Fat People

[Wulaw Horn 19145]

32 minutes ago, bernorange said:

Do or do not, there is no try?

Best wishes Wulaw.  

Thanks man. Removing 80% of my stomach is burning the ships. It’s a do thing now not a try thing. I just don’t know exactly how long it will take to see a 1 on the scale for the first time since  sophomore year at UT. 

[Jkwellborn 6717]

I'd have to do one-handed pushups. Bones in the hand were pulverized. It wouldn't hold up. Gave up any activity that involves any sort of possible impact. No golf, no softbalI, etc. I get plenty of exercise, otherwise.
For your enjoyment, this was 8 days after it happened, before they operated on it. 

I bet beating off with that was really weird.

[Deej 76875]

Like using a pack of hot dogs.

[HamsterHookah 112]

@Deej maybe i missed it, but how did this injury happen? Give me the story!

[BabaYaga 15303]

7 hours ago, HamsterHookah said:

@Deej maybe i missed it, but how did this injury happen? Give me the story!

We all act differently when we're first introduced to porn.  Happens

[Pescado_Rojo 19427]

13 hours ago, Deej said:

Like using a pack of hot dogs.

[Deej 76875]

7 hours ago, HamsterHookah said:

@Deej maybe i missed it, but how did this injury happen? Give me the story!

Took a bad step running across the street. Threw my hand out to keep my head from hitting the curb. Punched the curb with a closed fist. 

[HamsterHookah 112]

10 minutes ago, Deej said:

Took a bad step running across the street. Threw my hand out to keep my head from hitting the curb. Punched the curb with a closed fist. 

How old were you? Yikes.

[Deej 76875]

4 minutes ago, HamsterHookah said:

How old were you? Yikes.

47

[HamsterHookah 112]

5 minutes ago, Deej said:

47

Note to self: don’t run across the street as I start to get up in age.

That’s a gruesome injury; you must have been at top speed 

[Deej 76875]

6 minutes ago, HamsterHookah said:

Note to self: don’t run across the street as I start to get up in age.

That’s a gruesome injury; you must have been at top speed 

Yep. It was not a pleasant experience. 

I've had my share of serious injuries in my life. That one was the most painful. 

Edited March 3, 2023 by Deej

[Schulz2.0 29000]

15 hours ago, Deej said:

Like using a pack of hot dogs.

Rubbing a bunch of wieners together?

[NeverMarryAStripper 21913]

15 hours ago, Wulaw Horn said:

Thanks man. Removing 80% of my stomach is burning the ships. It’s a do thing now not a try thing. I just don’t know exactly how long it will take to see a 1 on the scale for the first time since  sophomore year at UT. 

We're all rooting for you.  Hopefully on the next trip you can take a smaller sex tent

[High Plains Drifter 11050]

18 hours ago, Wulaw Horn said:

So- I got the bariatric sleeve surgery on Tuesday. Removed 80% of my stomach/ current stomach is the size of a banana. Lived at 300 pounds more or less for 20 years with yo-yo’s between 240 and 320. Decided to have the surgery January 1 at 320 and was 292 when I got on the scale (livestock scale) at the clinic the day before the surgery (Monday)

Had to go on a 500 calorie a day protein shake diet for a week before surgery for prep. Had to stop smoking for 8 weeks before hand (and need to be through smoking for ever now or serious problems could result. 
Didn’t want to do this but had some health problems creep in and didn’t want to leave my wife a widow or my 3 kids as orphans. 
Hoping to hit 199 on the scale sometime around 7 or 8 months from now. 
6’1”

 

do you mind if I ask:

Does that surgery just make it physically impossible to eat large meals? You get full with less food? Throw up if you eat more than your stomach can handle?

Other than just eating less, do you have to cut out certain types of foods?

 

You should start a thread and give us updates on how its going, if you don't feel its too personal.

Good luck.

[Wulaw Horn 19145]

18 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

do you mind if I ask:

Does that surgery just make it physically impossible to eat large meals? You get full with less food? Throw up if you eat more than your stomach can handle?

Other than just eating less, do you have to cut out certain types of foods?

 

You should start a thread and give us updates on how its going, if you don't feel its too personal.

Good luck.

I’m 4 days in so I don’t know experientially yet but have done all the readings and the like. 
yeah- I could start a thread I guess, I’m pretty much an open book.  What forum would it be best on?  

Edited March 3, 2023 by Wulaw Horn

[Deej 76875]

A woman at our office had that surgery last year. She's still just as fat. 

