i’m 33 and i’ve had elevated blood pressure since around 8th grade. this isn’t new for me, it’s been a consistent pattern most of my life which is why i feel like something deeper is going on.
my recent monitor report averaged around 146/87. my cardiologist is considering increasing my amlodipine, but i’ve already tried 10 mg before and it caused noticeable ankle swelling without really lowering my numbers in a meaningful way, so i went back down.
what’s confusing is how variable this is:
• at home, if i really focus on controlled breathing, i can get readings down to around 121/89 .. laying down today i got 116/67… sometimes lower, but it doesn’t always stay there
• readings seem positional and situational, not consistently high every single time
• when i was younger they called it “white coat hypertension” because it would spike in medical settings, and drop especially when i knew i was about to leave, but that never fully sat right with me
background:
• i lift weights consistently and stay active
• diet is clean and intentional
• i’ve been focused on improving circulation and vascular health (beetroot, hibiscus tea, etc.)
• i take magnesium glycinate, used to take coq10 but ran out
• i actively work on stress and nervous system regulation
i also was just diagnosed with adult adhd, which has me wondering if there’s a nervous system component here (like being in a constant heightened state even if i don’t feel “stressed”)
what’s frustrating is i don’t fit the typical profile. i’ve been dealing with this since i was young, i take care of myself, and even medication doesn’t seem to be doing much besides side effects.
i’m trying to figure out:
• has anyone had high blood pressure since childhood or teenage years like this?
• does anyone else see big drops with breathing/relaxation but not consistent control?
• has anyone had amlodipine not really work for them or cause swelling without real benefit?
• did you find out it was something like genetics, nervous system, or something else entirely?
my mother also recently did something about her hbp but the 5mg of amlodipine seems to really be working for her.
i’m open to anything at this point, just trying to understand what direction even makes sense because this doesn’t feel like a typical case