Q: I am a 21 year old male with very high blood pressure. Doctors have put me through the ringer and still don’t know what is causing it. They say it wasn’t my diet. Now I have changed my diet and still it is high. Do you have any clue what could be causing my High Blood Pressure and what if anything else I can do to lower it? I am on 4 different meds and they make me very sick and sleepy etc. I want my life back!!
A: High blood pressure at your age is concerning. It needs to be treated. It sounds like you have already undergone a lot of tests to make sure another medical problem is not the source of your high blood pressure. This is known as secondary hypertension. Make sure your doctor knows about any supplements or non-prescriptions drugs you might occasionally be using. You mentioned your diet but did not mention exercise. Regular exercise helps lower blood pressure. To learn more about medical causes of high blood pressure go to this page at MayoClinic.com.
Like you I was advised I had high bp at age 21 when I went for a medical. (That was 22 years ago) I have been on numerous medications over that period of time and also know exactly what you are saying when you say ‘I want my life back’ it was even suggested to me that i had ME, in actual fact it turned out to be medication that was the problem. There is no quick fix, exercise, diet etc certainly need care and hopfully you can get your medications reduced and you will start to feel human again, good luck!