Ok, I've been bothered by several health
issues in my life thus-far. One of them
that continues to bother me and hasn't
been fixed is my blood pressure. I'm 22
years old and I'm about 190 pounds. My
blood pressure ranges from 120-85 to
160-95. Of course, I'm a high-strung
person and thoughts are always racing
through my head. I know for a fact I have
ADHD. I was diagnosed young and I took
ritalin from the age of 8-13. I, like many
others, felt like a zombie, but it helped
your calm down. I feel like no matter what
I do, it's impossible for me to calm down.
I can feel my heart beating very hard when
I try to sleep and it makes it hard to
sleep sometimes. Also, my face gets hot
all the time, then I take my blood
pressure and it's usually around 155-90 or
so at that point. Is it most likely all
related to ADHD and I should try to fix
it? I didn't have problems with blood
pressure until about the age of 20 or so.
I'm now 22. I would think if it was ADHD
related, I would have always had blood
pressures issues since my ADHD has always
been bad. I do eat out quite a bit and I
should probably cut back on the salt. I
also drink A LOT of pop. I average about
55 ounces a day. Do you think maybe just
now is catching up to me? One more issue
is how I get tingling randomly during the
day in random spots on my body (sometimes
even in my chest near my heart). My limbs
will go randomly numb, even if I'm not
laying on them sometimes.
One other thing I noticed is that no one
is posting subjects asking about their
blood pressure problems in relation to
ADHD. That also clues me in that other
people that have ADHD aren't having blood
pressure issues.
PLEASE HELP ME! My health problems have
also included serious memory loss. I need
replies to this thread really bad. Even if
you can't help, just say you have no idea
so I get a general idea. Thanks.
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antigone
Supporter
Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 902 Location: IL
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Posted: 04-06-08 01:41am
I don't think your high blood pressure is
related to ADHD. Have you been to a doctor
about your blood pressure yet? If not you
need to go. The doctor will help you get
that blood pressure under control. You are
at risk for cardiac problems and stroke.
You are young. Take care of yourself now
so when you get older you are able to do
the things you want to do. I hope you will
see a doctor and get treated for your high
blood pressure.
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heyphilbert
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 3
Posted: 04-06-08 10:49am
Stop drinking cola, that stuff is
absolutely terrible for you. That tingly
feeling you get in your mouth when you
drink it isn't just bubbles of
carbonation, it's phosphoric acid. Drink
water and fruit juices instead.
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PleaseHelpMe!
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Apr 2008 Posts: 2
Posted: 04-07-08 09:30am
Isn't it true though that people with ADHD
should have slightly elevated blood
pressure because of hyper-activity that
causes them to be moving their legs all
the time and stuff like that? Surely
people that are fidgeting all the time
will have a higher heart rate. The doctor
only wants to give me blood pressure
medicine. They don't actually want to try
and fix the problem. I try to convince
them to do something else, but they just
tell me it's diet. My doctors are very
useless.
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antigone
Supporter
Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 902 Location: IL
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Posted: 04-08-08 00:07am
I am sorry you don't have any confidence
in your doctors. I stand by what I said
before and that is high blood pressure and
ADHD have no physiological connection to
one another. Your heart rate and blood
pressure can be directly connected but not
always. People who are ADHD and fidget and
move all the time are not driving up their
heart rate to any discernible level. I
have taken many blood pressures and pulses
of people with the history of ADHD and
typically their vital signs are within
normal limits.
Blood pressure is effected by two factors-
volume and pressure. Think of a garden
hose. If you put a garden hose on a fire
hydrant and turned the water on and
measured the pressure within the lumen of
the hose you would find the pressure up
due to the amount of force on the hose
from the volume of water going through
it.
If you took a garden hose and twisted it
up but didn't occlude the lumen of the
hose completely and then put the water on
you would find in order to get a strong
stream you would have to really crank up
the amount of water going into the hose.
The pressure within the hose would be up.
