High Blood pressure?

[ericmrtt]

I did my DOT physical and low and behold they clock me at 158/80 I think. They just give me a DOT card for 3 months. So I said alright, cool. But than I get a call from Watkin Shepard saying that I can't start training til I get my blood pressure down. Is all companies like this?

[flood]

YES see your doc and get it down

[Fozzy]

I did my DOT physical and low and behold they clock me at 158/80 I think. They just give me a DOT card for 3 months. So I said alright, cool. But than I get a call from Watkin Shepard saying that I can't start training til I get my blood pressure down. Is all companies like this?

This has nothing to do with a company. This is a part of the federal regulations and meeting the minimum standards to be able to drive a truck.

The standards are 140/90 or below for a two year card.. If you are on BP meds you still have to meet these standards, and your card is only good for one year..

[flood]

sorry fozzy but as to the one year card for being on bp meds that is not correct if you are on med for high blood pressure as long as it keeps it under 140/90 you get a two year card (by dot reg's) BUT a company can over ride it and only let you have a one year card.

i get a one year card evey year because that is all the COMPANY will let me have but i have checked my doc (who can do DOT physicals) and could give me a two year card and every time i have the company DOT i ask the doc and have been told i could have a two year card but the company will not let me because i'm on the med's.

as long as your bp is 140/90 or less you CAN have a two year card BUT the company can say you can only have a one year

btw when i went to cdl school i had a two years card and at that time i had been on the med's for 4 years

[ericmrtt]

so basically I have to find a way to get diagnosed with high blood pressure, how I'm going to do that with no insurance I do not know. Than get on meds. Than do my physical again. All the pot bellies I see and the dietary habits I see of alot of truck drivers many must have high blood pressure. I don't know how I got it, I been watching what I eat which was basically low sodium diet of months living off rice and beans. But I guess in the end the rice and beans along with months of not working I ended up packing on the pounds and getting high pressure.....

[flood]

weight is not the only thing. and low sodium helps coffee doesn't help and as to the pot bellies...... when i found out i had hypertension 138/93 i was working construction 6'1" 195lb. so sorry no pot belly here.

you are going to have to go to the doc to get the meds plain and simple
$50 for the doc and the doc CAN give you free meds.

what is your bp...? and how often do YOU check it..... walmart for free

[ericmrtt]

Flood, I'm exactly that physical description. I guess maybe the stress caused me to have high blood pressure. As long as I can get hired and truck driving school wasn't a big waste of time and money I'm happy. Just see a doc and get meds that is what I will do.

[Roadhog]

Your Doctor visit will be under $100. Ask for your meds through WalMart/Sam's Club where a 30 day cost of BP meds will cost $4.00/month.

Start exercising more, and you might bring the BP down to acceptable levels within a month or two, and then be able to get back off the meds. What I like to do is simply walk as much as I can. First thing I do in the morning, is do a brisk walk, before I eat any breakfast. You will increase your metabolism best this way, and you will burn fat...not the calories of the food you just ate.

Some days you are too busy and worn out to want to walk. That's okay. But you need to know when you are simply making excuses to not walk more, or make yourself do some simple isometrics in your sleeper. I even keep a pair of dumbbells in my truck.

I turn my hat around...its like a switch, and I become a machine.

[Walking Eagle]

Get the meds and then do what I do, double up for about three days before you go get the DOT Phys I've had high BP since I was about 19, no matter what shape I was in (family thing my doc says), and get a two year every time.

[GMAN]

Go to the health food store and get yourself some Hawthorn Berry Extract pills. They are cheap and will likely lower your blood pressure within a few days without the side effects of the prescription meds. Mine shot up for about a year getting as high as 200/150 at one point. I tried one round of the prescription meds and they didn't work on me. My sister told me about the Hawthorn Berry and I tried it. My blood pressure came down in about 4 days by taking 1 pill twice a day. I rarely take it any more. I went to my doctor yesterday and my bp was 120/76. I don't have high blood pressure. I have told several people about Hawthorn Berry and everyone whom I have told who has tried it have gotten their blood pressure down to normal within a few days. I still keep some Hawthorn Berry with me, but haven't taken it in some time. I prefer Vitamin World products, but most any health-food store should carry it. You can get a blood pressure cuff at CVS or most any pharmacy for about $20-30. You can monitor it yourself as often as you wish. Having high blood pressure is serious business. You don't want to ignore it.

