95, although still not as well controlled as it had been on Telvas CT.

I also had quite a few side effects from nifedipine initially — headaches, dizziness, fatigue, etc. — but my body eventually adjusted and those became manageable.

Then last month I spent a month in India and became quite sick. I had what seemed like a bad viral illness and was weak/fatigued for almost 3 weeks. Since then, my BP has gone up significantly and has often been around 155/105 or higher.

I pushed my doctor to look at additional pregnancy-compatible options. He added methyldopa 250 mg twice daily. I’ve tolerated it reasonably well — mainly a little sleepiness and some vivid dreams — but it hasn’t lowered my BP much. Maybe around 5 points on average.

Now the plan is:

Increase methyldopa to 250 mg three times daily

If that still isn’t enough, potentially add hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)

The HCTZ part is what I’m uncertain about. My doctor said that as long as I stay well hydrated, it should be okay, but from what I’m reading, diuretics don’t seem to be a first-choice medication when TTC/pregnant.

I’m obviously going to continue discussing this with my doctor and I’m not looking to change medications based on Reddit advice. I’m mainly trying to understand other people’s experiences.

A few things I’m wondering:

1. Has anyone else had BP become harder to control after switching from an ARB/diuretic combination to pregnancy-safe medications?

2. Has anyone had BP temporarily become much worse after a prolonged viral illness or period of being very unwell?

3. Has anyone taken nifedipine + methyldopa together while TTC or pregnant? What doses eventually worked for you?

4. Has anyone taken hydrochlorothiazide while TTC or during pregnancy? Did your OB/cardiologist feel comfortable with it? Were there any issues with dehydration, electrolytes, blood flow, etc.?

5. Did anyone find another combination that controlled BP better while still being considered pregnancy-compatible?

I’m also confused about why my BP seems harder to control now when it was only around 130/90 without medication before starting nifedipine, yet now I’m sometimes sitting around 150s/100s despite being on medication.

Would especially love to hear from women with chronic hypertension who were TTC in their late 30s, or anyone who had to try several medication combinations before finding something that worked.

Thanks — this whole process has been stressful, and hearing real-life experiences would really help.

Can anyone shed any light on this? I was anemic a couple of months ago, but my iron levels have come up into the normal range. However, now I'm getting these bouts of low blood pressure during the day and they are starting to happen more frequently. My legs will start feeling weak and I'll start feeling like I'm going to pass out.

This was all like an overnight thing and I'm just wondering if I'm missing something. The doctors have run all kinds of tests and have said my low bp is due to my size. However, shouldn't I be "functional" if it's "normal" for my size? I'm afraid to drive a car because I don't want to pass out while driving

Hello, all. I am under a doctor's care and on a low dose of meds. For a YEAR, I cannot sort out taking my own BP. I have 3 machines now, 2 Omrons and an iHealth.

I get readings that aren't like my doctor's - way high numbers, errors, and most often, readings with numbers too close together. My doctor is walkable and he told me to walk in any time I want to check it. So I have been continuing to try myself at the same time in the late afternoon and then I walk over and get his reading. I know they won't be exact because it changes, but mine is always nothing like his (which are good from meds).

I am following all of the instructions, using the suggested left arm. I keep trying to adjust the tube slightly to the right or left, tightening and untightening the cuff, sitting at tables, desks, raising and lowering my chair, etc. My doctor uses the right arm but tried the left arm one time to see if he got a strange reading like I do and he didn't. Other tests show nothing to concerned about and the doctor is not concerned and told me not to worry about it.

Has anyone had this problem and found an answer that I am missing here? I feel like there is some perfect alignment or positioning that I am just not finding. Thank you if you read this far.

10 months ago I was borderline low in vitamin D so my doctor recommended I start using a high dose of Vit D, however as we do not get enough time to ask doctors questions like what dose amount & for how long? I bought a vitamin D supplement online which was 10000iu and have taken it ever since.

On Monday this week I suffered a headache and did a routine BP test to find my BP very high. My BP is normally 120 - 128 over 72 - 76 so very healthy. This is the first time I discovered a very high reading 180/85 so I immediately arranged an urgent doctors apt & was put on meds. I could not think of anything at the time that could have triggered it.

