Water fast until 23rd December

Because a new hypertension drug has caused some weight gain, I am going to waterfast for 7 days to see if that will restore the status quo.

My other concern is that there has been a 1 point increase in average BGL in only 10 days, which is a bit of a worry. I am concerned that my hard work in the past to achieve " normality" may be sabotaged

@Baruney,@Pasha, @nomistheman, and any other interested types, this could be just what is needed before Christmas, don't you think?

merrylizard1314 wrote:Because a new hypertension drug has caused some weight gain, I am going to waterfast for 7 days to see if that will restore the status quo.

My other concern is that there has been a 1 point increase in average BGL in only 10 days, which is a bit of a worry. I am concerned that my hard work in the past to achieve " normality" may be sabotaged

@Baruney,@Pasha, @nomistheman, and any other interested types, this could be just what is needed before Christmas, don't you think?

Not something I'm familiar with but from what I've just been reading it does seem a bit drastic, have a read of this before you start http://www.allaboutfasting.com/who-can-fast.html  and just take care if you feel unwell reconsider.

Thank you for the link, graham64. I have done a waterfast before this, and do not have any fears. If I feel unwell, I will stop, In the event of my feeling faint, I will have some soup. My intention is to halt the increase in BGL, and to reduce the weight gain, brought on by this new hypertension drug.
I know it is a side effect, because my dietary management has not altered. Any weight fluctuation is usually in the order of half a kilo, but in the last 12days, since I began this drug, I have gained more than 10kg. I began on a low dose, and tomorrow I have to increase the dose. I will not see my Dr. until next week, by which time I probably won't fit through the door- but my main concern is the likelihood of entering the"prediabetic" numbers again, just as if I had gone on a carbohydrate binge.

Waterfast Day 2
no noticeable effect yet. Maybe tomorrow. If anything, BGL has slightly increased, being 6.2 mmmol/L at the time when I would usually have my last meal of the day. So, 2 points greater than normal.
BP still high, pulse rate still low (46).
I am still confident that My BGLs will normalise. I am not finding it difficult.

[quote="merrylizard1314"]Waterfast  Day 2
no noticeable effect yet. Maybe tomorrow. If anything, BGL has slightly increased, being 6.2 mmmol/L at the time when I would usually have my last meal of the day.  So, 2 points greater than normal.
BP still high, pulse rate still low (46).
I am still confident that My BGLs will normalise. I am not finding it difficult.[/quot

Hola our man down under

Okay I'm in for a fast. Still have some pork belly to get through so will have that tonight and mix up a few fasts so will do a 20:4 today and then a short term water fast as fasting bloods and blood ketone are okay at 5.6 and 1.1 this am.

Hope the fast sorts you BP out and keep safe.

Baruney

I have had hypertension for 30 years and had pretty much all the meds in the course of my med history.
Is the drug slowing your pulse or were you once an athelete?
It sounds as if your bp has increased to compensate for a slow pulse.

It seems your drug has caused you to retain fluid. Very strange for a bp drug. Retaining fluid will put up bp as well.
D.

these cheap smart phones are a pain in the neck when you have hands like a bunch of bananas

I've had a few different BP meds too, I have problems with low serum sodium levels and it would seem them meds could be a factor though the problem never resolved,  that said I'm not to concerned as when the sodium level is flagged by the lab the follow up blood test required always shows it in the acceptable range.

I'll just add I've not noticed any discernible effects on BG no matter what BP meds I've been on

Hello Derek, yes, I was a sporty type, and still am, up to a point. My usual pulse before all the hoo-ha, was between 54/64 at rest.
Anyway, here we are on Day 3
BGL 5.4 mmmol/L at 06.15. ( first reading under 6 for 2weeks - progress?) BP 182/90 pulse 52

Hi graham64, have any meds made an appreciable difference to your BP ? I am finding that I have a problem with trusting the research into hypertension problems. It all seems a bit hit and miss, to me. I had a recent echocardiogram which showed no endothelial damage, no atherosclerotic plaque, and nothing to explain anything. It is a mystery. Dr. Mark Houston the American cardiologist seems more clued up than most, but he cites endothelial damage as the first cause of most ailments....

