High Blood Pressure Be Gone

Archive for the ‘hypertension medications’ Category

When it comes to treatment for hypertension First make sure you’ve got hypertension by getting and using your own blood pressure monitor. If it turns out you have it then it really boils down to whether to reduce your blood pressure through medications or through natural methods.

Medications are the easy way usually prescibed by doctors in the western world but they come with costs – both monetary and undesirable side effects.

Blood pressure medication side effects

My only experience with an anti-hypertension medication (ACE inhibitor) resulted in a persistant dry cough that would often wake my up in the middle of the night. On top of that, my outrageously high blood pressure (195/120) refused to come down even after two months).  That was enough for me.

Of course you may have been luckier in your treatment for hypertension. A lot of the medications do work to reduce blood pressure. And not everyone directly experiences negative side effects.

Of course there are those who have suffered even worse side effects. The list of possible negative side effects associated with medical treatment for hypertension is quite long -  for a complete list see high blood pressure medication side effects.

Treatment for Hypertension – the Road Less Traveled

If you don’t want a naturaal treatment for  hypertension (without medications) then you’re simply going to have to live a more healthy, stress-free life.  Most people would agree that the natural treatments for hypertension is better – until they come to the realization they might have to give up and alter some very deeply engrained habits – like spending every free hour in front of the TV,  avoiding exercise (driving two blocks to the local convenience store),  a steady diet of unhealthy snacks, never taking any time to consciously de-stress and really relax.

Natural treatments for hypertenstion takes changes – real changes to the way you live focussing on diet and exercise. There are some real benefits to these lifestyle changes if your muster up the resolve to take them – benefits over and above a healthy blood pressure range. When you live healthy you’ll find life in general tastes better.

Diet

A healthy lifestyle means eating good (and tasty) food  as outlined in Kevin Riley’s Get Natural.  At first it might seem hard to make the switch but after a while you’ll find yourself looking forward to preparing all sorts of wonderful combinations in meals that will keep you healthy and lower your blood pressure at the same time.

Physical Exercise

Exercise is another tough one to contemplate at first. The answer is – don’t contemplate it – just do it. Exercise is something that may seem hard and unpleasant at first but in no time you’ll be looking forward to it – whether its a walk around the neighboorhood, a hike up the mountain, or your next tai chi class.

De-stress

And then there’s stress. One of the biggest causes of high blood pressure is stress. Think you don’t have stress? Think again. It’s not alway obvious. In fact, it rarely is. Stress can build up in our lives brick by brick until it’s a towering wall – and we still don’t recognise it. The fact is that stress is  built into modern living and we’d all do well to lower it – whether it is directly causing you hypertension or not.

I enjoy practicing the Breathesy slow breathing exercises myself to de-stress and generally feel better about life in general. Other people have reported that combining physical and mental exercises to reduce stress levels  can form an effective treatment for hypertension – such as Christian Goodman’s 3 Exercises

Natural treatment for hypertension

A combination of good diet, daily exercise, and de-stressing your frazzled nervous system is good medicine for your life in general. You’ll find your general attitude to life improving. You might even stop once in a while to smell the daisys! The switch to a healthier lifestyle is also the best treatment for hypertension in muy opinion. I now enjoy much lower blood pressure always within a healthier range. I have a much more positive outlook on my future.

But the main message here is: You Can Too!

Hypertension Medications

Let me state right from the beginning – I’m not in favor of taking prescription medications for the control of high blood pressure (if it can be avoided).

The are a number of reasons for my anti-medication stance one of which is my personality. I’m a long-distance single-handed sailor and I value and guard my independence fiercely. Being tied to a prescription and regular doctor appointments really doesn’t suit me psychologically. If there was an alternative I would use it.

The good news is that there is an alternative to prescription medications and that’s what this post is about.

Medication Side Effects

Another reason I’m not in favor of medications is the side effects.

For a list of hypertension medications side effects click here

Most all hypertension medications have side effects. Some of them may be minor, but they can all reduce your quality of life.

My only experience of hypertension medications was Rampril, ACE Inhibitor prescribed here in the UK.

Soon after taking Rampril daily I developed a dry and persistent cough.

And I mean persistent. All day and all night long.

It got to the point where I kept a glass of water by my bed so I could relieve the tickle in my throat that would wake me up several times a night.

Two months of this slow torture and my blood pressure was still measuring 195/130 at the doctor’s and 175/120 at home.

The third, and possibly most important reason I have chosen to reduce my blood pressure naturally rather than going down the medication route is that medications don’t actually cure hypertension.

Let me explain.

All hypertension medication prescribed by doctors are meant to lower your blood pressure. A prescription that works for one person may not work so well for another. Several medications may sometimes have to be tried for each patient to see what works best for him or her. Occasionally combinations are used for best results.

Of course sometimes the medication that best lowers your blood pressure also produces the worst side effects and other treatments must be sought.

There is one thing that all hypertension medications have in common:

You have to keep taking them day after day for the rest of your life to keep your blood pressure within acceptable limits. If you stop taking them your blood pressure can shoot right back up to former levels.

In short, you have not cured your hypertension – you are merely controlling it.

The conditions that gave rise to your elevated blood pressure are still there, waiting to raise you blood pressure back up to dangerous levels the minute they’re released from their chemical bondage.

Add to that fact the statistic that more people die of stroke and heart attack while on high blood pressure medications than those who are not on them and the pharmaceutical approach to hypertension seems even less attractive.

(That’s not to say that hypertension medications cause stroke and heart attack. But that statistic does seem to suggest that these drugs do not offer the protection against these diseases one might have hoped.)