[Orangetxguy]

I did my DOT physical and low and behold they clock me at 158/80 I think. They just give me a DOT card for 3 months. So I said alright, cool. But than I get a call from Watkin Shepard saying that I can't start training til I get my blood pressure down. Is all companies like this?

Just a question here ....What size cup did they use on you? If they used the Auto-machine they probably used the standard size cuff...which is great for "Skinny Minnie" but wrong for a guy who has large biceps. If they don't have a large cuff for the auto machine, then they need to do it that right way...manually a large cuff and a stethoscope. Make em use the left arm also..not the right arm.


LOL...and it helps if you use blinders....cuz even for a guy at 50...a woman whom is good lookin, always drives the numbers up.

[wrightwy]

Hey Eric , I feel your pain man, Iam going to watkins shepard school om the 21st of this month, I was supposed to go in march but when I went to do my test I had 170/101. I fliped out Iam 57 and not over weight. So I went to the doc and paid out of my pocket 118 bucks and guess what . Yup you don't have High Blood pressure so I can;t give you anything. I did the blood test and all that stuff. So I called the company and told them , The advised me to get to reading with in the range that is requried by DOT which is 120 over 90 or below, It took me two weeks of walking hills and drinking water all day long . and in the end what I did when the put the strap on my arm I started taking deep breaths ad relaxed . I also went out and bought a 40.00 machine to prove I didn't have HBP . Man I was pissed . So don't give up . I gave up all the good stuff bread pizza hamburgers salt all of it . Anyway I finlly got it dowm to 127 over 84 and passed . Good luck man I know how you feel .Andy

[SlacTrac]

"LOL...and it helps if you use blinders....cuz even for a guy at 50...a woman whom is good lookin, always drives the numbers up."

This is so true BIG TIME.

I've never had HBP. In fact been on the low side all my life. But I have had outside factors drive it up. Sexy nurses in the mix. Next check, no coffee and try not to notice the boobs. :shock:

[ericmrtt]

Hey thanks guys. GMAN, I may just try those pills. And those who mention about having a hot nurse can send your blood pressure up. That probably was it. She was a hot blonde But than when this dude checked hours later @ the rehabilitation clinic where I had to do those stupid exercises (Cmon! They actually had me crawl like a baby and stand on 1 foot for 15 seconds I almost fell doing that) it was still high. My blood pressure has always been on the brink on high and I guess the gaining weight and lack of physical activity did it for me. Also I do stress alot anyway. And not stressing is not an option (especially now, everyday I don't have a job the more bills pile up). I'll have to go to therapy or something in order to get me not to stress.

[GMAN]

My blood pressure has always run low until that one year. It was totally out of the blue. The Hawthorne Berry pills did it for me. Back to normal. Stress can really play havoc on your BP. Walking or other exercise can help to keep your levels down. If you have a propensity for high blood pressure it is good to take safeguards.

[kc0iv]

Get the meds and then do what I do, double up for about three days before you go get the DOT Phys I've had high BP since I was about 19, no matter what shape I was in (family thing my doc says), and get a two year every time.

NEVER take more medication than what the doctor prescribes.

The side effects can be lethal.

kc0iv

[flood]

NEVER take more medication than what the doctor prescribes.

The side effects can be lethal.

kc0iv

amen

[rumbarrel]

I do not believe this to be true.....i JUST passed MY DOT physical last Thursday with a BP of 116/58 , BUT the DOC only gave me a card for ONE year. I asked why, and he said the regulations changed last year.......no matter what your BP is during phys,. if you are on meds, only get card for one year.

sorry fozzy but as to the one year card for being on bp meds that is not correct if you are on med for high blood pressure as long as it keeps it under 140/90 you get a two year card (by dot reg's) BUT a company can over ride it and only let you have a one year card.

i get a one year card evey year because that is all the COMPANY will let me have but i have checked my doc (who can do DOT physicals) and could give me a two year card and every time i have the company DOT i ask the doc and have been told i could have a two year card but the company will not let me because i'm on the med's.

as long as your bp is 140/90 or less you CAN have a two year card BUT the company can say you can only have a one year

btw when i went to cdl school i had a two years card and at that time i had been on the med's for 4 years