Now think of your heart. It is a series of
"hoses" connected to a pump. If the
"hoses" or vessels are narrowed due to
plaque (cholesterol and lipids) then the
heart will try to pump harder to force the
blood through the smaller opening and
lumen of the vessels. This PRESSURE will
drive up your blood pressure.
If you have too much volume in your body
(usually not the case; usually you lose
volume due to bleeding somewhere which
results in low blood pressure) your blood
pressure will go up due to more VOLUME.
(This is one way to treat low blood
pressure - give some fluids and get the
volume up)
Now, I ask myself "why is a 20 yr. old
female presenting with such high blood
pressure?" To find the answer tests must
be done - blood work first. If that
reveals nothing then you go on and start
trying to "see" what is wrong through
imaging tests. I would suggest you go see
a cardiologist. Try to get some answers
for this.
It may be due to diet and weight. If that
is the case you must find a way to take
off the weight. More health problems will
result if you don't. You are so young. You
should not have blood pressures that high.
I am accustomed to seeing those types of
pressure on older people who have done
some living and had years of build up in
their vessels to drive up their blood
pressure.
Do yourself a huge favor. Look at this as
a warning. Go see a cardiologist. Look at
your diet and clean it up. If you quit
drinking pop and eliminate sugar and white
flour I GUARANTEE you that you will lose
weight. Start slow and get rid of pop. The
next week eliminate cookies, pastries,
cakes. The week after that eliminate white
noodles - use whole wheat or whole grain
by Barilla. Even my picky little boys eat
them! You can do a lot by just slowly
eliminating bad stuff and replacing it
with good food. Fruit will help with sugar
cravings.
Let me know if this helps. I don't mean to
preach but you are too young to start on a
path of poor health so early. That is for
old folks. Save it till you're old and
take charge of your health and live. Let
me know if you have any more questions.
You can PM me if you like. All the best.
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ladylee70
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Nov 2006 Posts: 1912 Location: Boise, Idaho,
Thanks: 1
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Posted: 04-22-08 00:06am
Antigone - wonderful post!!
I am a 33 year old woman and am suffering
from too low of blood pressure and low
heart rate usually while exercising. We
are trying to figure out why. I will see a
cardiologist in the next few days. My
blood pressure used to be consistently
100/83. My heart rate used to be high -
around 90. I do not think there is a
correlation between ADHD and blood
pressure. I don't know about the heart
rate. i wouldn't think so.
Why all the pop? Are you trying to self
medicate?? See a doctor ASAP.
Oh, and I have ADHD.
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antigone
Supporter
Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 902 Location: IL
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Posted: 04-23-08 00:19am
Ladylee,
Heart rate may be effected due to
medications for ADHD. Other than that I
don't know of the correlation but there
was something in the news concerning heart
disease and ADHD. They are recommending
that all children and adults with the
disorder have a 12 lead EKG done by a
cardiologist. I need to see if I can find
some reports on this. I'll let you know if
I find something. Your blood pressure is
good. Your blood pressure will drop as you
become more physically fit. Heart rate
will lower too. Do you get dizzy when you
exercise? I hope you cardiologist will do
a persantine stress test on you. Tell him
you want the 12 lead EKG as well. Let me
know what he says.
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ladylee70
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Nov 2006 Posts: 1912 Location: Boise, Idaho,
Thanks: 1
Thanked:0
Posted: 04-30-08 22:07pm
They are doing a stress EKG next monday! I
will ask about the 12 lead as well!
Thanks.
When I exercise, my heart rate drops
compared to when I rest. There are a
number of factors. Stimulants usually
cause HRs to be higher not lower.
I have usually had a higher heart rate
independent of stimulant medication -
around 90. It was only recently that my
heart is doing some crazy things and my
heart rate is really low now. I am really
not in shape. I weigh 110 pounds but have
no muscle. I drop weight extremely easy.
I should have had a good EKG before
stimulant meds as heart conditions such as
valve problems run in the family. I will
let you know
