Safest way to normalise high Blood Pressure

[Moonlover]

16 hours ago, Taggart said:

I was first diagnosed as having high blood pressure in my late 20's.  I didn't do anything about it.  I'm now 67.  I was told by a doctor about fifteen years ago that if I continued with my lifestyle, that I'd eventually have to have a pacemaker inserted.  So far, hasn't happened.  I made some very minor changes, and that was about it.  Just over two years ago I found that whenever I ate my beloved deep fried battered fish and chips, along with a cola drink to wash it down, I would get a lot of pressure in my chest area.  One time the pressure and pain got so bad, I had my wife take me to emergency.  They did a few tests, didn't find anything, gave me a couple of low dose aspirin and sent me home.  My MD sent me for a heart scan and then a stress test.  Nothing found.  A few months later I tried an order of fish & chips again.  Same thing, pressure on the chest area.  That was the last deep fried fish I've had.  I've replaced the daily sugary drink (coke) with sparkling water.  Around the same time I was on two prescription medicines for high BP, both generic I believe.  Candesartan 8 MG, and Indapamide 1,25 mg.  About a year ago due to lifestyle changes the doctor told me to stop taking the Indapamide.  At it's worst my Systolic reading is in the low 130's (usually in the morning) and at it's best around 110-115.  My Diastolic reading nowadays is always below 80, sometimes as low as 65.  I hope one day to get off the Candesartan altogether.

Well done Taggart. A great example of 'taking control' of your own medical destiny.

 

The attachment comes from a good friend of mine who researches and publishes of these issues professionally. A very useful friend to have.

 

My own contribution goes  'Big Pharma wants your money. Don't let them have it'!

 

Edited March 24, 2017 by Moonlover

[laislica]

I tried to acknowledge the warning from Moderator but it says something went wrong.

What to do now?

[silverado]

if i drink beers everyday and smoke 25/30 cigarettes, i will reach 185 / 110...

if i stop drinking alcool and replace tobacco by E-cigarette , my tension come back to normal (120/75) after one week.

COVERSYL 5mg is good repution medicine for high blood pressure (in belgium)

my extra advice at food level : less salt in the food, not too much coffee/tea/coke and eat consistent breakfast.

Edited March 24, 2017 by silverado

[dotpoom]

I think worrying about it at 75 might be more harmful than the tablets. 

   I take tablets myself for HBP.

[recycler]

You could try taking turmeric or curcuma in your food in some way, start with a large teaspoon a day and see how you feel. There are many ways of taking it, you can search for tips on internet.

 

It works very well for me and others I know, it's natural, not many negative side effects and you can't overdose.

 

You can get it in bags of 250 grams at Makro for 50 or 60 Baht.

[gemguy]

Rumour has it...Happy Ending massage shops work well.

Let us know the results...lol

[Rimbuman]

Ozone therapy could be beneficial, here is an interesting video. A kind of a long watch but worth watching it (at least I think it is) 

 

Edited:

In is his speech he mentioned high blood pressure only once I believe, so you do have to go through this whole video to hear him mentioning it only once, You can also do a search on this on the internet and possibly "CBD oil" could be helpful in your situation as well.

 

 

 

Edited March 25, 2017 by Rimbuman

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

Start walking for 30 minutes 3 times a week and then slowly up it to 5 times a week, later on up the walk in speed and then duration.

Buy light weights and use them while you watch TV.

Start swimming once or twice a week.

NEVER JUICE VEG OR FRUIT - if you juice them with a juicer you throw away the fibre and drink the sugar/fructose. If you want to use a blender but it is not good when you are trying to loose weight.

Cut out all direct sugar in take, with this I mean putting sugar into food or drinks. Stop eating/drinking coke, beers, cookies, shop bread, cut out marinades and ketch up.

Start to read labels of the food you are eating.

Try to make your own meals, this way you know whats in the food you are eating.

Avoid restaurant food they add too much salt and sugar to food.

If you eat too much salt it can be negative but be careful of this one if you have a tendency to sweat in Thailands climate. The 6 mg per day guideline is too low for Thailand if you sweat.