[Incredulity 11681]

14 minutes ago, Deej said:

A woman at our office had that surgery last year. She's still just as fat. 

Paging Vic Mackey...Vic Mackey please pick up the white courtesy phone.

[Jameslaw121 4448]

I'm not fat or anything, but about a year ago I noticed that I was getting winded/tired from playing with the kids (9 and 3) after just a few minutes. In July, I went for my annual check up (I'm 43) and my cholesterol and some other stuff (blood sugar and such) were way fucking high. 

Around the same time, my wife got in a car wreck. So I started walking to a from work (about 3 miles total). Just got my blood work back and everything is back in range and I'm feeling alot better.

Obviously, the walking helped. But not being able to go get fast food for lunch and bringing something probably was the bigger impact. Also, stopped drinking during the week for the most part, because walking with even a little bit of a hangover sucks ass

Edited March 3, 2023 by Jameslaw121

[mchookem 16346]

my SIL had that surgery about five years ago... she lost close to 100 lbs initially...and is unfortunately back to almost her pre-surgery weight. i can't help thinking all she's done is make her digestive track more fragile by removing half of it and subsequently stretching it back to original size? i honestly have no idea...but the solution was def not permanent for her. 

here's hoping you have better/more consistent success, @Wulaw Horn ... sounds like you got your mind right.

[BabaYaga 15303]

45 minutes ago, Deej said:

A woman at our office had that surgery last year. She's still just as fat. 

Guy that used to work for me was an ex pro wrestler with two bad knees so he got up to close to 400lbs.  He'd be sipping a small cup of soup and I'd come to his desk all the time with a giant double-meat from Whataburger just to fuck with him after he got the surgery and he was starving and cranky.  

 

5 minutes ago, mchookem said:

my SIL had that surgery about five years ago... she lost close to 100 lbs initially...and is unfortunately back to almost her pre-surgery weight. i can't help thinking all she's done is make her digestive track more fragile by removing half of it and subsequently stretching it back to original size? i honestly have no idea...but the solution was def not permanent for her. 

here's hoping you have better/more consistent success, @Wulaw Horn ... sounds like you got your mind right.

It doesn't work because the lifestyle and diet aspect are not addressed.  Most still eat crap, just in slightly smaller portions.  

[Wulaw Horn 19145]

3 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

Guy that used to work for me was an ex pro wrestler with two bad knees so he got up to close to 400lbs.  He'd be sipping a small cup of soup and I'd come to his desk all the time with a giant double-meat from Whataburger just to fuck with him after he got the surgery and he was starving and cranky.  

 

It doesn't work because the lifestyle and diet aspect are not addressed.  Most still eat crap, just in slightly smaller portions.  

That's not really true when you are throwing around words like most with this thing.  The typical patient loses (and keeps off) 55% of their excess weight after the surgery at the 5 year mark based upon the literature I've seen.  From an anecdotal sample I know a half dozen people who have done this- I'd say 1 is a total failure (fat as ever) 2 more lost significant weight- still somewhere around obese/overweight line, 1 lost significant weight and still could lose some more and 2 are totally and completely "healthy weight" size.  To say "it doesn't work" isn't accurate. To say- it doesn't work if lifestyle and diet are not addressed is likely to be much more accurate from what I've observed anecdotally and read about.  
The fact that I'm not hungry at all and haven't had anything but clear liquids in 4 days (and before the surgery hadn't had anything but protein shakes for a week leading up to it, is absolutely insane to me.  
Anyway, I don't think this is the thread for that- I think this is the thread where everyone wants to talk about how gross fat people are so I will start a new thread on my journey. 
It doesn't seem appropriate for Food and Travel as it's kind of the antithesis of that. It could sort of be Hobby I guess, but it's not really that.  If we can have a fat person thread here and an alcoholic thread I guess it can work on the Daily Texan Channel.  

[HamsterHookah 112]

Posted without commentary: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/more-than-half-world-will-be-overweight-or-obese-by-2035-report-2023-03-02/

More than half of the world will be overweight or obese by 2035 - report

[Jameslaw121 4448]

7 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

That's not really true when you are throwing around words like most with this thing.  The typical patient loses (and keeps off) 55% of their excess weight after the surgery at the 5 year mark based upon the literature I've seen.  From an anecdotal sample I know a half dozen people who have done this- I'd say 1 is a total failure (fat as ever) 2 more lost significant weight- still somewhere around obese/overweight line, 1 lost significant weight and still could lose some more and 2 are totally and completely "healthy weight" size.  To say "it doesn't work" isn't accurate. To say- it doesn't work if lifestyle and diet are not addressed is likely to be much more accurate from what I've observed anecdotally and read about.  
The fact that I'm not hungry at all and haven't had anything but clear liquids in 4 days (and before the surgery hadn't had anything but protein shakes for a week leading up to it, is absolutely insane to me.  
Anyway, I don't think this is the thread for that- I think this is the thread where everyone wants to talk about how gross fat people are so I will start a new thread on my journey. 
It doesn't seem appropriate for Food and Travel as it's kind of the antithesis of that. It could sort of be Hobby I guess, but it's not really that.  If we can have a fat person thread here and an alcoholic thread I guess it can work on the Daily Texan Channel.  