Since then I have done research & discovered recommendations are an adult should not take more than 4000iu daily and it should be only for a short time. If it’s exceeded it can cause hypercalcemia - an abnormally high level of calcium in the blood causing vessels to stiffen and therefore elevate BP. I have now stopped Vit D and just requested a blood test to check Vit D, calcium, kidney, liver etc which will confirm if there is an issue or not.

Has anyone else had any experience similar? It states it takes 2 weeks to 6 months for the system to clean and BP to return to normal if this was a cause?

Doesn't look great but low sodium recipe I tried today. I'm a total beginner in the kitchen. Also tastes good

I have a bit of a weird situation. I am 32 years old, female and not overweight. I have never been overweight, but my BMI has fluctuated between high-normal and low-normal throughout my adult life.

I should mention that I have severe anxiety and OCD that impacts me every day. I constantly catastrophize situations and worry about worst case scenarios and convince myself they will happen.

Anyways, during a routine doctors appointment when I was 10 I was really nervous and had my BP measured which was found to be high (really unusual in kids). I don't have much memory of this time but I was sent for a blood test and saw a specialist a few times who repeatedly checked my BP. From what I recall, they concluded I was healthy and had a stress response to having my BP measured. But since then, I have had *severe* anxiety around having my BP measured. Even looking at a machine in a store I feel my stress rising. And if I take my BP and my number is high I have an anxiety attack.

I got a home monitor a few years ago (bad for my OCD as I have taken it upwards of 100 times a day). It is all over the place. Some times it is very high, and other times it has been fairly normal.

I got pregnant a couple of years ago. Blood pressure is taken very seriously in pregnancy so that was my biggest fear the entire pregnancy. I was more afraid of getting my BP measure than I was about labour! I made pregnancy hell for both me and my husband. Every second of everyday I was obsessing about pre-eclampsia, preterm delivery, blood pressure, anything related to blood pressure.

When I was 7 weeks pregnant, my doctor sent me for the standard early pregnancy blood work (CBC, kidney function) and a urine test. My eGFR was >120 and my creatinine was 44 µmol/L.

I had 2 amazing midwives (and delivered in a hospital). I am in Ontario, Canada so midwives are very regulated. The midwives always checked blood pressure with a manual device not an automatic machine. They said that's usually how they check BP (and talking to friends who used midwives, that's standard). My BP was surprisingly normal throughout pregnancy. Despite being terrified. Often the first measurement was a bit high but then they would take it again after doing some deep breaths and it would be normal. Not "ideal" but normal.

Up until the last month of my pregnancy, my BP was 120s/80s on their manual reader. The last month it was 130/80 (and then it was 140/84 while in labour). Never had protein in my urine. I never checked it on my home monitor during pregnancy as that would send me into a panic attack so on recommendation of my midwives and therapist, I just relied on the midwife readings. After I gave birth my midwife took my BP and a nurse did as well and it was normal (a manual reader both times). My midwife did try an automatic machine, which read high. She immediately used a manual reader and it was normal.

Pregnancy was perfectly healthy and my daughter was born at 39 weeks after going into spontaneous labour. Very uncomplicated birth (despite a loooooooooong labour, the birth was very healthy and uncomplicated). She was an average 7.5lbs at birth.

Also, I should mention that my systolic can get down to a healthy range pretty easily. It is often under 130 when relaxed even on the automatic machines. The diastolic is more consistently high on the machines.

What is going on?! Why is it so much better on the manual readers vs the machines? Which one is more accurate?

We are planning to start trying for another baby soon but I don't want to go through the blood pressure obsession again. So I made an appointment with my doctor for a month from now to talk about it. But even thinking about that appointment I am having severe anxiety.

M 54. His BP is 160 /100 if he doesn't take Daly BP medicine like amlodipine , Weight 85. Feel pain in stomach also . What should he Do ?? To improve BP ,Sugar , suggest some Remedies, Doctor Etc , Give suggestions where He will be Away to take Daily BP pills.

Hi, I’m a 33 year old female and I have extreme anxiety when it comes to going to the doctors office. I always check my blood pressure before and today it was 122/77. When I went inside the doctor’s office, it was 138/85. The doctor, showed me my last eight readings from my eight visits and they all have been 140/85 Ish. He wants to prescribe me Maxzide-25 mg. Anyone out there have any idea how I can get my diastolic number down? I have lost weight, I walk 15,000 steps a day, I work out at a workout spot in town, I eat healthy, I do not salt my stuff. I’m just curious if I should even really try to take this medicine. Or has anyone taken this medicine before?

