Blood pressure If it’s not one thing, it’s another

[DragonBits]

Blood pressure If it’s not one thing, it’s another, but this does seem to be some sort of side effect related in one way or another to TRT.

Recently, my BP rose suddenly, like one week it was 120/76 or lower, the next week it was 132/92 measured in a clinic. Not sure if it rose in 1 day or gradually over 7 days.

Now BP is consistently 121/80/72 - 146.83/71, say around 135/92.

BUT, BUT if I take a couple of grams of GABA, BP drops to:

103/65/65 – 120/74/66, averaging around 110/70. Not sure how long, I think the effect will only last 3-4 hours, not longer than overnight. I tried the GABA at night, by the AM my BP was back up. I tried GABA again at 6:00 AM when I woke up and again at 9:30 AM, my BP remained low for 3 hours. (It seems dose dependent, less than a gram didn’t have much of an effect.)

So it seems to be related to neurotransmitters, the only reason I say this is because it’s strongly affected by taking GABA.

Since 10/17/2018, I changed my diet to lower carbs, ate much lower calories, lost 16 lbs of weight, started taking Metformin, dropped my blood glucose a lot (12-20 points), started taking prostate supplements like turmeric, LEF Ultra prostate formula, lycopene and baby aspirin.

So a lot changed, but those things should have been positive for lowering BP. Besides, in the past in 2011 I had a similar rise in BP and I wasn't taking any of those supplements.

I am not taking DHEA or HCG, but I am on Nebido. Same as the past. I haven’t recently measured E2, but I haven’t gained weight and my E2 should be around 20-25 pg/ml. Since it’s been over 7 weeks since that injection and that is how Nebido falls off in my body. Besides, I am losing weight, so it’s not water weight.

I haven’t recently tested any hormone levels, it’s quite possible DHEA level has dropped, I have never measured cortisol, and on a blood test maybe 60% of the time potassium levels are slightly elevated. It’s all possibility related but really no idea if any of this is related to blood pressure.

As I said, in the past I have had a similar rise in BP on TRT, but for one reason or another it went back down. Not sure why exactly, I was trying various supplements to lower BP and losing weight at the time. It could be I had a similar rise in BP in the past not on TRT and just never noticed it. I measure BP frequently, but only in the last 12 years.

I have given a lot of info, any thoughts on why my BP rose?

 

[DragonBits]

My #1 guess is that a person who would analyze something like this so granularly is Type A. If you stopped worry and checking on it you might find it settles down. Just s guess though.

You sound like my wife.

But I agree with you and her, I am a bit OCD, I think that is why I like this forum, I fit right in.

I am not sure I am purely type A, but I do tend towards over analyzing.

I like it that my blood pressure is usually about 120/80, between 110-128, and want to keep it there if possible. Sure there are drugs like cialis, alpha blockers like doxazosin, nitric oxide stacks, l-arginine that would also likely lower blood pressure. Maybe I need them in my 70s. I have quite a bit l-arginine sitting around that I am not currently using.

Of all the supplements I have tried, (GABA) Gamma Aminobutyric Acid was the only one that had an immediate (15-20 min) obvious effect. l-arginine did have an effect, it wasn't as obvious. And l-arginine taste terrible.

The first time I tried GABA, I felt an odd flushing tingling feeling, then my blood pressure dropped 30 points. Honestly, it was a little scary. This was in July of 2015, I had 500 grams bulk GABA. I bought it to see if it helped with sleep, it didn't seem to so I just have it on the shelf. It absorbs moisture even in the sealed bag it came in and tends to cake up like brown sugar, so I put it in a mason jar with a desiccant.

There is controversy whether GABA can cross the blood brain barrier, some recent evidence suggest it can.

All I know lowers my blood pressure in the short term, what I don't know is if I keep taking it, does it lower it all day long? Do I have a deficient that is made up? Over time does GABA decline causing a rise in BP? Is that the only reason?

I am not really all that sure how much I took, it chucked up and I just too out a chuck and bit off a fair sized piece. But it was probably about 3 grams. I did that 4-5 times already. It doesn't have much of a flavor and dissolves quickly in water.

Right now I am just experimenting with does the effect on BP start to persist longer than 3-4 hours. It seems like it does, meaning more like overnight. but it's early.

If it doesn't work I was thinking of ordering cialis, they say it has a minor effect on BP or maybe give some sort of nitric oxide stack a try.

The only hormone I would think of testing was cortisol, but now one from the forum suggested it and if BP comes down I likely won't bother.

 

[DragonBits]

After taking (GABA) Gamma Aminobutyric Acid 5-10 grams for a few days, my BP is back down to 123/87 -58 - 104/75 - 63 (Last number is pulse).

I don't seem to need to take it every day, but over time something seems to happen to raise my BP when I don't take it for several months. I am 100% sure GABA drops my BP in the short term, surprised after a few days of supplementing it seems to keep working without taking more.

If BP rises, I would give Gaba a try, I have 500 grams in bulk, it's easy for me to try a fairly large amount, I haven't seen any warnings about overdose.

 

[DragonBits]

Now I am trying l-theanine at night, just a dash (1/7 teaspoon). So far, 3 days, it seems to result in lower BP, currently about 110/76. And it maybe helping my sleep. (This has a similar action to GABA, but it's likely longer acting but not as fast action.)