Keep us posted. I think what you're doing is awesome! I've known two people who did it. One was back to his wait in like a year. And my sil - she became vegan/vegetarian and almost looks too thin now.

 

[South Austin 52535]

28 minutes ago, Jameslaw121 said:

I'm not fat or anything, but about a year ago I noticed that I was getting winded/tired from playing with the kids (9 and 3) after just a few minutes. In July, I went for my annual check up (I'm 43) and my cholesterol and some other stuff (blood sugar and such) were way fucking high. 

Around the same time, my wife got in a car wreck. So I started walking to a from work (about 3 miles total). Just got my blood work back and everything is back in range and I'm feeling alot better.

Obviously, the walking helped. But not being able to go get fast food for lunch and bringing something probably was the bigger impact. Also, stopped drinking during the week for the most part, because walking with even a little bit of a hangover sucks ass

Sometimes it's that simple.  Eat less shit food, exercise a little more, and the cholesterol goes down.

But then you have someone like my friend, who's 50, skinny as a rail, eats well, plays a ton of tennis, and has to take a statin to keep his cholesterol from going through the roof.

[mchookem 16346]

4 minutes ago, HamsterHookah said:

Posted without commentary: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/more-than-half-world-will-be-overweight-or-obese-by-2035-report-2023-03-02/

More than half of the world will be overweight or obese by 2035 - report

 

[BabaYaga 15303]

11 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

To say- it doesn't work if lifestyle and diet are not addressed is likely to be much more accurate from what I've observed anecdotally and read about.  

Agreed - this is what I meant.  So many relapse or fall back into bad patterns because if/when these two aspects are not a part of the calculus.  When integrated into a holistic pathway to overall heath and wellness, the results can be exceptional.  

Good luck.  Discipline will get you through this.  Motivation will always let you down.  

[blacklab 11941]

8 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Sometimes it's that simple.  Eat less shit food, exercise a little more, and the cholesterol goes down.

But then you have someone like my friend, who's 50, skinny as a rail, eats well, plays a ton of tennis, and has to take a statin to keep his cholesterol from going through the roof.

For most of the population it's mostly genetics. After my heart attack my nutritionist tested me over a few weeks having me eat different things. Didn't matter what I ate, cholesterol stayed about the same.

[BabaYaga 15303]

3 minutes ago, blacklab said:

For most of the population it's mostly genetics. After my heart attack my nutritionist tested me over a few weeks having me eat different things. Didn't matter what I ate, cholesterol stayed about the same.

Friend sells insurance, he said for the life policies the actuaries are paying less and less attention to cholesterol.  

[Chopper 17242]

SIAP Happened across this in New York Magazine and saw the thread title, so thought I'd post.

A diabetes drug has become an off-label appetite suppressant, changing the definition of being thin and what it takes to get there.

[Jkwellborn 6717]

Rubbing a bunch of wieners together?

Sounds very aggy.

[Sawbonz 27580]

9 hours ago, Deej said:

Took a bad step running 

Were you being chased 

[Deej 76875]

2 minutes ago, Sawbonz said:

Were you being chased 

Haha. No. I was late meeting someone for lunch. 

[South Austin 52535]

12 hours ago, Deej said:

Haha. No. I was late meeting someone for lunch. 

Who? The President?

[Armybrat 40861]

15 hours ago, Deej said:

Haha. No. I was late meeting someone for lunch. 

J.J.?

[MissingInAction 25142]

I'm 6'3" and had been ranging between 265 and 270 for a decade then covid hit.

I went into basic training mode pout of a commitment to survive whatever was coming. We had no clue at the time.

I was making all my own meals and running the dog 3 miles a day.

Dropped 20 pounds it seemed almost instantly. I was shitting a lot. 

Maxed out at a 40 pound loss after 6 months. God damn I looked good at a lean 230.

