High Blood Pressure
slaclark22
Posts: 4 Member
I was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure that is not responding to the 2 medications that I'm currently taking. I would love suggestions for getting off these medications and having a healthier lifestyle way of controlling it.
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Replies
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I have had luck with reducing caffeine intake. I drink half caf in the morning and decaf for afternoon treat. I also take garlic supplements. I know regular exercise and taking off weight also helps.
To be clear I was borderline so not sure if the above mentioned will help you. I would discuss other options with your doctor. I would think they are your best source of information0 -
The most effective thing I've ever used for reducing blood pressure is regular cardio. If you are healthy enough, you should see a reduction of your blood pressure if you get good sessions in every week. Not sure about walking, but anything with increased heart rate seems to work. But, even walking probably works.
It won't matter much if you just do it once, then not again for a week or two. But, if your doing regular 3x per week cardio, you should see a reduction. You can use high BP as motivation to get a regular exercise program going. Set lower blood pressure as a goal.
If you add cutting to the cardio, you can probably reduce it even further. Just be sure you are healthy to do this. Check with your Doctor as to what you can and can't do.4 -
I had a lot of problems with high blood pressure when in my 20s, and researched a lot to try and stay off meds. I found the British Blood pressure association website very helpful.
What it essentially boiled down to is more fruit and veg is good - at least 5 portions, ideally 7-10 a day. This was 20 odd years ago, but I still find I do best when eating mostly plant based.
Following their recommendations worked for me at the time, and since then havn't had an issue.
Still find I do best when eating mostly plant based.
It certainly wouldn't do any harm and of course can help towards weight loss.1 -
How long have you been on the medications since you said you were recently diagnosed? They don’t work overnight. Give it several weeks to see if they are working. There are some things you can do to possible improve it and get off meds including quitting smoking if you do, reducing caffeine if you drink to excess, reducing alcohol, reducing stress, losing weight if you are overweight, and increasing cardio. It depends on the cause though. Some cases of high blood pressure can not be controlled with lifestyle changes, so talk to your doctor and do not stop taking medication on your own.1
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I'm hypertensive and on meds. In my case, much of it is hereditary but I'm able to control it with meds and living a healthy lifestyle. For me, healthy lifestyle isn't enough to ditch the meds...and also, meds alone don't resolve the issue. For me that means:
1 - Regular cardiovascular exercise. I typically cycle or mountain bike 4-5 days per week. I also go out for walks at least a few days per week and having an office job, I make sure I get up every hour to move around a bit. Regular cardiovascular exercise is probably the number one addition to my meds that keeps my hypertension under control.
2 - May or may not apply to you...but reduction of alcohol consumption. When COVID hit, I became a pretty heavy nightly drinker and alcohol became my primary form of "entertainment". It also negatively impacted getting in regular exercise as I was either too hungover or brain fogged or didn't feel like going for a ride or walk after working hours and was just ready to sit down with my booze. My blood pressure went through the roof. At it's peak I was regularly hitting 180/110 despite my meds. I cut way, way, way back starting this past January and my BP dropped tremendously and continues to improve with that and getting back into the exercise groove.
3 - Healthy diet and losing weight. If you're overweight, just simply losing weight can have a pretty dramatic affect on your BP. Diet wise, I have my indulgences, but for the most part I cook at home using scratch or minimally processed ingredients. I eat a pretty high fiber diet of oats and other whole grains, lentils, legumes, lots of veg and a couple servings of fruit daily. I eat fish 3x or more per week usually and generally keep my proteins lean...mostly chicken (tons of different ways to cook) and fish. Lean cuts of beef or pork once or twice per week usually. Lots of healthy fats from things like nuts, avocados, and good cooking oils...I primarily use avocado oil for high heat applications and extra virgin olive oil for everything else. I do cook with butte occasionally...specifically when it really can make or break something...but in general, I keep my saturated fat consumption at or below the RDA daily maximum...usually well below.4 -
My wife has recently been put on BP meds and was told to expect to have to wait two weeks to see the difference they made - how long have you been taking them?
What expectations and guidance did the Doctor give you?
Without knowing anything about you it's hard to suggest changes you could/should make.
Being the right weight and getting enough exercise are clearly two big factors in overall health.
Personally stress and sleep deprivation caused me to be hypertensive in my 40's and running away (screaming!) from a job that was killing me was the cure.