Alternative Approaches to Lowering Blood Pressure

For all these reasons I chose the alternative route to lowering high blood pressure.

Out went the medication, in came natural alternative methods for reducing blood pressure.

Four months later and my blood pressure was down to the 135/95 range the cough was just a distant bad memory.

Now, almost nine months after starting alternative approaches to lowering blood pressure my readings are sometimes below 120/80. I wouldn’t have believed it last Spring but the ‘proof is in the pudding’ as they say.

The good news for you is that if I can do it – anyone can!

For a review of all the alternative high blood pressure cures I’ve used click here.

Side effects of hypertension drugs

Anti-hypertension  medications are often the first thing that a doctor will prescribe when high blood pressure is detected.  This leads to millions of people taking them everyday.

This has resulted in soaring profits for the pharmaceutical industry. But what about the people taking these drugs?

Unfortunately anti-hypertensive medications do not cure high blood pressure  but merely regulate it.  Which means you have to take them everyday for the rest of your life – or your blood pressure will climb back up to dangerous levels.

Another negative aspect of blood pressure medications is bad side effects.

Below is a list of common blood pressure medications and their associated side effects:

ACE inhibitors

The most common side effect is a dry cough

Rarer side effects include:

• Lightheadedness,
• dizziness,
• rash,
• reduced
• appetite,
• increased blood potassium,
• changes in the flavor of foods and swelling.

Alpha Blockers

dizziness and feeling faint when sitting up or standing up.

Additional side effects include:

• headache,
• pounding heartbeat,
• nausea, weakness,
• weight gain.

Angiotensin II receptor blockers

Side effects (relatively rare) include:

• Diarrhea,
• dizziness,
• headache,
• lightheadedness,
• back and leg pain,
• sinus congestion,
• kidney failure,
• liver failure,
• allergic reaction,
• lowered white blood cells,
• swelling.

Beta Blockers

Common side effects include:

• Cold hands, dizziness,
• fatigue, and weakness.

Less common side effects include:

• Depression,
• reduced libido (sex drive),
• insomnia (trouble sleeping),
• shortness of breath.

Beta-blockers may cause severe asthma attacks.  They can also block indications of low blood sugar (like a racing pulse) in diabetics.   Beta-blockers can affect cholesterol and triglyceride levels, typically temporarily.   Abrupt discontinuation of beta-blockers can increase risk of heart attack and other heart issues.

Calcium channel blockers

Common side effects include:

• Constipation, drowsiness,
• flushing,
• headache,
• nausea,
• rapid pulse,
• swelling in the lower legs and feet.

Some calcium channel blockers react with grapefruit and foods that contain grapefruit by blocking the liver from properly removing them from the blood – resulting in dangerous concentrations.

Central-acting agents

Side effects include:

• Constipation,
• depression,
• dizziness,
• dry mouth,
• drowsiness,
• fatigue,
• headache,
• impotence,
• impaired thinking,
• weight gain.

Abrupt discontinuation can cause dangerous spikes in blood pressure – especially when taken with a beta-blocker.

Diuretics

Side effects include:

• Increased urination,
• too much potassium in the blood (with potassium-sparing diuretics),
• too little potassium in the blood (with thiazide diuretics),
• breast enlargement in men,
• increased blood sugar,
• increased cholesterol,
• erectile dysfunction (ED, impotence),
• low blood sodium,
• rash,
• gout (joint inflammation),>
• menstrual irregularities.

Vasodilators

Side effects include:

• Chest pain,
• dizziness,
• flushing
• headache,
• fluid retention,
• heart palpitations,
• nausea,
• sinus congestion,
• racing pulse,
• vomiting
• excessive hair growth.

(anti-hypertension medication side effects list source:  www.bloodpressuresecret.com)

Side effects from blood pressure medications is not something I’ve simply read about.  It’s something I’ve experenced.

When I was first diagnosed with dangerously high blood pressure I was prescribed Rampril, an ACE inhibitor commonly used here in the UK.  Just like it says on the  list above, I developed a persistent dry cough. All day and night. (For the two months I was on Rampril I kept a glass of water besides my bed. Taking a sip of water was the only way I could relieve the irritation long enough to get back to sleep after waking up every few hours needing to have a bout of coughing.)

After two months of this slow  torture and my blood pressure remained high with no sign of coming down. I could have gone on to other medications but instead made a commitment to try to get my body back in balance using alternative methods without the use of drugs.

Four months on and my blood pressure had dropped to 135/100 range – a drop of some 55 points. Now, 8 months after following natural methods my blood pressure in in the 120/80 range.

So the good news is  – there are ways to lower your blood pressure naturally that really work – without having to take medications and putting up with side effects.

The only catch is that it doesn’t come in the form of a pill. It takes time and practice. It also requires a change in diet and lifestyle.

If you need to lower your blood pressure without taking medications  I can give no higher recommendation than Kevin Riley’s 12 week program  Get Natural! This program is a pleasure to read and follow – with no bad side effects.

The Get Natural! program is now bundled in as a free bonus as part of the BreathEasy program. This program also helps to lower blood pressure through following regulated breathing exercises 15 minutes a day.

I would  recommend the BreathEasy program too. I do a 15 minute slow breathing exercise most nights before bed. It’s very relaxing and even in the span of 15 minutes my blood pressure will often drop 5 – 10  points systolic.

You can check out some free samples of  BreathEasy audio tracks at this link:  www.highbloodpressurehq.com

These two programs have worked for me. What has worked for you?