I am off my B.P. meds!

[Paige]

About 5 years ago I was not exercising enough, a bit overweight, stressful job, premenopausal (46 yrs), and drinking wine every night to unwind. So one Nov. night I am at a film festival and my heart starts racing and fluttering and I go off to the hospital. My B.P. is around 160 over 130 or 135!!! I have all kinds of tests and I end up on B.P. meds. Channel blockers.

Started reading about my b.p. meds and didn't like what I read. Went to naturopath and she has me on lots of vitamins with calcium. I also am in better shape and now I am OFF my meds and I checked yesterday after 2 and a half weeks and my b.p. was 119 over 80 today! I would like it to be lower and will work at it, but I am excited....Feel free to throw any suggetions to get it down.......I'm thinking losing 10 pounds would help.

Thanks for listening. My naturopath is great.:)

[danna]

Wonderful!!!!
You didn't mention caffine do you drink caffine drinks? Do you still have the odd glass of wine? What are you doing for exercise?
As you can guess I am working towards this myself and feeling much better for it. Have lost 15 of about 35 lbs I would like to lose and think it is making a big difference my BP numbers are gradually dropping.

[puglogic]

Paige, the same thing happened to me last summer. My blood pressure, always 110/70, went ballistic over the past 2-3 years. I've never gone on BP meds though my doctor has recommended it. I'm perimenopausal and am in the "prehypertension" stage of things, and so far exercise, weight loss, calcium, magnesium, potassium, grapeseed extract, meditation, yoga, and extreme stress reduction hasn't budged the numbers (it's something that affects all of my siblings as well) So I envy you!

[CathyA]

Glad to hear you're off the meds. I think there's something about perimenopause that can really jack your BP up. Mine went crazy during perimenopause. I went on Toprol, and it brought it down, but it made me so listless and unmotivated all the time, so I stopped it. I eventually went back on it, realizing that, for me, the "normal" dose was just too much. Now I'm on a smidgen of a "normal dose" and my pressure is fine. I do think, though, that it has to do with having gone through menopause. I swear, there's just something about perimenopause that can make your BP go crazy!
Now I need to work on losing some weight.......but the beta blocker really makes me hungry all the time.
Glad to hear you're off your meds. Continued good luck with that!

[Paige]

I am exercising more and this winter I started doing yoga. I still have 15 extra pounds, but I also lift weights once or twice a week, ride my bike (in lieu of walking due to achilles tendinits), and play competitive volleyball. I just rode my bike 20 miles today, though 10 is normal. I still drink wine every couple of nights, but just one glass, then I won't have it for a couple of weeks. My n.p. also gave me some b.p. herbal meds to take if it gets over 130/90 called Carditone, but so far (3 weeks) I haven't had to take it. I eat lots of fruits and veggies, but it's surprising how many times I swear off of sweets and then remember that I have done so as I take a bite of a brownie. My cardiologist told me five years ago that most people don't ever get off meds so I thought it was impossible. Knock on wood. I wish I would have gone to my naturopath years ago and also started yoga sooner. Thanks for celebrating with me!

[Glo]

I have lost 35 pounds and exercise 6 days a week. My BP hasn't budged. My dr. said if I continue to lose weight, I can get off the meds. But--every person on both sides of my family has high BP, so I can't imagine that I'll ever be off the meds.