Blood Pressure Blues
Last summer (2008) my father (whom I was visiting in eastern Canada at the time) badgered me to have a blood pressure test at the local pharmacy. I’d didn’t think much of it and went along with it. I got a reading of 158 / 95 which was on the high side but not critical.
So in response I cut down on my salt intake. I continued on my single handed sailing journey up to Iceland and back down to Wales arriving back home in mid September. (You can check out my sailing blog here)
My girlfriend who worked at a pharmacy and nursed her ailing mother had a blood pressure monitor and a few occasions that I was tested I was in the 155 / 100 region. Not too alarmed I cut down more on my salt intake and started eating garlic regularly. (I had read somewhere that it was effective in lowering blood pressure).
This winter I started feeling run down more often than usual. Mild headaches too frequent also. Then my heart when funny one night. After a romp in bed with my girlfriend my heart started pounding. Nothing unusual in that perhaps except it wouldn’t stop. It took half an hour of walking around and standing outside in the cold air before it finally settled down and the pounding in my ears receded. Yep, it had me worried.
When to the doctor that week and my blood pressure was reading 192 / 130. Not good. The doctor immediately subscribed Rampril 2.5 mg (ACE inhibitor) to be take once a day and blood test to be taken.
After one month of Rampril and two blood tests and ECG test my blood pressure remained over 190 / 130. I hadn’t improved one iota. That was three weeks ago and I have since been in search alternative treatments as the prescribed one has only given me a persistent dry cough.
I’m pleased to say that I’ve been experimenting with a few different approaches to reducing high blood pressure including mental and physical exercises, natural medicines, and diet.
After about 10 days trying an ‘alternative approach’ to lowering blood pressure I was monitored at 165 / 103. A major improvement. What a relief!
Still a way to go though.
I fill in the details of my ‘alternative method’ in my next blog post.
Most high blood pressure blogs and websites I’ve come across usually profess that “have the cure” and then try to sell you it.
My hope is that this blog becomes a community of people who can share their experiences to find out what really works and what doesn’t. I don’t have the ‘magic pill’ but I will share with you what seems to be working for me and hopefully if readers will be willing to post comments I’ll learn something too.
High Blood Pressure: we’re in this together.
Chat later,
Simon
