anybodyhere ever run faster after getting high BP treated

why not beta blockers?

I got my blood pressure checked and it was 168/90. I was on a vitamin and an antibiotic. Once I got off of those my bp went to 131/68. After a couple weeks of my bp at average i felt like I was less tired and had more energy. I cant give you any info on prescriptions. Good luck. It sucks I know.

beta blockers limit HR elevation and make exercise hard--effort does not translate to performance and athletes are frustrated

I started taking Norvasc (a calcium channel blocker), and it produced dramatic results. It has had no effect on my max heart rate and it (10mg/day for me) reduced my blood pressure from 150/95 to 130/82. The generic (amlodipine) costs me $10 at CVS. My doctor has me take it with 12.5mg of HTZ (water pill), and I pee all day long, but I feel so much better!

I notice(d) a big difference in how I *feel* day to day.

I take ACE, BBs and a diuretic. All in small doses, so the combined effect of each is minimal; together, it gets me to 12x/7x

Above the LT threshold, I notice I cannot max out, especially if I have taken the BBs w/in 6hrs. Afterwards, the effect diminishes.

I also notice that my sustainable pace *below* LT, near MP, increases. I can run longer at MP, with less noticeable fatigue, at MP. I asked my Dr about this and he said a compensatory effect of BBs is that they increase stroke volume. You heart cannot work as hard, so volume output increases. This is a non-sports medicine physicians opinion. My anecdotal experience confirms this, however.

So if you are a marathoner, nothing much to worry about. If you run the 800, not so good.

You can experiment w/ different drugs. The important thing is to get the # DOWN

You WILL feel better with the right combination and dosage.

Guys, thanks for the last two posts. This is very encouraging, I appreciate the thoughtful replies. Greg, any sexual side effects if you don't mind my asking? CCBs and diuretics are supposed to be notorious for this. Also how young/old were you guys when you got started on meds and have they held your BP down for awhile? I dont want to be constantly changing meds if I can avoid it.

SO glad to hear you both felt better with lower numbers. I see my doc on Wednesday.

started @ 38, now 44

ran 2:3x marathon 2yrs ago

I tried CCBs and felt terrible. Its like any drug - your mileage may vary. Nothing is set in stone.

Combinations are more effective than increased doses. Also, diuretics are 1) cheap 2) very effective and 3) have the least side effects. These are not so great for long running, but you can work around it.

BP is not a lifestyle issue. Its not a sign of age. It literally as serious as a heart-attack. The effects are irreversible, they are cumulative, and they can lead to much more serious damage later in life if yuo blow it off.

Weigh the following - death from a sudden stroke in your 50s (while seemingly healthy) or a small change in your life that NOBODY knows about.

Orville (?) posted a few years ago about a friend who refused to take BP medication and died early. Its not a joke.

If you can get the #s down using Pritikin or other diets, great. It can be done. But it doesn't always work for everybody.

I'm taking the the highest dose of Norvasc and a medium dose of water pill, and no side effects (no impotence). I started taking it 5 years ago when I was 43. What is bothersome is that I do have to time sex around my almost hourly urge to pee. I have tried dropping the the water pill, but my BP has crept up whenever I've tried it. You may be one of the lucky ones who doesn't need it. My advice would be to see if you can get by without the water pill and just use the medicine.

As far as Norvasc is concerned, I started at 2.5mg and moved up to 5mg and then 10mg. My BP dropped almost linearly as the dosage got higher. I don't notice any side effects from it.

My BP had been moderately high (140 / 88) and I am quite thin and fit with a good diet. I run 80 to 110 mile weeks and am pretty fast (Sub 29 10K.)

I'm in my early 30s and didn't want to start on meds so I figured I had little to lose by trying some supplements.

I started taking a fish oil pill, a CoQ10 (200mg) and calcium supplement. All of which have been shown to slightly lower BP.

I can't be sure if this is the reason for the drop (or which supplement) but mine is down to 118/70 now after 3 months.

(no difference in how I feel though...but I never felt bad)

I'm super psyched about this.

I'm a 400m/800m runner that was diagnosed with high blood pressure (usually about 140/70)last year. My doctor prescribed Atenolol, a BB. I started taking it, but it made me feel like crap during my workouts. My breathing was more labored, and I felt like I had less energy.

Once I finally got into the season, I stopped taking them (which I know your not supposed to do) and I noticed I felt a lot better. Now that the season is over, I've started taking them again, but I've noticed that I'm feeling like crap again.

Has anyone else went through this and is the anything else I could be taking that won't give me the side effects? I think I'm going to meet with my doc soon to discuss it.

Survivor, I appreciate your response. I am ready and willing to start antihypertensives--I have a strong family history of high BP and there is no way me getting high BP relates to anything about my lifestyle. I am 5'11' 145 lbs and avoid salt to the extent I can (no salty snack food, like chips, nuts etc.) I believe I may have had borderline bp awhile (remember sticking my arm in a bp cuff at the Y about 5 yrs ago--140/90 then at a life insurance physical in 07 142/88) and my diet and exercise kept it down but now the levy broke and I need meds. Just want to keep running while I can, have a normal sex life etc so wondering how runners have done with particular meds.

OK guys update here. Saw the doc yesterday--I was nervous going in with my HR around 75 (normally during the day while active but calm its around 60). BP by the nurse was 170/90. Doctor wants me to buy a BP cuff for home, take my BP twice a day for 90 days then come back. No meds yet, even though I was willing and ready to start. does this sound right??

OK, I did as he said and bought the home BP machine--Omron device, $75.00 which was brand he recommended as is top 3 on any consumer website you see. REad the instructions on how to take BP and followed it to the letter. Started yesterday. Readings are coming in much lower than what I have been getting in doctors offices or when the nurse I know took it manually. Getting like 125-135 systolic and 75-82 diastolic. Its true I feel anxious when having others check it, I can tell b/c my HR goes to 75 or so whereas its normally 60 tops. What is going on here?

Do some research on that quite a few people have higher bp while in the doctors office. Maybe it isn't that bad after all. Good luck.

Wrong. I am over 50 and on beta blockers and have run a sub 18 5k and a 5:15 mile.

My blood pressure has always been low, since going on Norman Walker's diet and juice program a few decades ago. I have continued to follow the same principles since. Usually my bp has been in the range of 98/66, 95/62, 100/50, 96/58 etc.

In the mid 90's an idiot smooth talking dentist convinced me to take antibiotics to take down a swelling prior to him pulling a tooth. I was totally against this since I never take any crap like that, but mistakenly did, as he said it was the only way he would pull the tooth. I changed to a holistic dentist in another country.

My blood pressure a month later was 130/100!!!!! I said that can't be right! As it is always below 100, even right after hard exercise. The highest it has ever been was 110, and then came right back down. Well I checked again and, 130/100!!! It freaked me out - as it was the damned antibiotics that messed up my system!

I went right on the cleansing diet to kill the stuff and get it out of my system. I was surprised, as it was very resistant and hard to get rid of! My blood pressure would come down as I was getting it out of my system, and then when I eased of it shot right back up! This was really bad stuff. I really focused on this and it took me 3 to 6 months to get my blood pressure to get back down to normal and stay there. Hopefully the dang stuff is now gone forever. Don't ever take antibiotics if you value your health! They are dangerous and the ones they make now are much stronger and more harmful than ever.

How to get your blood pressure down?

Cleanse your system and get rid of the medications and toxins.