Anyway I'm back to being fat again. I got up to 280 once all the restaurants opened up. After breaking a chair at a party just from sitting in it I got back into my covid regimen. At 255now and going strong.

[tbone_ 14140]

I shit a lot but I don’t seem to be getting skinnier

[MissingInAction 25142]

45 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

I shit a lot but I don’t seem to be getting skinnier

The change in my diet caused a bacteria crisis in my guts.

Imagine Bob Stoops being deprived of his daily rations of bags of dicks.

[YGIFS 19452]

First off Wulaw, best wishes on this procedure and hope you stick with a wellness lifestyle that works for you and your young family.

I had a scare, two actually, in the last year with blood pressure being just way too fucking high.  I need to get stress reduction and more cardio into the mix.  I changed up diets pretty well, not great.  Mixed in some intermittent fasting, gave up booze, and was swimming regularly (need to get back to that).  Cholosteral and BMI are down outta the orange zones at least.  I've hit my peak weight twice in my life once when I was working about 80+ hours a week, not moving, and eating/drinking like it was the end of the world.  and then again during Covid when I was eating/drinking because it was actually the end of the world.  But I've dropped almost 40 pounds in the last ~7 months.  I've definitely hit one of those plateaus where I'm not just moving more than 1-2 pounds either way.  I think adding more cardio movement and better proteins will help jumpstart things again.  and sleep, I need more fucking sleep.  Not just to function but my body has always screamed since high school, "6.5-7 hours or we're storing up the weight!"  At this clip though, I can get down below 200 (I'm 6-1 and 46yo) by my next birthday.  And I'd to at least try to get down to 180 after taht before year's end.  Just to see that number on the scale I haven't seen since I got weighed in for baseball tryouts at Stetson.  I'm guessing, with the genetics in my family, I can settle into 190-195 and hopefully ride that out. 

My real worry though, as it is with a lot of you guys, is even dropping lotsa weight and just being healthier overall...moving your blood pressure down dramatically is hard as shit because of all the other factors that go into it that are barely influenced by you.  In the last 60 days, I've had readings of 120/85 all the way up to 175/115.  That's not sustainable obviously.  I've gotta start thinking about medication for it at my next checkup.  I've taken Rx drugs maybe a dozen times in my life, but I need additional help to bring this down or at least more manageable.  Curious what some of y'all's experience has been with the various BP/thinner drugs out there.

[Anastasis 23481]

On 3/3/2023 at 3:57 PM, Chopper said:

SIAP Happened across this in New York Magazine and saw the thread title, so thought I'd post.

A diabetes drug has become an off-label appetite suppressant, changing the definition of being thin and what it takes to get there.

Lilly about to print money with their GLP-1. Their move to reduce insulin pricing is not a coincidence. 

[BabaYaga 15303]

10 hours ago, Anastasis said:

Lilly about to print money with their GLP-1. Their move to reduce insulin pricing is not a coincidence. 

Dexatrim says 'sup...

 

[formermav43 4606]

11 hours ago, YGIFS said:

First off Wulaw, best wishes on this procedure and hope you stick with a wellness lifestyle that works for you and your young family.

I had a scare, two actually, in the last year with blood pressure being just way too fucking high.  I need to get stress reduction and more cardio into the mix.  I changed up diets pretty well, not great.  Mixed in some intermittent fasting, gave up booze, and was swimming regularly (need to get back to that).  Cholosteral and BMI are down outta the orange zones at least.  I've hit my peak weight twice in my life once when I was working about 80+ hours a week, not moving, and eating/drinking like it was the end of the world.  and then again during Covid when I was eating/drinking because it was actually the end of the world.  But I've dropped almost 40 pounds in the last ~7 months.  I've definitely hit one of those plateaus where I'm not just moving more than 1-2 pounds either way.  I think adding more cardio movement and better proteins will help jumpstart things again.  and sleep, I need more fucking sleep.  Not just to function but my body has always screamed since high school, "6.5-7 hours or we're storing up the weight!"  At this clip though, I can get down below 200 (I'm 6-1 and 46yo) by my next birthday.  And I'd to at least try to get down to 180 after taht before year's end.  Just to see that number on the scale I haven't seen since I got weighed in for baseball tryouts at Stetson.  I'm guessing, with the genetics in my family, I can settle into 190-195 and hopefully ride that out. 

