Blood pressure problems

Have been having blood pressure high and am reacting to the blood pressure meds. Does anyone have an idea on naturally lowering blood pressure? An yone go thru reacting to meds bad? I seem to react to just about all meds. Thanks, Drygirl

I too am having problems with high blood pressure and the meds they have been prescribed for me have caused even higher blood pressure for me. The latest was 'losartin' which caused not only higher blood pressure but also made me have severe pain in my kidneys. Drygirl we seem to be in the same boat concerning the blood pressure problems. Does anyone else have this problem and have you arrived at some kind of solution yet?

I'd visit with your pharmacist/doctor. Auto-immune patients are very sensitive to meds (all meds) sometimes it as simple as taking a lower (even lower than what is thought to be therapeutic) often does the trick.

My cousin Brenda with RA got her blood pressure lowered by taking Omega 3 oils. She's a vegan, though, but she bought "Ovega 3"; and her blood pressure came down in 2 weeks just on that so the doctor agreed she could stop taking the BP meds if she stayed on the Omega 3's.

I too was having blood pressure problems. A pristine diet, no processed foods or sweets helps me a lot. Any exercise helps too . I suspect fish oil to be helpful. They say meditation helps and I might try that next. They use to say salt was the big problem but very recently they say sugar as well. ( I’m taking time off for Xmas though) lol
I take Atacand … A different type of med. 32 mg. it has been helpful.

losartin made my skin tingle bad, really groggy, and throat tight. What are you taking now?



tymmesone said:

I too am having problems with high blood pressure and the meds they have been prescribed for me have caused even higher blood pressure for me. The latest was 'losartin' which caused not only higher blood pressure but also made me have severe pain in my kidneys. Drygirl we seem to be in the same boat concerning the blood pressure problems. Does anyone else have this problem and have you arrived at some kind of solution yet?


What kind of meds is Atacand and does it help to lower your BP?


Nomad said:

I too was having blood pressure problems. A pristine diet, no processed foods or sweets helps me a lot. Any exercise helps too . I suspect fish oil to be helpful. They say meditation helps and I might try that next. They use to say salt was the big problem but very recently they say sugar as well. ( I'm taking time off for Xmas though) lol
I take Atacand ... A different type of med. 32 mg. it has been helpful.What kindof meds is Atacand and does i

Atacand is an Agiotensin drug

http://www.medicinenet.com/candesartan/article.htm

And yes, it helps my blood pressure.

After I got SS and facial nerve pain, I had to increase the dosage and had some issues again with high blood pressure for a period of time.

I changed my diet and lost a few pounds and then I did better.

Before SS and the facial nerve pain, I took 8 mg. But the SS and especially the facial nerve pain, changed things. I now need 32 mg. And the good diet helps a lot as well. I think controlling salt and actually sugar even more so, are important.
Overall, I think Atacand has been a good med for me. I haven’t had any side effects at all that I’m aware of.

Here is a natural way to lower blood pressure - and it works! Get a tennis ball or one of those stress relief balls. Squeeze it for two minutes, stop for several minutes, squeeze for two minutes, rest, repeat. Do this three days a week. Your blood pressure will drop significantly in five weeks. You must keep it up or your blood pressure will go back up. You can look this exercise up on the internet. It's for real!

Kaz…thank you. Weird question. I’m desperately trying to figure out why it is extremely hard for nurses, etc, to take my blood. I have been told on multiple occasions by people who do this regularly that I’m the worst patient they have, even though I am still, drink a ton of water for two days prior, etc. is there any chance the Atacand could be contributing to the problem? The main problem is my veins are very small. The second problem is that they roll.



Big mamma…thank you. Is one to hold the tennis mall consecutively for two minutes or squeeze and release for two minutes? I’ll try it.



I kept records and my doctors were amazed at how much my BP lowered when I changed my diet. I gave up sugar and ate pristine. I also juice most mornings (messing up a bit very recently) mostly green juices, but do occasionally drink a beet juice. There was discussion of me going on a second med for a short time. This was due to the facial nerve pain. Extreme pain would raise my BP too high. But the diet…no sugar, juices, less calories, etc. changed EVERYTHING to the point that if I keep it up, not only will I not need a second BP medication, I will likely be able to lower the Atacand to 24 mgs. My BP lowered by several points in about 6-7 days. It was amazing. I’m embarrassed to say that just the other day, I threw out the chart…but my GP probably still has it. I’m also embarrassed to say, I have messed up due to the holidays. BUT last night’s profound, frightening migraine and I’m sure raise in blood pressure has me re-thinking this stupidity. Diet is crucial for my good health. It plays a strong, noticeable role.



