Managing your Blood Pressure

[MrAust92]

As a BBer fast approaching the dreaded "big four-oh" I have developed a keen interest in preventative health and making sure I can maintain this mortal coil well into old age. One of the things most overlooked by BBers is blood pressure (BP). I would hazard a guess that 90% of the AAS-users on this board simply dont know what their BP is because it hasnt been checked in months (or even years).

I am writing this thread as I am currently at a reasonably heavy off season b/weight (125 kg) and everytime I get up over 120 kg I have to be careful as the extra weight bothers my BP. I thought it would be good to share my thoughts and insights on this topic, maybe someone will even listen to me and stay healthier as a result.

What is healthy BP? - the medical establishment will tell you 120/80 is "normal" BP. Athletes, particularly strength athletes often have slightly higher BP as they have bigger stronger hearts that are subject to greater stresses than non-trained individuals. Long term use of AAS/peptides etc can also enlarge the heart which can have some impact. I have discussed this at length with my Dr and he doesnt get too concerned if my systolic (top number) is under 160, he does however prefer to see the dyostolic (bottom number) 80 or lower. I like to keep the bottom number in the 60's if I can as this is the measure of how much the heart relaxes between beats and its the one Drs worry most about.

What causes BP to rise? - A myriad of lifestyle factors (diet, exercise, genetics, smoking, stress levels, etc etc). The usual cause in BBers is rapid weight gain and its usually the fluid retention associated with the drug use rather than the drugs per se. The bad news is that fluid retention assists in muscle gain, the good news is that you can manage your BP without ruining your gains.

Why bother? - High BP (hypertension) is no trivial matter. It is a strong contributor to cardiac disease and high BP over a long period of time subjects your kidneys to unnatural stress which can lead to kidney problems/failures. If you think kidney problems are not that special, go and talk to Juzzy, Im sure he will smack you around your dumb-ass head. If your BP gets up around 160/95 you should make an appt with your Dr. If it gets near 180/110 get urgent medical attention, you are a stroke waiting to happen.

How do I know my BP? - Simple, buy a half decent BP monitor and check yourself regularly. I have an Omron (recommended brand) that cost me $170 and it has a large cuff that will fit a BBers arm. And yes I know that on the Internet we all have 21 inch arms and hence the cuff doesnt fit blah blah blah.... but the cuff seems to fit my 19 inch pipes OK (sorry I am not in the 21 inch club boys.........)

How do I measure? - I suggest doing it 1st thing when you wake up and are nice and relaxed, also, keep your arm at "heart height" so either rest it on the table or lie down as you will get a more accurate reading. I usually take 3 readings as my 1st one is always a bit higher and then (as I relax) it drops down a bit.

Word of warning - anxiety will bump your BP up alot. I had my BP tested recently at the hospital after my surgeon had described the process he intended to use to cut out some skin cancers (one which looked nasty) and my BP was 160/95. Naturally I shit my pants and when I got home I tried to relax and then took the reading myself and it was 136/67 which is fine for me.

So what can I do? - If its really high (over 160/95) you need to get medical advice, there are lots of things you can do to manage it though, the main ones for me are:
- Drink lots of water (5 litres + ED) - you should be doing this anyway
- Do cardio -20-30 minutes 4-5 days per week will do it (you should also be doing this anyway if you value your ticker)
- Keep salty shitty foods to a minimum.
- Keep use of of aromatising androgens to a minimum (OK, this aint always easy)
- If you need to use androgens, use an anti-e to keep water retention down.
- Natural supps - hawthorn berries capsules can lower BP 10-20 points but use them in conjunction with the other measures above. There are a number of natural BP formulas around (BB.com have a few) and these are helpful, I use one for added protection.
- Rx BP meds - your Dr can prescribe meds for you, these are usually a BP med like Catapres or a diuretic. I dont know about you but I would rather not take extra meds or a daily dose of diuretics (I HATE diuretics as they make me feel like shit) if I can manage it "naturally" (oxymoron I know)

I am a strong believer that you can use AAS, achieve your BBing goals and live to a ripe old age if you are smart and sensible. BP is known as the "silent killer" as people who die from BP-related ilnesses usually dont know they had the condition as often there are no physical symptoms whatsoever.

On ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure my friends.

Stay safe

MA92

[bantamweight_B]

Very good read Mr.Aust.92,Thank you for taking the time

[aleutianislands]

You say to..."Keep use of of aromatising androgens to a minimum"...

Could you please give me examples of which ones are aromatising?