My real worry though, as it is with a lot of you guys, is even dropping lotsa weight and just being healthier overall...moving your blood pressure down dramatically is hard as shit because of all the other factors that go into it that are barely influenced by you.  In the last 60 days, I've had readings of 120/85 all the way up to 175/115.  That's not sustainable obviously.  I've gotta start thinking about medication for it at my next checkup.  I've taken Rx drugs maybe a dozen times in my life, but I need additional help to bring this down or at least more manageable.  Curious what some of y'all's experience has been with the various BP/thinner drugs out there.

I’ve been on lisinopril/hctz for several years now because I had been feeling increasingly bad-headaches, dizzy, lightheaded. I was at my parents’ house after a funeral about to go home when I finally had my dad take me to the ER-he handed me a box of stuff that weighed maybe 10 pounds tops and I felt like I was about to pass out. My blood pressure was 210/115.

I had probably been dealing with it for several years looking back, but I didn’t go to the doc regularly or really think anything about it until it got to that point and I couldn’t ignore it (I was only 33, most of us probably aren’t real great about getting checked out then.)

I’ve never been overweight. I don’t got to the gym, but I stay pretty active. I don’t smoke, don’t drink. My diet could be better, I guess, but I don’t really eat fast food, eat plenty of vegetables. The point is, they ran a bunch of tests on me, and there was nothing else wrong. Like blacklab said, a lot of times it’s just genetic-I have hypertension and there’s nothing I can really do about it other than the meds.

So all that’s to say, since I started taking it, there’s never been any side effects that I’ve noticed. It’s cheap, I take it once a day, and it keeps my bp normal. I wouldn’t sweat it if I were you.

[YGIFS 19452]

^ Thanks for that.  Glad that 210/115 spell didn't take you out for good.  I never really thought about the headaches and insomnia being related to my high BP.  I've gotten migraines a couple times per month for decades, even back when I had completely healthy BP.  But I do notice now that you mention it that my headaches lately come around my spike in BP episodes.  Also totally fucks up my sleep, which was already shit since Covid started.  Kinda hard to relax and doze off when you can feel/hear your rapid heartbeat in your pillow.  I thought losing weight and cutting out drinking would help it, but it actually got slightly worse.  I do know I need to move around more, at least swimming if not running again.  

Two quick questions for you if you don't mind sharing more:

1.  What were these other tests they ran besides just BP and standard physical?  I've never once told a physician "I think I have this or that.  I need this test of that procedure."  But I'm at a point where I need a more thorough checkup on the heart and vital organs, in addition to the fun stuff like colonoscopy.  But mine has been so erratic lately, I could go in and read 125/80 and they tell me I'm fine or I could go in a read 175/115 and they just send me to the ER like, "Doc, you forgot my exam!"  

2.  How old are you now, what do you read on BP regularly on the meds?  Do you still get any wild variances (besides obvious shit like running or intensive yardwork)?  I guess, does it just long-term lower it or does it keep you from having those major swings like 210/115?  THANKS, pos rep

Edited March 6, 2023 by YGIFS

[Chopper 17242]

10 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

1.  What were these other tests they ran besides just BP and standard physical?  I've never once told a physician "I think I have this or that.  I need this test of that procedure."  But I'm at a point where I need a more thorough checkup on the heart and vital organs, in addition to the fun stuff like colonoscopy.  But mine has been so erratic lately, I could go in and read 125/80 and they tell me I'm fine or I could go in a read 175/115 and they just send me to the ER like, "Doc, you forgot my exam!"  

 

How often does your bp spike? Do you have a cardiologist? Three are a ton of tests but you've gotta go to a cardiologist. There's something called a Holter monitor that you wear 24x7 for a length of time specified by the doc and it takes constant heart beat readings. There's blood tests other than just the ordinary cholesterol check. And then there's diagnostics like the CT scan, a Stress Test, and Electrocardiogram, an Echocardiogram, and a PET scan with or without blood tracers, a CT scan, an MRI with or without tracers. There's no shortage of tests that can be run.

A short story as an aside - I was out looking at new cars during the pandemic and one of the salesmen was quite affable and he was telling me how his cardiologist saved his life and was the best doctor ever. The guy's story was that the showed up for his regular 6 month exam and wasn't feeling quite well, he told the NP. They checked him over quickly and called for an ambulance, stat, as the patient was having a coronary attack at that moment. Patient was transported, emergency surgery was performed, he had a valve replaced, and is now relatively healthy. So take care of yourself. A good cardiologist is worth their weight in gold. The slightly funny part is that the "best doctor ever" per the car salesman, happened to be my doctor too.

[CleverNickname 1321]

Fwiw sildenafil studies show an all-cause mortality reduction. Something to think about re: blood pressure and vascular issues. Also helps give boners like a bois d'arc fence post. 