Even my last job which wasn't very stressful, but did have a lot of conflict, had the same but smaller effect. After I retired my BP declined over a matter of weeks without intervention.5 -
My sister was diagnosed a few years back and had good luck on the DASH diet recommended by her doctor. She also started walking regularly. She has noticed that when she focuses on DASH her blood pressure readings are better. When she starts eating less potassium rich vegetables and more junk/fast food, her BP starts spiking again. I hope you find something that works well for you.3
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I was first diagnosed in 1994 during an appointment for something else (after running up three flights of stairs), There's no family or personal history of related issues, knock on wood. Have read high on every medical appointment in decades since, despite maintaining regular exercise and a healthy diet, with no symptoms and no meds except Aspirin and a few ordinary vitamin supplements. I'm one of those people put into a state of acute psychic distress by the proximity of white coats, so my caution / advice is to be sure there is a real problem if otherwise feeling okay.2
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I can only tell you about my own experience. I am approx. 122 pounds, 5'4" female who is 49 years old and I am a regular runner and do strength training (have been maintaining my weight for several years). I had CRAZY high blood pressure this past fall and my doctor put me on 3 different meds to get it under control (now down to 2 meds). I told her I wanted to try and get off the meds and she basically told me that considering I already do regular cardio exercise, and am in the healthy (even low) end of my BMI, and generally eat well, my blood pressure was most likely due to stress (it does not run in my family) and that I really should stay on the meds. She does want me to meditate and do more for stress control, and she also told me to drink red wine if I was going to drink (I'm a bourbon gal otherwise), so there are lifestyle components for me as well.
It has been about 6 months and now I am fine being on the meds - they keep my BP under control and that it was is most important to me. Having said this, I do think if BP is related to obesity or weight there are lifestyle changes that can help, including increasing cardio. I was really upset at first that I had such high BP and needed to be put on meds when I was otherwise young(ish), healthy, and active, but now I just try to be grateful that we caught it and it's being treated.5 -
First thing is to always defer to your own medical team and their treatments and recommendations.
That aside, my blood pressure is sensitive to stress, salty goodness, and weight fluctuations at relatively lower body weights (as in, my BP starts rising at the high end of my "normal" BMI range. Small things like taking walks and loading up on veggies can really help keep things in control if you're consistent. If you're not there yet, these things can help you get there.1 -
If you need to lose weight, that's the place to start.
If you're not already engaging in regular cardio and consumption of vegetables, do that too.0 -
My hypertension is completely hereditary, my dad also developed issues in his 30s. Because of that I grew up eating low sodium and continued that as an adult.
I've never been overweight but my blood pressure started creeping up in my early 30s. Quitting smoking did not budge it one little bit. Then my doctor had me reduce caffeine, with no effect. (I eventually eliminated caffeine entirely for unrelated reasons.) I ended up on first one and then two meds to control it.
Although I have long since adopted a daily cardio habit, and more recently strength training, plus over the years switched to a pescetarian diet that is at least 50% fruit and veg, my blood pressure continues to gradually inch its way up. Along the way we've doubled the dose on med #2, then added a third med. The best I can achieve is readings in the 130 -135 / 90 - 95 range, on a good day. I've seen some horrifying readings when I'm under stress.
Sometimes medication is the only answer but hopefully there are lifestyle changes you can make that will improve yours.6 -
I operated an in-home daycare for almost 40 years. It can be a super stressful job but my BP always ran fine. After I retired my BP went up. I truly believe it was because of how active daycare kept me. So I'd say become much more active, walking a lot is great, as are most exercises. Reduce your weight if that is an issue. Focus on healthy foods.
If you have HBP due to genetic make-up you may need to be on medication no matter what. I'm sure the doctor is the best person to ask for advice with your own personal well-being.
Good luck!!2 -
slaclark22 wrote: »I was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure that is not responding to the 2 medications that I'm currently taking. I would love suggestions for getting off these medications and having a healthier lifestyle way of controlling it.
(1) Reduce sodium. This is huge for me - I went from 185/90 to 128/77 in two weeks from food alone, no meds.
Sodium is in almost everything in a store or restaurant except raw fruit, vegetables, nuts, and a few other things. Read labels. If you eat out, check the place's website for nutrition info before you go. Keep your sodium at or below 1500 per day (I'm aiming for well below 1000). Buy the DASH seasoning and put it on your food instead of salad dressings, butter, etc. with sodium. They make at least 2 kinds you can shake on like a salt or pepper shaker and are easy to carry with you.
(2) Drink water.
(3) Limit or cut out caffeine, which temporarily raises BP. I love a hot beverage and am trying to convince myself to drink herb tea or green tea without caffeine.
(4) Eat food with potassium like green leafy vegetables.
(5) Lose weight and exercise, especially cardio.
