Q: I am 23 years old and suffered from high blood pressure of 100/150, last year. The doctor prescribed Nebicard 5mg, but the BP is not controlled. He then prescribed Xenia 12.5 mg and told me to take it life long. I am very frustrated with this illness at a very early age. What is the cure for this problem? I want to stop these medicines. I have a very tense personality.

A:You may need to rule out some causes of high blood pressure at a young age. An important test is renal artery duplex to rule out kidney artery blocks. A major component of your BP may be tension, when you visit a doctor. You can check your BP in the home atmosphere either by asking someone close to you to learn to check BP, by a good automated BP recording machine or best by a 24 hours BP measurement. This will tell what your BP is when you are relaxed. You can also try yoga with pranayama ending in shavasana to help you learn to relax. However, you should not stop your medications. If your BP is under good control you can decrease medications check your BP again and if still under control, stop them. Your body does not get addicted to medications.