Posted by SueW/Tn on 11/8/06 2:59pm
Msg #158182

VERY VERY OT....HEALTH ISSUE...INPUT APPRECIATED

I have 9 days to lower my diastolic BP which is borderline high. I am exercising, eating better and drinking lots of water and drinking kombucha tea. Does anyone have any experience with this? I am absolutely against prescribed meds (personal choice) and have read everything I can get my hands on but I'm not making much of a dent. TIA

Reply by Merry_CA on 11/8/06 3:09pm
Msg #158184

email me at [e-mail address] and I will send you some helpful info.

Best Regrds,
Merry

Reply by LkArrowhd/CA on 11/8/06 3:14pm
Msg #158186

Sue, I too hate meds of any kind. However well over 10 years ago I was out working one day, I felt horrible and I had no idea what was wrong with me. I was going to take myself to the er as soon as I could. I had never felt this way before and had lived a fairly problem free life with regard to health issues but knew full well of the health issues from my family history. I entered the er with BP of 210/110 (more then stroke level). I was treated stat and have been on BP medication since that time. Feel pretty done good most days, mom had high bp, grammy did and so on and so forth. Sister BP is normal. I take my BP meds every day, I have since had cancer and non of those days with cancer were worse then that one day of 210/110 BP. I ahve never felt like that and never want to again, if that means taking my BP meds, that's what I'm going to do. We must all make choices we are able to live with and by, JMHO.....

Reply by SueW/Tn on 11/8/06 3:19pm
Msg #158190

Thank you Merry and Susan....

Sorry to hear about your health issues Susan, I've been healthy all my life and I just want to avoid meds (if that's possible). My Mom had breast cancer at 74 and between the chemo, rad, and all the meds in between the quality of her life isn't all that delightful. I guess I feel in my mind once you begin taking one you've gotta take another to counteract it. Geez....

Reply by LkArrowhd/CA on 11/8/06 3:28pm
Msg #158196

Re: Thank you Merry and Susan....I'm saddened to hear about

your mom's health. I would tend to agree with you about once you take one med you need to take more, this has not been the case for me. I take the BP medication, my doc did add a water pill last year to work with the BP, it has been very effective. If I could wish for something, it might be normal blood pressure but it's just not in my cards so I move forward since I can't change it.

Reply by Marlene/USNA on 11/9/06 11:48am
Msg #158434

OT still: I'm with you Sue

I'm on 9 meds, down from a high of 12, am slowly weaning myself off most of the rest. It seemed like, as someone said before, when I took one med, I needed another to deal with side effects like weight gain and fatigue, which lead to inertia and depression, which lead to sleep disorders and more weight gain. Don't know how I let this happen to myself, but I'm on my way back to being who I was before!

However - if diet and exercise and stress reduction don't help your blood pressure, and if you trust your doctor, ask for the lowest possible dose of the med with the least amount of side effects and see how it goes. One size does not fit all.

Oh, try yoga first - great BP reducer.

Reply by Mung/CA on 11/8/06 4:51pm
Msg #158217

Susan - where's your bp at now? Do you do any type of

physical activity?

Reply by LkArrowhd/CA on 11/8/06 5:09pm
Msg #158220

Re: Mung- 138/78 and yes walk all the time n/m

Reply by LkArrowhd/CA on 11/8/06 3:23pm
Msg #158193

Re: Sue one more thing, what you are doing may very well

help, I doubt in the 9 day time frame you have gievn yourself. It may be that you need to indeed be on medication....I have also learned to remain calm and how to let things go, this took plenty of learning.......I seldom become rattled about anything anymore and if I find myself getting upset I try to step back and look at the situation from outside the picture. However the high BP may indeed run in your family....

Reply by MelissaCT on 11/8/06 3:27pm
Msg #158195

No more high stress signings at EOM -- LOL n/m

Reply by MelissaCT on 11/8/06 3:32pm
Msg #158198

Seriously, though

read the ingredient & nutrition labels on what you eat. Sodium is in so much, oftentimes high doses are present in the foods we eat & we don't even know it. Fresh fruits & veggies are better than prepackaged foods.

Reply by Bonnie_CO on 11/8/06 3:33pm
Msg #158199

Sue...

