I found out I had high blood pressure about 10 years ago. I worked for a large corporation where there was huge emphasis on "wellness" and provided many health-related programs for employees. (Weight loss, smoking cessation, exercise programs, etc.) Almost every floor in our office building had one of those blood pressure machines like you see in drugstores, where you sit down and slide your arm into the cuff. That was where I first discovered that my BP was elevated. I'd check it several times a week, sometimes several times a day. It was not dangerously high but definitely trending higher than normal. I was aware that high blood pressure can cause a lot of other problems, particularly since my mother had kidney failure brought on by untreated high blood pressure. She had dialysis for the last 5 years of her life, and I was anxious to make sure that was not my fate. Anyway, I visited the company medical department and the doctor agreed that I could benefit from BP medication. I saw my PCP and after taking several readings on each arm, with me standing, sitting, etc.), he prescribed the Rx. I have no problem with anyone having medical tests that they and their doctor feel would be beneficial. Frankly I have never had a "hormone test" and had to look it up to see what that would even mean. Apparently it is a battery of tests, one for each type of hormone, but other than women's issues I haven't heard of people randomly having them. Just my experience, though.
That is one of my absolute PET PEEVES... morons working in a doctor's office that don't know how to take BP. Every time I go to the doctor, as soon as I get in the exam room the assistant rushes in to take my BP. Cuff over clothing or whatever... and they ALWAYS start asking a bunch of questions while the cuff is inflating. Since the basics of BP reading accuracy is for the patient to be sitting QUIETLY for 5 minutes before the reading with both feet on the floor and NO TALKING, it annoys me to tell them how it's done. (But of course I DO tell them, haha.)
I agree with @Beth Gallagher regarding the hormone tests. I was gonna say the same thing. I've never heard of them outside of a female menopause context. I know men can have low testosterone levels, but (a) the "normal" range is so broad as to be meaningless, (b) supplementing brings its own issues (including cancer risk), and (c) there are some things that are a natural part of aging. Next time I'm at my doctor's I'll ask him, but this guy's mainly a lean mean referral machine. If I mention it he'll say "Would you like me to schedule a test?" rather than have a meaningful discussion. That has its good points and its bad points.
Last time I was at the cardiologist the assistant took my BP and said "Your top number's gone up." Just to make conversation, I said "I forget exactly what that top number is...systolic or diastolic." Her reply: "It's your top number." *sigh* I understand that they are pretty much told to leave all meaningful conversation to the doctor, but she was not doing that.
@Cody Fousnaugh -- as someone else mentioned in this thread, it might make you feel more energetic if you could do some type of exercise. It doesn't have to be strenuous, just do something each day to get up and move a bit. I feel so much better when I walk or exercise, even for a few minutes a day.
You are very right, Beth. We have one more month, September now, to get our boat out on the water again. Believe me, that IS exercise! We also have the Wii Game and I guess it's time to take my wife bowling, playing some tennis, ping pong and Wii golf.
I start checking my blood pressure at home a month before my doctor's appointment and take an average. The swing in the readings can be enormous so an average is needed. My former doctor was prescribing two different BP meds for me which made me scary light-headed. My systolic reading would be under 100, so I unilaterally quit taking one. The one I kept was doxazosin mesylate which benefits urination by allowing complete emptying. While a systolic BP is recommended at 120 normally, older folks is at around 150 which is what mine is and my doc is fine with that. As for energy level, older folks are targeted for miracle elixirs when there is no such thing cuz there is no fountain of youth. Some lack of energy I believe can be traced back to lack of motivation since by now we have been there and done that a million times.
Now That’s Always good advice! Now, whether someone takes it is a completely different conversation. I’m not sure who told me this but he said that Santa Clause is the only person who can get away with working 1 day a year and look at the condition He’s in!
I have a BP wrist cuff that I use at home to monitor my blood pressure. I have a BP app in my iPhone, and whenever I measure, then I add the reading, that way when I am at the doctor’s office, if there is any questions about my normal blood pressure, I can just show the doctor the information on my phone. One doctor actually asked me to take it every day, write it down , and then bring it in for my next appointment, and this is when I started using the app every day. When it was time for my doctor appointment, I just printed out my list from the app, so it was simple to do. I take supplements every day, but just the “normal” ones, like vitamins and mineral, and not the ones with strange names. My concern is just keeping my general health optimized, and my heart working as well as possible. I do get thyroid hormone tests along with my bi-annual blood panel, because of the hypo-thyroid issue that I also have and take Armour Thyroid for that. I do take extra B vitamins in the morning fo more energy , and have added nutritional yeast (in a little glass of V-8) because that is supposed to give a person more energy, and I think that it does help me. The exercise every day (walking and swimming) is what helps me the most.
There is a drink supplement that looks pretty similar to the one you are looking at, @Cody Fousnaugh . It is called Pure Boost, and Bobby has been using that, and he seems to really like it. I try to stay away from the energy boosters because of my heart, so I have not tried any of Bobby’s stuff, but it looks to me like it would be a good supplement and energy booster. I think that you should get some of the one that you are looking at and try it and see how you feel after taking it for a while. This is what the one has in it that @Bobby Cole likes. He likes that he can mix it with water and drink it during his workouts.
@Cody Fousnaugh "..........except for the days I take a 50mg Tramadol (VA prescription) for my shoulder arthritis pain. The Tramadol can really get me going like a "white tornado". Tramadol is an opiate, now considered off-limits during routine prescribing. How are you able to get it? My doctor posted a sign apologizing to his patients with pain, explaining he can no longer prescribe opiates, as it constitutes a "war I cannot win against govt. control". Frank
I might mention @Cody Fousnaugh that I also break that down in nearly a gallon of water plus my own witches brew ingredients and drink it all day. It serves as an excellent base but if it’s used by the directions, I can see how the mix would benefit someone who isn’t getting the necessary vitamin and minerals they might need. If you do decide on it, there is definitely a boost to it if you follow the directions for use. I might also mention that an extra dose of vitamin D will help metabolize the mineral content of the blend.
A good B.-complex supplement might help. The supplement you describe looks like it might be missing important trace B vitamins. It's important to get all the Bs in their natural proportions. Organic is best. I've forgotten all my research on this.
Agree with Dwight about 'good' B vitamins, I recently changed to a better one - also a new Vit C with added Iron content