i got put on an experimental blood pressure medication
(way back when)
called ex forge once and it gave me edema as a side effect
which is swelling of the feet and or hands

so i dropped it like a hot potato naturally

then recently , when i went to see a cardiologist (specialist)
to get thoroughly tested for my "heart health"
and i passed with flying colors "as expected"

the doctor puts me on another BP med (so now on 3 of -em)

then.... my nurse practitioner goes hmmm and bumps it up to double
even though i hadn't even started the friggan med yet
as CVS pharmacy simply didn't have it in Stock (no less)

so i finally reach critical mass
and the edema started up again... so i started thinkin
what have i been doing differently in the last 3 months :think:

SURE enough, as soon as i drop the nifedipine cold turkey
my feet have gone from swollen :point: back to 100% normal

funny thing is... if i go to a doctors office my blood pressure skyrockets...
same as it does with road rage....

better to listen to classical music to soothe the savage beast within
and NOT go to the doctors office heh heh heh

Generally everyones BP is elevated by the doctors visit.
It's as natural as the fear of the dentist or just seeing a police car pull up behind you on the road.

My doctor would have the BP tested when I first got in the waiting room, and depending on what I had to deal with just getting there, it was usually border-line high.
We would chat for awhile, and he would check it again (after roughly 10-15 minutes) and I'd be fine.

Part of what I do to relax is breathing execises (like from the karate kid movie) and just relaxing and clearing my head of any stress I had on the way in. Although it's not a curetive measure, it doe s help relieve stress, and subsequently lower BP.

when i was a real little tyke

i was hauled literally to the Doctor
this was when the little black bag carrying Doc
would pay you house calls.... but couldn't that day

anyways i was just terrified
this guy looked like alfred hitchcock
and spoke like BORIS Karloff in a very deep voice

so being completely uncooperative as i was ascared
i got my trousers pulled down and then got spanked real good by Dad
then a second later i got jabbed by a needle (some vaccination)
by the scary Doc... showing zero sympathy
so it was double traumatic for me....
as a result
i have never trusted them since

Rav, like FT said about BP going to the Doc's office.
Sounds like, with good reason, you have a bad case of "White Coat Syndrome"
like a lot of people.

I remember when I was little (isn't it amazing how these memories stick with you thoughout your life?) I was brought in (against my will) for a vaccination.

Well, I hopped off the table, crawled under the table, and when they went to grab me I ran out of the office and out onto the sidewalk.

Now I only fear the medical bills you get AFTER the "stick it" to you in the arm and up the back door!

well one day recently i was going in for a stress test
for the ole ticker

i measured my blood pressure 3 times prior
to going once every hour

then went to their office... and it was like 30 points higher
and i called their test bullshet ...
i had brought my own tester to compare to there's
and it was very accurate or just as accurate i should say

so i told the specialist, "i don't want to be medicated based on false data"
and i RUN my own medication PERIOD