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Answers to frequently asked questions

Posted on 2008.06.28 at 12:34

1. Yes, I was in the hospital overnight Thursday/Friday
2. Yes, I am OK!
3. I was in for testing because my blood pressure was high and nothing else
4. I am taking some medications to control blood pressure now
5. Yes, I am OK!
6. The doctors don't know why my blood pressure was high but hopefully we will know soon.
7. I have been on a low sodium/low fat diet for over a year, and already eat lots of veggies and little to no red meat
8. Unfortunately, I will have to stop drinking alcohol and coffee
9. Drinking decaffeinated coffee is about like drinking non-alcoholic beer
10. Yes, I am OK!

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Comments:

nmdrkangl at 2008-06-28 16:54 (UTC) (Link)

No alcohol?
No COFFEE?

YOU ARE FAR FROM OK, SIR!

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idragosani at 2008-06-28 16:56 (UTC) (Link)

I know... it sucks... but the alternative is having an artery explode on the side on my head.

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nmdrkangl at 2008-06-28 17:02 (UTC) (Link)

I WILL EXPLODE!

That happens to me, sometimes.

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silver_chipmunk at 2008-06-28 17:05 (UTC) (Link)

Oh man. No caffine? Intense sympathy.

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idragosani at 2008-06-28 17:13 (UTC) (Link)

I hardly drink alcohol these days anyway, so that won't be hard to adjust to.

Not having coffee in the morning... it's going to SUCK. I haven't had any coffee since Wednesday and I am JONESING!

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silver_chipmunk at 2008-06-28 19:31 (UTC) (Link)

yeah, I don't drink much any more either, giving it up wouldn't be a major problem. But caffine? Just THINKING about not beng able to not have coffee makes me grit my teeth in pain. Ouch. ((hugs))

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lepaggoth at 2008-06-28 20:42 (UTC) (Link)

just switch into tea, and there's still something nice, warm, tasty and refreshening every morning ;)

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idragosani at 2008-06-28 22:02 (UTC) (Link)

I do like tea and tend to drink herbal teas in the afternoon, or hot chocolate! It's the mornings that will be rough.

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iisz at 2008-06-28 18:21 (UTC) (Link)

I'm glad you are Okay.

Are you sure you weren't in for a secret facelift?

I feel for you and the whole decaf debacle.

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idragosani at 2008-06-28 21:59 (UTC) (Link)

Welp, I go see the doctor on Tuesday, I am sure we will be discussing things like diet. I know alcohol is out because it doesn't play well with the meds. Caffeine can push the BP up, also, but since I tend to only drink 1 - 2 cups in the morning, it may be allowed.

Luckily I changted by diet significantly a while back and am already on low sodium and in general healthy eatin'!

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tangyapple at 2008-06-28 18:57 (UTC) (Link)

What? I didn't know you were in the hospital! o.O Glad to hear you're okay now. Don't mess around with that high BP.

I really don't do well with coffee or caffeine or alcohol at any rate, but not because of blood pressure.

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idragosani at 2008-06-28 22:01 (UTC) (Link)

Yeah, it was a bit of a shock for me, since I've been very healthy all of my life. It was the first time ever I was hospitalized, but luckily it was just for tests and not anything major like surgery or a heart attack.

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tangyapple at 2008-06-30 01:30 (UTC) (Link)

What landed you in the hospital? Symptoms or were you at the doctor's and they checked your BP and said holy cow, get this guy to a hospital stat - ?

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idragosani at 2008-06-30 01:42 (UTC) (Link)

No symptoms at all -- was in for a regular checkup and then, yes, holy cow, get your arse to an emergency room!

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tangyapple at 2008-06-30 03:12 (UTC) (Link)

Were you stressed? Sometimes people only have high BP at the doctor's office.

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idragosani at 2008-06-30 04:35 (UTC) (Link)

Not particularly stressed at the time.

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charaxinae at 2008-06-28 21:12 (UTC) (Link)

glad you are ok! they freaked out on me for high BP once a few years ago and put me on medication for it -- the culprit wound up being The Pill but i'm assuming you're probably not taking that! ;) sometimes BP goes up for no good reason but fortunately it's easily controllable!

