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Hi I was diagnosed in type 2 in may this year but not told until 1st july. I was put on metformin and was violently ill so put on a slow release tablet which seems to be ok. I rang drs to say i was worried that I had not had my bp checked in two years despite being boarderline. I went and brought a bp home tester and was shocked at how high it was. I rang in but told it not an emergengy to speak to a dr. This week 2 weeks later i receive a tex saying a prescription for bp has made for me to collect. Having never spoken to anyone medical regarding bp I am anxious about taking it. I have changed my whole diet and lifestyle over the last month but not lost a single pound and been exercising everyday. Feeling over welmed by it all and no one to talk to to reasure me.
Welcome to the Forum - you will get lots of help and support here. It would help us help you if you would share your HbA1c result with us, your BP reading, and the prescribed medications.
Also could you give us an idea of your daily diet as we might be able to make suggestions. Do you weigh your portions or guess? I was shocked at how small a portion size was! I now have an app (NutraCheck but there are others) which tells me the composition of my food, calories and carbs. The Learning Zone (orange tab) will give you lots of information and food tips. I suggest you try one module a day, so you take it in.
I have had high BP most of my life and manage just fine on medication. I too have a home BP tester and measure every 6 months. I test 4 times a day - twice in the morning and twice in the evening for 3 or 4 weeks. I was advised to sit and relax and not drink anything, for 30 minutes before testing, so got resting results. Once I got used to the regime, I noticed I became more relaxed and the levels did drop a bit. I still get quite a varied set of results, put them all in a spreadsheet, and send to the GP. The average of all results is what my GP looks at.
Please feel free to ask questions - we have all had to learn.
Diagnosed type 2 in May 21. HB1c 7 repeated again 7.5 Put on Metformin but was violently ill so switched to slow release which seems ok. Last year I was perfect at 5.6 due to diagnosis of Reactive Hypoglicemia heart related. The nurse says I have both now. BP 135/88 ( it was higher) they said too high for a diabetic so put on Amlodipine 5 mg 20/7/21
Am only 5'1 so 14 half stone is too much. I have stuck to 1200 cals a day cutting out sugar all rubbish and stuck to low carbs. I only eat chicken....Exercising too...a month and not a 1b off...
Hi
Amlodipine is one of the drugs I take and I've never had any reaction to it. I expect you will have to check regularly as it might take some time to sort out the right dose. I can't have my BP done at the GP or Hospital - White Coat Syndrome. At home it's a nice stable level, and 10 minutes later in the surgery it's been as high as 210/120!! So be aware this can happen. And whatever you do, don't let them rush you in, immediately start to take you BP whilst firing questions at you. I refused to answer as I had been told not to talk or move when the BP was being measured. My BP at home has fluctuated between 125/77 and my latest of 140/86. My GP was happy with that for my age of 71.
As for diet, all I can suggest is more vegetables and less of things like bread, potato, rice, pasta - you do seem to be doing the right things though. It is so frustrating for you. With your HbA1c, I can see why Metformin was prescribed. I'm on the slow release version myself. I hope others might come up with more suggestions. Best wishes.
I had been on 5mg amlodipine for years but then blood pressure was too high so the dose was increased to 10mg but I felt dreadful so it was changed to losartan 25mg which also was not good but I reduced it to 12.5mg by breaking them in half but got my knuckles wrapped as that is not an 'appropriate dosage' for hypertension. I was then put onto candesartan 2mg which seemed ok until a couple of weeks ago when I had a few strange dizzy spells so I have stopped taking them and Blood pressure seems ok.
What I am saying is it may take a while to get the dose and specific medication to be right for you. 135/88 is a bit high but not horrendously so. By losing weight it should improve anyway.
My other half takes 3 different blood pressure meds which all act in slightly different ways.
