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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Deneb on April 9, 2011, at 21:49:45
My heart felt like it was racing while I was lying down so I took my BP and it was 89/64. I'm fatter than ever right now. I'm too afraid to weigh myself. I can tell by my clothes that I've gotten fatter though. So why is my blood pressure low?
Are people supposed to get high blood pressure when they get fat?
Sorry I know I've written about this before. Maybe I am obsessing again. But why is my blood pressure low even though I'm fat?
I take Prozac, Celexa and Risperdal. Is it my meds? I'm not complaining about having lower than normal BP, I know it is normall good, but I'm just worried that it is bad, especially because I am fat.
Posted by bleauberry on April 10, 2011, at 6:48:08
In reply to I'm fat and have low blood pressure, posted by Deneb on April 9, 2011, at 21:49:45
Risperdal is the most likely of the 3 meds to be reducing blood pressure.
To help increase the blood pressure, incorporate more salt in the diet. Get a good sea salt or hymalayan salt, not regular salt. Despite what most doctors claim, salt is good. Back in the old days it was traded like gold. Back in the old days they had tremendous more amounts of salt in the diet, simply because that was the primary means of preserving meats.
Isn't it odd how modern America has said salt is bad, butter is bad, fats are bad....and disease skyrockets when these guidelines are incorporated. Anyway, it helps to raise blood pressure and will also help to kill or suppress all kinds of protozoa, worms, fungus, bacteria and such in the gut. All of which is important when dealing with chronic illness of any kind.
Testing thyroid is justified. You present with what could be hypothyroidism. Even if the tests appear "normal", which doesn't really mean anything (long story), it would be worth sampling some pro-thyroid strategies to see what happens. You would not be the first person to test "so-called normal" and yet respond very well to additional thyroid. If that happened, it would indicate that the typical scale used by the lab is too broad. The tests show thyroid in the blood, but not what is actually happening at the cellular level (example, thyroid receptors blocked by something else, requiring higher than normal amounts to break through and get you to an actual real normal.
For the fatness there has to be a change in what goes into the grocery cart. No sweets, no sodas, very low carbs. The Atkins diet is similar to what you need....high in proteins, low in carbs, fortified with a balanced mix of good fats (omegas from fish and flax) and complex carbs (whole grains only). The hamburger....throw away the bun. Breakfast....bacon and eggs. Pizza,,,,once a month. You can actually eat just about all you want this way, so it isn't like starving yourself. I know several people who have lost surprising poundage eating this way, in a short time. 5 to 15 pounds in 2 weeks is a fairly common result.
It's much better and healthier to eat 5 smaller meals per day rather than 3 big ones. Each eating should appear to be mostly protein and veggie. This is the foundation for lessening symptoms and fighting illness, no matter what the weight issue is or what the disease is.
If you aren't accustomed to eating this way, not to worry. Taste buds change. You'll find in 3 months that you prefer your new foods over your old ones. Cravings will be almost gone or completely gone. Either way, very manageable.
And since you are dealing with chronic illness, make sure your choices are organic every chance possible. The last thing you need are trace amounts of pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics.
It all comes down to this question.....do you really want to get well? If yes, you do the right stuff. If not, you don't.
Posted by Phillipa on April 10, 2011, at 11:12:02
In reply to Re: I'm fat and have low blood pressure, posted by bleauberry on April 10, 2011, at 6:48:08
I'm all for the five small meals a day to stabalize blood sugar with some protein in each mini meal. But the original Atkins diet before was on meds during a five hour glucose test I was positive for diabetes told go home eat lots of carbs return for another test. Did it and then showed low blood sugar and mini meals with protein recommended. That was ages ago was in late 20's at the time. How do you feel? Just give your doc a call and see what he/she says. Phillipa
Posted by desolationrower on April 10, 2011, at 19:46:13
In reply to Re: I'm fat and have low blood pressure, posted by bleauberry on April 10, 2011, at 6:48:08
>Are people supposed to get high blood pressure when they get fat?