Good luck to you!1 -
My BIL is a cardiologist. He always says--cut the salt and lose weight. The other things mentioned all enter into the picture, of course.0
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Beets are also supposed to lower high blood pressure, per Harvard Health, WebMD, and many other sources. Ugh to the taste -- they taste like dirt, but whatever. Beet juice is supposed to be more effective than eating beets. I bought both this morning and will give it a try.
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slaclark22 wrote: »I was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure that is not responding to the 2 medications that I'm currently taking. I would love suggestions for getting off these medications and having a healthier lifestyle way of controlling it.
Okay, here's my report on beet juice for high blood pressure. I was skeptical, but to my surprise I give it a thumbs up after two days.
The important part: I drank two cups in the morning and checked my blood pressure at night, many hours later: 118/73. This is huge for me. I'm not taking blood pressure meds, but my doctor's office wants me to go on them.
Taste: It tastes okay, not a Starbucks Frappuccino, but it's fine.
It comes in quart bottles (or 4 cups). I did some research on health and medical sites. The instructions said drink 1-2 cups a day, which would have the maximum effect on blood pressure about 2-3 hours later, but would still have an effect 24 hours later. I found this to be true.
I bought the beet juice at my local grocery store. They sell two brands in the natural foods/organic section. Both products said the juice was mostly beets, with some organic lemon juice added as a preservative.
You could also buy and juice beets, but I'm a horrible non-cook and can't see myself doing this.
Definitely worth a try and it has no bad side effects.0 -
@Hollis100
Interesting and thanks for posting your personal results. I have read that beet juice was very popular with athletes too for superior performance and endurance. Is this the new super food?0 -
I didn't know you could buy beet juice. I bought some powdered beet drink. I only drink it once a week. I will try more often. I would love to get off my BP meds.0
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Only sharing my experience so far:
To start, I'm NOT on any meds (probably would have been if I had gone in to a doctor) - I found out my BP was climbing pretty high when I went in to donate plasma one day and couldn't due to being too high....I asked what that was, and was shocked to say the least.
For me, most of my issues stem from stress, so I knew I needed to start managing that, among other things.
I have focused on:
1) Taking a high quality Omega-3 (this is proven to have just as good an effect as other lifestyle changes, so I consider it pretty important and do spend some money on a high quality supplement)
2) Exercise and diet - losing some weight, getting back into a workout routine despite my schedule. Honestly I focus more on lifting than cardio (although I have a part time job 90-120 minutes each day that is steady manual labor at a barn)
3) Cooking more fresh meals and reducing sodium compared to prepared meals
4) Daily actions to help reduce my stress (in my case, this comes out in a daily critical task list) which has significantly reduced my stress levels overall.
I started these things in late December. At that time, my BP was scary high and erratic - some days crazy high. Since then, it has stabilized, and while I still have a ways to go to be "normal" it is a long ways from those scary high readings I was getting at that time, and outside of when I've gotten sick, it has been far more stable and steadily lowering back to what has always been normal for me...not there yet, but it's been a slow but steady drop, and I'm not anywhere near as freaked out since these changes are clearly working and there has been a significant drop.2 -
slaclark22 wrote: »I was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure that is not responding to the 2 medications that I'm currently taking. I would love suggestions for getting off these medications and having a healthier lifestyle way of controlling it.
(1) Reduce sodium. This is huge for me - I went from 185/90 to 128/77 in two weeks from food alone, no meds.
Sodium is in almost everything in a store or restaurant except raw fruit, vegetables, nuts, and a few other things. Read labels. If you eat out, check the place's website for nutrition info before you go. Keep your sodium at or below 1500 per day (I'm aiming for well below 1000). Buy the DASH seasoning and put it on your food instead of salad dressings, butter, etc. with sodium. They make at least 2 kinds you can shake on like a salt or pepper shaker and are easy to carry with you.
(2) Drink water.
(3) Limit or cut out caffeine, which temporarily raises BP. I love a hot beverage and am trying to convince myself to drink herb tea or green tea without caffeine.
(4) Eat food with potassium like green leafy vegetables.
(5) Lose weight and exercise, especially cardio.
Good luck to you!
I would add one caveat here in regards to sodium reduction. 1000-1500 may not be efficient for an individual who is doing a lot of exercise and sweating a lot. It is what is generally recommended for a hypertensive person who is more or less sedentary, but someone who's sweating a lot has a high probability of having issues with sodium being very low.
When I first started all of this, sodium was the first thing I reduced and was usually in the 1300 range. I started getting into a lot of endurance cycling...I live in the desert and it gets incredibly hot here in the summer and with all of the sweating I just started cramping up like crazy...not only out on rides, but would get woken up in the middle of the night with various cramping and charlie horses. My Dr. instructed me to just watch my processed food and eating out, but not actively pursue actively working everything into low sodium and to instead make my pursuit more about increasing potassium.
