Hi Nannylynee,
What brand Grapeseed extract do you buy?
Thanks,
CP23
Hi CP23,
I have bought them from Holland and Barrett but now get them on line from Simply Supplements. There are various on line sites which are cheaper than Holland and Barrett.
I am glad you,are sharing your situation with this forum..because
stress is a BIG TIME OVERLOOKED FACTOR in raising BP..Other factors may be weight..age..diet etc..but this calcium
blocker is not the only med that lowers blood pressure. Valspartan is
an interesting one..however my main point is you must have alternatives and not go cold turkey..& you MUST Must monitor frequently. Beet Juice,CoQ10, Magnesium, Spinach, stress management diet (lower sodium)will all work to some degree...but if your pressure is too high you may need to take it very slow..Also if and I say if their are blockages they must be addressed..So it is nerve racking for sure.!
I do not have any withdrawal at this stage however I was not
taking probably at your dose level.. I still carry a Norvasc just
in case I see my numbers are high or I feel out of sorts..
Good Luck my friend
Im on amlodipine for 1 month and now i change to perindopril but it makes my bp so high pass few days..im ok without it for 2 days since my reading 130/80
Twelve months since coming off Amlodipine. Still got some colitis problems and some aches but BP controlled at 135/80. Candesartin my tablet now. Amlodipine almost did what cancer couldn't 13 years ago.
Keep well.
Hiya just joined group. Nice to meet everyone. I was put on Amlodapine 3 weeks ago as my blood pressure was getting high. I have been stressed as a blood yet came back saying blood not pumping to heart properly. Had an echocardiogram things look fine. Last Friday I had to have surgery under general anaesthetic on my knee. I came off these tablets a Thursday before surgery but now four days after blood pressure on way bk up again so going to have to go bk on them. They were making my ankles and legs retain fluid. I am a teaching assistant in a primary school so up and down a lot. Iv to have blood tests done again next Wednesday. They said may be aenemic. I have piled weight on over last two years and think that's the reason for bl pressure going up. On thyroxine for 36 years. ☺
So whoever told you it is not necessary to wean off a channel blocker blood pressure medication is 100% wrong. You can experience withdrawal symptoms like feeling dizzy or severe lightheadness cause heart distress or even have a stroke or in rare cases death. Ask a doctor or look it up on line.
carol02056...When we are stressed, that causes the blood pressure to go UP. You said.."I have been streesed as a blood test came back saying the blood was not pumping to the heart properly" The echocardiogram said things looked fine. I'm confused.
Just before your knee surgery, you had to stop taking the Amlodipine...just why I don't know.In the greater percentage of cases, Dr.'s tell patients to take their bp medications as usual, but with just a sip of water enough to get the tablets taken. Considering you stopped taking the Amlodipine for 4 days...it was natural that your bp would rise again. Now we're getting to the nitty-gritty. Your ankles & legs are retaining water. This is a very common side effect of Amlodipine. Advise your doctor of the swelling. He/she can give you something else.
joyce22002..I can assure you, I am NOT wrong. My own doctor along with two friends who are pharmacists (don't work in the same pharmacy) told me that weaning off Amlodipine is NOT necessary.
Beta blockers are a different story.
If one feels dizzy or severe lightheadedness after stoppage, one must also remember that not taking a bp medication when such medication is required, will cause a rebound bp rise.
From personal experience...I stopped Amlodipine...but went on a different medication. Wean off?...NO I did NOT.
The doctors themselves p**s me off. They don't LISTEN. But they are more than happy to write a prescription for some s**t that causes problems at least as bad as what they treat. My pharmacy was late on my refill and I couldn't wait for them. This was a blessing in disguise. I'm feeling better now that I'm off of amlodapine. The pharmacist was alarmed when I told her "I'm done, I'm not taking it anymore and I don't care what happens". I'd rather be dead. Maybe my doctor could get that right (but I doubt it). I've been researching doctor assisted suicide or suicide vacation heavily for some time now. It's more appealing than how I felt.
Exercise and diet are the key. But it's sticking with it that is difficult. I think it's the only way anymore. Fight to live, or give up. I don't want the in- between anymore.
If the doctors had to take the garbage they prescribe, I think things would be drastically different. Money is more important to them. Emotion is taken out of the equation. Very few seem to really care anymore. Personally I'd rather try natural cures, or make a decision to be dead. Suicide vacations have sounded very appealing lately to me.
Hi dan19828
We note from a recent post which you have made to our forum that you may be experiencing thoughts around self-harm. If we have misinterpreted your comments then we apologies for contacting you directly. But if you are having such thoughts then please note that you are not alone in this, and there are people out there that can help.
If you are having these suicidal thoughts then we strongly recommend you speak to someone who may be able to help. The Samaritans offer a safe space where you can talk openly about what you are going through. They can help you explore your options, understand your problems better, or just be there to listen.
Their contact details are on our patient information leaflet here: https://patient.info/health/dealing-with-suicidal-thoughts, which also offers lots of other advice on how you can access the help you may need.
If you are having such thoughts then please do reach out to the team at the Samaritans (or the other people detailed in our leaflet) who will understand what you're going through and will be able to help.
Kindest regards
Patient
A lot of comments on here are anti-blood pressure meds. Not everyone needs them, some people just need to watch their sodium intake and lifestyle choices. Obviously, some people also react badly to certain medications. You and your doctor need to figure out what is right for you.