[formermav43 4606]

51 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

^ Thanks for that.  Glad that 210/115 spell didn't take you out for good.  I never really thought about the headaches and insomnia being related to my high BP.  I've gotten migraines a couple times per month for decades, even back when I had completely healthy BP.  But I do notice now that you mention it that my headaches lately come around my spike in BP episodes.  Also totally fucks up my sleep, which was already shit since Covid started.  Kinda hard to relax and doze off when you can feel/hear your rapid heartbeat in your pillow.  I thought losing weight and cutting out drinking would help it, but it actually got slightly worse.  I do know I need to move around more, at least swimming if not running again.  

Two quick questions for you if you don't mind sharing more:

1.  What were these other tests they ran besides just BP and standard physical?  I've never once told a physician "I think I have this or that.  I need this test of that procedure."  But I'm at a point where I need a more thorough checkup on the heart and vital organs, in addition to the fun stuff like colonoscopy.  But mine has been so erratic lately, I could go in and read 125/80 and they tell me I'm fine or I could go in a read 175/115 and they just send me to the ER like, "Doc, you forgot my exam!"  

2.  How old are you now, what do you read on BP regularly on the meds?  Do you still get any wild variances (besides obvious shit like running or intensive yardwork)?  I guess, does it just long-term lower it or does it keep you from having those major swings like 210/115?  THANKS, pos rep

I never thought much about it either until it got really bad like that. Even back when I was at UT, I noticed at one point that I developed really bad tremors - it was first really noticeable one day when I was taking a test, my hand was shaking like crazy while I was trying to write. I went to the doctor because it freaked me out (you know, you're imagining the worst, like you have Parkinson's) - he said it was nothing major, essential tremor, and that stress could exacerbate it. He also noted my bp was a bit elevated (I don't remember how high, but not crazy at the time). So he gave me a beta blocker that would control the tremor--people use them for stage fright and such--and that would also help with my bp, but that way he wouldn't have to diagnose me with it, which would look better for a 22 year old.

Anyway, after awhile, it didn't seem like I had those tremors anymore, I wasn't going for regular physicals, I let the prescription lapse. But in hindsight, that was probably a symptom of hypertension, not its own thing. So all that's to say, it had likely been steadily increasing for years, and I even had some symptoms, but they were easy to ignore. I'm fortunate that I actually had symptoms at all and that they finally became severe, because so many people don't have any, and I probably would have already had a stroke by now or something.

So to your questions:

1. With the tests, they were just trying to rule out any underlying cause and that hypertension was primary. So much of it was what you'd expect - pretty extensive blood work, EKG, some various scans. They obviously wanted to make sure nothing was wrong with my heart or arteries. The one sort of unusual thing they did was an ultrasound to make sure I didn't have stenosis in my renal arteries, which is sometimes a cause of high blood pressure in someone so young. But everything was perfectly normal. And I have an uncle who had to get on bp meds around 30, so it seems to run in the genes.

2. I'm still only 39, so your situation might be a bit different at your age. But I've been taking this same medicine for 6 years now and it's kept it under control with no known side effects. It's consistently normal (if somewhat toward the high side of normal) - 120-135/70-85. No fluctuations to the point that I don't even check it routinely anymore, and I only go for a checkup once a year now because it's totally managed. I'm actually supposed to donate blood this evening, I'll report back what it reads then for accuracy.

Edited March 6, 2023 by formermav43

[YGIFS 19452]

6 minutes ago, Chopper said:

How often does your bp spike? Do you have a cardiologist? Three are a ton of tests but you've gotta go to a cardiologist. There's something called a Holter monitor that you wear 24x7 for a length of time specified by the doc and it takes constant heart beat readings. There's blood tests other than just the ordinary cholesterol check. And then there's diagnostics like the CT scan, a Stress Test, and Electrocardiogram, an Echocardiogram, and a PET scan with or without blood tracers, a CT scan, an MRI with or without tracers. There's no shortage of tests that can be run.

A short story as an aside - I was out looking at new cars during the pandemic and one of the salesmen was quite affable and he was telling me how his cardiologist saved his life and was the best doctor ever. The guy's story was that the showed up for his regular 6 month exam and wasn't feeling quite well, he told the NP. They checked him over quickly and called for an ambulance, stat, as the patient was having a coronary attack at that moment. Patient was transported, emergency surgery was performed, he had a valve replaced, and is now relatively healthy. So take care of yourself. A good cardiologist is worth their weight in gold. The slightly funny part is that the "best doctor ever" per the car salesman, happened to be my doctor too.

