There is no doubt in my mind that blood pressure medication saves lives. A couple of years ago, I wound up in the hospital because my head hurt a lot. In addition to the pain, I could actually hear the pulsing as I lay in bed trying to pass the pain. I couldn’t take it anymore, and I hit the E.R. This episode happened after a particularly large, and obviously very salty penne and vodka dish from Pasta Lovers.
When I hit the ER, they put me on some pain medicine. The doctor told me that I needed to follow up with my primary care physician because my blood pressure was so high that I could have an aneurysm or stroke.
In hindsight, I think its weird that rather than treat my blood pressure, they just gave me something to try and mask the pain. It didn’t work by the way, the pain remained. According to my primary doctor, the meds they gave me worked off of a different pathway and wouldn’t help with this type of pain. What bothers me most is that they left me in a state where I could have had a stroke or aneurysm.
In any case, I went to my primary doctor, and he agreed, I needed to start taking blood pressure meds to get out of the danger zone. I really didn’t want to become dependent on taking pills for my well being, but his very stern warning about the stroke really helped me in making the logical decision to take the meds.
It’s been a few years since I started, and since then my weight has dropped significantly, and with that my dosage has also dropped. However, I tried to drop it even lower, and immediately the headaches came back. Like it or not, I’m stuck taking this dose for the time being. Maybe as I drop more weight I may be able to go even lower, but for now this is it.
Let me repeat, I did not want to take meds or become dependent on them. However, there are some which are life saving, and necessary. This can’t be denied, and if you value your life, I’d advise you take them if deemed necessary. Get a second opinion, look into how you can change your lifestyle to ween off of them, but if you need them right now to save your life, don’t be stubborn and take them!
When doctors say that high blood pressure can lead to a stroke, they are not kidding. There is a strong part of me that believes the medical community can be greedy and cash driven. Part of me believes that rather than looking to help us out, that they medicate, medicate, medicate. But that being said, sometimes you really do have to take those pesky meds.
Just a life long New Yorker sharing the journey through my lens. Please take note of a post’s date. The views I express here are subject to change and evolving as I grow and learn.
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