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Doctor Recommendation - Please Help!
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 2009-08-26 9:07 PM |
Veteran  152   Brownstown, MI |  Subject: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help!To give you a very brief background I am 26, very active, and obviously an aspiring triathlete, i've competed in a few tris and a couple of foot races over the last 2 years. Roughly 2 years ago I was put on an Ace Inhibitor (Blood Pressure Med) when I was 247 lbs, sedentary, and ate like absolutely horshsh*t. Since then I am now down to 180 lbs (6' 3" in height) and I am incredibly active. I eat much better, cook at home alot, etc. Edited by jonnyfive82 2009-08-26 9:07 PM |
| 2009-08-26 9:15 PM in reply to: #2373051 |
| New user 476 | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! Why would he take you off if your blood pressure isn't too low. Sounds like you still may need it. Being its still in the normal zone. Yes, you are healthier, but that doesn't change the fact that with-out it, you are probably still too high. There's more to blood pressure then your weight, activity level, and what you eat. See a chart here: http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/medicine/blood-pressure.htm As you will see, with your meds you are normal. I bet your doc is thinking you are the stubborn one  Edited by JC5066 2009-08-26 9:19 PM |
| 2009-08-26 10:05 PM in reply to: #2373051 |
Veteran 152 Brownstown, MI | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! How much can you honestly believe 10mg of lisinopril is lowering my BP? -- I would say minimal, If I'm at 110/65 with them, i'd probably be at 120/80 without them.....maybe 125/85 which is not high enough to prescribe medication. Anybody have a doc they can recommend? I want a second opinion. |
| 2009-08-27 5:58 AM in reply to: #2373051 |
Master 1390 Ferndale, MI | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! I am not a doc, either IRL or on TV, but isn't 120/80 "normal"? Seems like a slow reduction just to see what happens wouldn't hurt. Sorry, I don't know ANYTHING in the downriver area |
| 2009-08-27 6:16 AM in reply to: #2373051 |
Expert 1452 Troy, MI | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! As a health professional, I have to agree with the above responses. You blood pressure is in a normal range, not too low, even at home. If you are really concerned about white coat syndrome not giving you accurate measurements, buy a B/P kit and start recording your B/P then take the log to your doctors so that he can make a recommendation based on your home readings. Make sure that your B/P kit is calibrated though, and to do that take it to the doctor's office for a comparison when you first get it. Don't let 10mg fool you into thinking that is a small dose. Lisinopril 10mg is a normal dose for that drug, not a low dose. Most doctors, M.D.'s or D.O.'s, fix things with meds first until lifestyle changes are made. Talk to your doctor about what criteria you would need to meet for him to consider lowering your dose or taking you off completely. Converse with your doctor and set goals. Flipping from one doctor to another just to get an answer that you want to hear may not be the best thing to do. |
| 2009-08-27 7:45 AM in reply to: #2373051 |
Regular 98 Farmington Hills | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! I've had high blood pressure for 15 years also, and my cholestrol was creeping up to 220 when I started training for a triathlon back in April. I've lost 25lbs and when I had my physical recently my cholestrol had dropped to 175, with the bad one, is it LDL under 100. My doctor had wanted to put me on medication for the cholestrol also. I phoned her to tell her she had sent me someone elses results. But she confirmed they were mine. Which was fantastic news for me. My BP at the physical was no different, but like you mine seems to elevate when I'm at the doctors, especially when I see the lube and rubber glove on the counter! I have a BP monitor at home, so I think I'll check to see how it is. I also would love to get off any medications if at all poss... |
| 2009-08-27 8:19 AM in reply to: #2373157 |
Master 1327 Ann Arbor, Michigan | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! I have to agree with JoGo here. And maybe I'm in the minority but I always thought it was D.O.'s that were the happy prescribers. Now you want to talk about low dose, about a year ago I was put on 2.5 mgs of LIsinopril. My b.p. was was like 130/80; 140/90 But then that lowered my b.p. to like 110/65 or even lower where I was getting dizzy standing up so I went to every other day. Internist said, you have family history. no fighting it. 120/80 is NOT the norm anymore. It must be lower than. She said, you exercise like a fiend, eat healthy, are normal weight. So I went on it. My bad I quit and have been too lazy to make another appt. but use a home b.p. and need to go back (you can all yell at me now) My internist said even "white coat syndrome" needs to be looked at. My advice is as above, get a home moniter. They're reputedly quite good now. Moniter your b.p. many times per day for a period of time and take the graph to the doc's. Oh, and sorry, no recommendations for docs downriver! I tell ya finding a doctor is the hardest thing!!!! Edited by travljini 2009-08-27 8:20 AM |
