Blood Pressure

Discussion in 'Driver Health' started by Frank Burns, Jun 13, 2019.

  1. Frank Burns

    Frank Burns Light Load Member

    101
    207
    Jun 2, 2019
    Fort Worth, Texas
    0
    I'm having a heck of a time trying to get it down to the 140/90 required for the physical. Never would have thought the biggest hurdle in my journey toward getting a CDL would be health related.

    I have a home BP testing machine and I'm showing anywhere from 162/100 to 142/88.

    Wife works with doctors we have known for years and one of them wrote me a script for a mild BP med yesterday. Wow are those pills making me feel like garbage! She said those effects should go away in about a week. I have my fingers crossed that the meds work well enough to pass the exam.

    Anyone else had issues with their BP causing problems with their DOT physical? What did you do to get it to an acceptable level?
     
    x1Heavy Thanks this.
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member


    I've heard losing weight provides the biggest BP drop in the shortest time. I'm thinking of near starvation, no carbs but continuing to eat protein is the way to go. No more caffeine, meditate, deep breathing, etc. All of the other tricks I've heard of over the yeasr are not practical for passing the DOT exam. I've also heard that if you were on BP medicine and you didn't tell anyone the DOT won't know the difference. If you are on BP medicine and tell the DOT you get a 1 year card. Almost every company, maybe EVERY trucking company, will still hire you with a 1 year versus a 2 year card. I don't have high BP so I'm not sure. But high BP and diabetes are probably the biggest reasons why drivers lose their DOT card.
     
    Trucker61016 and Frank Burns Thank this.
  4. shogun

    shogun Road Train Member

    6,075
    72,150
    Jan 23, 2009
    Doing a regen
    0
    Celery or celery seed extract @150 mg a day. Potassium also helps lower it, along with CoQ-10 and arginine type products.
     
    MagnumaMoose and Frank Burns Thank this.
  5. buddyd157

    buddyd157 Road Train Member

    13,439
    34,299
    May 25, 2017
    under a shade tree
    0
    I HAD a home BP cuff...i threw the summanagun out the window...it was not even close to REAL BP cuff like the doctors use...(mine was all over the charts and i got real worried, and i took it to the doctors office for comparission, to thier BP cuff.... then actually THREW IT OUT...!!) so that could be your first problem.

    many (if not all) clinics have a seat that you sit in and for free they test your BP. most if all fire houses test your BP...for free....

    stay off the salts, sugars, high carbs, stay off more that 2 cups of coffee per day, stay off the cafinated sodas...

    many of us, get "white coat syndrome" and our BP shoots up high..also, just walking raises our BP, so there you are, walking into the doctors office, and you raised your BP, you gotta sit for a bit.
     
    Trucker61016, Puppage and Frank Burns Thank this.
  6. Frank Burns

    Frank Burns Light Load Member

    101
    207
    Jun 2, 2019
    Fort Worth, Texas
    0
    Hmmmm... I sure would hate to get busted for not letting the doc know what scripts I'm taking. I'm not terribly overweight (recently lost 25 pounds doing the keto thing) but I do smoke and enjoy alcohol in the evenings. I'm also a salt-a-holic and enjoy coffee which I know contributes to my high BP.

    I guess a 1 year card would be better than no medical card. Just sucks having to do the #### physical every year.
     
    Trucker61016, buddyd157 and shogun Thank this.
  7. shogun

    shogun Road Train Member

    6,075
    72,150
    Jan 23, 2009
    Doing a regen
    0
    Celery seed extract or eating a cup of celery a day helps eliminate salt from your kidneys. So does potassium, fyi.
     
    Metallica88 and Frank Burns Thank this.
  8. Frank Burns

    Frank Burns Light Load Member

    101
    207
    Jun 2, 2019
    Fort Worth, Texas
    0
    Ugh.. I hate celery. Would have to choke it down. Getting some potassium supplements though I can do. Thanks!
     
    shogun Thanks this.
  9. Frank Burns

    Frank Burns Light Load Member

    101
    207
    Jun 2, 2019
    Fort Worth, Texas
    0
    Really?? Hmmm.. Maybe I need to run up to the wifes clinic and have one of the PA's do a real BP reading and compare it to this home machine thing I have.
     
  10. shogun

    shogun Road Train Member

    6,075
    72,150
    Jan 23, 2009
    Doing a regen
    0
    You can buy celery seed extract at Walmart or CVS I’m sure.
     
    Trucker61016 and Frank Burns Thank this.
  11. Frank Burns

    Frank Burns Light Load Member

    101
    207
    Jun 2, 2019
    Fort Worth, Texas
    0
    Thanks! I'll go looking for that along with some potassium tomorrow.
     
    shogun Thanks this.
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.