Wizard of Draws writes:

June 2007. I failed my 3rd class medical exam and was grounded. I am 50
years old, 5'9", 158 lbs. No family history of hypertension. But due to a
number of current stress factors in my life, mother in law and father in law
both passing away recently and suddenly, the work of disposing of the
estate, a promotion at work entailing additional duties and
responsibilities, a consistent lunch menu of Chinese food, and white coat
syndrome, my blood pressure was elevated over the FAA acceptable limits.

You can't be sure that any of these caused the hypertension, although it's
certainly plausible that some or all of these factors may have played a part.

When a second visit to the AME the next day resulted in even higher
readings, he was forced to send the paperwork to Oklahoma City with his
findings. Note to self, don't drink coca-cola for lunch right before your BP
test.

Coca-Cola wouldn't have much of an effect. However, white-coat syndrome can
be pretty extreme, and could produce higher readings simply because you worry
more on the second pass.

I scheduled a visit with my personal doctor and he did the whole 9 yards,
EKG, blood and all. The only thing he found wrong was high blood pressure of
course, and that my cholesterol can be lowered a bit. But the BP was enough
to have him start me on 5 mg Lisinopril and 25 mg Hydrochlorothiazide daily.

I don't like taking drugs. I don't smoke, drink and never have. I push
through pain of headaches when I get them, which is pretty rare anyway,
thinking it's best to let my body rely on it's own coping mechanisms. Sorta
'what doesn't kill me, makes me stronger' mentality. This is not making me
happy, on top of not being able to fly. I grumble and fuss.

I agree with you. Physicians treat hypertension with drugs because they don't
know how to treat it any other way. Diet and exercise helps some people, but
not others. The assumption is that hypertension is bad because it seems
clearly linked to so many other medical problems, and so it must be lowered by
force if it doesn't go down on its own. I think it would be better to find
out why bodies raise blood pressure in the first place, and correct the cause
rather than treat the symptom, but nobody knows how to do that, and there
doesn't seem to be a great deal of interest in finding out.

Did you ever have any ambulatory BP monitoring? BP that is elevated at the
doctor's office might not be anywhere else, if it is all due to white-coat
syndrome. If it is only moderately elevated this is a possibility. If it is
greatly elevated it is probably at least a little high even away from the
doctor's office. But you don't know if you don't measure it.

But now... now it's a bitch trying to get those 18 year old legs back. My
lungs are back after 2 months of slogging 3 miles every other day in the
heat and humidity of North Georgia, but the knees and ankles are still
protesting quite loudly. A good pair of running shoes help, but on some days
they help too much. I begin to feel comfortable with small glimpses of the
ol' high and end up pushing it too much, paying for it the next day with
very sore Achilles tendons.

Are you overweight?