It usually was just "moderately" high for many years starting about 10 years ago.  But not high enough to justify specialists or meds according to my GP.  But in the last year, it has been very erratic.  Crazy thing is I can go out and do some pretty robust yardwork and it won't spike.  But I can have a shitty night of sleep and wake up to work or family bullshit and by that afternoon, I'm running in the 160's again despite not doing any exercise.  It's weird.  Biggest three life changes in the last year are massive spike in work/family stress.  Even for a chronic worrier, it's been insanely high.  But also quit drinking and lost ~40 pounds, which is not nothing.  I'm guessing some cocktail of those, plus just hitting mid-40's with not the greatest genetic ancestry may explain the spike.  Like, I lived for years with "moderately high" BP but was active and slept and lived a pretty dammed adventerous life.  And now I go from ideally-low BP to "you may want to go check-in at the ER just in case this ticks up any higher" kinda shit.  It's the swings that really worry me.  

ps-have heard of most of those tests and will discuss with my GP later this Spring about what kinda regiment I should pursue with a cardiologist.   And of course, get the requissite referral.

[Chopper 17242]

1 minute ago, YGIFS said:

ps-have heard of most of those tests and will discuss with my GP later this Spring about what kinda regiment I should pursue with a cardiologist.   And of course, get the requissite referral.

I wouldn't delay with setting up an appt with a cardiologist. Are you certain your health plan requires a referral just to see a cardiologist? Even if so you should be able to send a request to your GP and they should act on it within a couple of days. It sounds to me like your GP is an impediment instead of the facilitator he should be. It's going to take time to get on the cardio's schedule and then time to schedule any of the tests you'll need.

[YGIFS 19452]

14 minutes ago, formermav43 said:

I never thought much about it either until it got really bad like that. Even back when I was at UT, I noticed at one point that I developed really bad tremors - it was first really noticeable one day when I was taking a test, my hand was shaking like crazy while I was trying to write. I went to the doctor because it freaked me out (you know, you're imagining the worst, like you have Parkinson's) - he said it was nothing major, essential tremor, and that stress could exacerbate it. He also noted my bp was a bit elevated (I don't remember how high, but not crazy at the time). So he gave me a beta blocker that would control the tremor--people use them for stage fright and such--and that would also help with my bp, but that way he wouldn't have to diagnose me with it, which would look better for a 22 year old.

Anyway, after awhile, it didn't seem like I had those tremors anymore, I wasn't going for regular physicals, I let the prescription lapse. But in hindsight, that was probably a symptom of hypertension, not its own thing. So all that's to say, it had likely been steadily increasing for years, and I even had some symptoms, but they were easy to ignore. I'm fortunate that I actually had symptoms at all and that they finally became severe, because so many people don't have any, and I probably would have already had a stroke by now or something.

So to your questions:

1. With the tests, they were just trying to rule out any underlying cause and that hypertension was primary. So much of it was what you'd expect - pretty extensive blood work, EKG, some various scans. They obviously wanted to make sure nothing was wrong with my heart or arteries. The one sort of unusual thing they did was an ultrasound to make sure I didn't have stenosis in my renal arteries, which is sometimes a cause of high blood pressure in someone so young. But everything was perfectly normal. And I have an uncle who had to get on bp meds around 30, so it seems to run in the genes.

2. I'm still only 39, so your situation might be a bit different at your age. But I've been taking this same medicine for 6 years now and it's kept it under control with no known side effects. It's consistently normal (if somewhat toward the high side of normal) - 120-135/70-85. No fluctuations to the point that I don't even check it routinely anymore, and I only go for a checkup once a year now because it's totally managed. I'm actually supposed to donate blood this evening, I'll report back what it reads then for accuracy.

Shit, I forgot about my tremors.  They seem to accompany the spikes as well, in addition to loss of appetite and some muscle pain in areas I certainly hadn't used in a few days.  Funny you mention blood donating.  I've had three serious spikes just in 2023.  One so bad, we asked a cousin in the middle of the night to come over to watch the kids while wife drove me to ER.  Other two were rough, but I never got over 170.  So before church, I take BP because I was gonna donate blood afterwards in the fellowship hall.  Looked good, higher than I'd like but it was within donation range.  Just sat in church and volunteered afterwards like I always do.  Nothing crazy.  Sit down for blood donor check-in, 165/115 with a 105 bpm pulse.   Nurse looked at me like "WTF did you just do?"  I said, "I sat for an hour, and then came here."  She politely told me come back later since legally she couldn't draw blood in my condition.  Yet another red flag moment.  