>Sorry I know I've written about this before. Maybe I am obsessing again. But why is my blood pressure low even though I'm fat?
Well, the answer depends on 'compared to what'. and also why.
If a drug is causing both weight gain and low bp, then that will overwell the weight->bp link.
And i agree with bb that it is probably the risperdone.
the 'compared to what' - being overweight causes bad things, but that is mostly due to the overeating. Weight gain (of fat) is how the body protects itself from the excess of food. It shuttles it into relatively inactive fat cells, where it can do the least damage. So compared to someone who eats the same, exercises the same, etc. the person who puts more fat on is generally healthier. But both are worse off than someone who is lighter because he has been eating less. And changes in weight from your presciptions complicate it even more, including storage, effects, hunger, etc. It is less the fat itself that is harmful, than the chronic state of 'excess calories' that is damaging.
I'd agree that sea salt is worth using, especially since you might be needing more, it could be a useful source of calcium and magnesium and potassium, although those can reduce bp a bit (the body is better at handling too many of these minerals than not enough). i use iodized sea salt. soy sauce, fish sauce, etc are also high in sodium.
There is usually a delay of years/decade between being overweight and having high blood pressure. Some of it is just correlation, since causes of obesity also cause high blood pressure. The direct effect probably has to do the renin/angiotensis system, and sympathetic nervous system. risperdal interferes with the latter. I wouldn't say hypertension is the main problem to worry about with overweight. various lipoproteines ('cholesterol'), inflammation, endocrine changes, are the bigger problems.
here is a review of how blood pressure and obesity are linked: free fulltext: http://ndt.oxfordjournals.org/content/21/2/264.full
[code]The precise mechanisms linking obesity to hypertension and increased cardiovascular risk are not fully understood. However, neuroendocrine mechanisms and, most recently, factors derived from adipose are thought to play a major role [15,16]. Obesity might lead to hypertension and cardiovascular disease by activating the reninangiotensinaldosterone system, by increasing sympathetic activity, by promoting insulin resistance and leptin resistance, by increased procoagulatory activity and by endothelial dysfunction. Further mechanisms include increased renal sodium reabsorption, causing a shift to the right of the pressurenatriuresis relationship and resulting in volume expansion [17]. Obstructive sleep apnoea may importantly contribute to sympathetic activation in obesity. Finally, obesity may increase cardiovascular risk through subclinical inflammation. [/code]
> Risperdal is the most likely of the 3 meds to be reducing blood pressure.
>
> To help increase the blood pressure, incorporate more salt in the diet. Get a good sea salt or hymalayan salt, not regular salt. Despite what most doctors claim, salt is good. Back in the old days it was traded like gold. Back in the old days they had tremendous more amounts of salt in the diet, simply because that was the primary means of preserving meats.so was sugar. Refined grains were also prized. salt intake varied. i don't think its bad, especially if you have low bp, but its not completely harmless for most people.
> Isn't it odd how modern America has said salt is bad, butter is bad, fats are bad....and disease skyrockets when these guidelines are incorporated. Anyway, it helps to raise blood pressure and will also help to kill or suppress all kinds of protozoa, worms, fungus, bacteria and such in the gut. All of which is important when dealing with chronic illness of any kind.
i think saturated fat is ok, but for someone who is overweight and with insulin resistance, less saturated fats are superior for their effects on insulin. Anway, it is dumb to criticize scientists for know completely understand a field, or letting the public know preliminary results. the villian is food companies saying their 'low-fat cookies' or whatever are healthy. I'm not aware of any evidence that butter suppresses bad microflora. the scfa are probably somewhat beneficial, but this is not not unique to butter. also, animal fat accumulates toxins and i think this could potentially be a source of ill health from animal fats.
> Testing thyroid is justified. You present with what could be hypothyroidism. Even if the tests appear "normal", which doesn't really mean anything (long story), it would be worth sampling some pro-thyroid strategies to see what happens. You would not be the first person to test "so-called normal" and yet respond very well to additional thyroid. If that happened, it would indicate that the typical scale used by the lab is too broad. The tests show thyroid in the blood, but not what is actually happening at the cellular level (example, thyroid receptors blocked by something else, requiring higher than normal amounts to break through and get you to an actual real normal.