I need these medications. I was doing practically everything I could, trying to lower my blood pressure naturally, watching diet and exercising, and my blood pressure was still through the roof at 260/185. I went to the ER with a headache that had lasted for a month and I was probably close to stroking out or having a cardiac event. I went on amlodipine, metoprolol, and valsartan, and my BP is now normal. I also feel way better. I still want to try perfecting my diet and lifestyle to see if I can reduce or get off the meds, but for right now I have to have them. It might be I have to go vegan and no sodium to have normal BP apart from the meds, and as a trained chef and a foodie that is pretty demanding. My body is genetically predisposed to having high blood pressure.
So for those with anger against doctors and their pharmaceuticals, maybe you don't need them, but it's lifesaving for some of us.
I agree with you. My ecg was fine 6 weeks ago. 2 weeks ago I stopped my 5mg amlodopine as i felt unwell all the time. First few days were ok. Side affects were disappearing, never had swollen feet or ankles though. Then, wham, bp got higher and higher. At the docs one tablet under the tongue didn’t reduce it as it went up. Next half tablet and injection finally brought it down so I could go home.
You cannot just stop them as with most drugs. 4 days now into new meds and bp finally nearly under control. But I have been left with an extra beat in my heart rhythm. All due I believe to amlodopine backlash.
I've been reading the comments. I'm also interested in coming off (Norvasc) generic Amlodipine. I use the 5mg tabs but I've only been on them for a few months. I switched from Lysinopril because it caused terrible coughing. I don't think I need it and never did. My BP was never in the danger zone when prescribed and life style change wasn't even mentioned. I now lift weights, use the elliptical, cut back on sodium and processed foods. I eat more fruits, drink more water and last I take Organic Beet Root and CoQ10. I have an Omron BP machine and check my BP several times a day. My BP average now is 118/75. My highest reading very infrequently is 125/82. I keep my readings in a journal.
I agree with gerald36543 might I add a few suggestions Im 42 and Ive been on bp and diabetes medications for 13 years. These medication kill you just as fast as the disease does.
I'm no expert so take what you like out of what I say. Doctors will change and add more and more medication until you either die or want to kill yourself. It took me 13 years to take control and get my life from medications.
m not 100% yet but I feel better off my meds then I do on them. 98% of that take BP medication at some point is or where over weight, smoke alcohol or all of the above.
The cause of hypertension disease is to much fat around and inside your arteries, liver, Stomach and pancreas to much stress adds to hypertension as well. Its ironic that the medications cause stress and fatigue.
Here is what I recommend to people don't wait to long to work on your body you can get away with it in you 20s 30s but when you hit your 40s and up your body will demand attention and will stop you from doing anything you are use to doing on a regular bases you body will stop your future plans as well.
Here is how I got my hypertension and diabetes on the control this method is very hard and I recommend you consult with your doctor and do your research before attempting this but this does work.
1. First I went on a OMAD diet (One Meal A Day) along with Intermittent fasting for 2 months and research how to do this using youtube.
2. Second I did my research on all the foods I was eating using youtube I then subscribed to all the channels that I felt where knowledgeable.
3. Third I got rid of all the foods I use to eat and went full vegan and to my surprise at the super market they have vegan cheese steak chick hot dogs etc and the list goes on so I don't miss eating meat and by the way fish is even worse then eating meat and chicken is just as fat as beef and is some cases even fatter. bye the way meat is a group 1 Carcinogenic to humans that means eating meat is just as bad as smoking cigarettes.
4. Fourth After doing these steps I studied, at home work outs on youtube and bookmarked the ones I liked then I started working out.
5. Fifth I studied supplements on youtube for hypertension, workouts and diabetes then I purchased all those supplements on ebay mind you the entire time I continued taking my medication along with the supplements. My BP was 115/65 most of the time but the medications still made me feel fatigue anxiety and shortness of breath and chest pain. Some days where normal but most days I dreaded going to sleet, nights where the worst for me.
6. Sixth I studied water fasting on youtube this was the hardest thing I did. I stop all my medication and went on a four day water fast there are 21 to 30 day fast but I didn't make it that far on my first try. Medication withdraw is real it wasn't until my fourth day in the fast when my heart started beating fast I had difficulty breathing moving around I felt horrible. Oh yea during my fast my bp with no medication was 118/65 it spiked once but stayed around these numbers and my glucose was 56-70. I was a 198 pounds with diet and excessive before that I was 208 after the water fast I am 187-190 daily the weight lose and fast reset my body. I you google (fasting centers) in your state you will find the real doctors that know how stabilize or cure all kinds of diseases including hypertension and diabetes.
Long story short I am no longer diabetic and my bp sits around 125/75 with no mediation I still eat only one meal a day with no sodium only salt subs and I purchase potassium powder beet root powder and some WHITE Kidney Bean Extract powder to mix inside my healthy vegan protein shakes I drink once a day.
Currently I still have withdraws from coming off the mediation but from my research this could take 3 weeks or even longer
Also people dont know this but lots of BP medication cause Drug-Induced Autoimmune Diseases such as lupus
do your research I hope this helps and please to all stop smoking drinking and get rid of the weight that is what keeps you on the meds and closer to an early horrible death. I hope this helps.
My doctor also said it is not necessary to wean off. She said I can just stop. I was taking 5mg for about 30 days.
Out of curiosity what were the side effects you experienced?
The Company that created Amlodipine suugests not to quit it cold turkey. your friends might not have correct information.