Ok...help me think this through

[Avocado]

Ok, I'm on a medicine for blood pressure which seems to lower my anxiety and is supposed to help with ADD at the same time. Sure, medicine for ADD has always had a minimal benefit on my symptoms, if any...but I took my blood pressure/
ADD pill today after not taking it a few days (I just kept forgetting) and my ADD symptoms were way worse and I embarrassed myself at work today, and my boss made a comment about 'not being your usual self...slower, dazed, careless'. I obviously need this for the blood pressure, but...do you think it makes my add worse or did I just have a bad day?

 

[/DG/]

Ok, I'm on a medicine for blood pressure which seems to lower my anxiety and is supposed to help with ADD at the same time.

This is very strange to me. Aren't you a teenager? I've not heard of teenager or young adults being prescribed high blood pressure medication. Which medication is it specifically? Have you had your heart checked out by a doctor? Are you still under your parent's insurance?

Don't worry about work, though. Everyone has their off days. I'm more concerned about you being on blood pressure medication at such a young age.

 

[Tellenbach]

I'm the wrong person to ask because I believe there are much better alternatives for treating blood pressure than using pills. Most (95%) blood pressure problems in the USA arise because of a low potassium to sodium ratio. Ideally, you want a 4:1 potassium to sodium ratio in your diet. Populations with diets that have a high potassium to sodium content do not have hypertension.

If I had hypertension, I'd do plenty of exercise, eat a banana or an an apple a day and cut down on high sodium foods.

 

[senza tema]

[quote removed

WTF? Why would you say something like this? How cruel.

Magic Qwan, if you need to take these pills for your health, I don't think you should stop them without medical advice. I agree with everything else Tellenbach says though ... blood pressure at your age sounds like a serious and scary complaint, this may be something you'll have to live with for the rest of your (hopefully long and happy) life and diet and exercise are crucial to managing the condition.

As for whether or not it has something to do with your ADD symptoms worsening, that is once again a conversation you should have with your doctor if you do observe a real pattern. One bad day simply isn't enough to tell one way or another.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Are you absolutely certain you need this pill? Unless you need it to save your life, I would consider other members' advice and re-examine your sodium intake. Salt is the obvious thing, but sodium is in so many drinks and foods (not always the obvious ones) that you have to be careful. I had to cut soda and gatorade type drinks out of my diet years ago for this reason.

 

[tinker683]

Work it off for a bit. If it gets any worse, talk to your doctor to make sure it isn't anything serious

 

[Avocado]

I'm the wrong person to ask because I believe there are much better alternatives for treating blood pressure than using pills. Most (95%) blood pressure problems in the USA arise because of a low potassium to sodium ratio. Ideally, you want a 4:1 potassium to sodium ratio in your diet. Populations with diets that have a high potassium to sodium content do not have hypertension.

If I had hypertension, I'd do plenty of exercise, eat a banana or an an apple a day and cut down on high sodium foods.

I already have cut down to eating out a couple of times a week and eating low sodium home-cooked meals. I did not know about potassium, though.

 

[gromit]

Yikes guys we are not here to give medical advice and think we know more about MQ's situation than his physician!!! [MENTION=6554]DisneyGeek[/MENTION] [MENTION=20113]Tellenbach[/MENTION] [MENTION=19700]Starcrash[/MENTION]

[MENTION=18694]Magic Qwan[/MENTION], it is true that blood pressure can be impacted by diet and exercise, but this is DEFINITELY something to talk to your physician about. Please do not change your medication status without consulting your physician, especially do not cut something out completely. I remember you mentioning your BP in a different thread and the numbers were quite high for someone your age. I would have a conversation with your physician about the symptoms you described above and your desire to (if it is indeed your desire) to manage it without exercise and how realistic this is at this point vs perhaps tapering down to that with the drugs or something. Often the clinic or hospital where you go for healthcare will have a number you can call to just ask general questions, and they can give you some general advice too. But please don't listen to untrained people on an internet forum who do not know your medical history, lifestyle habits, etc, over someone with a medical degree who has the full picture of what's going on in your life.

As for the ADD, I know drugs have a lot of different side effects, and I know sometimes you have to build up a certain amount in your body before it starts working, so I wouldn't just go off of the one day's outcome.

Anyway, overall, I do fully support people trying to change their lifestyle vs medicating everything, but this is one case where I'd be hesitant to just jump right into that.

 

[Ivy]

This is not the place to seek or give medical advice. Thread closed.