| 2009-08-27 11:26 AM in reply to: #2373051 |
Veteran 152 Brownstown, MI | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! I do check my BP at home and I plan to continue doing so in the future. I'm thinking from more a statistician's perspective. I was 247 lbs, 2 packs a day smoker and sedentary. Holding all else constant, I am now 180 lbs, 0 packs a day, and incredibly active. Shouldn't that in and of itself warrant lowering my dose? The way I look at it is I DO NOT want to develop a dependancy on a medication at a young age simply because my doctor is afraid to lower the dose. Here's the most frutrating part: I HAVE tried to make goals with my doctor. He said to lose 10 more lbs when I was 200 and he's reduce it, I lost 10 lbs, no reduction. Then he said to lose 10 more lbs and he could probably reduce it.....and now i'm 179.2 lbs at of this morning with no reduction in medication. I'm incredibly confused. My mother told me "Jonathan, don't take any BP drugs at your age, they will never let you off them....they will always make some excuse why you NEED them." -- I'm beginning to wonder if I should've just listened. Here's a case in point: My friend who's blood pressure was much higher than mine 2 years ago refused to take any BP meds and did not listen to his doctor. He has since then not made a single lifestyle change and now 2 years later the doctor said he doesn't need any drugs and his BP is fine... different doctor, different diagnosis. Meanwhile I did what my doctor told me and have made lifestyle changes and i'm still on this damn drug. </end rant> What's funny is... talking about this probably raises my Blood Pressure....lol Here's another interesting thought i've had. If the systolic pressure is what the problem is..when my heart is contracting and my blood vessels expanding; if my RHR is 42 now, as opposed to the 70 bpm it was 2 years ago....wouldn't that mean that even IF I do still have high BP that it is doing 40% less damage than it was before? -- I'm looking for some encouragement here ;op -Jono |
| 2009-08-27 11:46 AM in reply to: #2373051 |
| New user 476 | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! No one in there right mind is going to encourage you to go against what YOUR doctor is telling you. You're not looking for encouragement, your fishing for someone to say what you want to hear instead of listening to what people are saying. It's quite simple, if you think your doc is a quack, get a second opinion. If that doctor tells you the same thing, GET OVER IT. Who cares what you weighed before, what your HR was before. That has nothing to with here and now. Don't get me wrong, it's great you've improved your health, but that has nothing to do with anything right now. Just as what happened with some other guy has nothing to do with YOU either. I don't want to sound nasty, but meds, especially BP meds are not something to play around with. It sounds like you are on the right track. Keep it up, show him that your BP is staying down and consistent and he'll probably change things. Edited by JC5066 2009-08-27 11:48 AM |
| 2009-08-27 3:00 PM in reply to: #2374168 |
Veteran 152 Brownstown, MI | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! JC5066 - 2009-08-27 11:46 AM No one in there right mind is going to encourage you to go against what YOUR doctor is telling you. You're not looking for encouragement, your fishing for someone to say what you want to hear instead of listening to what people are saying. It's quite simple, if you think your doc is a quack, get a second opinion. If that doctor tells you the same thing, GET OVER IT. Who cares what you weighed before, what your HR was before. That has nothing to with here and now. Don't get me wrong, it's great you've improved your health, but that has nothing to do with anything right now. Just as what happened with some other guy has nothing to do with YOU either. I don't want to sound nasty, but meds, especially BP meds are not something to play around with. It sounds like you are on the right track. Keep it up, show him that your BP is staying down and consistent and he'll probably change things. Despite what you might think, I am not looking for someone to tell me what I want to hear. This post is about finding another doctor for a second opinion -- noone has recommended anyone yet. I do appreciate your honest opinion and hard, honest tone. I pretty much agree with everything you have said other than that me losing weight doesn't matter and the here and