Question for the docs… I recently had a Dr’s appointment that didn’t go so well. My BP was 170/100. My Dr temporarily (since I’m currently losing weight) put me on Enalapril Maleate. I started at 311lbs and I’m currently 281. Now of course I went straight to the google machine and now I’m terrified. Can I still train? Can I eat a fucking banana? What about pre workouts? My dr is old and isnt familiar with our style of training. Any feedback would be great. Thanks
First: CHILL. Enalapril is generally safe, and does not present any significant problems the context of training.
With that said:
Was this the first time you’ve had a high blood pressure reading?
Did they measure it properly, as described in our high blood pressure podcast?
Did they repeat the measurement, and/or measure it in both arms?
Do you have, or have you ever been evaluated for, sleep apnea?
Back in 2012 I weighed 317lbs and was on lisinopril. I also had an 8.3 A1C. By January 2013 I was down to 232 lbs and off of lisinopril. My blood pressure and blood sugar normalized from the weight loss. Imagine that lol. Fast forward to 2014. My mom passed away from a long battle with cancer. I helped take care of her a lot while she was on hospice. Fast forward to January 2017. I’m still around 240-250 lbs and I’m slammed with severe depression and anxiety. My therapist said it was a form of PTSD from taking care of my mom. I coped with my mental illness through food. Lots of fast food, pizza, ice cream etc. I started getting myself back together around Jan 2018. Right around when I started following BBM. That’s when I started losing weight. All be it slower than I would like. They did test my BP twice on the same arm. I’m not sure I watched the BP podcast. I’ve never been checked for apnea but I probably should. I very rarely wake up feeling rested. I just today got back my bloodwork results and they are all normal. Some family history, my dad passed away from congestive heart failure at the age of 43. He was a much larger man at 500+ lbs.
I see. I’m sorry to hear about these difficulties.
It sounds like you’ve successfully lost weight before, but had a lot of stressors that made weight maintenance more difficult at the time. I definitely agree that getting your weight and waist down should be your top priority; but in the meantime, it is OK to take the enalapril and to continue training. I would also look into an evaluation for obstructive sleep apnea (start here The Official STOP-Bang Questionnaire Website ) and, if your depression / anxiety are not well-controlled, work on that with your physician as well.
Thanks, I’ll do that. Is there any danger in eating bananas while on this medication? I’ve read some stuff about potassium interactions but I’m not sure if its bs or not.
If you have normal kidney function (which you should check with your doctor about), it’s usually ok.
Kidneys are good. Thanks man, I really appreciate it.