3 minutes ago, Chopper said:

I wouldn't delay with setting up an appt with a cardiologist. Are you certain your health plan requires a referral just to see a cardiologist? Even if so you should be able to send a request to your GP and they should act on it within a couple of days. It sounds to me like your GP is an impediment instead of the facilitator he should be. It's going to take time to get on the cardio's schedule and then time to schedule any of the tests you'll need.

Yeah, wouldn't hurt to call and check ahead.  I'm gonna get on that in the next week.  We have an appointment on something unrelated anyway in the next few weeks, could ask about it in person.  

[Basil 755]

1 hour ago, YGIFS said:

^ Thanks for that.  Glad that 210/115 spell didn't take you out for good.  I never really thought about the headaches and insomnia being related to my high BP.  I've gotten migraines a couple times per month for decades, even back when I had completely healthy BP.  But I do notice now that you mention it that my headaches lately come around my spike in BP episodes.  Also totally fucks up my sleep, which was already shit since Covid started.  Kinda hard to relax and doze off when you can feel/hear your rapid heartbeat in your pillow.  I thought losing weight and cutting out drinking would help it, but it actually got slightly worse.  I do know I need to move around more, at least swimming if not running again.  

Two quick questions for you if you don't mind sharing more:

1.  What were these other tests they ran besides just BP and standard physical?  I've never once told a physician "I think I have this or that.  I need this test of that procedure."  But I'm at a point where I need a more thorough checkup on the heart and vital organs, in addition to the fun stuff like colonoscopy.  But mine has been so erratic lately, I could go in and read 125/80 and they tell me I'm fine or I could go in a read 175/115 and they just send me to the ER like, "Doc, you forgot my exam!"  

2.  How old are you now, what do you read on BP regularly on the meds?  Do you still get any wild variances (besides obvious shit like running or intensive yardwork)?  I guess, does it just long-term lower it or does it keep you from having those major swings like 210/115?  THANKS, pos rep

I'm not who you were asking but I'm going to pretend I was and kinda answer you question and otherwise say what I want.  I have been on BP meds for years - November it was Losartan 100 and amlodipine 10, which is a lot.  I had also ballooned up to 230 pounds at 6'0".   Since I quit drinking in December my BP has been dropping and I check about 2x/day because I'm dropping BP meds bit by bit and still getting hypotension.  Your BP does vary a lot.  I've been 105/75 in the morning and 88/58 in midafternoon.  Swings like that are not super uncommon.  

I also have had insomnia issues that were magically cured by drinking way to much every night.  I went to an addiction specialist - himself sober for 12+ years now - and he prescribed by Trazodone, which can be used off-label as an insomnia medicine.  It doesn't work like alcohol, benzos or ambien and is non-habit forming.  It doesn't get you a buzz but knocks my butt out when I take it.  It works so well I usually halve the pill.  It can make it a little bit more difficult to wake up in the morning but doesn't come with a hangover or whatever you would get if you took and bunch of benzos the night before.  Once out of bed, I have a cup of coffee and am up and ready to go.

[Kennythetiger 9418]

2 minutes ago, Basil said:

I'm not who you were asking but I'm going to pretend I was and kinda answer you question and otherwise say what I want.  I have been on BP meds for years - November it was Losartan 100 and amlodipine 10, which is a lot.  I had also ballooned up to 230 pounds at 6'0".   Since I quit drinking in December my BP has been dropping and I check about 2x/day because I'm dropping BP meds bit by bit and still getting hypotension.  Your BP does vary a lot.  I've been 105/75 in the morning and 88/58 in midafternoon.  Swings like that are not super uncommon.  

I also have had insomnia issues that were magically cured by drinking way to much every night.  I went to an addiction specialist - himself sober for 12+ years now - and he prescribed by Trazodone, which can be used off-label as an insomnia medicine.  It doesn't work like alcohol, benzos or ambien and is non-habit forming.  It doesn't get you a buzz but knocks my butt out when I take it.  It works so well I usually halve the pill.  It can make it a little bit more difficult to wake up in the morning but doesn't come with a hangover or whatever you would get if you took and bunch of benzos the night before.  Once out of bed, I have a cup of coffee and am up and ready to go.

I’m not your intended audience but I am going to pretend that I am. I had very, very good results with a weighted blanket. I went through some shit and thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown. I couldn’t sleep more than about three hours a night. That blanket did wonders for me.  Damn thing broke about six months after I got it, but by then I was past the point of needing it anymore.