My Dr. just put me on blood pressure meds. Don't ask me a DAMN THING!!

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

I'm only 43 dammit!.

This on top of the cholesterol meds and other "issues" just confirms my assertion that my family gene pool should have gotten a good dose of chlorine and algecide a long time ago.

Anyone got any tried and true methods for bringing one's BP and or cholesterol down naturally? I'm doing massive quantities of almonds and walnuts for the latter. Maybe for my blood pressure I should stay away from DU and stop following the exploits of Our Great Leader - the "ignorance is bliss" approach. Sigh...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. Well reducing calories, salt intake and mderate excercise

even walking can help if you HTN is due to those things. Somtimes it IS just hereditary.

Try those things and if they work, stick with them.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

2. I'm sorry to hear this

but, I'm sure your blood pressure will drop miraculously after November. Hang in there! :hi:

[WI_DEM]

3. I am too

and I'm only 39. But I walk to work most days (4-miles) and watch my diet. If you do these things it will help you a great deal--moderate exercise and watching your diet.

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

6. I recently trained for and ran a marathon!

I'm a bit of a weekend warrior - but overall I'm in pretty good shape, maybe 5 pounds over what I'd like, don't smoke - although I do like my thick strong hoppy ales and malty porters - rarely touch fried stuff, and lean towards fish and vegies and whole grains. Now I'm developing this irrational fear of dropping dead of a massive heart attack

[mmm]

4. It's not the end of the world

If all else fails, at least high BP can be controlled
by medicine, and the medicine is fairly benign. Take your meds every day: better life thru chemistry, my friend.

[SOteric]

5. Sorry to hear it, but get it down, - it's important.

I lost my beloved mum from stroke and undiagnosed high blood pressure. She was an otherwise healthy woman with an exceptional regime of diet and exercise. No one would have guessed this was in her physiology.

Boycott red meat, booze and salt. Even a slight weight drop of 10 pounds can reduce your blood pressure to acceptable levels. At which time you can renegotiation the bourbon-glazed lamb shanks.

And yes, lowering your overall stress will help, too. Especially if you have other complicating factors such as high cholesterol or a family history of heart disease. Blood pressure is an indicator of how hard your heart is working. Ideally, you need to gently prod it into good enough shape that visits to GD:Primaries:Thunderdome will not give it any kind of a challenge.

[liberalnurse]

7. Here are a few options.....

You can use them all ....Flax seeds....use a coffee grinder to make into a meal texture. You can sprinkle it onto salads, oatmeal...has a nutty taste.

Old Fashion/cooked oatmeal daily. All fiber foods are great. Omega 3 supplements...

Eat foods discussed in the South Beach iet or SugarBusters Programs.
Look at the type of fat you eat and when....Make a choice of foods to eat and enjoy... not a reflex action out of eating.

Thats a start.....

[Snow]

8. Exercise, exercise, exercise.....

get out & walk. Find some way that works for you to get exercise in as a regular unavoidable part of your day. It works, & it generally works a ton better than pills, esp long-term. I ride my bike to work, 5 miles - it gets me to work, there's the exercise, & it's really hard to make excuses to avoid it. My daughter (age 19, she doesn't have bp or cholesterol problems) does things that she loves for exercise. A coupla years ago it was fencing; now she goes to the gym like 3 times/week and climbs the rock wall. I've in the past done martial arts, which can be very hostility-relieving. But that's essentially what you need, for both problems.

[loftycity]

9. Here is some

In India they use "Guggal" sounds funny. It works for Cholesterol.
Actually, Big Pharma uses it in there high tech meds. Guggal helps in preventing any plaque build up. First you will notice you teeth have less crap sticking to them. And, on the inside it doe's even better.

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

12. I just googled guggal

and it sounds worth looking into. Thanks!

[Skittles]

10. my blood pressure last time I donated blood was 92/50

:D

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

11. That's it!

I'll donate four pints next time instead of the usual one! Brilliant! Then I'll go have a few pints of the ole bitter ale :beer:

[Nikia]

13. I take a beta blocker

I was put on it at 24. The doctor thought that it would help my anxiety as well. My blood pressure is pretty good now. I don't know if it would be without the medicine though. It had climbed rather rapidly when I began taking birth control pills and then when I decreased and then quit high mileage running. My doctor hasn't recommended that I quit taking the pill though.
Blood pressure runs on both sides of my family and two of my grandparents have had strokes. My husband wonders why I am paranoid. No heart attacks though.

[tishaLA]

14. I take a beta blocker too

and an ace inhibitor. But that's what happens when you develop congestive heart failure at the age of 27.

To me, those drugs are life savers. You should watch your sodium, alcohol consumption, etc., though.

[meti57b]

15. I just realized that ...

breathing problems such as those with bronchitis, asthma and something like asthma but it isn't a long-term condition, will raise your blood pressure considerably. Any chance you have something like that causing it?