[backstairs]

I am in a similar situation as you but a bit younger..   I was on atenolol user for 30 years and it did the job. Then of late my BP started doing unusual things.  Instead of 120/80 it was being 130/70 and sometimes 135/50.  But i felt fine.  Doc said cut the atenolol to 50mg.  Did that for a while...then made the decision to stop.   I feel fine.  I have a monitor that I am now using less and less.  Pulse is always in low 60s.  

After talking with intelligent people I have decided to listen to my body.  I take no pills.  I eat what I like in small proportions. 

And try not to research too much.  The body changes through the day, And when I walk through a hospital I hold my head high. The brain and the body must be reconnected. The gut is very important too.   2 recommendations on these subjects:

https://www.amazon.com/Gut-Inside-Story-Bodys-Underrated/dp/1522642544

https://www.amazon.com/Teach-Us-Sit-Still-Skeptics/dp/1609614488/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490438269&sr=1-9&keywords=tim+parks

[elgordo38]

On 3/22/2017 at 2:48 PM, laislica said:

At 75, things that were easy at 40 seem a lot more difficult now!

 

 

A great statement covers many areas. My GP tells me that mine is on the low side of high. I have a couple friends on medication for high blood pressure and they take pills and claim that they have no energy and feel lethargic. I have mixed feelings. Taking these pills especially when dealing with a private hospital makes you a repeat customer. Jingle Jingle. 

[elgordo38]

On 3/24/2017 at 11:42 AM, Moonlover said:

My own contribution goes  'Big Pharma wants your money. Don't let them have it'!

Exactly. 

[connda]

Get a blood pressure cuff and monitor you own BP.  If it was up the the doctors I'd be on BP meds for everytime I've walked into their office with marginally high BP.  However, I exercise, do yoga, eat sensibly, and monitor my own BP.  Funny, but my doctor never seems to catch the times when my BP is normal or slightly below normal.  My average BP is almost alway normal along with a relatively low resting heart rate. 

 

So chart your own BP, lose weight, eat a healthy diet, and take responsibility for your own health.  If your charted BP averages high over time, then talk to the doctor about meds to control it.  If your like me and exhibit White Coat high BP meds aren't the answer - a change of scenery is.  But I only speak for myself.  As always, your mileage may vary. 

Edited March 25, 2017 by connda

[mommysboy]

2 hours ago, dotpoom said:

I think worrying about it at 75 might be more harmful than the tablets. 

   I take tablets myself for HBP.

This is a simple but very important point imo.

[mommysboy]

Just a thought- but if we are having to jump through hoops in order to obtain a normal reading then doesn't that indicate a problem in  itself, or possibly that your blood pressure just runs higher than other people!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[White Christmas13]

On ‎23‎/‎03‎/‎2017 at 4:53 PM, mommysboy said:

Excellent post.

 

Yes my bp shoots up in the presence of a white coat and medical paraphenalia.

 

 

yes  correct my bp goes up when I visit the doctor I don't know what Atenolol is

I take Perindopril  and my bp is a normal 110 over 80 or there about I don't have

a German monitor the one I use called OMRON which is used by every doctor here

or chemist, my biggest problem was my heartbeat which was very high and irregular

about 130 so I went to hospital for a Cardioversion took only a few hours

in early morning out at lunch time best thing ever done my heartbeat is down

to a normal 60 to 65 and every thing free of course

[little mary sunshine]

You're 75.   So you think you're going to

live forever??  At75 you already have one 

foot in the grave and the other on a banana 

peel.....take a trip, play some golf, eat a "good"

steak once in the while, if you like a drink once

in a while, buy only The Good Stuff.  Live a little!!!

 

[Foozool]

If you are really concern about it:

 

Eat very low sodium food.

Order your food with no salt. 

No fried food. Low cholesterol . 

No liquors.

No coffee.

* if had a salty food drink lots of water after an hour. 

Do exercis 3 times a week. 

