Monday Medical

spiderweb

spiderweb

Final Approach
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
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Ben
Mine has been expired for a few years. Got the BP down without drugs. Fingers crossed, and with any luck, I'll pass, and:

1) If you like me, you'll be happy an aging man can regain his medical, or
2) If you hate me and think I'm a danger in the skies, you'll make a mental note, and be sure to crap on this post, or
3) If you don't know me, you'll quickly scan on for a different post.
 
spiderweb said:
Mine has been expired for a few years. Got the BP down without drugs. Fingers crossed, and with any luck, I'll pass, and:

1) If you like me, you'll be happy an aging man can regain his medical, or
2) If you hate me and think I'm a danger in the skies, you'll make a mental note, and be sure to crap on this post, or
3) If you don't know me, you'll quickly scan on for a different post.
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"Fingers crossed??!!"

Negative!!!


Consultation first, then if 100% certain to pass, give them the MedX number and say you want the FAA physical.
 
N659HB said:
Why not BasicMed?
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I should be OK to get the full-on 3rd class. I don't want the restrictions, if possible; but more than that, I just want to be able to show myself I can do it.
 
#3 but if anyone can get their BP down to an acceptable level, I'm all for it. Good luck.
 
spiderweb said:
Change in diet, mostly. Much more in the way of fresh fruits and veggies.
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Thanks, I have changed my diet, very limited alcohol, light yoga and I haven't had a soft drink in almost 4 years now so I am hoping for good results. I really don't have high blood pressure, just higher than it has normally been. Of course I am no spring chicken either...
 
Zeldman said:
Thanks, I have changed my diet, very limited alcohol, light yoga and I haven't had a soft drink in almost 4 years now so I am hoping for good results. I really don't have high blood pressure, just higher than it has normally been. Of course I am no spring chicken either...
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It is funny, but it isn't just the salt. If one eats like a typical American, one is eating lots of animal products, and processed foods with salt. If fruits and veggies are added to the diet, my theory is that the potassium and magnesium balances out the salt. I could be totally wrong.
 
I would like to publicly thank Dr. Bruce for encouraging me to do something about my BP. Hope he reads this board, still.
 
spiderweb said:
It is funny, but it isn't just the salt. If one eats like a typical American, one is eating lots of animal products, and processed foods with salt. If fruits and veggies are added to the diet, my theory is that the potassium and magnesium balances out the salt. I could be totally wrong.
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Don't forget all the SUGAR in typical processed foods. Very unhealthy.
 
For me, the key was losing 60 lbs!
 
For me, the key was medication. My weight is already on the low side of normal, and I exercise regularly, some would say to rather extreme degrees. And although my BP was never particularly high (130-140/80-90), I didn't want the additional risk factors associated with it. It still took a regimen of two meds (a diuretic and a calcium channel blocker) to have much effect at all. Even with that, the white-coat effect at the AME's office was once enough to put the outcome in doubt.

Good luck tomorrow Ben! :)
 
azure said:
For me, the key was medication. My weight is already on the low side of normal, and I exercise regularly, some would say to rather extreme degrees. And although my BP was never particularly high (130-140/80-90), I didn't want the additional risk factors associated with it. It still took a regimen of two meds (a diuretic and a calcium channel blocker) to have much effect at all. Even with that, the white-coat effect at the AME's office was once enough to put the outcome in doubt.

Good luck tomorrow Ben! :)
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Thanks!

This morning it is 124/81 and 123/79--and that's after two strong cups of tea. Hopefully will be enough buffer against white coat.
 
spiderweb said:
Thanks!

This morning it is 124/81 and 123/79--and that's after two strong cups of tea. Hopefully will be enough buffer against white coat.
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Remember to do the deep breathing in prep and as they are reading BP. I find focusing on some minor activity helps avoid the white coat.
 
Clark1961 said:
Remember to do the deep breathing in prep and as they are reading BP. I find focusing on some minor activity helps avoid the white coat.
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This does wonders for me, as does no coffee for 4 hours and not letting anything that happens on the drive get to me.

I only had BP issues once at the AME. It was someone I'd been to for his regular practice and I never liked him. He was an hour late and I let myself get upset (along with coffee and some work stress). Much to my surprise he agreed to turn off the lights and let me take some deep breaths. It came right down. Now I just refuse to let myself get worked up.
 
I think I get a little white coat syndrome. I try to put myself as close to horizontal as I can. Plus I do not let nurses do my BP. No offense, but a nurse totally screwed up reading the blood pressure on old round gauge once. Most Doctors will let my lay down, most nurses want to argue the point.

I don't like the automatic blood pressure machines. I can make my BP read insanely high or deathly low just by flexing my fist at different times during the sequence.

The deep breathing helps me as well.
 
My AME's nurse Julie is a feisty one and not bad on the eyes. For the last 11 years she's always been the one to do all the exam stuff (eyes, hearing, weight, etc) and she runs me through pretty quickly with the blood pressure taken last. Every time she's said, "you're right at the top limit for blood pressure" and when the doctor takes it again, I'm always in the 120/80 range. White coat syndrome or good looking nurse syndrome? I have no idea.
 
Timbeck2 said:
My AME's nurse Julie is a feisty one and not bad on the eyes. For the last 11 years she's always been the one to do all the exam stuff (eyes, hearing, weight, etc) and she runs me through pretty quickly with the blood pressure taken last. Every time she's said, "you're right at the top limit for blood pressure" and when the doctor takes it again, I'm always in the 120/80 range. White coat syndrome or good looking nurse syndrome? I have no idea.
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Do they take the reading with the same method?

I have found that with some of the digital automated BP cuffs, I tend to read higher than with the manual cuff and stethoscope.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Do they take the reading with the same method?

I have found that with some of the digital automated BP cuffs, I tend to read higher than with the manual cuff and stethoscope.
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I have seen that as well. Also I have found that the smaller nurses, with small hands, tend to use the wrong size cuff on me. Which will affect the reading.
 
Dr. Bruce has posted a method for getting your BP down for the exam that relies on a reflex. You tense up muscle groups for five seconds, then relax them, in a specific order. Supposedly it is sure-fire but I can't vouch for it; the one time I had trouble in my AME's office I used that method before they called me in because I knew I was nervous. My first reading came in at 155/95, and the best I could get it down to was 150/90. When my PCP checks it it is rarely over 115/75, usually more like 108/70.
 
We tested my $17 blood pressure cuff at the doctor's office and got the same readings as their expensive machine. If you have any doubt, it isn't much of an investment. I learned how to lower my pressure that way.

It also showed me that a common OTC medication was driving me into hypertension. I should have known that anything that makes you feel that good will kill you...
 
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