Having my blood pressure checked. Wish me luck!

[bif]

It was quite high last year. The doc put me on meds and it came down a little. Then he increased the dossage and that did the trick. Only problem was I didn't go back to have him recheck it. So my wife signs me up for life insurance and the nurse came out and took my vitals. My BP was 120/80 which is pretty decent. But the doctor couldn't confirm the reading, because I didn't go back. So I was turned down for the insurance. This is my second chance.

[ewagner]

1. Good luck

Keep on the meds my friend....

they're a pain in the butt but they're SOOOOOOO much better than the alternatives.....

[bif]

2. Thanks. I never miss a dose

[ewagner]

5. I'm told

I'll be on the "fabulous four" for the rest of my life.............

the beta blockers make me crazy...I swear, I can actually feel them kick in..........

[bif]

6. I'm on Atenolol

And I can sort of taste it about an hour after I take it. But the ringing in my ears that I used to get once in a while is gone. No other side effects that I'm aware of. Now if I can just lose some weight.

[MissMillie]

3. When I was on BP meds

My doctor checked my BP every 3 months.

Since losing 70+ lbs., I've been able to come off of the meds, but the doctor still likes to keep an eye on it, just for good measure.

[hlthe2b]

4. You probably would benefit from some "biofeedback" along with meds

so that you don't have an "artificial high" simply from the stress of worrying about it in the waiting room. So many of my family members have good regulation at home and throughout their normal life (I know, because I get to do all the checks for them), but as soon as they start thinking about a return to the doc or hit the waiting area, up it goes.... I've gotten two to undergo some deep breathing training and the problem has been solved. Still working on the others...

[MissB]

9. It is that White Coat Syndrome

And I have a nasty case of it. My primary care guy made me monitor my BP for a few months, oh, about 3 years ago. I'd go see him, and my BP would just shoot up. It was perfectly normal otherwise.

We laugh about it, every damned time.

[DARE to HOPE]

7. Chop up some raw organic garlic...

...swallow a teaspoon at a time in a little corner of bread. Do this once or twice daily until your test. Garlic is proven to lower blood pressure, much more safely than the meds.

Then, in the doctor's office, beware of the "white coat factor"--anxiety alone can push your numbers up. Deep breathing exercise, especially if you have practiced before, becomes automatic when you turn to it under pressure, and you can bring your own numbers down just by breathing deeply and calmly. Picture an ocean, gentle waves, as you shut your eyes and think of yourself anywhere but right in that doctor's office.

For permanent relief, it really DOES help to learn relaxation therapies, as well as exercise--walking is FUN, especially in a tree lined area, or by water. Also, singing (as in church) lots of fruits and vegetables, stay away from too much caffeine, and substitute coconut oil and olive oil for the destructive corn and soy oil (just research in Google: coconut health.)

God bless!

[bif]

10. Having it checked this afternoon

but we eat a lot of garlic anyway. And I thought Coconut was one of the dreaded "tropical oils" palm, coconut and I forget the last one, that were supposed to be bad for you?

[DARE to HOPE]

11. I know--it gets confusing, all the contradictory advice.

I couldn't believe it either, after going out of our way to cook with soy especially all these years. Turns out that both soy and corn oil (in everything--and canola is even WORSE) LOWERS our thyroid glands, causing weight gain, in spite of exercise and otherwise "healthy" eating!

I have read the research, and books that I found through Google, then also went to the NiH files to research medium chain fatty acids because I really needed to know for sure. And guess what--they have been lying to us about FATS, too, as well as WMDs! Turns out that fundamental changes in the food supply are responsible for our obesity (just one example in addition to the switch from butter to margarine: turns out that cornfed beef has 6 to 8 times the fat in it that grassfed beef has)--NOT just our "bad lifestyles."

Bottom line as far as I'm concerned: I have lost 25 pounds effortlessly since October (after trying everything for 25 years!) between the coconut oil and green tea extract. Nails, hair, bones, muscles, energy, eyes, brain have all improved on the coconut oil. And blood pressure is no longer LOW (90/58--low thyroid in my 30's, complete with falling hair) or HIGH (140/85) creeping up as I age--but now is 118/68 just like my skinny ectomorph husband. :-)

And--if you are taking garlic medicinally, as in fighting flu or working seriously to bring down blood pressure, it does help to eat it raw. One thing we do is put a teaspoon of it right in the middle of a bowl of soup after it is heated. Otherwise, we just cook everything with it, as you indicated.

My father-in-law was on blood pressure meds for many years--highly anxious personality. But they switched his medication and it did not end well. Watch out for salt and water balance, as well as your liver. Sometimes just switching to sea salt, where you get all the minerals your body expects with salt, rather than eating the chemical sodium chloride, is enough to bring your blood pressure down. As well as happiness/relaxation ways of life.

[lavenderdiva]

12. Hey, DARE to HOPE

I have high blood pressure and have had it for years. I'm interested in learning more about this daily garlic thing as well as the oils you mention. Is it true that butter is better than margarine? I keep telling this to my husband, yet he insists on getting the 'No Trans-Fat' margarine. I still think its bad for you, and that butter would be better. At least I can recognize the ingredients on the label, with butter! Do you use the coconut oil (BTW, where do you buy it?) just as you would say, peanut or canola? Is there anything wrong with Peanut, Canola, or Olive oils? Those are the ones I've mainly been using.

I have the pre-minced garlic, can I use this on the bread as you recommend? Or does it have to be fresh garlic?

I know I have to lose weight; its so darn hard...

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. I do the Diovan, Toprol, Tambocor thing, with adjustments every few months

I check it everyday at home. Good luck and I hope you get the insurance!!! :hi: