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High blood pressure due to diabetes

Perfumeflower53

Active Member
Messages
35
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi,

I am relatively a new member who has in principle been diagnosed with T2.

I have quite high blood pressure. Is this caused by having diabetes?

To make things complicated I also have other conditions which overall has effected my health to go down like a led balloon. I have Fibromyalgia, Osteoarthritis, stress, depression and anxiety. I am also obese ( weight currently @15/16 stone) and a Hba1c of 50.

The past week I have religiously kept to eating low carbs by eating to my blood glucose meter. I have logged everything I have eaten and tested pre and post meals. I know there won’t be immediate results but I am determined to stick with this low carb eating plan so that I can lose some weight and reduce my glucose levels.

I am just so very anxious and worried about my high blood pressure. My readings are have been over the 100s systolic and at least 80 to 90 range in dystolic. ( my father had diabetes and high blood pressure who sadly died of a heart attack in 1992 and now I am constantly worrying if this will happen to me).

However, I have already been to see my GP about this who referred me to the nurse to wear a 24 hour blood pressure monitor and she said my readings were fine after the 24 hr test.

Is this me just being anxious? Or is this because of the diabetes?

To be fair, the past 8 months I have also undergone a significant amount of stress relating to some personal and employment issues.

In brief, last summer 2017 I lost my job due being unfairly dismissed because I asked my employer for statutory holiday pay which I had accrued the whole time I had worked for him.

He made all sorts of excuses to get out of paying it until finally he gave me 28 days notice. That was it. No job. After being dismissed I pursued a claim through ACAS and an employment tribunal for which the judge awarded me compensation for loss of statutory rights. Nevertheless, despite the positive judgment the employer is still refusing to comply with the judgment. I am so stressed. Can’t stop getting upset. I am now living on benefits.

Keeping to the brief story, (there have been other factors relating to this situation but it would take me forever and a day to explain) all that has happened has played havoc with my health. I think this could also be the reason for my high blood pressure readings in conjunction with my diabetes. I just don’t know...


Perfumeflower53
 
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Hope things improve for you soon,my husband is type2 with very high blood pressure it worries me he is burying his head in the sand hope it will go away, I've been type2 for 17 years no meds just low carbing and lost weight wished he would listen to me sometimes? K
 

Hi granny grump

Thank you for your response and sending warm hugs to you..

If I may ask did you also have high blood pressure and if so can you reduce it just by low carbing, losing weight etc?
 
Hello @Perfumeflower53.
So you dont have high blood pressure so what are the feelings your experiencing to make you feel like it's high blood pressure? Short temper, hot?
 
ickihun said:
Hello @Perfumeflower53.
So you dont have high blood pressure so what are the feelings your experiencing to make you feel like it's high blood pressure? Short temper, hot?
Click to expand...

Hi ickihun,

Yes I have been incredibly stressed and short tempered due to the aforementioned circumstances above. But to give you an example of my readings taken this evening just sitting on the sofa (I have a wrist monitor) it was 203/103.

This reading indicates serious hypertension so that’s why I am so confused. Also, this is why my GP initially suggested a 24 hr monitor because my readings were high in his surgery but the readings after were fine after home monitoring. They just seem to be fluctuating on regular basis.
 
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For people without diabetes:-
  • High blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher
  • ideal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/

The ideal is a bit lower for people with diabetes but an article from Patient UK says:-
  • Hypertension is more prevalent in patients with type 2 diabetes than in those who don't have diabetes.
  • a Cochrane review found that evidence from randomised trials does not support BP targets any lower than 130/85 mm Hg for people with diabetes
https://patient.info/doctor/diabetes-with-hypertension
 
I sympathise hugely with you Perfume flower. I’m so sorry to hear about your job situation. I have had treatment for high BP for several years, have been well overweight for even more years, have had osteoarthritis for over 10 years. I was diagnosed Type 2 last May and immediately started low carb eating. Nine months later I have a non diabetic HbA1c, I have lost just over 5 stone, my bp is normal (I’m hoping to reduce my bp meds next review) and my joints are way more comfortable these days. I hope you will derive the same benefits from low carbing that I have x
 
Perfumeflower53 said:
Hi granny grump

Thank you for your response and sending warm hugs to you..