It's important to remember that sodium is also an essential nutrient/mineral and too little can be just as bad as too much.5 -
Be aware that eating lots of beetroot or drinking it can give you…interesting coloured wee and poo 🤣 hubby thought he was dying when he saw bright pink wee!2
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claireychn074 wrote: »Be aware that eating lots of beetroot or drinking it can give you…interesting coloured wee and poo 🤣 hubby thought he was dying when he saw bright pink wee!
That's really funny. Glad he was okay.
I've also noticed with beet juice that -- wow -- a few tiny splatters are bright crimson and look like dye, so I have to be careful not to splatter it on something that matters, like my clothes.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »
I would add one caveat here in regards to sodium reduction. 1000-1500 may not be efficient for an individual who is doing a lot of exercise and sweating a lot. It is what is generally recommended for a hypertensive person who is more or less sedentary, but someone who's sweating a lot has a high probability of having issues with sodium being very low.
When I first started all of this, sodium was the first thing I reduced and was usually in the 1300 range. I started getting into a lot of endurance cycling...I live in the desert and it gets incredibly hot here in the summer and with all of the sweating I just started cramping up like crazy...not only out on rides, but would get woken up in the middle of the night with various cramping and charlie horses. My Dr. instructed me to just watch my processed food and eating out, but not actively pursue actively working everything into low sodium and to instead make my pursuit more about increasing potassium.
It's important to remember that sodium is also an essential nutrient/mineral and too little can be just as bad as too much.
That's a good point about sodium as an essential nutrient and especially important for people who exercise a lot.
My late husband was a marathon runner and daily hiker, even through illness. He would occasionally get leg cramps from low sodium. I exercise every day, am not sedentary, but I do far less than he did.
You have a better doctor than mine. They gave me no advice and just want to put me on pills, which I am resisting until i give diet a chance. I really, really don't like cooking and developed a daily habit of eating out, plus grocery store premade salads. I'm still getting sodium, just eliminating a sandwich I ate several times a week that had 1000 mgs of sodium, or snacking on olives (250 mgs for one small package, which I never stopped at), or a Greek salad with about 2000 mgs -- a few items out of many. I do get some sodium, just not 1000s of mgs a day.
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Beetroot is actually used as a clothes dye as it’s so potent, so yes, avoid splatters at all costs!claireychn074 wrote: »Be aware that eating lots of beetroot or drinking it can give you…interesting coloured wee and poo 🤣 hubby thought he was dying when he saw bright pink wee!
That's really funny. Glad he was okay. I've also noticed with beet juice that -- wow -- a few tiny splatters are bright crimson and look like dye, so I have to be careful not to splatter it on something that matters, like my clothes.
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Hi there, I see only one post from the OP here, and very little information in it. Blood pressure is necessary to push blood around your body. If it's high, that is because there is something causing it to need to be high. Either you have lots of distance to push it (eg being really fat), or you have a lot of inflammation (maintaining a lot of fluid in the blood vessels), or you have your blood vessels constricted (broken LDL cholesterol turning to plaque).
Each of those above are going to require different actions on your part.
Sugar is a cause of broken LDL, and also can be a cause of inflammation. Farmed fish can be a cause of inflammation.
So I guess looking into your diet, and eating more fat, less sugar, is one way to help. Or taking walks to help you move fluids around in your body, or looking at how your kidneys are functioning, or losing weight...
Unless you contribute more about yourself everyone's just taking potshots in the dark. But just understand blood pressure is the result of something, not the cause. And if you didn't have any blood pressure you'd be dead; so working out why it's high and then resolving that issue will make it go down.1 -
Farmed fish can be a cause of inflammation? I never knew that.
Even farmed salmon? Another thing to google today. 
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Farmed fish can be a cause of inflammation? I never knew that. Even farmed salmon? Another thing to google today.
Good reflex: Check everything. Then check the sources you check.😉
Anyone (including me) can pop in here and say anything, from profound insights to pure nonsense. Having science-y sounding words in the post is no indicator. 😆2 -
Farmed fish can be a cause of inflammation? I never knew that. Even farmed salmon? Another thing to google today.
yes. And definitely, definitely farmed salmon. that's why they now tell you if fish you eat is farmed or wild caught. Basically, fish food for farmed fish contains a lot of soy, and the kind of protein chain created by the fish in his digestion is the kind of protein we as humans use as part of our immune response. So we overwhelm our bodies with a protein we normally have very little of. If you have immune response problems, avoid farmed fish and farmed chicken.
Don't ask me to tell you its name. It starts with a T and then lots and lots of letters.
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