high blood pressure

samanthag

hi all
im not after medical advice just thought i would add that first.

i currently have high blood pressure and am off work sick the doctor wont let me work the reason for my post is to see if anyone has and herbal remedies or any other helpfull advice to try and bring it down as i really want to go back to work but the doctor has given me another 2 weeks off from today.
any advice gratefully recieved
thanks in advance
sammy

suki1964

Only thing that got mine down was cutting the booze and fags out, coming off the pill and cutting down the salt.

Been off the meds for 6 years now with perfect blood pressure

sandy2_2

I read that eating a stick of celery a day reduces bloodpressure, haven't tried it myself

samanthag

thanks for your messages
i dont drink but i do smoke i have cut down since all this started

i am overweight (i am a size 16) and i try to have a healthy diet.

i go walking every day on the advice from the doctor

i had my cholesterol checked and that came back as 4.6 which is normal

i am trying not to get stressed out but we moved house in feb and bought a building plot so my hubby is always up there doing things

i also have a special needs child who is 12

and i work full time as an L.S.A

all in all i have a busy livestyle really but i am trying to rest as much as i can
any more advice appreciated
thanks

[Deleted User]

I've had high BP and get it monitored every 6 months. Sadly it usually involves a bit of hard work on our part to keep it down. My tips:
- Exercise for 30 mins (get into a sweat!) 4 times a week.
- No salt. We're conditioned to think it adds flavour but once you stop using it, you eventually stop missing it.
- De-stress. Make sure that you don't bottle things up, get annoyed or let things get to you. Your blood pressure appreciates that a lot!
- Eat well. Cut out bad fats (usually the stuff that goes hard at room temperature - like lard or fat on meat) and refined sugars (sweets!) and eat lots of fruit and veg.

It can be difficult, especially if you have a busy life already but do keep at it.

I used to be on beta blockers but came off them and managed my BP in a more natural way and I have to say it works!

Ted_Hutchinson

Dr Davis of the Heartscanblog is working hard to prevent heart disease.
It would be worth your while to read the information on his site and at his Track your Plague site.

As far as the weightloss goes I'm finding This approach very easy indeed as without the cravings for food/booze it's simple to reduce the total amount you eat/drink.

These are the actual recommendations form Dr Davis.
The Track Your Plaque Program, by William Davis MD(2)(3)

The Main Treatment Goal is reduction in Coronary Artery Calcium Score using this program:

Reduction of LDL to 60 mg/dl
Reduction of triglycerides to 60 mg/dl
Raising HDL to 60 mg/dl
Correction of hidden causes like small LDL, IDL, Lp(a), and others.
Achieving normal blood pressure (<130/80)
Achieving normal blood sugar (=100 mg/dl)
Reduction of C-reactive protein to <1 mg/l
4) Treatment/Supplement/ Lifestyle Program :
Niacin vitamin B3 (Slo-Niacin Upsher-Smith or Niaspan Kos Pharmaceuticals preferred) 500-1500mg.day (avoid no-flush niacin
Fish oil (Omega 3 oils) 4000 mg per day (providing 1200 mg omega-3 fatty acids). (molecular distilled pharmaceutical grade)
Vitamin D level restored to above 50 ng/ml -125/nmol/l (Vitamin D3 2000-5,000 u/day)
Low Glycemic Diet (avoid Fructose Corn Syrup, avoid wheat products) eliminate wheat products like Shredded Wheat cereal, Raisin Bran, and whole wheat bagels.
Foods (raw almonds, walnuts, pecans; olive oil and canola oil)
Increasing protein intake.
Exercise
Weight Loss
Wine—Red wines contain resveratrol, (don’t exceed two glasses/ day)
All About Reducing Lipoprotein (a)(2)(3)

Lp(a) is best to measured in (nmol/l), and target below 75 nmol/l
Lp(a) measured in mg/dl (weight may not be accurate), then target below 30 mg/dl
LDL target 50–60 mg/dl
LDL particle number target (NMR) of 600–700 nmol/l or apoprotein B of 50–60 mg/dl. Reduce small LDL to <10% of total LDL.
Treating Lp(a) with Niacin
Niaspan® (Kos Pharmaceuticals) or over-the-counter Slo-Niacin® (Upsher-Smith).
Both are better tolerated than OTC plain niacin, which may cause the hot flushes. Both Niaspan® and Slo-Niacin® are safe, with little chance for liver toxicity if taken properly (once per day).
BioIdentical Hormones
In females, estrogen preparations. Testosterone helpful for men and lowers Lp(a) by 25%..
L-Carnitine
The supplement L-carnitine can be a useful adjunct; 2000–4000 mg per day (1000 mg twice a day) can reduce Lp(a) 7–8%, and occasionally will reduce it up to 20%.8
Diet/Other
ground flaxseed (2 tbsp/day)
raw almonds (1/4 cup/day)
vitamin C (1000–3000 mg/day), reductions of 7%.
weight loss
exercise
oat bran
low-glycemic index diet

suki1964

mr_rush wrote: »

I'm surprised you've been signed off with hypertension - rare but obviously not sure about your individual case.
Basically herbal remedies are pants - they are not regulated the way medicines are and are not a quick fix to what is a long term problem.
I'm sure your GP has advised on non-drug ways to reduce your BP.
exercise, reduce salt, lose weight etc...

Not really that rare mr rush, all depends on how high your BP is. At 29 I spent two weeks on a medical ward on complete bedrest after an emergency admission because my BP was so high

foreign_correspondent

Some intersting studies on celery - one has shown that 2 pieces of celery a day (raw or cooked) lowers bp by approx 10 points in a week! If you dont like it raw try cooking it cut small in a spag bol, soup or stew (I love celery in stews!)
Gentle exercise such as walking is good. Caffeine temorarily raises blood pressure. Plently of fruit and veg, a high fibre diet and low alcohol is helpful.
There is a specific diet for lowering bood pressire - Google 'dash diet'

cocoluvsmummy

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

Some intersting studies on celery - one has shown that 2 pieces of celery a day (raw or cooked) lowers bp by approx 10 points in a week! If you dont like it raw try cooking it cut small in a spag bol, soup or stew (I love celery in stews!)

i have just mentioned this celery eating to my Oh who is trying to get his BP down without medication , he wanted to know if he could put salt on his celery... i think he was joking

sandy2_2

sandy2 wrote: »

I read that eating a stick of celery a day reduces bloodpressure, haven't tried it myself

be interesting to hear on here if anyone tries this and it works

keelykat

Hi ya, stress and getting worried is a big factor for me.

If you are overweight-then id definately try to loose some weight and see if that helps. Cutting back on salt, bad fats etc is important. And eating plenty of fruit and veg is too.

Have you had all the blood tests done to check for high cholesterol etc? If not-ask. Mine came back good, and my weight was fine and i was doing all i could etc. So ive worked out its stress related for me. My gp usualy takes my bp twice, and it always goes down to a more healthy reading once ive relaxed a bit.

keely.