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idragosani at 2008-06-28 22:00 (UTC) (Link)

Yeah, pretty sure it's not being on The Pill for me! It's hereditary, my dad has had high BP for years and under control with meds and diet and exercise.

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kitten_goddess at 2008-06-29 02:08 (UTC) (Link)

I'm glad you're OK.

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bedlamborn at 2008-06-29 14:17 (UTC) (Link)

No alcohol, now you liver is gonna complain.

Nice to hear that you are OK.

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(Anonymous) at 2008-06-29 14:42 (UTC) (Link)

Glad you're ok. From my own experience of giving up coffee (I've done it a few times for various reasons, though I do currently consume) after a week or two the absolute jonesing should subside. If you get headaches from the withdrawal they should be gone within a few (very long) days. The last time I stopped caffeine intake was for a period of 6 months and sadly, the desire for it never went away during that time. After the first couple weeks it wasn't an all encompassing desire, but it never completely went away. I hope your experience is different.

I agree, decaf just doesn't cut it. It's kind of like reading a book with no words.

Jewel
www.jewelisms.com

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idragosani at 2008-06-29 14:53 (UTC) (Link)

Well, hopefully a cup or two in the morning will be allowed, but I want to wait until I talk to the doctor before I go back to drinking coffee. I don't drink soft drinks very much, so I don't care about that too much... but I need my coffee!

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suba_al_hadid at 2008-06-29 19:11 (UTC) (Link)

Thanks for the FAQ!

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lady_grainne at 2008-06-29 21:22 (UTC) (Link)

Glad to hear you're okay! How are the withdrawal headaches? Caffeine is the one thing I refuse to give up. (I made what is, for me anyway, the ultimate sacrifice by giving up sugar. I've cut back on salt when I've had to. The caffeine is MINE, DAMMIT!)

Sounds like you're doing lots of things right. Family history of hypertension? Pretty sure it's not birth control. ;-) (My middle niece had a mini-stroke or three after birth control pills jacked up her BP...)

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idragosani at 2008-06-29 21:29 (UTC) (Link)

Yep, I've heard the Pill can affect BP in a bad way.

Sugar is another thing I mostly do without -- except in coffee, it's the only thing I will sweeten with sugar, either that, or drink it black (can't stand artificial sweeteners in coffee).

Oddly enough, the only day I had a withdrawal headache was on Thursday, the day I was admitted. After that, virtually no headaches but still lots of cravings (but nothing like when I quit smoking cold turkey in 1996)

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marie_paris at 2008-06-29 22:27 (UTC) (Link)

Glad you're ok, was wondering what was up!

I finally gave up on decaf this year and started drinkng this stuff-which tastes better to me and is REALLY healthy! ANd alkaline instead of acidic, which helps me a lot.

http://www.teeccino.com/NutritionalBenefits.aspx

The vanilla one is tasty!

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theladyskye at 2008-06-30 13:35 (UTC) (Link)

Thank goodness you're OK! I was very worried about you. Did the doctors get your test results back and figure out a reason for this yet?

Also, I drink decaf coffee all the time and it's not so bad as all that. There was a brief adjustment period, but I havent noticed in a long time.

*hugs*

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idragosani at 2008-06-30 13:37 (UTC) (Link)

Doctors haven't found out a darn thing... which is good, in some ways, that I don't have some underlying medical issue that is causing the HBP. I have what is called "essential" high blood pressure which in most cases doesn't have an underlying reason for happening, but can be controlled with meds, diet and exercise. I am pretty good on the diet part, but do need to exercise a bit more, and the meds are helping a lot (although I seem to have less energy than I did before)

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theladyskye at 2008-07-06 22:09 (UTC) (Link)

That's so strange. No underlying cause, and you do most of what you're sposed to anyway. Goodness, I only WISH I could be as good at that as you are. I hope you will be well very very soon hon!

*hugs*

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idragosani at 2008-07-07 03:01 (UTC) (Link)

Thanks! I just got back from Florida to see my mom, brother and sister (who flew in from Scotland). We haven't all been together in nearly 10 years... wish there had been better circumstances to get together for...

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theladyskye at 2008-07-07 11:15 (UTC) (Link)

I'm so sorry, hon :(

My heart goes out to you and your family.

*wraps you up in a tight hug and forgets to let go*

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