 

 

[Khon Kaen Dave]

My dad had high bp all his adult life. He also had a blocked heart valve.He was on verapamil for his problems.When he was 76, after my mum had been dead some 10 years, he met a young lady, and the upshot was that they were going to marry. he went to his doctor and told him that he was about to marry again, and that the lady in question was a stripling of 30.His doctor said "you do realise that this woman is at the height of her sexual cycle, and this could be fatal" my dads answer was, "if she dies, she dies"

[Moonlover]

I am very pleased to read that a number of contributors self monitor and would urge others to do so. I really do believe it to be the most important element in controlling hypertension.

 

A good quality machine will store your readings, (mine stores up to 30) and will provide you with an average, which is also very useful. In addition I have a prepared spreadsheet to record readings and create a graph.

 

The reason that I believe this to be important is that it encourages you to take an interest in and ultimately take full control of your own treatment. When your doctor takes your B/P, he's only getting a snapshot. The journey to his office is probably enough to elevate your pressure, that's without adding the 'white coat' factor.

 

You are also able to spot treads and respond. Two consecutive readings of 140+ sys or 90+dia will be enough to get me taking stock and adjusting my health/fitness regime. And when one gets results, it motivates one to continue.

 

I have never had any B/P issues since I bought my first monitor around 10 years ago. Because I'm always on the case.

 

Study, learn and engage in your good health. And give big pharma the big E!

[Kabula]

I like the quote, "dead, brainwashed, misinformed doctors can't convey inaccurate information." Author unknown.

 

Every body is different to some degree.

 

The human body will repair itself.  However, it requires the 90 essential minerals and trace elements which is rare in most foods today.  Without the 90 essential minerals and trace elements, the human body will break down over time. 

 

American Indians lived in the United States for 10,000 years and when they were sick they watched what the wild animals ate and consumed what they consumed. 

 

Many Indian women while pregnant, consumed clay  to supplement the required minerals and trace elements for their developing baby. This is why many children have their natural instinct to eat dirt, however they should be eating clay.

 

The rivers back in the day provided much of the minerals and trace elements along with the antibacterial silver particles.  Unfortunately, much of the bottle water today has been filtered providing few if any of the essential minerals and trace elements.

 

Many farmers,  particularly large corporations seldom prepare soil properly. The flooding of the land limits the minerals and trace elements so supplements are a must.

 

Many vitamin pills are not absorbed into the body unless there are trace elements present to bind them.

 

Eat healthy, some fats are o.k., but should be limited, limit sugar, avoid soft drinks, processed and fast food.

 

A daily brisk walk is recommended.

 

Sunshine is important, but should be limited.

 

Drink lots of filtered water.

 

I also consume colloidal silver liquid drops and nascent iodine daily.

 

I consume many natural herbs, drink green tea, and organic apple cider vinegar.

 

I occasionally take baking soda with fruit juice or water to oxygenate my system to control acid and maintain the correct ph.

 

 Dental hygiene is extremely important. Seniors should consider getting teeth root  scraping when gums start to get inflamed.  Overtime, bacteria can go into the brain from unhealthy gums.

 

I'm 69 and threw all my toxic prescriptions away years ago and have never felt better.  All lab reports along with blood pressure are normal.

 

Ignore all negative comments and do your own research.

 

The consumption of some  prescription drugs should not be stopped immediately.   Especially, anti-depression pills. 

 

 Be careful mixing herbal remedies with prescription drugs. 

[sanukjim]

According to The Us Medical Dept. One of the best ways to reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack is to take a small or baby asprin of 81 mils.almost all doctors in the US tell their patients over 50 years old to do this regularly.I do this while taking my other heart meds and I am 79 years old.

[partington]

5 hours ago, mommysboy said:

Just a thought- but if we are having to jump through hoops in order to obtain a normal reading then doesn't that indicate a problem in  itself, or possibly that your blood pressure just runs higher than other people!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The point is that people with consistently higher blood pressure are at provably higher risk for all sorts of diseases, and high blood pressure, contrary to popular belief, gives you no symptoms whatever, until it's too late, and the years of undetected high blood pressure have caused "end organ damage".

 

This is the term for the cumulative harmful effects of  high blood pressure on different physiological systems. This includes heart failure due to heart muscle damage, kidney failure, strokes,  and damaged retinas leading to blindness.

