Article Surfing Archive

At the age of 17, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. My doctor couldn't hardly believe it. That was back in 1975. I wasn't fat, in fact I was almost pure muscle. I was hyper and couldn't stay still. I had to be doing something all the time. I felt like I was just like anyone else.

According to the blood pressure reading, I was an odd ball. My doctor told me it's unusual for a 17 year old to have high blood pressure. However, he didn't just start writing prescriptions then. I told him I was very nervous around doctors and maybe that was what the deal was. I told him that I haven't eaten all day either. He suggested that I go eat and come back.

Once I got back, instead of instantly putting on the blood pressure cuff, he decided to talk to me a little. I figured he was trying to get me to relax. Well, it worked! My blood pressure was actually lower than normal.

Two years later, I decide to enlist to United States Marine Corp. During my examination, my blood pressure reading was high. Same thing happened, I was told to go eat and come back. I passed the examination with flying colors or should I say numbers.

Three years later, I decided to drive a truck cross country. I had to pass a 'D.O.T.' examination. 'Basically a physical.' Again, my blood pressure was high and instead of the doctor listening to my back ground of what has happened before, he started writing a prescription for 'Inderol'.

Oh yes, I was placed on drugs for high blood pressure at age 22. They finally got me. I am now part of the 'legal druggies of America'.

My doctor did not tell me that I would have side affects to the drug. It apparently didn't matter to him. I suppose side affects can also be treated which most of my experience now tell me that this happens a lot.

The next time I went to see this doctor was around 2 weeks later. The nurse instantly grabs the blood pressure cuff and starts pumping away. After she takes the reading, she acts like it's suppose to be some sort of secret. She doesn't tell me what it was or anything. She hardly even spoke to me. I bet she hated her job. At this point I felt like a lab rat. The feeling got stronger when the doctor came in and told me the results.

The first thing the doctor does is look at the chart. He reads the blood pressure reading and tells me he's going to up the medicine. This routine went on for about 3 months till I was taking enough drugs to kill a small child. I believe I was taking '160 mg or inderol', '80 mg of Inderide' and '40 mg of elevil'.

I may add that even after taking all these drugs, the blood pressure reading was still elevated while in the doctors office. I told the doctor that I bought me a blood pressure cuff of my own. I felt like I was taking drugs for no reason. I complained about my sexual inadequacies. I also thought after previous complaints that I'd better shut up because this doctor was not about to take drugs away. He was real good about subscribing them.

This kind of makes you wonder why we have a drug problem in America. I don't see any problem at all. If you don't want to take drugs, your doctor is going to insist on it. Maybe the problem is the lack of revenue to the pharmacies if you take illegal drugs. The way I see it if you want a drug, go to the doctor.

Well, I took those stupid drugs for about 7 years and stopped taking them on my own at the age of 29. I knew for a fact that my blood pressure readings were low. But needless to say, the doctor was real mad.

First he stated that I should never ever stop a drug without consulting a doctor first. Second, he said that the drug dose I was taking were leathal doses and had to be stopped gradually. Third, he made me feel stupid by telling me that he should take me over to the hospital and show me a victim of 'Stroke'.

Well, enough of that. I quit going to that doctor. I wrote a letter to another doctor in town before making the appointment and told my story. I also told him that when I come in, he needs to spend some time to talk with me. I have no desire to take drugs since I am convinced that my blood pressure is normal when away from doctors. (Most of these doctors did not know what White Coat Hypertension was.)

Stopping those drugs instantly like that really had no affect on me. I monitored my own blood pressure. I suppose some doctors believe they are the only ones that can take a blood pressure reading. I took mine so often, I could tell you what part of the day it's the highest. The only thing the doctor knew was it was high while in the office. Did they listen? This doctor did and diagnosed me as having anxiety problems.

For two weeks, he decided to try me on 'VALIUM' to conclude his diagnoses. When it was proven that my blood pressure readings were low with the 'Valium', he took me off of it and told me that we needed to find the root of my problems. He had no intentions of keeping me on 'Valium'.

Shortly after my diagnosis, that old doctor died. I wasn't going to take a chance and start all over, I lived with my anxiety problem till 2001. No drugs of any kind was taken during that 13 year stretch.

In my forties, it is necessary to see a doctor now and then. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure again. Back to the drawing board as one could say. I took the drugs for a while and decided to go back and monitor my own blood pressure again.

Right before I go into the doctors office, I would write down my blood pressure. It was just about perfect according to statistics. It read 117 over 77 or so. When the doctor took it, it was quite a bit higher. I tried to explain. I can see that most doctors ignore what you say. They have their own conclusions and they believe they know you after taking 2 readings.

Last year, I stopped the blood pressure pills again. My readings are about 121 over 70 to 78.

It may be time for the world to start educating them selves more. A blood pressure reading is a mere symptom. If you treat the symptom, you are still faced with the problem. It's been said that there are lots of reasons for high blood pressure. Most doctors fail to try and find that reason. It's far easier to give a pill and send you on your way.

I believe drugs killed my mother and they will eventually kill me.

I wonder what doctors mean when they say the person dies of natural causes! At what age would be considered natural to die at?

I was told that my mother died of heart failure. She took a handful of pills prescribed by doctors. I still wonder to this day why she died at 50? Who came up with what a normal blood pressure reading is?

Please forgive me if you don't agree with me. Everything I write is of my own experience and opinions. I don't ever want you to think that what I do is okay for you to do. This article is for your own entertainment. I am not a doctor, scientist or a medical expert. I am just another experimental lab rat.

Randall Stafford

Copyright 2005 RS Marketing News