CPAP may cure your massive hypertension (if you have OSA)

[Matty332]

Hey again,

I would like to relate an experience I have had with CPAP. About 4 years before I started CPAP treatment I had massive hypertension (high blood pressure) that pills could hardly control. My BP was about 160/120 or something stupid high. Three days after CPAP (although I was in a bad way due to mental problems) my blood pressure was 120/80. Every time I go to the doctor now my BP is checked and it is consistently 120/80.

Wow, no GP's thought or picked that it was caused by OSA and snoring. They said it was because I was obese, one ***** GP said it is because I am a huge big fella and my heart needs to raise the blood pressure to get the blood past the fat to my extremities. What a load of BS - I am thinking of reporting him to the AMA now I know the truth.

If that isn't reason enough to use CPAP I don't know what is. The CPAP isn't a bandaid like the the blood pressure pills - it is the ongoing CURE (providing you use it).

Sure I yearn to sleep naturally on my side and front without CPAP - but I will NOT. I will use it until my sleep doctor says my OSA is gone from weight loss.

Any thoughts? Was your High blood pressure cured overnight too?

[MaxDarkside]

The CPAP isn't a bandaid like the the blood pressure pills - it is the ongoing CURE (providing you use it)...Any thoughts? Was your High blood pressure cured overnight too?

Unfortunately, no. I'm still just "massively" hypertensive on auto-PAP as I was without it. So, it probably depends on the cause of the hypertension, which is not well understood in the medical community.

[rosacer]

Max,

It could happens that later on after more time on APAP your blood pressure starts going down. For me it toke 2 years on APAP and one year of walking 2 to 4 times a week to my pressure to start going down. Now my pill's prescription where reduced at half. I don't know if one day I will be able to stop it but for now I saw an improvement.

Same thing can happen in your case; and I'm sure it was because of the APAP. Several years ago (before APAP) I made a lot of exercise and loss a lot of weight and the blood pressure didn't change a bit; I was very surprised and couldn't understand why. Now I know my high blood pressure was due to the sleep apnea. I need to say that I have been having pressure problems since at least 6 years before APAP. Maybe the longer is the time you have been on high blood pressure the more you need to see an improvement.

[MaxDarkside]

Maybe the longer is the time you have been on high blood pressure the more you need to see an improvement.

Possibly, but my high blood pressure acutely started after I got food poisoning from something I ate in NW India, near the Pakistan border. I was quite ill, even paramedics and the CDC were involved when I returned to the USA. I am guessing the toxins damaged my vessel walls (arteries, veins, capillaries) and so no amount of apnea treatment will fix that. Prior to the poisoning, I was in stellar health. The doctors are clueless and so, like 90% of high blood pressure, classify it as "idiopathic" (cause unknown).

I was in the hospital for a medical procedure today and I hit 179/126 even on meds. Woot! Now THAT is one good set of "White Coat" (?) numbers!

[Guest]

Like earlier respondents, my BP remained high even after commencing CPAP use 13 years ago. I'm 67 years of age now.
I have been on a fairly high dose of BP meds for all that time but 4 months ago I bought a new bike and started to get some exercise doing very short rides at first but now doing 30km 3-5 times per week.
During the same time I took control of my calorie intake and have dropped almost 30kg.
I'm happy to say that I've been taken off BP meds completely, at least for a 6 month trial.

Problem is... since this exercise and weight loss, my CPAP usage has gone down the tube. For some reason I'm having issues with my CPAP that I've never had before?

[BasementDwellingGeek]

Problem is... since this exercise and weight loss, my CPAP usage has gone down the tube. For some reason I'm having issues with my CPAP that I've never had before?

After losing 30kg I bet your face is a different shape. Your mask probably doesn't fit right any more. What kinds of issues are you having?

[ems]

My BP wasn't high to begin with. However, it's even lower since I started CPAP.