Islands

[MrAust92]

Originally Posted by aleutianislands

You say to..."Keep use of of aromatising androgens to a minimum"...

Could you please give me examples of which ones are aromatising?

Islands

All the various testerones although use of an anit-e will mitigate most of the negative effects of these meds, dbol and anadrol can also be key offenders.

For example I can manage my BP quite easily when using test but if I add dbol it bothers my BP much more, hence I tend to avoid most orals.

[Xodus]

Make sure your doc/nurse uses the 'bigger cuff' as well. Sometimes they don't think about it and it will show your BP as sky high.

Just had mine checked last week and the nurses eyes bugged out of her head (160/110). We switched cuffs and it was only slightly elevated (130/90).

I think the slight elevation was part being 'on', part white coat syndrome, and part driving like a mad man through rush hour traffic to make a 5pm appt.

[trotten]

I like to use Beta blockers 1 selctive(like atenolol) when on salbutamol (same to clen).

[onswole]

It's always refreshing to hear someone speak about health first, and I'm a firm believer in cardio, especially when bulking.

[MZLGOLFER76]

Originally Posted by trotten

I like to use Beta blockers 1 selctive(like atenolol) when on salbutamol (same to clen).

yea, i also take 50mg atenolol daily,but in higher doses can cause decreased erection,but thats why i just take 250mg every two weeks of test yearly

[TangSooDoo]

My doctor prescribed metaprolol and hytrin for BPH and HBP. My blood pressure is usually normal, but when I walk into my doctor's office and see her wearing a black laced bra peeking from under her smock and those glossed lips and that sexy ass body, my BP goes up 20 points! LOL

[mars1970]

Good read. Just a small point, it is as you say better to take 2 or 3 readings, but use alternate arms when doing this. As you say keep salty foods to a minimum, by shitty i assume you mean also reduce sugar and saturated fat content. Just to put BP in perspective,
120/80 is ideal.
120-129/80-84 is normal.
130-139/85-89 is high normal.
140-159/90-99 is mild hypertension, and so on.
Lastly always be aware that if you are self prescribing meds for HBP, that a reading of 100/60 or less, then you have hypotension, then it's also time to see your doc.
On a personal note, i reduced my BP from mild hypertension to normal by taking 300mg of aspirin ED.

[TangSooDoo]

Sugar can raise your blood pressure!

[panther0055]

I actually sell antihypertensives for a living and was wondering if it would be wise to take a small dose as part of my current regimen of 400 mgs of test week as prevention

[poppa_cracker]

Originally Posted by panther0055

I actually sell antihypertensives for a living and was wondering if it would be wise to take a small dose as part of my current regimen of 400 mgs of test week as prevention

natural or pharmaceutical?

[panther0055]

pharma.....I have free prescriptions of the stuff, its in the arb class

[TangSooDoo]

Originally Posted by panther0055

I actually sell antihypertensives for a living and was wondering if it would be wise to take a small dose as part of my current regimen of 400 mgs of test week as prevention

I take metoprolol and hytrin when I take dbol, tbol, and omnas. My bp could easily read 180/100! I'm currently not on AAS and my bp is at 125/72 which isn't too bad.

[panther0055]

I think Im going to go 10 weeks. run my pct a month and fire it up again about 2 months later.

[physicslifter]

Good post on BP! I take an ace inhibitor for my BP, but when on cycle, especially this last cycle where I added in Tren for the first time, towards the end I had to add a diuretic in too to keep it down to safe levels (130/80)....it was getting up towards 180/95....tren was great for gains, but damn, it really upped my BP!

[panther0055]

Originally Posted by physicslifter

Good post on BP! I take an ace inhibitor for my BP, but when on cycle, especially this last cycle where I added in Tren for the first time, towards the end I had to add a diuretic in too to keep it down to safe levels (130/80)....it was getting up towards 180/95....tren was great for gains, but damn, it really upped my BP!

Im also going to take an ace as well just to be safe. Low dose and throw in some low dose lipitor as well

[saltpie]

Good Post!

I'm 27 and was recently put on bp meds and will most likely be on them for life. I don't think most people really understand the damage high blood pressure for long periods can do to your body.

[TangSooDoo]

Originally Posted by saltpie

Good Post!

I'm 27 and was recently put on bp meds and will most likely be on them for life. I don't think most people really understand the damage high blood pressure for long periods can do to your body.

IMO I believe diet and exercise is necessary to keep your BP within a healthy range. That's about 120/64 for me which is good enough to keep my doctor from bitchin' at me. I have several bp meds and I only take them during steroid usage which is four months out of the year.