 

If your blood pressure " runs higher than other peoples" your risk of getting strokes, heart failure, and kidney disease are massively increased, which is why physicians try to control your blood pressure as soon as it goes above  risk-defined levels.  

 

High blood pressure is called the "silent killer" for a reason- the longer you are exposed to it, the more dangerous it is, and the more harm it does to you. It is never benign!

 

[emilymat]

I am the same age as the OP.  I have always had 'highish' blood pressure as did my mother. It fluctuates from week to week and even from arm to arm!. However, my pulse is usually about 55/57 bpm.

 

I'm Active and feel well except for the occasional skin rash caused by sweating. I smoke but do not drink alcohol at all and just eat sensibly. My weight at 5'11' is around 80 kg - which, if you believe the BMI charts places me as overweight by several kilo's. I know I'm not over weight, but if I worried about all the 'charts' and 'standards' of the ideal person I would go nuts.

 

My reason for posting is to offer up to the OP this.   You may well worry yourself to an early grave with all these issues of concern. I would relax and try to just get on with life. I'll come to your 90th birthday party!     

 

[mommysboy]

1 hour ago, partington said:

 The point is that people with consistently higher blood pressure are at provably higher risk for all sorts of diseases, and high blood pressure, contrary to popular belief, gives you no symptoms whatever, until it's too late, and the years of undetected high blood pressure have caused "end organ damage".

 

This is the term for the cumulative harmful effects of  high blood pressure on different physiological systems. This includes heart failure due to heart muscle damage, kidney failure, strokes,  and damaged retinas leading to blindness.

 

If your blood pressure " runs higher than other peoples" your risk of getting strokes, heart failure, and kidney disease are massively increased, which is why physicians try to control your blood pressure as soon as it goes above  risk-defined levels.  

 

High blood pressure is called the "silent killer" for a reason- the longer you are exposed to it, the more dangerous it is, and the more harm it does to you. It is never benign!

 

What I mean is if you are having trouble normalising blood pressure by diet, exercise, etc, perhaps it is best to take pills.  After all the fact that you have to make an effort suggests there might be a problem.

[mommysboy]

5 hours ago, Moonlover said:

I am very pleased to read that a number of contributors self monitor and would urge others to do so. I really do believe it to be the most important element in controlling hypertension.

 

A good quality machine will store your readings, (mine stores up to 30) and will provide you with an average, which is also very useful. In addition I have a prepared spreadsheet to record readings and create a graph.

 

The reason that I believe this to be important is that it encourages you to take an interest in and ultimately take full control of your own treatment. When your doctor takes your B/P, he's only getting a snapshot. The journey to his office is probably enough to elevate your pressure, that's without adding the 'white coat' factor.

 

You are also able to spot treads and respond. Two consecutive readings of 140+ sys or 90+dia will be enough to get me taking stock and adjusting my health/fitness regime. And when one gets results, it motivates one to continue.

 

I have never had any B/P issues since I bought my first monitor around 10 years ago. Because I'm always on the case.

 

Study, learn and engage in your good health. And give big pharma the big E!

Not sure its a good idea for everyone.  I think the first question is : are you the sort of person who is suited to this?  A friend of mine self monitored and got in a right state, such that his readings increased.  I bet he wouldn't be the only one and it's the reason why I fight shy.

 

The other thing is that BP can rise for all sorts of reasons, in fact is it really possible to be engaged in life and not have peaks?  I guess stage of life might bring different scenarios. Stress is one of those tricky issues.

 

If one has a tendency to high blood pressure then surely it's best to take meds?  I am experiencing some quite high readings, mixed among normal readings and am wondering if I should not take the initiative.  After all my life stress isn't going to go away.

 

Also, I think a reading of 140/90 for someone advanced in age would be entirely normal?  Am I wrong here?  When did it change to 120/80, and I've even heard 115/70 as the healthy threshold.  Such figures are surely for youngsters.

[Taggart]

Well we've known since the 1920's that in rural Africa for those over the age of 60 the average blood pressure was 106 over 67.  For Europeans and Americans at that time it was 140+ over 90+.  If you can find it somewhere free the research study is titled "Blood Pressure In The African Native" by C. P. Donnison.

