That's not to say that I reccommend that anyone give up their BP medication. I sticking with mine, but I don't worry if I miss a day or two. I just feel soooo bad when it's down to 120/80 where my doctor wants it. 135/85 and I feel so much better. Keeping it low is NOT going to insure that I won't have a stroke or heart attack. Letting it go up a little isn't going to guarantee that I will either. D@mn this Golden Age thing. It's the pits!

Any of you have any thoughts on this?

PB, interesting, Al had low bp for years, about 5 or so. then after all these heart attacks in the past few years he now has high bp and is on meds for this, the doctor changed the time of day to take the pills and he is just fine now. then there is me, mrs. migrane of the world -lol, when i had that long,long migrane and had to go to emerg. and found it was so high that i could have had a heart attack, but wasn't put on anything and still haven't (saw the doctor last tuesday). do you think it might be our life-styles too? we are probably the most boring people in the world, don't drink,party, go to bed early and get up early eat healthy foods, i just don't know! PB - off topic here am reading Anne George right now, they are senior sisters in Alabama funny and a quick read. debbie

Hey Aileen....I do. I agree with you...your body now has a "physiological BP"...as you say. Your function better with it in that range. In hospital, we DO NOT try to get it at "textbook normal" in chronic hypertensives. Not only you brain, but also your kidneys, for example, work better when the BP is high enough for perfusion. I'm sure you do this, but have you taken you list of home readings in to him to correlate when you feel the best? Beta blockers make you feel "pooey", so maybe the med is not the best for you. I am sorry you are feeling so miserable. Take care. Derry

Oh, my, can I relate to this! My BP was creeping up into the 160's/90s and with trial and error and modifications I finally got it down to the 120s/80s and felt SO faint that I couldn't function!! I honestly couldn't even go to the grocery store without nearly fainting from exhaustion! After about a year of keeping it in MY preferred range of mid 130s/whatever (which my doc said was just fine for me), it's now dipped to those 120s and I don't feel dizzy and weak this time!

I imagine, after operating in hyper-mode, that huge drop nearly dropped me! However, having eased it along, I now feel fine in that lower range.

Perhaps that's what happened to you? A sudden change could have you on the floor like I nearly was! Hopefully you'll either have it lower itself naturally from where you are now (which is what mine did without change in meds), or you'll operate just fine where you are.

As for early Alz onset from taking BP meds: I hope not!!;-D

This blood pressure thing sucks! I ran 110/70 for years, then just recently it crept up to 140/90 and sometimes higher. So off to the heart Dr. I was sent. He said it isn't high, but through all the testing,they found I have a bad heart, something I was probably born with!! No symptoms, just testing found it.
Now I have to take Verapamil, and take it easy!! It is the one side of the heart is enlarged and cuts the blood flow down. I was told no bending, lifting, etc. Well be a caregiver, and as you all know that is impossible to follow. I feel fine usually, so who knows?

I know, Jeannine...what are you to do?? Sometimes medical science is too much of a good thing. May not need to know about every quirk we have. Life has to go on....somehow. I hope you do OK with this. Don't stand up too fast!! Derry