[Zboatman]

I am a CPAP newbie going on my 3rd week. The sleep study I participated in and the resulting CPAP was driven by my cardiologist. My BP was averaging 160/98 prior to the start of my CPAP experience. After my 1st CPAP session my body was so shocked that when I took my blood pressure that morning it was 111/70. Now I have not trended that drastically but currently my average is 135/82. I run a graph of my BP from twice daily readings and it is consistently dropping. With the goal of getting off the massive medicine train I am on, I feel strongly that I am committed to the CPAP Program. Good thing for me that I love my Respronics BiFlex, it has worked flawlessly, the whole mask thing has some minor flaws but I am working through them. My biggest challenge is the fact that I have been dealing with significantly high blood pressure (two heart attack later 1/2009, 1/2012) over the last 10 years and NO DOCTOR had ever suggested a sleep study. I really feel like I should go back to my old cardiologist and beat him silly with a dumb stick.

[Matty332]

Zboatman, That is brilliant news! I am so happy for you mate, I love hearing these kinds of stories!

[CPAP HAPPY]

I'm off with my hypertension pill after 3 months of CPAP use! BP just went back to normal. Been 3 months now since I stopped taking hypertension pill and still my BP is good.

[RogerSC]

Another lower blood pressure story using cpap (short). My blood pressure was on its way up the year or before I started cpap, and had almost reached about 140/90, never been that high for me. After a few of months of cpap, it was down to better than "normal" (below 120/80). I've also been exercising more lately, but my blood pressure went down from the cpap alone (I think), well before I added more exercise. The exercise has helped with my resting pulse and weight control, too, but that's another story (I think *smile*).

If your (elevated) blood pressure hasn't gone down on cpap, yes, I'm sure that there are varying causes for it being up in the first place. The apparent cause for my blood pressure going up was sleep apnea.

My doctor just took me off the statin drug that he put me on a couple of years ago, too, due to large improvements in my LDL (using "direct LDL" lab test to measure). Don't know if this relates to cpap, diet changes, or exercise, or all of the above *smile*, but after reading about potential side effects of statin drugs, I'm happy about this, too.

[Max Back]

I was on bp meds for 6 months. Hated the side effects. I tried 4 types of med. They all reduced my bp to normal levels from 85-92 over 135-145. I have severe sleep apnea and have suffered from it for 30 years. I' am a little overweight: 195, 5'10, age 47. I got my cpap machine two months after being on hp medication. After using it for four months, I decided to stop taking the prescribed medication: Bystoic 10 and Benicar. Without the meds and nightly use of my cpap, my blood pressure is 110-118 over 70-78!!! I was told there was no cure for high blood pressure. Wrong!! If your blood pressure is a result of some impediment, removing this impediment might result in stabilizing your bloop pressure -- assuming your habits or illness, or weight hasn't damaged your heart and arteries permanently. Which Was not my case, I am excercising and I am lowering my weight to the prescribed, 165-175. I thank the Lord for this second chance,,,,,,,

[MarylandCPAPer]

My blood pressure has gone up gradually while using APAP, which I started more than 5 years ago. My BP is not off the charts, but high enough that I just got prescribed an ACE inhibitor today. CPAP helps us in numerous ways, but we are all individuals and our health issues progress and respond to treatments in our own individual ways. It would be misleading to think that CPAP use is going to cure or reduce hypertension for everyone who also has OSA, but I'm happy for the OP who had such good results.

[Kerriboberri]

I've been on Blood pressure meds for ten years, bipap for two and a half months, went to dr. Yesterday and even with meds my blood pressure was 140/90. But, the good news is, I seem to have more energy the last few weeks.

Sorry about spacing and such but on iPad and everything is trying to autocorrect...but not the correct way.

[Goofproof]

Yes, it might help, but our health is complex, baying at the moon will help some. Trying to compare our problems and results is a losers game.

Best bet, do what you can to be healthy in the body and circumstances that you have. Our continue to worry why thing happen based on what others think (Right or Wrongly).

I keep doing what works best for me and don't dwell on the guesses of others about cause and result, too many times the input of others is flawed.

Unnecessary worry, causes poor health too. Jim