Hola @merrylizard1314

Hope BP is moving in the right direction. Good work on the bloods. However curse of the commentator mine have taken a turn for the worse! Bg 7.3 and bkeep 0.4 this morning.  Had me pork and veg last night, was late but didn't have much. Rubbish sleep and quite a ill family at the moment. Mrs Barney is the latest to come down with the lurgy.

I'd probably put the rise down to work stress and not being able to get out for a run or at least a walk so will take monty out now for a lunchtime stroll.

Didn't even finish my meal yesterday so going to have another IF on a 20:4 and take it from there.

Catchup later.

Baruney

merrylizard1314 wrote:Hello Derek, yes, I was a sporty type, and still am, up to a point.  My  usual pulse before all the hoo-ha, was  between 54/64 at rest.
Anyway, here we are on Day 3
BGL 5.4 mmmol/L at 06.15.  ( first reading under 6 for 2weeks - progress?)  BP 182/90 pulse 52

Hi graham64, have any meds made an appreciable difference to your BP ?  I am finding that I have a problem with trusting the research into hypertension problems. It all seems a bit hit and miss, to me. I had  a recent  echocardiogram which showed no endothelial damage, no atherosclerotic plaque, and nothing to explain anything. It is a mystery.  Dr. Mark Houston the American  cardiologist seems more clued up than most, but he cites endothelial damage as the first cause of  most ailments....

Hi Merrylizard,
I was nearly 30 years before they found I had Conn's Syndrome and I would never have had high BP at all if they had found the adenoma on my right adrenal gland early on.

I retain sodium and fluid by the tumour producing massive amounts of aldosterone.
It has caused me to have Afib; a Pacemaker and T2D.
Aldosterone excess damages most organs in the body, the drug I take blocks the receptor slots it goes into.

I now take Eplerenone and 1mg of Doxasozin for my prostate sake...Plus warfarin for my Afib.
I had a St3 bilateral carcinoma of my prostate 12 years ago. (I don't think it was due to Conn's! )
Conn's is underdiagnosed and if you haven't had your aldosterone checked I would get it done. I used to be on three BP meds they were N.B.G.
regards
Derek
ps. They found my adenoma incidentally and it is a 30mm dia tumour.

merrylizard1314 wrote:
Hi graham64, have any meds made an appreciable difference to your BP ?  I am finding that I have a problem with trusting the research into hypertension problems. It all seems a bit hit and miss, to me. I had  a recent  echocardiogram which showed no endothelial damage, no atherosclerotic plaque, and nothing to explain anything. It is a mystery.  Dr. Mark Houston the American  cardiologist seems more clued up than most, but he cites endothelial damage as the first cause of  most ailments....

I've never had really had a problem with BP systolic a bit high but diastolic is always good so I'm only on a low dose of meds, I too am wary about the the drugs research I do believe as diabetics we are over medicated regardless of BG control

I posted this on the blog recently you may find it interesting

We Shouldn’t SPRINT to Lower Blood Pressure Targets

http://internalmedicineblog.jamainternalmed.com/2015/12/16/we-shouldnt-sprint-to-lower-blood-pressure-targets/?linkId=19642198

Morning troops

Fasting bloods 6.8 and blood ketone 0.8. Slight improvement from yesterday but not as good as has been recently ie bloods in the 5s and ketone above 1.

Checked my bloods at 9pm and got a shocking 3.5. Wasn't feeling unwell but to be on the safe side broke the fast with some quality streets and some wine! Probably a rouge reading so noted and move on.

So that ruddy pork is still waiting to be eaten. Therefore today is an intermittent fast day. 20 hours not and 4 hours eating windows.

Looks like a Sunday start on the old water fast.

Hope your numbers are moving in the right direction.

Baruney.

Hi, @Derek, it must be so difficult to cope with your conditions. I really admire your stoicism. Thank you for the 'heads-up' about aldosterone. My doctor had me do a test for pheochromocytoma, and is awaiting the report. I am not convinced that I have anything much wrong with my kidneys or liver, as the full blood test seems not to be unusual.

