docs, how much does coffee drive up blood pressure? Help?

[look 171]

How much do coffee drive up blood pressure? I had about 4 cups this morning with a client and now my blood pressure is 160/104. I took a tablet of blood pressure med. should I be freaking out by now? My normal resting heart rate is about 65 and it is 75 now. My heart feels like its pounding a little bit. I quit coffeee a few years ago and drink only decafe now, well, not this morning. Any ideas? Coffee never bother me like this. Am I just scaring myself?

[John Rogers]

Back in the day when I was bicycle racing (early 80s) we did some testing with coffee and tea to see what would happen to pulse, pressure and such and performance in a short course race with a water bottle loaded with tea, no-doz, sugar, etc and found that with plain coffee that my and most others had their B/P actually go down for a bit after drinking a cup or two of the joe. A doctor at Balboa Naval Hospital who raced with us said it was because the blood vessels did a bit of expanding and while B/P went down, pulse rate went up which we found to be true. Seems the body wanted to work just like any other pipe system so if pipe diameter goes up, water pressure will drop and to keep the same flow the pump (heart) has to work harder.

Is that true today, I have no idea and for all I know the coffee may be very different than it was nearly 30 years ago so in your case I would see a doctor fairly quickly so you don't have a heart attack or anything......

[look 171]

I had a mini stroke a couple of years ago when I was 42. That is why I am sihting bricks. They could not fine anything wrong with me after a week of running tests. They think it is stress related. My blood pressure is usually running around 135 over 83-4 during the day with a very low dose of blood med. The stroke was so minor that the ER doc wanted to sent me home. It was n't found until it showed up on the MRI that my sister push for. They did not want to run the MRI.

I too raced back in the 80s as a Jr. Quit after about 15 years later. I would drink a cup of coffee (started in my mid 20s) before a crit. The day I missed a cup of coffee was the day I won my one and only cat. 3 race. I sucked at it and was there just to make up the numbers. There was a crash and I jumped and took 5 of them with me for 9 laps. I timed it just right and got em' on the sprint.

[widgeon13]

How did you take your BP and had you been resting for at least 5 minutes? I don't like the automatic testers and yet I'm on BP meds and use one. I wouldn't be worried unless you stay at the 160 rate all the time. It's the sustained high BP that kills people. Mine goes up some times and it appears to be stress related.

I went in for a flight physical on Monday and when the nurse took my BP it was elevated in both arms, 20 minutes later after sitting and talking to the doc it was 128/68. I was concerned when the nurse told me what it was as the FAA frowns on BP problems and people on BP meds. I monitor mine about once a day and frequently get higher reading if not having rested for five minutes or so. You really should average reading if you are concerned.

[look 171]

My average is pretty normal with or without meds. if Igo out or a bike ride It goes doen to 120/75 for nearly the whole day. I worry when they spike like that. I took it with one of those wrist monitors. Its coming down to 143/97 now. I think is too many cups of coffee this morning.

[widgeon13]

I think the coffee played a role in your elevated BP especially since you normally drink decaf.

[recycled sixtie]

a doctor. About 3 years ago i had bl. pressure of around 135 over 95. Doc had me strap on a bl. pressure monitor on my arm for 24 hours to see what the bp did . He decided I should be on bl. pressure pills and have been on them steady for about 3 years. My bl. pressure is now around 120 over 80. I drink tea now - about 3 max a day. They call hi blood pressure the silent killer. If in doubt go see your doctor. Hope this helps

[look 171]

I just saw my doc late week. He thinks I am nuts for checking my BF a million times a day. He thinks I am fine except my type A personality. I am the type of guy who take a piece of wood to check my cabinet door openings on all my jobs. I know I am intense and fooking nuts but that how I bring in work. Gotta to go relax and ride my bike now. Thanks.

[Joeaksa]

A silly question... if you guys are having ANY problems with BP or heart rate, why in the world are you taking caffein in any form?

[look 171]

My cardiologist check me out 6 months ago and gave me the thumbs up. Gave me a stress test and everything is fine. He even told me to go ahead and kill myself on my bike like I did when I was racing at the age of 25. He even said a couple of coffee is fine and he's not against it at all. I question that also.

[look 171]

OK, the damn BP is fine now. I went for a 30 mile bike ride and almost kill myself going over a two mile hill and back. Now the BP is normal at 110/75. Fooking siht. This getting old and not being able to handle a few cups of coffee is real PITA. Thanks guys.

[John Rogers]

Could be the air (or lack of it) that you have to breath as I see you are in the L A area???!!! When I was racing and would go to L A for a weekend of races I would be sick with sinus, lung issues and breathing problems for at least a week afterwards. My pulse would be 10 to 15 points higher for several days and my B/P would be up also. I know everyone keeps saying the air there is so much better than 20 years ago but I tend to not believe the talking heads........

[widgeon13]

Here you go:

How does caffeine affect blood pressure?

Answer
from Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.

Caffeine can cause a short, but dramatic increase in your blood pressure, even if you don't have high blood pressure. It's unclear what causes this spike in blood pressure. Caffeine could block a hormone that helps keep your arteries widened. Others think that caffeine causes your adrenal glands to release more adrenaline, which causes your blood pressure to increase.

Some people who regularly drink caffeinated beverages have a higher average blood pressure than do those who drink none. Others who regularly drink caffeinated beverages develop a tolerance to it. As a result, caffeine doesn't have a long-term effect on their blood pressure. It seems that caffeine has a stronger blood pressure increasing effect in people who are older than 70 or who are overweight.

If you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor whether you should limit or stop drinking caffeinated beverages. If you're concerned about caffeine's effect on your blood pressure, try limiting the amount of caffeine you drink to 200 milligrams a day — about the same amount as in two 12-ounce cups of brewed coffee. Keep in mind that the amount of caffeine in coffee and other beverages varies by brand. Also, avoid caffeine right before activities that naturally increase your blood pressure, such as exercise, weightlifting or hard physical labor.

To see if caffeine might be raising your blood pressure, check your blood pressure within 30 to 60 minutes of drinking a cup of coffee or another caffeinated beverage. If your blood pressure increases by five to 10 points, you may be sensitive to the blood pressure raising effects of caffeine. If you plan to cut back on caffeine, do so gradually over several days to a week to avoid withdrawal headaches.

[vash]

i had some FLex money to waste at the end of last season. so in a last ditch effort to burn the money before someone else does..i bought a BP cuff thing.

i asked my doc about the caffeine thing. she said one cup shouldnt affect it much but a second cup would. so i experimented.

had a cup sitting on the couch. used the experiment to get my wife to bring me a second cup..( i figured her telling me to get my own damn cup of coffee would have raised BP, so i asked very nicely)

the second cup didnt raise my BP either.

[vash]

i find the best way to lower BP is to go camping..sitting around a campfire on a cold night wearing a puffy jacket fixes alot of ills.