BP and palpitations

[Vipa]

I am 68 and taking 1.25mg Bisoprolol for high blood pressure and can't increase because of low pulse rate.  I was also taking Ramipril but developed the terrible cough.  My doctor agreed to me trying without this for a month.  Two weeks in my BP is mostly between 125/67 and 159/75.  The problem is that it does sometimes go higher and when it gets to upper 160s I get irregular heartbeat.  I take garlic and Co enzyme Q10.  What is the solution?

[Vipa]

Stress is what causes my BP to go up and I have my 14 year old granddaughter, who has Asperger's, living with me.
I don't use salt.  I eat a lot of fruit and veg and oats.  I have added walnuts, cinnamon and pumpkin seeds to my diet (all supposed to lower BP)  I hate taking drugs of any kind.  I either swim, cycle or walk every day.
I haven't had the arrhythmias. since I have been on beta blocker and it isn't atrial fibrillation.
I go back to my GP in two weeks with a record of my BP for the past month but really want to have it under control by then!!!

[is_something_wrong]

If your blood pressure goes high, that puts a strain on the heart which may provoke different sorts of irregular heart rhythm. Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia which may be a consequence. Ask your doctor which arrhythmia you suffer from.

It may also be that something is stressing you when the blood pressure is high, and that "something" also is causing arrhythmias.

That said, it seems your blood pressure is very variable (where 125/65 is completely normal and 160/75 is not). It also seems you may suffer from so-called isolated systolic hypertension which is common with age. Do you know what causes your blood pressure to change so much (I assume both measuring are at rest)? Salt intake? Fluid intake? Stress?

There are lots of BP meds that don't affect heart rate or the tendency to cough. ACE inhibitors (like Ramipril) are known to cause dry cough as a side effect, as far as I know.

The different blood pressure meds are as follows:

Beta blockers (like Bisoprolol, slows heart rate and pumping force)
ACE inhibitors (prevents substances that narrows the blood vessels)
AT2 antagonists (blocks the substances mentioned above)
Calcium channel blockers (relaxes blood vessels)
Diuretics (lower fluid levels)
Alpha blockers (prevents adrenalin from narrowing blood vessels)

I'm sure there are more of them too, but as a lay person I'm not familiar with them. Could you possibly discuss this with your doctor?