now is what matters -- numerous studies have proven, I can look them up if you'd like, that losing even 10 lbs affects your systolic pressure significantly in almost all cases. Your body does everything to remain in homeostatis. My doctor does not need to wait for my BP to read 70/40 and for me to faint to take me off a drug is the point I am trying to get across. It may even be the case that if I am removed from the drug my BP may rise slightly, or possibly not at all. As I mentioned, your body tries to maintain homeostatis, and if it's on a drug that is threatening my body of passing out from hypoblood pressure, my body, everyone's body, would make changes to stabilize your blood pressure -- your body isn't stupid. That is the train of thought I am on. So, I want to reitterate -- I in no way take offense to your statements and I am honestly not looking for someone to just tell me what I want to hear. I would like a referral to a doctor who's beliefs and philosophies are perhaps more in line with my own. This is not the only reason why I want a new doctor -- he also mis-diagnosed my knee -- told me it was arthritis and I couldn't really do much for it -- I went to a sport's doctor, he told me it was runner's knee, gave me some exercises and I haven't had any trouble since. Can you see why I would have some suspicion that my doctor might not be what I want? Thanks, -Jono |
| 2009-08-28 11:12 AM in reply to: #2373051 |
| Extreme Veteran 422 | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! Im not a Doc but I am an engineer which I think is better than a Doc... but anyhow... I say tapper and get off the drugs. monitor you BP daily and see what happens. Then when you go back in to the DR see what he thinks of your BP then mention your off your meds. But you know just cause you did all those things doesn't mean your BP will go down, in most cases it does but not all. |
| 2009-08-29 9:23 PM in reply to: #2373051 |
Master 1467 Small Town | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! I'd go to a DO for a second opinion. MD's typically are more prone to medicate, DO's seem to take the route of self improvement... which you have done. I wouldn't drop the dose before getting a second opinion. The simple fact that your BP is lower than it was years ago is great. You do have to consider that the meds are keeping your BP at bay. But to see a rise from simply walking into the Dr's office causes a Dr to think, 'This guys BP goes up just by becoming nervous, it has to spike when he works out' So it makes sense to me why he wouldn't want to change the dose. However, you've made a significant change in not only weight, but lifestyle. IMO I think this warrents an attempt to lower the dose and maybe even drop the med... but again, I think that it should be monitored by a Dr. The other thing to consider is the underlying reason for your HTN, can the Dr's tell you why it's still higher than they expect it to be. Either way, a second opinion is never a bad idea! |
| 2009-08-29 11:40 PM in reply to: #2373051 |
Champion 6627  Rochester Hills, Michigan Gold member | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! Jonny, I'm going to dinner with the chief of med at beaumont tomorrow nite tonight. He's the world's best guy, he will know someone that is a rockstar. I'd trust him with anything. |
| 2009-08-30 5:54 PM in reply to: #2373051 |
Veteran 152 Brownstown, MI | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! Thanks Hagerman and Rick for the replies and advice. I look forward to your PM Rick. |
| 2009-08-30 6:11 PM in reply to: #2373051 |
| Veteran 144 Ann Arbor, MI | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! I was prehypertensive before I started working out and was on 5mg lisinorpil. I HATE taking pharmaceuticals. So I started working out...lowered my bp. I did some online research. Then I took myself off of lisinopril...my own decision. Kept excercising...eating healthy...and put myself on fish oil supplements. |
| 2009-09-22 11:00 AM in reply to: #2373051 |
Master 3205 ann arbor, michigan | Subject: RE: Doctor Recommendation - Please Help! This thread is pretty funny to me. I have been trying for at least 3 years to get my doc to put me on Lisinopril. I am active, normal height and weight, normal cholesterol, resting heart rate in the 40s but my BP is always high (as much as 145/90 on occasion). I don't want to be one of those dumbasses who ignores their health and has a heart attack or stroke at 50 in spite of my healthy lifestyle. I go to see my doc at least once a year and ask him to put me on a low dose med and he quotes all of the good things above plus my lack of family history as reasons why he won't start me. If you want to drive to Ann Arbor to see my doc, maybe he will agree to your wishes. I would be happy to email you his name if you would like--maybe we will switch and I can go see yours....... |
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