Hello everyone,
I am 21 years old and have been training since early adolescence ~14. In the past 2 years it has been more on and off due to my research intensive degree and business endeavours. Recently i found out that i had high bp (160/90)max,(140/80)med, (120-130/80)onwakeup;after some nosebleeds while getting all dirty with the lady. I thought it might be caused by my indulgence in modafinil and huge doses of caffeine. I stopped the stims but im still not well. Even one espresso and my bp will be to the roof. I have cut all stimulants since yesterday (oh wow this appetite fel
Eling is weird) Obviously i have tried in the past beta agonists, yohimbine and different forms of stims, so that might have created a hypersensitivity . nonetheless im looking to start a program that will allow me to get back in a healthy range while i have been forbidden by my doc to do heavy duty cardio. What would you guys suggest in terms of weight lifting nd cardiovascular activity. Also one interesting variable is that both times i had a nosebleed i was underfed during the day (leanhai s, sorta?). Do i lower my carns, fats, calories(cos we all knowprotein should be high)? Any other suggestions are aporeciated.
“Indulgence in modafinil” and excessive caffeine consumption would certainly be explanations that you probably ought to address.
Consumption of reasonable amounts of regular coffee should be fine. But just how heavy is your normal stimulant consumption? Considering that you refer to “one espresso” here as though you’re used to knocking back more than one, I am guessing it’s a lot…do you take 5-hour energy, drink Red Bull, etc?
You might not want to hear this, but from your description of a research-intensive degree and “business endeavors” at the age of 21 make me think you probably live a high-stress, low-sleep, I’m-fucking-god lifestyle. I mean, if you’re gonna be the next Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs, bully for you. I have an acquaintance that started his own business while he was in college and has done quite well for himself. Just saying, use of drugs (which I’m curious if you actually have a prescription for; since you describe your use as “indulgence” I have doubts about whether you’re really using this following doctors’ orders), heavy use of stimulants, and a high-stress lifestyle…um, I think we’ve figured out the answer here.
I stopped. Indulgence is an overstatement, 100 to max 150 mg 500 mgs of caffeine. I did it a few times, not continuously for more than 3 days, and not for a long time, but without a prescription (I truthfully don’t suffer from any attention or sleep disorders). I have a history of a relatively sensitive organism (the espresso was me tasting caffeine after a few days cold turkey). Stress is a major factor as most of my daily routine is packed with high levels of stress, but that is also part of my personality.
I hope that this is a temporary disruption, due to this, as generally my lifestyle has been really healthy. Mental performance wise I have no trouble to co-op with my life without the need of stims (as i have discovered), but they do help to give you an edge, even if its a psychological one. One thing I have kept constant is weed though, which studies show that decreases blood pressure especially in long term users like I am, admittedly.
I’ve always tried to optimize myself a bit, but I’ve learned you don’t want to fuck too much with nature, as you never know on which side of the bell curve you lie :D.
Used to drink Monster btw. Nasty shit I think, it gave my brother arythmia, he got checked his heart and came up okay, stopped the intake, then after 1-2 months it normalized.
[quote]NeuroCorteX wrote:
Stress is a major factor as most of my daily routine is packed with high levels of stress, but that is also part of my personality.
[/quote]
I sympathize. I, and many of my friends from my college years, fit that description really well.
I emphatically urge you to get a handle on this ASAP. I’m 37 and I have friends my age with severe health problems because of life stress and poor habits.
You’ve done a great thing to quit the stimulants. Now go find yourself a yoga studio or some Tai Chi classes. Practice 2 or 3 times a week.
Walk outside every day. Get out to the woods or the water if you can.
Do a minute of deep breathing every hour. Some people call this meditation, but you don’t have to think of it that way. Just take deep breaths all the way down into your stomach and exhale fully.
None of this is rocket science, but it honestly could save your life.
Best of luck in your endeavors.
Thanks for the kind reply. You are right, actually since I had this problem, i immediately geared all the variables I could to reducing stress a bit and having a more relaxed approach to life. I will be honest, until 1 week ago I wouldn’t even think of just “chilling”; But I understand what a toll can increased cortisol, adrenaline etc levels can do to the body.
Definitely starting the “meditative walks” today.
I recently had a bout with high BP and after being checked over, I had excessive salt in my diet. In addition to getting your indulgences in check, look deep into your diet to ensure your salt intake isn’t excessive. Unfortunately, high BP is also hereditary, so check your family history too.