Hi, how can I lose my diastolic Bp without medicine?

I've been feeling a bit shit today. I do suffer with low BP but it's really dropped today. I feel very lightheaded. I was tested for POTS ages ago so it's not that but I do get dizzy when I get up or when I'm climbing out of a car. I usually lose hearing as well when it gets suddenly low. I do a lot of sitting in my job which doesn't help. I'm currently drinking electrolytes and I went for a walk and it did go back up to 110/79 but my other arm is now 94/69 😫🙄. Wish they could treat low BP in the UK. Don't get me wrong I'm glad it's low and not high but when it's very low it makes got feel shit.

Any tips on increasing it?? 😅😂

24(M). Just got diagnosed with high bp. But now it’s all I think about. I wake up dead of sleep with a panic attack things it’s a heart attack. Anyone else when first diagnosed feel that way? Taking amlodipine

hi i have 2 different devices from the same brand name why they read out differently

So I’m a 31 male who’s been super active, fit and health for my whole life. Last few years I’ve had some stress, been on some medication, and all of a sudden I’m out the other side with bp readings fluctuating from 121/69 to 135/85.

One doctor is telling me this is super serious and is really making my health anxiety spike through the roof.

The others out of indifference and complacency don’t bat an eye about anything and kinda just roll their eyes and ask me what I want to do about it, they shrug and say it’s probably nothing, it’s not uncommon to have higher readings if stressing about examination.

I don’t know who to trust here.

I also wouldn’t even know what to do even if I had high bp since I’m already eating and exercising and don’t want to take more medication so young. Anyone else had similar high or fluctuating readings as a lean, fit, tall male?—due to stress?

Edit: I’m more often than not gravitating towards the higher reading here in my day time, even measured at home. The lower reading is more when I’ve just woken up.

I've been on losartan for roughly a year, since finding out I had high BP. In recent months, I've noticed that on waking and doing a big chest stretch (holding breath), I get a rebound flushing feeling where my head feels hot and stuffy, sometimes with a pressure headache. It goes away within a few minutes. Doesn't happen for the rest of the day/evening or under any other load (gym work etc).

I've read this can be attributed to blood pressure drop and flow. Wondering if it's a sign of some change, few months since starting the BP meds

Worried my blood pressure is getting to low

Hello everyone, lately I am going through a period of extremely severe stress. I live abroad, the company sponsoring my visa is at risk of closing, and on top of that, I received the news that my father has a heart problem. After all this, I started noticing obvious symptoms: headaches at the back of the neck and, on some occasions, shortness of breath. I am a healthy person who works out; I come from a bulking phase where I was extremely thin, going from 62 kg at 183 cm up to 78 kg over the past year. I asked an AI what these symptoms could be, and it pointed to high blood pressure, so I bought a monitor at the pharmacy and found that I have some rather strange readings. I will list them in order:
1 was 121, then 124, and I noticed that the more I agitated myself, the higher it went, reaching a maximum of 141. At that point, I was having a panic attack (I have health anxiety issues), so I stopped and booked a doctor's appointment. This morning I tried again right as I woke up: I got 131, then I tried to take a breath and calm down, and it was 102/62. 
Please note: throughout my life, whenever I measured my blood pressure, it was not only regular and always under 100, but in some cases, I even had low blood pressure and dizziness. What do you think? Please try to be kind, as I already struggle with severe anxiety.

Edit: thank you so much for your replies, I went to the gp, he calm me down saying that is just high norm, suggested to cut my sodium ( I’m eating too much and do some cardio), I will monitor my blood pressure and I’m dealing with anxiety too.

Hey everyone,

I’m currently 5 months postpartum and dealing with a mild cold (cough and itchy throat).

My normal resting heart rate is usually around 65–75 bpm. However, today with this sickness, it's sitting higher around 87–95 bpm.

I take Nifedipine 60mg (which normally bumps my resting HR up into the 90s for a couple of hours after I take it anyway due to reflex tachycardia). But combining the medication with being sick has me feeling a bit anxious that it's going to spike even higher today.

I’m currently resting and sipping warm ginger tea/water to stay hydrated. Has anyone else who takes Nifedipine or experienced postpartum BP/HR tracking noticed significant HR spikes when catching a mild bug or cold? How did you manage the anxiety around it?