Thank you for the link, graham64, I did look at the medication list for the SPRINT trial and saw that there was great reliance on ARBs plus a diuretic, but then they had to prescribe potassium supplements as well

The good news is that Day 4 has been encouraging, in that BGL has stayed just over 5 all day, with a couple of 4.5s. Blood pressure is still all over the place, but lower than it has been, with the systolic at 149, 118, 130, 165 and 158 with my pulse rate steady at 54 all day.
Also, while picking a basket of blackcurrants and raspberries early this morning, I suddenly found that I'd eaten four or five without thinking.
They were lovely, I have to say, but I did not continue eating them. In the scheme of things, I cannot think that this will have made any difference to my fasting.
I am hoping that tomorrow I will see even more improvement
Baruney, how are things on the porkbelly front? I hope that you are not getting a cold or 'flu, with all those winter germs ready to infiltrate the system. What happens to you when you get down to 3.5? I have been as low as that, in the past, without feeling any different, and have been back up to 4 within a short time, without taking any action to modify.
Actually, fasting is good, as I have an extra couple of hours in the day to prepare for visitors and organise Chritmas essentials and all that malarkey. And I feel full of energy again.

Hola @merrylizard1314

I hope the fast is starting to help with sorting out your BP issues. Looks like there are a couple of others here who know a thing or 2 bout it.

Bloods have stayed the same as yesterday and the pork is now no more so will be joining you on the water fast now then. Not feeling too hot though so should be an interesting one!

Baruney

Day 5 has been good, with BGLs and BP trending in the right direction,
BGL this a.m was 5.0mmol/L, ketones2.4 BP 128/72
At midday, BGL 4.6. BP 134/75
Before bed BGL 4.5. BP 125/60. I thought I'd sent this post already, but it did not appear. Gremlins at work.


So, Day6 and the trend continues, with BGLs at 4.3, and ketones at 2.2 mmmol/L. BP 136/70

Now, 4pm BGL is 5mmol/L, and BP 122/64 p56. Tomorrow is the last day, and I am wondering how I should break my waterfast - possibly with soup. I do not feel hungry at all and would continue if not for my visitors, due to arrive any minute now.
Baruney, how goes it with you? Is Mrs B any better? I do hope so.

Just a quick one merrylizard. High aldosterone often causes low potassium.D.

Morning troops

Great shift you put in there @merrylizard1314 - you may now stand down.

Not sure what's going on with figs though. 6.8 and 0.2! So will just cracking on with it and see what happens.

Baruney

This morning BGL 4.6 ketones2.1 mmmol/L. BP 132/60p50

Today our visitors took us to a very nice restaurant for lunch. I was not able to refuse, nor did I wish to, the food is so splendid.
There were 3 courses, every one a delight. Afterwards I walked 6km.
And the BGL was 4.8mmol/L. I was immensely cheered by this, as you can imagine, especially as I had 2 glasses of red with the meal.
My BP was much better, too,at 125/62 p50.
So I decided that the waterfast was my Christmas gift to myself, and I am going to do as suggested by Jason Fung and incorporate regularly irregular fasting into my routine..
Derek I will ask my doc about the aldosterone tomorrow, at my appointment. I think he may even have a test result on the pheochromocytoma front, too.

@Baruney, hope you are enjoying really good results from the waterfast now, although I think it might be more difficult in the winter than it was for me, in 36degrees! Keep well and every good wish for you and yours for Christmas and the New Year.
And the same to all on this forum.

Have a great Christmas @merrylizard1314 - perfect end to the water fast.

Signing off with Bloods at 5.4 and blood ketones at 1.2. Work to be done!

Have a great Christmas one and all.

Baruney wrote:Signing off with Bloods at 5.4 and blood ketones at 1.2. Work to be done!

Have a great Christmas one and all.

Thanks hope you have a great Christmas too Ed 

Hi MerryLizard,
I thought you may find this link on the Yahoo P.A. forum regarding the adrenal causes of hypertension interesting.
It deals with their differentiation and diagnosis. The comments on adrenal carcinoma I found reassuring.

It is possible by going on a water fast you have reduced your blood sodium which can be extremely high with adrenal tumours.

regards
Derek

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3057029/#!