[kc0iv]

I do not believe this to be true.....i JUST passed MY DOT physical last Thursday with a BP of 116/58 , BUT the DOC only gave me a card for ONE year. I asked why, and he said the regulations changed last year.......no matter what your BP is during phys,. if you are on meds, only get card for one year.

sorry fozzy but as to the one year card for being on bp meds that is not correct if you are on med for high blood pressure as long as it keeps it under 140/90 you get a two year card (by dot reg's) BUT a company can over ride it and only let you have a one year card.

i get a one year card evey year because that is all the COMPANY will let me have but i have checked my doc (who can do DOT physicals) and could give me a two year card and every time i have the company DOT i ask the doc and have been told i could have a two year card but the company will not let me because i'm on the med's.

as long as your bp is 140/90 or less you CAN have a two year card BUT the company can say you can only have a one year

btw when i went to cdl school i had a two years card and at that time i had been on the med's for 4 years

From: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regul...section=391.43

Blood pressure (BP). If a driver has hypertension and/or is being medicated for hypertension, he or she should be recertified more frequently. An individual diagnosed with Stage 1 hypertension (BP is 140/90-159/99) may be certified for one year. At recertification, an individual with a BP equal to or less than 140/90 may be certified for one year; however, if his or her BP is greater than 140/90 but less than 160/100, a one-time certificate for 3 months can be issued. An individual diagnosed with Stage 2 (BP is 160/100-179/109) should be treated and a one-time certificate for 3-month certification can be issued. Once the driver has reduced his or her BP to equal to or less than 140/90, he or she may be recertified annually thereafter. An individual diagnosed with Stage 3 hypertension (BP equal to or greater than 180/110) should not be certified until his or her BP is reduced to 140/90 or less, and may be recertified every 6 months.

kc0iv

[lurchgs]

Orange is right - make sure they use the proper sized cuff. I went in for my physical for school and the nurse (NOT young and pretty - not sure she was ever either) took my BP and it showed 164/110. *THAT* shot my BP right through the roof.

I have hypertension and am on threshold meds - that is, the lowest dosage they make. I take my BP weekly and with the meds (and another habit I'll mention in a moment) I have a BP in the mid-120s.

I was stressing really hard (Been unemployed for months and about to lose the house) when the doc came in. He took one look at me (the nurse had told him the BP) - I'm 6'6" and 325, then at the cuff.

He just rolled his eyes and swapped out the cuff from "small" to "large". Even stressed as I was, my BP was only 134/86.

That made me feel a lot better.

As did the fact that my at-rest pulse is still in the 50s

Now, besides meds (of any nature - prescription or vitamin or just plain grass), besides cutting out coffee, besides cutting out *alcohol*, besides exercise... one thing that will lower your BP probably more than anything else: Get Plenty Of Sleep!

Americans, as a rule, short themselves 2 or more hours of sleep a night. Do not get me wrong, I am not an 8-hour advocate. Determine how much sleep you need - go to bed *early* every nght for a week or two. If you normally go to bed at midnight and get up at 6, go to bed at 10.

Get yourself to the point where you don't need the alarm clock to wake up (and absolutely don't need the snoozer). If 10 - 6 isn't enough, start shifting your bed time earlier.

If you find that 9-10 hours isn't enough, see your doctor and ask about a sleep study. You might have sleep apnea - you THINK you are sleeping, but really are not. (I speak from experience). Sleeping with a Darth Vader mask takes a little getting used to, but I rarely have to drag myself out of bed in the morning, and I *never* use an alarm clock.

For my wife, it's 9 to 10 hours (high stress job and apnea)

For me, it's typically 6 hours (no darn job, and apnea)

so, "8 hours" is hooey. Everybody forgets that 8-hours of sleep is an AVERAGE.

Also, keep in mind that if you have a stressful day, you'll probably need more sleep that night.

So what if this cuts into your party life. So what if you miss your favorite TV show. This is your HEALTH we are talking about here.

OOps - sorry. Got up on my soapbox there.

Let me close by stating that it is my firm belief, backed by personal experience, that if we do just two things, our trips to the doctor will be far less frequent. Sleep *right*, and drink plenty of water. (I drink a gallon a day)

Take care of yourself - whole-body transplants aren't available yet