Blood pressure update

I need to offer an update on my blood pressure issue--high blood pressure readings having been a major factor in the development of my current exercise regime and in the institution of this blog. But before getting to that matter, I'll need to address another health issue that I've suspected might be related to the increased blood pressure--insomnia--as well as a new medication I've been taking in response to that issue. Follow me?

I finally decided to see a specialist this past summer about my insomnia issue, i.e., a doctor who specializes in sleep disorders. I described my problem and what I'd done so far about it--mainly, that I'd used zolpidem with limited success. She decided to offer a new medication; Lyrica.

Long story short, Lyrica has been fairly effective in resolving the insomnia issues. It's not the "silver bullet" by any means. I still have difficult nights on occasion. But it is the most effective sleep aid I've tried to date, and compared to life without Lyrica, the old "night and day" adage applies: I am sleeping much, much, better.

No more rising after only 3 or 4 hours in bed because I can't get back to sleep after having awoken for the 10th time. No, on almost any night I take the Pregabalin (Lyrica) I am in bed for at least 7 hours. I may not sleep as deeply as I should, and may still wake up a few times during the course of the night, but I don't have much problem falling back to sleep when that happens. So, the quality of sleep I'm getting has improved markedly over the past few months.

Now, back to the blood pressure issue. I'm no longer taking blood pressure readings with any regularity, as anyone who's looked at my blog entries on this subject over the last 9 months or so will know. But I do still get measurements taken when I have a doctor's visit or some medical procedure. And I stopped taking some time over the course of the summer when we were doing a lot of biking, the medication (hydrochlorothiazide) I'd been given for high blood pressure. I've taken that only a few times over the last several months.

The last few times my blood pressure has been measured, it's been pretty close to normal--systolic from about 122-132 and diastolic in the lower 80's. And that's a great relief, i.e., to be heading into winter, when my blood pressure usually goes up, with blood pressure pretty close to normal despite being off hydrochlorothiazide.

I hope what's happening here is that my supposition that chronic insomnia was causing my blood pressure to rise is correct, and that the Lyrica, which has greatly increased my quality/quantity of sleep, is what's brought this about. While I don't like the idea of taking Lyrica long-term, it seems at the moment the lesser of two evils: it might keep my blood pressure in check while allowing me to go off hydrochlorothiazide.

I remain on the lookout for alternative sleep aids. But that's a subject for a future entry.