A lot of times a water pill can help reduce your blood pressure. Do they maybe have a herbal remedy to reduce bloating? Something that works similar to a water pill? I have High BP and do take the medication along with the water pill. I can tell when I've not taken the water pill as my BP edges up 10-20 points.
Hope this helps!

Reply by SueW/Tn on 11/8/06 3:38pm
Msg #158203

Re: Sue...

the fresh veggies and fruit are going on the to do list now! I have a friend that's a herbalist, will find out what I can do about water retention. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Reply by Pamela on 11/8/06 3:38pm
Msg #158204

Sue,

I've never had high blood pressure. However, it does run in
my family. About two years ago, I had Acid Reflux (and still have
to watch what I eat).

My diet was changed to include daily bowls of Malt O Meal and/or
oatmeal (I love Malt O Meal, so I ate that about twice a day.)
I also stopped the daily intake of caffeine (used to drink
a pitcher of iced tea a day. Have returned to drinking tea, and
sometimes coffee, but not as I used to do.).

To my surprise, my blood pressure dropped during this period.
So yes, Malt O Meal, oatmeal and the deletion of caffeine does work.

Pam

Reply by SueW/Tn on 11/8/06 3:41pm
Msg #158208

TY Pam....off to the market for me!!! n/m

Reply by Pamela on 11/8/06 3:48pm
Msg #158211

Sue Cont'd

You're Welcome.

Also Capsicum is supposed to be good to reduce
blood pressure naturally (though I have never tried it).

Please checkout these sites:

Http://www.usgyms.net/bloodpres.htm

Http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2114


Pam

Reply by Kate/CA on 11/8/06 6:38pm
Msg #158246

You are aware this is called the silent killer for a very good reason. Many people don't have a clue that they have high blood pressure. Mine was 190/120 when they found it. I just thought my arm hurt because of my tennis elbow, it was my right arm hurting. It took several tries with medicine to get one that would work and bring it down. My brother found out, just because he had a bloody nose, very bad one. Does high blood pressure run in your family?

Reply by kathy/ca on 11/8/06 7:00pm
Msg #158250

Sue, you need to learn to relax and "let go"! Yoga, exercise

meditation, enough rest/sleep, healthy diet and walking. If you are overstressed and have too much on your plate, try this: On a piece of paper, make a circle representing your universe, within that circle, make a dot, which represents YOU! For awhile concentrate on YOU and focus on the items aforementioned, make it all about YOU. Slowly, as you feel better/less stressed, start adding back in other things, represented by inner circles such as family, work, friends, hobbies etc. Allow a week or even a month each time before you add in more inner circles. It sounds really silly, but it works well to see YOU and your life on a piece of paper, with you in control of how you spend your time, with who, and doing what. Sometimes, we all need to take a step back and look at how we are running our lives. Our health is our most valuable commodity, one we really need to be in tune with. Hope you feel better soon.

Reply by Barbara Katz on 11/8/06 7:06pm
Msg #158252

Re: Sue, you need to learn to relax and "let go"! Yoga, exercise

Sue, I too am on BP meds. I have found that Folic Acid (400mg), B6 (250 mg) and B12 (250mg) does wonders for high blood pressure.

Reply by SueW/Tn on 11/8/06 7:12pm
Msg #158255

For all the wonderful ideas....I thank you

I was certain that the community would help me and you certainly didn't let me down. I've got a grocery list for shopping tomorrow, everything ya'll told me is healthy and drug free. To those that e-mailed, your information has me totally and 100% intrigued and I'll be in touch shortly. Again, thank you all for your help.

Reply by Pamela on 11/8/06 7:54pm
Msg #158267

Sue, You're Welcome! n/m

Reply by LkArrowhd/CA on 11/8/06 9:11pm
Msg #158279

Re: Sue do keep in mind not everything works well on

everyone we are all so different, if you have a trusted doc you may want to share some of the items on your grocery list and ask his opinion of course be prepared for his or her poo pooing some ideas after all where would the doc be without his patients......Keep an open mind and discover safely what works for you......

Reply by Pamela on 11/8/06 9:14pm
Msg #158280

LkArrowhd,

Sound Advice!

Pam