[ignis]

For years took  Atenalol  20mg  have no idea why, maybe because I am T2 diabetic for over 20 years, and it is automatic you must have high BP....?       BP reading between 100/60 - 115/70 for years,  just sometimes would drop = would end up in hospital around 60/30

 

Anyway May last year was in Hospital again for 6 nights because of very low BP among other things...  New Dr at the Red Cross Hospital said I do not need Atenalol  [had no idea what they were for anyway] and a couple of other daily pills...   since then my BP has been around 120/80 with heart beat 65 - 75.... this morning 122/81 and heart beat 66...  Test every morning along with my BG/BS test

[Jeffrey346]

I had a heart attack a couple of years ago. The Dr. put me on Lanzaar 25mg/day. Lanzaar is a generic for Losartan. 

Check it out. I don't believe it's as dangerous as your current med.

[Moonlover]

8 hours ago, partington said:

 The point is that people with consistently higher blood pressure are at provably higher risk for all sorts of diseases, and high blood pressure, contrary to popular belief, gives you no symptoms whatever, until it's too late, and the years of undetected high blood pressure have caused "end organ damage".

 

This is the term for the cumulative harmful effects of  high blood pressure on different physiological systems. This includes heart failure due to heart muscle damage, kidney failure, strokes,  and damaged retinas leading to blindness.

 

If your blood pressure " runs higher than other peoples" your risk of getting strokes, heart failure, and kidney disease are massively increased, which is why physicians try to control your blood pressure as soon as it goes above  risk-defined levels.  

 

High blood pressure is called the "silent killer" for a reason- the longer you are exposed to it, the more dangerous it is, and the more harm it does to you. It is never benign!

 

Absolutely true and one of the best cases that can be made for self monitoring. If you don't know you have the problem, you can't deal with it. Thank you partington.

[Moonlover]

7 hours ago, mommysboy said:

Not sure its a good idea for everyone.  I think the first question is : are you the sort of person who is suited to this?  A friend of mine self monitored and got in a right state, such that his readings increased.  I bet he wouldn't be the only one and it's the reason why I fight shy.

 

The other thing is that BP can rise for all sorts of reasons, in fact is it really possible to be engaged in life and not have peaks?  I guess stage of life might bring different scenarios. Stress is one of those tricky issues.

 

If one has a tendency to high blood pressure then surely it's best to take meds?  I am experiencing some quite high readings, mixed among normal readings and am wondering if I should not take the initiative.  After all my life stress isn't going to go away.

 

Also, I think a reading of 140/90 for someone advanced in age would be entirely normal?  Am I wrong here?  When did it change to 120/80, and I've even heard 115/70 as the healthy threshold.  Such figures are surely for youngsters.

On your first point, I do have to agree with you. It is not for everyone. If one is not motivated then it would be a waste of time. It would be like buying a lottery ticket then not bothering to check the results. Motivation is the key word.

 

Regarding your friend, is this not a classic case of cause and effect? If he were to tackle his stress issues, he would probably resolve his B/P issues. It's a case of tackling the cause rather than the symptoms. And here's what Rodin Sharma of 'The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari' fame had to say on this matter. 'Stress is not the enemy. A lack of refueling, renewing and recovery against the stress is the enemy'. I think that also covers your third paragraph.

 

Regarding B/P readings. 140/90 is regarded by the WHO and the International Society for Hypertension (ISH) the limit above which hypertension is assumed and, interestingly is regardless of age! And that is why I chose it as my upper limit. I took my reading this morning and it was 136/81 and my average just happens to be same. But you're quite right, it does swing around somewhat. I had a reading some time ago of 157/90! What was I on that day I wonder .

 

Now, just suppose I had seen the doctor on that particular day, he would have been reaching for his script pad. Were I able to show him my average readings, he would have had no choice but to put his pen away. I would have left with a  on my face and he would be left mumbling about his loss of bonus from the med company!

 

In summery it is the average B/P readings that are important, not the occasional 'snap shot' reading and only self monitoring can establish that. But, one has to be motivated!

 

Good luck and good health. I'm going swimming now.