+ 1 Blood pressure do's and don'ts?
I will admit in all my researching and reading I neglected to form a good understanding of blood pressure and blood pressure management.
I just got blood work back and were all good, with the exception of creatine kinase being just slightly out of reference range, but that could be from working out. My hematocrit is in range but just barely, I'm donating blood in 3 days.
My blood pressure at home is hovering around 130/80
After a big coffee and feeling nervous it was 139/85 in the doctor's office yesterday.
Blood donation should help a bit, but is it time to start supplementing to bring my BP down? I have a whack of cialis sitting around, I could do 2.5 or 5mg daily if needed.
Thanks for any input, you guys have made my journey so much easier so far, I can't believe how much bigger I've gotten already.
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If your blood pressure just needs a little help, try hibiscus tea. For me it reduced my BP by about 10/2. It works fairly quickly - maybe 45 minutes or so. Unfortunately, it also wears off quickly so need to drink the tea 3x a day. Some places sell hibiscus tea in ready to go tea bags, but I buy a whole big bag of dried hibiscus blossoms for like $6 in the international aisle of the grocery store.
Donating blood can make you anemic, so be careful. It can take 6 months to build those iron levels back up. When your anemic, you can't get enough oxygen to your muscles. That can affect your gains for sure. There's much better ways to lower your hematocrit or rbc. I can speak from experience donating blood in the past didn't move my blood pressure a single point. Like Anvil said, Telmisartan and Nebivilol FTW. That's what I use. When I run EQ I use methylene blue ed/eod to lower my hematocrit. Metformin lowers your RBC and your hemoglobin. Works great for me. That and staying well hydrated. Best advice is just hit your local Dr. Office bro, they're happy to get your blood pressure under control, bp meds are cheap af. But definitely take your BP very serious, High BP is what kills bodybuilders. Enlarged heart, damaged kidneys/kidney failure, serious stuff.
Do's and don'ts? Don't spring a leak.
I would definitely recommend getting an arm cuff for home, wrist cuffs are usually inaccurate in my experience. Sit down with your arm elevated near your heart in the morning before you consume caffeine or eat, wait 5 minutes then do your reading. Wait another 5 mins and do another, I like to do 2-3 in the morning to create an average. Home machines are not always the most accurate so this is why I like doing a few and just keep track of it. Some units have memory if not just track in excel or go old school with a notebook. In terms of supplements, the ones stated below are great but my piece of advice is to make sure you are getting enough magnesium and potassium in your diet. Electrolytes play a big part in blood pressure and many adults are deficient. If none of this works it's most likely hereditary and medication is needed. If this is true I would be weary of which aas compounds you are taking, unmanaged blood pressure/sleep apnea are the silent killers in this game sadly. Cialis will help but is not going to fix the issue, your bp wasn't crazy luckily. But for all of us running gear, paying attention to blood pressure and management is very important in terms of longevity. Best of luck brother!
I have an at home arm cuff and I'm keeping an eye on it, I take magnesium already but I'll toss in some potassium from that No-Salt stuff
I have an at home arm cuff and I'm keeping an eye on it, I take magnesium already but I'll toss in some potassium from that No-Salt stuff
Get some meds from a doc. Tell em you’re worried about it and it runs in the family. Costs like $6 for 90 day supple
CK levels will always be elevated if you’re an athlete. Sometimes BP is out of your hands due to family traits. Get a blood pressure cuff, insurance will usually give you one for free and take it yourself a few times a week and write it down. Try and take it the same time and make sure you’re calm and seated. Your blood pressure is not that high man to be honest. Sounds like you had a case of white coat syndrome at the doctor’s office. If you can, I’d get rid of all caffeine products, I have not taken a pre-workout supplement or touched a caffeine product since my last tour in Iraq. We use to take ephedrine products like tic tacs to stay awake. We had pallets full of stacker bottles. That stuff destroyed your BP and kidneys. But honestly I would just monitor your blood pressure several times a week. Nothing screams you’re going to stroke out my friend.
Did you get Estradiol on your bloodwork? I just went through some issues with Bp last month, looking at the pictures my highest was 173/99-103 which is out of control. E2 was 113 at the time. I’m usually at 120/80. Like Primo said, I notice I am much more sensitive to Bp increase because of those issues. Slight elevation is expected but you want to keep that in check.
My estradiol was 55pmol/l
Reference range is <142 according to this paper work
I'm in medicine and my advice is that hypertension isn't something you want to mess around about. I always thought that high BP wasn't too big a deal as long as it's temporary but it can create a feedback loop where the receptors that measure BP in your arteries get used to the higher BP and that becomes the new normal, then you have a big coffee and get stressed at work for a few weeks and it creeps up higher, the receptors get used to that level and the cycle just keeps on going. This is how some people end up with BP that's like 180/100 and feel fine right up until they have a heart attack or stroke. The good news is that exercise can prevent or even reverse this process because when you exercise your BP goes up but a bunch of other stuff happens too, like your vessels dilating for example, and this helps to reset those sensors. Personally, I do a lot of cardio and I take telmisartan, like anvil mentioned below, whenever I'm on cycle to keep BP in check. Telmisartan is pretty much the most mild BP med around and won't tank your BP to dangerously low levels like beta blockers and some of the more heavy duty types can. It also has a bonus of improving aerobic capacity, even in healthy users. This isn't medical advice and you should do your own research, maybe try some natural remedies first, but if you do decide to use meds that's where I'd start.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply, I do 20 minutes of cardio at 160bpm 5-7 days a week currently. I'm going to try some natural supplements, cut out caffeine, donate blood and continue to monitor my BP with the home machine. Should I be concerned at 130/80, and what is a good goal pressure to reach while on test and equipoise?
I’m worried about anything higher than 120/70 for myself but on cycle that’s not always going to be realistic and 130/80 isn’t going to kill you anytime soon. It’s more of a lifestyle and long-term health kind if thing to be aware of going forward. Just the fact that you’re thinking about it and asking on here puts you ahead of the curve, just don’t let it get out of control and you’ll be fine.
First start with probably doing away with the coffee or cut serving in half. I'll say this, the more natural route is what I prefer but that route can only do so much for bp issues, nevertheless can improve BP. Examples are Garlic, Hawthorne berry, Potassium, apple cider vinegar, co Q10, magnesium, beet root are just a few natural things that could help but remember these things can only do so much and may not be the answer depending on how bad your BP is. I prefer this route but my BP isn't bad usually. Gotta be careful with high BP. It does more damage than what folks realize, even affects vision. Hope that helps.
Yes just search up @press1 post about vitamins
you will have to find what works for you
magnesium glycinate, beet root, fish oils, CoQ10 , should help
Cialis 5mg can assist but will barely budge the number in my experience
Blood donation is not an answer as to why it high, you will need to correct the root problem
If it caffeine you may have to stop using it, if it gear then figure out which one is effecting the most and take it out or lower the dose .
Telmisartan and Nebivolol are my go to but there are risks with that also but mine is 125/68 on full blast of gear.
Coq10 and beet root going in my amazon cart right now, seems like a good start thank you
No problem, brother.