As a side note…I suspect eating foods high in potassium is also helpful. When you eat healthy, this often naturally happens.

Thank you Kaz. I just got the computer to email you. I have a reaction to losartan, HCTZ, Metotrolol, Amlodipine, Lisinipril, And Diltiazem: skin tingling, burning, ears ring, Throat feels tight. I did get the supplements you recommended for my sjogrens. I have beet juice and will drink more. I need help with the BP because when I do not take any meds it goes up to 174/110. I have to lie flat in bed and it is still high.Thanks, Drygirl
Kaz said:

This is from Medscape.

Beetroot Juice Lowers Blood Pressure in Hypertensives

Pam Harrison

December 02, 2014

Dietary nitrate in the form of daily beetroot juice (link is here - https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01405898?term=NCT01405898&am...) significantly reduced elevated blood pressure compared with placebo in hypertensive patients over 4 weeks, a randomized phase 2 trial showed[1].

Dr Vikas Kapil (Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK) and colleagues observed significant reductions in systolic and diastolic BP as measured in the clinic, at home, or by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) among patients who who drank 250 mL of the juice daily, for a nitrate dosage of approximately 6.4 mmol/day. The same amount of nitrate-depleted beetroot juice served as the placebo.

Improvements in endothelial function and a reduction in arterial stiffness were also observed in the dietary-nitrate group compared with no change in either parameter in placebo controls.

"This is the first evidence of durable BP reduction with dietary-nitrate supplementation in a relevant patient group," Kapil writes.

"And these findings suggest a role for dietary nitrate as an affordable, readily available adjunctive treatment in the management of patients with hypertension."

The study, a prospective, single-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 64 evaluable patients, was published online November 24, 2014 in Hypertension.

All patients completed the dietary interventions for the duration of the study. Hypertension was confirmed by ABPM at study enrollment in all patients.

Dietary-nitrate consumption was associated with a decrease in BP in the clinic, at 24-hour ABPM, and on home readings in the beetroot-juice group compared with baseline.

No change in BP on any of the three measurements was observed among placebo controls.

Reductions in BP Compared With Baseline at Study End Point

Group Mean clinic BP reductions, mm Hg (P) Mean ABP monitoring reductions, mm Hg (P) (mean) Mean home BP reductions (mean) (week 6)
Dietary nitrate group
Systolic BP 7.7 (<0.001) 7.7 (<0.001) 8.1 (P<0.001)
Diastolic BP 2.4 (0.050) 5.2 (<0.001) 3.8 (P<0.01)
Placebo group
Systolic BP No change No change No change
Diastolic BP No change No change No change

There was no evidence for a declining nitrate effect over time.

Noteworthy as well, investigators observed about a 20% improvement in endothelial function (P<0.001) after 4 weeks in the nitrate group compared with the placebo group, which showed no change in endothelial function.

They also observed a decrease in arterial stiffness by 0.59 m/s (P<0.01) following dietary-nitrate consumption compared with baseline and a similar reduction of 0.58 m/s compared with placebo (P<0.05).

As the authors explain, ingestion of dietary (inorganic) nitrate elevates circulating and tissue levels of nitrite via bioconversion in the enterosalivary circulation.

In addition, nitrite is a potent vasodilator in humans, an effect thought to underlie the study's observed BP-lowering effects of dietary nitrate.

Supplementation of dietary nitrate as used in this study led to about a 5.5-fold increase in plasma nitrate concentrations, as the authors observe, while plasma nitrite concentrations were elevated by approximately 2.7-fold from baseline.

"Irrespective of the method of measurement, the magnitude of BP reduction is of clinical significance because it resembles the average BP reduction achieved with a single antihypertensive medication at standard dose (9.1/5.5 mm Hg)," the authors state.

"[And] these appropriately powered data are the first to demonstrate sustained BP-lowering with dietary nitrate in patients with hypertension that require BP control."

The study was funded by The British Heart Foundation. Kapil had no relevant financial relationships. Disclosures for the coauthors are listed in the article.

References

  1. Kapil V, Khambata RS, Robertson A, et al. Dietary nitrate provides sustained blood pressure lowering in hypertensive patients: A randomized, phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Hypertension 2014; DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.114.04675. Abstract link : http://hyper.ahajournals.org/content/early/2014/11/24/HYPERTENSIONA...