Always do your own testing at home as you have done. Be aware that BP increases a lot with age (Google the graphs) so make sure you are using the right target for your age; some GPs don't understand that. Views vary on what a good target level is and that in the USA they have reduced the target levels for some unknown reason and rumour has it that we may follow. Added to all this confusion is the wide range of BP pills and again some GPs seem to pick them at random and each has different side effects.
Hi
Amlodipine is one of the drugs I take and I've never had any reaction to it. I expect you will have to check regularly as it might take some time to sort out the right dose. I can't have my BP done at the GP or Hospital - White Coat Syndrome. At home it's a nice stable level, and 10 minutes later in the surgery it's been as high as 210/120!! So be aware this can happen. And whatever you do, don't let them rush you in, immediately start to take you BP whilst firing questions at you. I refused to answer as I had been told not to talk or move when the BP was being measured. My BP at home has fluctuated between 125/77 and my latest of 140/86. My GP was happy with that for my age of 71.
As for diet, all I can suggest is more vegetables and less of things like bread, potato, rice, pasta - you do seem to be doing the right things though. It is so frustrating for you. With your HbA1c, I can see why Metformin was prescribed. I'm on the slow release version myself. I hope others might come up with more suggestions. Best wishes.
thankyou so much for your help and support . Out of interest like you I was put on slow release metformin one a day, a week ago after being so ill on the first one. Yesterday I asked surgery if I should stay on one a day or move to 2 a day. That afternoon the pharmacist rang (yesterday) and said defiantly only one a day. Then today surgery rang and said Dr says move to 2 a day if you can tolerate it. I told her what the pharmacist had just said and she said oh I'm confused (receptionist this is ) I put the phone down still not knowing what to do. There seems lots of miscommunication due to never speaking to a medical person. Also around diet am I not having enough calories at 1200 is this why I'm not losing weight I wonder.
I had been on 5mg amlodipine for years but then blood pressure was too high so the dose was increased to 10mg but I felt dreadful so it was changed to losartan 25mg which also was not good but I reduced it to 12.5mg by breaking them in half but got my knuckles wrapped as that is not an 'appropriate dosage' for hypertension. I was then put onto candesartan 2mg which seemed ok until a couple of weeks ago when I had a few strange dizzy spells so I have stopped taking them and Blood pressure seems ok.
What I am saying is it may take a while to get the dose and specific medication to be right for you. 135/88 is a bit high but not horrendously so. By losing weight it should improve anyway.
My other half takes 3 different blood pressure meds which all act in slightly different ways.
Always do your own testing at home as you have done. Be aware that BP increases a lot with age (Google the graphs) so make sure you are using the right target for your age; some GPs don't understand that. Views vary on what a good target level is and that in the USA they have reduced the target levels for some unknown reason and rumour has it that we may follow. Added to all this confusion is the wide range of BP pills and again some GPs seem to pick them at random and each has different side effects.
Thankyou yes this prescription was given without ever speaking to anyone medical or taken at the surgery for over 2 years. Just home readings. The pharmacist said I should be 120/80 I'm 54.
I shouldn't think there is a person in the world who is always 120/80! I was originally told to aim for 119/79, but of course BP varies during the day and with what you are doing. This is a UK recommended chart which takes no account of age or illnesses. The older you are, the higher the limits. I was told that at 71 my 140/86 on medication was acceptable, but lose weight to get back down to 125/77 as I was before!!!
I shouldn't think there is a person in the world who is always 120/80! I was originally told to aim for 119/79, but of course BP varies during the day and with what you are doing. This is a UK recommended chart which takes no account of age or illnesses. The older you are, the higher the limits. I was told that at 71 my 140/86 on medication was acceptable, but lose weight to get back down to 125/77 as I was before!!!
I shouldn't think there is a person in the world who is always 120/80! I was originally told to aim for 119/79, but of course BP varies during the day and with what you are doing. This is a UK recommended chart which takes no account of age or illnesses. The older you are, the higher the limits. I was told that at 71 my 140/86 on medication was acceptable, but lose weight to get back down to 125/77 as I was before!!!