If I may ask did you also have high blood pressure and if so can you reduce it just by low carbing, losing weight etc?
Click to expand...
Hi@Perfumeflower53 A number of years ago I did have problems with high blood pressure and was put on meds for it, I lost 4 stone in weight and was able to come off all medication and I've never been back on them,weight loss can reverse high blood pressure and regulate blood glucose levels, my personal choice was to tackle the problems myself with weight loss, hope you can do the same, low carbs really worked for me hope it helps you! K
 

Hi Rachox,

Gosh, that’s fantastic. This is so reassuring after reading your post. Thankyou so much.

I just want to say well done to you for hard work. I know it most probably wasn’t easy, but your perseverance has paid off immensely.

I think because I have been constantly worrying myself about anything and everything with regards to loss of job, tribunal etc it does seem like the stress was contributing to my high readings. But after reading your post and dark horses post relating to hypertension being more prevalent in diabetics. I think I can now rest easy a little knowing that.
 
Stress definitely does that. I've been in your position and things improved once I removed the stress trigger. I need 3tablets to control my blood pressure. No change with those yet. I nearly ended up on another recently but I used breathing techniques to calm me down.
I have so many medical needs I cannot give them anymore extra attention. You??
 

You’ve made an excellent start by reducing your carbs and eating to your meter, that’s what I did, and still do, I still test regularly to keep disciplined. I ate under 100g carbs/day for the first six weeks, then dropped to between 50-70g which is where I stay now.
 

Hi grannygrump,

I can only echo what I said to Rachox, your personal situation is so reassuring. You have done so remarkably well.

I do intend to stay with low carbing and I know this sounds a bit daft I am actually enjoying learning all about real food on this site and the diet doctor site. Shamely, I have spent the best part of my years eating high carbs which is most probably why I am here today.

To read all your positive comments is truly an inspiration and one that I hope to follow... watch this space lol..

Perfumeflower53 x
 
Some have reduced their blood pressure by low carbing. I wasn't one of them. In fact I needed more meds but less insulin.
 
Perfumeflower53 said:
However, I have already been to see my GP about this who referred me to the nurse to wear a 24 hour blood pressure monitor and she said my readings were fine after the 24 hr test.
Click to expand...
I suggest being reassured by the results of your 24 hour test and trying to relax and forget about your bp for the time being. I daresay it goes up from time to time due to your understandable anxiety, but clearly the picture overall is good. GPs do worry about bp, so if your GP says yours is fine, I would accept that. You have enough to focus on in, as you say, learning about blood glucose and low carb, and in doing that you can make a real difference to your health and future. A low carb diet often brings bp down. In my case, I have always had rather low bp. After lowering my carbs a lot, I was worried about my much increased salt intake. I thought it might have raised my bp, but no such thing. My bp is if anything lower than before.

Please don't feel ashamed that you ate high carb for many years. So did I and many other people. We were advised to do so, and we were certainly not advised to eat low carb high fat! It's great that you are enjoying learning about all this, and that you are making such an effort. Good luck!
 

Hi there Perfumeflower53 - Have you had your blood pressure taken in the surgery, and then at the same time, using your own monitor? Machines can vary and when I was looking at buying a BP machine, I chose one with an arm cuff as they are supposedly more accurate.

I have no idea how true that is though.
 


Where to start, I could write a book Lol.

I was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2016 which involves having pain and aches from the 18 tender points, chronic fatigue, depression and anxiety for which I am currently taking medication for. Osteoarthritis in my hips and ankles. And of course diabetes. These are my main medical needs but there are some other minor ones,(sinus problems,tinnitus etc) sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome.

Im currently waiting to be referred to a sleep clinic for the sleep apnoea as I have frequent pauses in my breathing etc. My husband is getting rather concerned because I also keep kicking or elbowing him during the night with involuntary arm and leg jerks/movements. I have since been informed these jerks are called myoclonic twitches or seizures.

I know what you mean tho, ref extra attention.

Please accept my apology for suddenly disappearing. I was in the middle of typing this post when my Iphone shut off due to zero charge lol



Perfumeflower53
 
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Hi DCUK,

Oh now this is interesting, I think I may of heard something about this before.

I just bought one of those cheap run of the mill wrist monitors from amazon lol but not quite sure how accurate it is to be honest. You could be right there.

Might have to invest a bit more money in one of those arm cuff ones. No harm giving it a try, it’s all trial and error.. thankyou DCUK


Perfumeflower53 x
 
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