>
> For the fatness there has to be a change in what goes into the grocery cart. No sweets, no sodas, very low carbs. The Atkins diet is similar to what you need....high in proteins, low in carbs, fortified with a balanced mix of good fats (omegas from fish and flax) and complex carbs (whole grains only). The hamburger....throw away the bun. Breakfast....bacon and eggs. Pizza,,,,once a month. You can actually eat just about all you want this way, so it isn't like starving yourself. I know several people who have lost surprising poundage eating this way, in a short time. 5 to 15 pounds in 2 weeks is a fairly common result.agree
> It's much better and healthier to eat 5 smaller meals per day rather than 3 big ones. Each eating should appear to be mostly protein and veggie. This is the foundation for lessening symptoms and fighting illness, no matter what the weight issue is or what the disease is.
the difference between 3 vs 5 meals, especially if you are eating less refined foods, is minimal. The food isn't done digesting after 3 hours, so you are pretty much getting a steady absorption of food in either case.
> If you aren't accustomed to eating this way, not to worry. Taste buds change. You'll find in 3 months that you prefer your new foods over your old ones. Cravings will be almost gone or completely gone. Either way, very manageable.
>
> And since you are dealing with chronic illness, make sure your choices are organic every chance possible. The last thing you need are trace amounts of pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics.
>
> It all comes down to this question.....do you really want to get well? If yes, you do the right stuff. If not, you don't.i think the thing to think about is how to enjoy, anticipate, savor, etc qualities of food beyond salty (although in this case, enjoy), sweet, rich, etc. i do this by thinking about cook a lot, but i'm not sure how this can go for other people.
-d/r
Posted by emmanuel98 on April 11, 2011, at 19:56:35
In reply to I'm fat and have low blood pressure, posted by Deneb on April 9, 2011, at 21:49:45
When you say you're fat, what do you mean? How much do you weigh? How tall are you?
I took anti-psychotics on and off for almost two years because they worked so well for me, but in the process, I gained nearly 60 pounds. I have finally lost 40 and am tring to lose the last 20.
Posted by Deneb on April 12, 2011, at 2:44:40
In reply to Re: I'm fat and have low blood pressure, posted by emmanuel98 on April 11, 2011, at 19:56:35
I should look into the calorie restriction with optimal nutrition thing again. I fell off the wagon and started eating all sorts of junk. I'm getting a bit better with my eating now though.
I'm not sure how much I weigh. I'm frankly too afraid to step on the scale. I know I am overweight. I might not be obese. I'm estimating my weight to be around 130 because that was the highest it has been. I'm 4'11".
I'm afraid maybe my meds are playing a role in making me fat. I've gained weight slowly over the years. But then again I've also been on a terrible cycle of yo-yo extreme low calorie dieting and binging which crossed into bulimia territory at times (self induced vomiting). My metabolism might be screwed up from the years of abuse.
Posted by emmanuel98 on April 12, 2011, at 2:59:56
In reply to Re: I'm fat and have low blood pressure, posted by Deneb on April 12, 2011, at 2:44:40
Please take better care of yourself. My daughter started throwing up after big meals and I begged her to stop. It is very dangerous. It throws off your electolyte balance and can cause serious problems. That woman Terry Schiavo who was in a coma for years and became this cause celebre for pro=lifers in the US has gone into heart failure as a result of bulemia.
130 at 4'11" is on the heavy side. It is not fat or obese. YOu can control it by exercising and moderate dieting.
I know you worry a lot about your health so please take seriously this warning about bulemia.
Posted by Deneb on April 13, 2011, at 7:17:44
In reply to Re: I'm fat and have low blood pressure, posted by emmanuel98 on April 12, 2011, at 2:59:56
Oh, you don't have to worry about the bulimia. I'm over that now. I haven't done that in years really.
This is the end of the thread.
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