Drygirl, I've been having problems with high blood pressure off and on, even before I was diagnosed with Sjogren's. I've been prescribed a few different medicines, but none of them really seemed to do much. I'm lucky that I don't tend to get side effects from medicines. There was only one blood pressure medicine a doctor tried to give me a couple of years ago that gave me problems. I don't remember the name of it. But I started getting really bad headaches every time I took it and I had to stop.

Right now, I'm taking Enalapril. But it doesn't really seem to be helping any. I don't get any side effects from it, it just doesn't seem to work. My rheumatologist also put me on another medicine called "Amlodipine Besylate." I'm not even going to try to pronounce that! It's generic for some kind of blood pressure medicine, and is supposed to help with circulation problems. He said it might help with the Raynauld's Syndrome. I have no idea how it's supposed to work, other than it's a calcium channel blocker. I'm not even sure what that is supposed to do. I need to do more research, I guess. I don't know if it's really even helping, to be honest. Although maybe it hasn't had enough time to work yet.

Kaz, that article you posted is very interesting. I don't like beets, but I would be wiling to try drinking beet juice if it will help. I'm wondering if it might also help with Raynauld's? It's very encouraging to see studies like that, where they find something that can help people and has real, significant results. I'm very skeptical when it comes to all the grandiose claims people make about what certain foods can do (like the whole gluten-free fad that everyone is on right now). I need to see real science to back up a claim before I believe it. But the beet juice study does seem to be very credible, and I'm going to try it.

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meds/herbs/vitamins

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Connie Harris <8harrisnc@gmail.com>

6:52 AM (8 minutes ago)
to me
This is what I take:
Starting new BP pill today Clonidine .1 mg 1/2 this
5 mg prednisone
CoQ10 100 mg 2x a day
Carnetine 500 mg 2x
B12 2x a day
Kelp morning
N-AC 600 mg 2x
Digest Gold 1x
Probiotic 2x a day
Garlic 2x
Omega Fish Oil EPA/DHA 720 mg 2x
Omega Flax Oil 2620 mg 2x
Nettle 300 mg 2x
Olive Leaf complex 2x
Multiple Vitamin 1x
Vitamin C 5000 mg
Vit D3 5000
Vit E 400 iu
Super Lysine 1500 mg
Calcium 600mg 2pills
Magnesium 250 mg
Evening Primrose Oil 500 mg
Turmeric
Beet Juice rec. dose
Plus Valerian Root and Stress Response when needed for Stress
Also Ambien or benadryl to sleep sometimes
They are going to increase prednisone to 30 for my lung inflammation this week.
I go to a cardiologist on Jan 15. My GP prescribes my BP now. Have had my potassium checked, 24 hour urine, and renal and they looked fine. Had c-scan and mri of kidneys and they looked fine. Heart wants to pound when I eat a big meal, cough, or sometimes when I do any exertion. BP gets very high when I am off BP meds 170/104.
Have reacted to all the BP meds you listed. Most cause burning/tingling of skin and throat feeling tight. Diltiazem was causing the neuropathy to feel worse which is pressure/pain above ears and spine on neck, tingling numbness on cheeks, legs outer, and arms, ringing in ears, and brain fog. Stress seems to make worse.
Thanks so very much. Drygirl


Squeeze and release.
Nomad said:

Kaz...thank you. Weird question. I'm desperately trying to figure out why it is extremely hard for nurses, etc, to take my blood. I have been told on multiple occasions by people who do this regularly that I'm the worst patient they have, even though I am still, drink a ton of water for two days prior, etc. is there any chance the Atacand could be contributing to the problem? The main problem is my veins are very small. The second problem is that they roll.

Big mamma...thank you. Is one to hold the tennis mall consecutively for two minutes or squeeze and release for two minutes? I'll try it.

I kept records and my doctors were amazed at how much my BP lowered when I changed my diet. I gave up sugar and ate pristine. I also juice most mornings (messing up a bit very recently) mostly green juices, but do occasionally drink a beet juice. There was discussion of me going on a second med for a short time. This was due to the facial nerve pain. Extreme pain would raise my BP too high. But the diet...no sugar, juices, less calories, etc. changed EVERYTHING to the point that if I keep it up, not only will I not need a second BP medication, I will likely be able to lower the Atacand to 24 mgs. My BP lowered by several points in about 6-7 days. It was amazing. I'm embarrassed to say that just the other day, I threw out the chart...but my GP probably still has it. I'm also embarrassed to say, I have messed up due to the holidays. BUT last night's profound, frightening migraine and I'm sure raise in blood pressure has me re-thinking this stupidity. Diet is crucial for my good health. It plays a strong, noticeable role.

As a side note...I suspect eating foods high in potassium is also helpful. When you eat healthy, this often naturally happens.