My blood pressure first went up 12 years ago, before I'd even heard of PKD. I was able to control it for a number of years by reducing my sodium intake and making lifestyle changes eg regular exercise. Eventually I had to take medication but I still take only the lowest dose possible of Losartan. I have kept my sodium intake extremely low and my BP is stable. My kidney function is 29%. If you've tried everything, you will need medication. Sometimes it's a case of trial and error to see which meds suit you but generally you will start with and ACE inhibitor or ARB and go from there. Your BP is not terribly high and should be relatively easy to keep in check.

I participated in one of the HALT studies and the results were pretty conclusive - best med for controlling BP is plain ACE inhibitor. A combination ACE +ARB did not control BP any better than simply ACE. Make sure your doc starts you on a low dose, my sister's neph started her on 40 mgs and almost killed her. It can take a while to get used to the meds - dizziness being very common at first. Low salt is also important, as is consistent, moderate exercise.

Thank you.
What happens if someone forgets to take their meds? Will their blood pressure skyrocket?
Is your blood pressure controlled throughout the day and night? I mean, if you take it right when you wake up, how high is your blood pressure before you take it or the night before?

Thank you again.

Blood pressure does not sky rocket if you forget to take your meds. It would take time to rise to pre-medicated levels. Blood pressure varies any way during the day, so will not be exactly the same at all times on medication. You have to find the best time for you to take it. In many people there is an early morning spike in BP so taking the medication at night can help guard against this (peak concentration is reached after 6 hours or so). I found that I had a peak in the early evening (increased stress factors, I think) so take mine at lunch time. It seems to work well.

When I started the HALT trial, I had to "wash out" my lisinopril, which meant no meds for two weeks. My blood pressure didn't start to rise until 10 days after I stopped. They told me that it also takes a couple weeks (give or take a few days) to reach a loading dose of lisinopril in your body and that after that, the daily dose is maintenance, so it doesn't matter when you take it. This is not true for other BP meds, some of which act almost instantaneously, but, for us, an ACE inhibitor (like lisinopril) is the drug of choice. That being said, I take mine in the morning, hoping that the daily dose will keep my BP lower while I'm in aerobics class - totally irrational!

I am on an ARB:Losartan
And a calcium channel blocker. Norvasc.
Calcium channel blocker relaxes the blood vessels and is good for kidneys.
I am on low salt diet, drink plenty of water, get regular exercise and my BP is controlled.
Talk to your nephrologist as to whether or not "you need meds".
All the best,
Jessica