Keep an eye on your blood pressure:

[Snusophile]

I've been so busy with grad school and teaching that I've neglected my health these past few months. Chinese food, beer, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and lots of TV dinners had started to take their toll. What's more, until this week, I hadn't seen a gym since October! Towards the end of October I saw my doctor for pig flu, and my blood pressure was in the low 140's systolic. Was a little bit alarming.

A few weeks ago when I went through my MEPs physical for the Navy, my blood pressure was again 142 systolic and I was not using any snus at the time. So I decided to get back in the gym, cut out my sodium and pop intake, cut out my morning cup of coffee, and boost my water intake. I've seen great results by doing so. This morning I took my blood pressure with a Thunder frosted in my mouth after a breakfast of bacon and eggs and was happy with the 130/80 reading I got.

Good news is, extra sterk doesn't raise my blood pressure too high. Just keep it in mind, fellow snus aficionados, ignoring high blood pressure is a bad idea. Yesterday morning on Dr. Oz, Grizz from 30 Rock was on the show and the subject was high blood pressure. He had ignored his soaring hypertension for 10 years, and in doing so destroyed his kidneys. He's now on dialysis with 5% kidney function, and is too overweight to even get on a waiting list (5-7 years) for a new kidney.

Stay safe, and eat smart! Have a happy holiday!

[RedMacGregor]

120/79 - bit high, but i haven't been doing any cardio since this summer..

[Snusophile]

120/79 - bit high, but i haven't been doing any cardio since this summer..

120 is pretty good me thinks. That's ideal blood pressure.

[tom502]

My blood pressure is in the very high range, I've always had this, as my parents do too, and my bad diet, which started at childhood, and I am terrible addicted to bad carbs. I could throw out all nicotine items and never touch them again way easier than control my carbs. I can't make it a few days before I relapse and binge. And pill taking, ugh, I hate that, and I always forget. If someone said I had to take a pill a day, or I'd die the next day, I'd be dead. I have some ideas I wanna try, I wish I could go into a rehab center me be de-carbed.

[Premium Parrots]

I had somewhat high BP and was on meds. Then I went for a year under alot of stress, but was eating right, low sodium etc. My BP raised slowly last year. Last feburary I found out that my heart is only pumping at 50%, I have cartiomyopathy, hypertension and such. Now I'm on a ton of pills, a strict diet with exercise. Doc says I can live another 10 years if I behave myself.

Now heres the point; When I was diagnosed last feburary I was afraid that the sodium and the nic would be too much for me to be healthy and I did alot of research. The sodium seems to be within limits if I only use maybe 5 portions a day. The nic I figured would raise my BP but I repeatedly measured it before, several times during and after snus usage. I found out that snus actually relaxes me and it would bring my BP down in minutes.

High blood pressure is called the silent killer......and it is. keep an eye on yours.

you can find alot of info at this link
http://www.snuson.com/viewtopic.php?t=3876&start=0


Tom get yourself one of those containers that have the days of the week compartments and take our pill with you morning coffee. Keep that container where you will see it when you wake up. If you don't start taking your "pill" you will end up taking several pills a day....or die. BP is nothing to fool around with. I have to take pills 3 times a day now. According to the doc I can't do anything now, I've ruined my heart and didn't even realize it. In your case, you already know theres a problem. Please listen to the doc. High BP has very serious consequences. Even with my meds I'm a walking heart attack. Alot of you ppl know that I am planning on moving. One of the things my doc said about that is to make sure I find a home close to a good hospital. It sucks bud, but I sincerely encourage you to listen to the doc. You won't have to give up snus but .....yea the carbs have to go.

[RedMacGregor]

120/79 - bit high, but i haven't been doing any cardio since this summer..

120 is pretty good me thinks. That's ideal blood pressure.

it's borderline to pre-hypertension.... i'd rather see it in the 100-110 range.