 

[timk]

So...I measure my blood pressure three to four times a week. But, when I measure it I do it four or five times in a row. It always starts high, like yours, and by the fourth or fifth measurement, I can ge tot down to 125/81. I’m also laying down and taking deep breaths and it seems to help lower it.

I have some gabba chewables that I take from time to time and never measured my BP after I’ve taken them and I think I’ll do that tonight. I don’t like that TRT is raising my blood pressure that high. I’ve always had great blood pressure so it’s something I’m keeping an eye on.

Please keep sharing what you are doing to help and I’ll share mine.

 

[DragonBits]

So...I measure my blood pressure three to four times a week. But, when I measure it I do it four or five times in a row. It always starts high, like yours, and by the fourth or fifth measurement, I can ge tot down to 125/81. I’m also laying down and taking deep breaths and it seems to help lower it.

I have some gabba chewables that I take from time to time and never measured my BP after I’ve taken them and I think I’ll do that tonight. I don’t like that TRT is raising my blood pressure that high. I’ve always had great blood pressure so it’s something I’m keeping an eye on.

Please keep sharing what you are doing to help and I’ll share mine.

The GABA I take is in powder form, I end up taking 3-4 grams. likely a lot more than in the chewables. WHen I take it it's a weird feeling, my face feels flushed and after about 5-10 min my BP drops. I was quite surprised the first time I tried it.

I can make my BP go up and down in a limited manner trying to either get angry or relax, but it doesn't always work. But when a doctor takes my BP, it's often a little higher than when I take it, likely stress related.

Also coffee / caffeine can temporarily raise your BP.

 

[timk]

The GABA I take is in powder form, I end up taking 3-4 grams. likely a lot more than in the chewables. WHen I take it it's a weird feeling, my face feels flushed and after about 5-10 min my BP drops. I was quite surprised the first time I tried it.

I can make my BP go up and down in a limited manner trying to either get angry or relax, but it doesn't always work. But when a doctor takes my BP, it's often a little higher than when I take it, likely stress related.

Also coffee / caffeine can temporarily raise your BP.

I drink about 5 cups of coffee a day. I’ll cut back and see if that helps.

 

[DragonBits]

I drink about 5 cups of coffee a day. I’ll cut back and see if that helps.

You could measure BP first thing in the AM before you drink any coffee to get an idea if this is affecting you. Personally I don't want to cut back on coffee too much, though I try hard not to get any caffeine after about 2:00-3:00 PM to not mess with my sleep.

 

[timk]

You could measure BP first thing in the AM before you drink any coffee to get an idea if this is affecting you. Personally I don't want to cut back on coffee too much, though I try hard not to get any caffeine after about 2:00-3:00 PM to not mess with my sleep.

I measured it first thing this morning and it was 136/83.

I donated blood this afternoon and my blood pressure there was 130/80 and she said that was within the range of normal. That made me feel a little better. My hemoglobin was 20.6 and they said it was too high to donate. However; they were willing to restest it and it came back at 19.6 within 10 mins. I have no idea how they pulled that magic off!

I will take my blood pressure again tomorrow morning.

 

[timk]

My blood pressure this morning was 128/80

 

[Joe Sixpack]

I don’t like that TRT is raising my blood pressure that high. I’ve always had great blood pressure so it’s something I’m keeping an eye on.
.

A hormone doc told me that testosterone won't raise BP, BUT, uncontrolled E2 can. Is your E2 level OK?

 

[captain]

I measured it first thing this morning and it was 136/83.

I donated blood this afternoon and my blood pressure there was 130/80 and she said that was within the range of normal. That made me feel a little better. My hemoglobin was 20.6 and they said it was too high to donate. However; they were willing to restest it and it came back at 19.6 within 10 mins. I have no idea how they pulled that magic off!

I will take my blood pressure again tomorrow morning.

To make magic happen drink water before donating to lower hemoglobin before they check it.

 

[timk]

A hormone doc told me that testosterone won't raise BP, BUT, uncontrolled E2 can. Is your E2 level OK?

I’ll know in a few weeks. Taking blood tests next week

 

[DragonBits]

I had an interesting experience with a connection to blood pressure.

I had a moderately severe reaction to Amoxicillin, which happened after about 6 days. Hives, swollen lips, very itchy, swollen hands and feet. Fortunately it didn't affect my breathing. I once had hives in the past AFTER stopping a course of amoxicillin, but it wasn't all that bad. I had taken this before without any sort of reaction.

I tried benadryl with some success, but limited. The hives went away about 5 days after I stopped the antibiotic. But for 2 days after I stopped Amoxicillin everything kept getting worse.

BUT for the next week, my blood pressure was high, like 162/82/81 170/76/79, as low as 136/92/58.

Then when I went to sleep, I would immediately get a nasty headache, nsaid didn't seem to help. This went on for 2 days (after the initial 5 days of hives) A very hot bath helped the headache, but it would have aggravated the hives. Also I because very sensitive to alcohol. Even 5 oz of wine made me feel a little drunk and sick.

Weird, but I think it was because my immune system was out of wack from the anaphylaxis and changes in aldehyde dehydrogenase, enzymes that catalyse alcohol. Maybe other neurotransmitters / enzymes.

What eliminated the headache totally was taking l-theanine, maybe 400 mg. It also seemed to have "fixed" whatever other weird stuff was out of wack. Though I can't discount simple time being a factor, sooner or later I should have gotten back into balance even if I did nothing.

For sure, I am never ever going to take any sort of penicillin antibiotic again. Now my blood pressure is back in what I consider a more normal range.