[Premium Parrots]

Yea, it used to be that a normal BP was 120/80 but recent research dictates 110 to 110/70 is better.


btw, I did the same BP tests with snuff and had the same results. It has more of a calming affect. Of course I didn't inhale 2 thimbles full of Rooster. That would probably blow my head off.

[Ainkor]

I was at the doc early this year and my blood pressure was at around 145-150 over 90-95. She had me do all sorts of tests to see if it was other things but it just came down to a few things:

I'm overweight
I have an incredibly stressful job
Bad genetic luck

So, I am on pills, I can sleep again and I am down to around 125 over 80 so far. If I would take the time to excersize and learn how to say no at work I would be a ton better :P

But as PP said, take care of yourself!

[Snusophile]

Reducing your sodium intake and exercising daily can lower your blood pressure like 20 points. Losing weight slaps on another 5-10 points. Do this and you wont even need those pills, Ainkor.

[Ainkor]

Reducing your sodium intake and exercising daily can lower your blood pressure like 20 points. Losing weight slaps on another 5-10 points. Do this and you wont even need those pills, Ainkor.

Yup, exactly what the doc said. Now that they lowered our span of control at work (10 stores down to 8 ) that works out to about 15 hours of work less a week, I should be good to go. I've been working 60-80 hour weeks for almost two years. I almost forgot how to do anything other than work. It will be nice to get back into my normal schedule. I used to excersize every day and bike/skate about 25 miles a week.

Oh, and about lowering sodium intake, damn that's hard. I tried that for a month and other than making my own food for EVERY meal, it's damn near impossible because everything is jam packed with salt, and I love it :P

[RobsanX]

I'm no health nut, and I chain snus. Had it checked recently and it was 118/72. I probably had a portion in at the time.

[lxskllr]

Last time I checked mine at the drugstore, it was well within the acceptable range printed on the machine. I don't go to doctors much though. I can't remember the last time my pressure was taken by a professional.

[Snusophile]

Reducing your sodium intake and exercising daily can lower your blood pressure like 20 points. Losing weight slaps on another 5-10 points. Do this and you wont even need those pills, Ainkor.

Oh, and about lowering sodium intake, damn that's hard. I tried that for a month and other than making my own food for EVERY meal, it's damn near impossible because everything is jam packed with salt, and I love it :P

Yeah, it sure is. I love salt too. Like I went to Subway tonight after working out, and wanted a $5 footlong. But all the $5 footlongs were bad for you..like salami, pepperoni, and ham. Get the hell out, Subway! The thing is, most of the stuff you eat doesn't even taste salty, like TV dinners which are jam packed with salt. Or chinese food, good lord! I replaced table salt with sea salt, which happens to be very good for you, and add a little bit to cooked veggies and things. It's awesome!

[sagedil]

Snus pushes mine to just below the pre hypertension level. I am still fine but have no real room for error. I did drop 70 pounds 7 years ago, could still probably lose another 20. If I see mine creep up, I will just cut out the salt, watch what I eat, hell even exercise before I would ever cut out my snus.

At least I already am making my own food every night, been doing that since the day I started collecting unemployment. So if I had to control salt, would be easier for me than most.

But won't lie, the snus adds about 10 to my score.

[Karanya]

My BP is abnormally low. "Idiopathic hypotension" -- I've had all kinds of heart tests to try to find out if there's actually wrong with me, but nah.. before treatment, it ran about 85/50 and I was getting lightheaded, dizzy and sometimes fainting.

Luckily, the treatment was easy to take -- load up all my food with tons of salt (I was given a goal of 10,000 mg of sodium per day), drink lots of caffeinated drinks, and, if needed, take pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) from time to time.

So I was floored today when my BP measured 157/97 at the hospital. Pulse was also super high, over 100 at rest. Luckily it turned out to be stress (I was spazzing, big time) and an hour later it was back to a nice, lowish-normal 110/70 with a pulse of 65.

--K