Natural treatments for hypertension?

Heart health and blood vessels
1

Does anyone know about non-drug treatments for hypertension, especially the isolated systolic kind (high systolic/low diastolic)? But not magnesium or ubiquinol. Has anyone here tried Anistrol?

I'm not keen on taking calcium channel blockers etc., partly due to side-effects and also because they reduce both readings. I'm already getting dizzy spells so don't want to reduce my diastolic any further. History below if anyone's interested.

72-year-old female, BP steady at 110/70 till menopause at 45, then started climbing. 150/90 by mid 50s. I put myself on magnesium 375mg per day, which was well tolerated (no diarrhoea). BP fell to 120/80 after a couple of months, and stayed there for the next 15 years.

A year or so ago the diastolic started falling and the systolic rising. Most days I record 160/60, both on my home monitor and in my doctor's office. Still taking magnesium, I added in ubiquinol, starting at 100mg per day, increasing to 200mg after a couple of weeks. After a few months my BP was steady at 130/70, plus the extrasystoles that have plagued me all my life had stopped.

Five months after starting ubiquinol the diarrhoea kicked in. Very severe, as in not being able to leave the house some days. Because it started so late it took me six weeks to work out the connection. It cleared up when I stopped the ubiquinol. BP now back to 160/60 but the extrasystoles haven't returned. Yet.

General health excellent, apart from mild Sjogren's syndrome (autoimmune condition) and under-active thyroid treated with thyroxine. Recent bloodwork perfect according to my doctor. Lifelong non-smoker, moderate wine consumption, very low salt intake - small amount when cooking potatoes and vegetables only, and no junk food. BMI 23.6 and I'm reasonably active, walking one hour per day on average.

Any suggestions? I'm wondering whether to try stopping the magnesium and re-starting the ubiquinol, as I suspect it might have been the joint effect of both that caused the diarrhoea. But I'm open to any other ideas.

2

My Mum used to swear by Rasberry leaf tea, check up on that, or is it blackberry leaf tea, she had crazy low blood pressure, and still died of a series of small strokes, each and every one doing more and more damage.

All Dr's said well high blood pressure didn't cause her strokes, if she had high BP she would have died much sooner than she did at 87.

You can't win can you with medicos.

3

Hi Lily,

I have HBP which is highr than yours and I'm 55 years old. I was prescribed medication which I didn't feel happy taking. After two weeks I decided to stop taking the medication. I did some research on natural alternatives and found lost of answers. The GP's are quick to put you on medication without talking about other alternatives like a plan to lose weight, exercise, diet etc.  ...which makes me thing that it's more about the drug companies than the patients.

I began a execirse and diet change and saw by BP drop 211/104 to 145/88. It varies depending on what I eat. I found that carbs have a negative effect on my BP so I try to cut it out.

I recently found that magnesium is a key, and I have just started taking magnesium suppliments. I don't how long it will take to have an affect. 

To me it sounds like the magnesium was having a positive effect and the ubiquinol was negative, so I would stick to the magnesium.

Also ginger tea made from grated ginger and taken before bedtime has a postive effect on BP readings. 

Like with all things it's try and see.... 

 

4

That's interesting about the grated ginger. I'll try that. In fact, my more alarming readings are usually first thing in the morning.

Congratulations on the huge drop in BP you've brought about by lifestyle changes! I totally agree that this is much better than medication. I can't really do much more on lifestyle as I already eat sensibly, avoid salt and get plenty of exercise, and I don't need to lose weight with a BMI of 23.6. My GP reckons the normal rules on BMI are different once you get past 70, and it's not good to get below 23 at that age.

The magnesium worked really well for 15 years, so I'm a bit disappointed it doesn't seem to be effective now - or rather that it's bringing my diastolic down so much. When I was training as a nurse 50 years ago we were taught that it was only the diastolic that counted - the lower the better - and that a high systolic didn't matter as long as the diastolic was low. I understand now that that's been turned on its head, and the combination of high systolic/low diastolic is seen as being particularly dangerous for the arteries, indicating a high risk of stroke and heart disease.

I'll try the ginger tea option first, then I might try a small increase in the dose of magnesium. I'm thinking of having a cautious return match with the ubiquinol too, since it brought about such good results (if you don't count the crippling diarrhoea!) but at a very low dose. But I won't do all three at once, as that will make it difficult to unpick the results.

If none of that works over the next few months, I think I'll try Anistrol anyway. But I'm still hoping I might hear from someone on this forum who's tried it, as on-line opinion seems to be divided.

5

Hi

My blood pressure has been high recently and my doctor has been trying to find the right medication. I took Ramipril for a number of years but when the dose needs to increase, I developed really bad cough. Now on 50mg Losartn at night - seems better by taking at night. Also read about taking magnesium supplements so I thought I would try but have developed metallic taste in my mouth - am taking 1 x 300 mg tablet. Is this normal? Should I stop the magnesium?

6

I just recently found out that Beetroot juice can also bring down your BP. 

You have to juice the UNCOOKED beetroot. 

I buy ready made organic Beetroot juice and blend it with bananas and spinach. 

Or you can buy the Beetroot and juice it yourself.

Just started so will let you know how its goes.

7

I take 500mg of magnesium. 

Also try Beetroot juice.

8

Hi,

I've taken 375mg of magnesium per day - calculated at two tablets to make up that dose - for the last 15 years and have never had a metallic taste. It can, however, depend on which salt of magnesium you take. I take the oxide, which is actually the least bioavailable, so least effective, form. I once took the more bioavailable magnesium citrate for a couple of weeks, but it gave me terrible indigestion. Also, all magnesium supplements can cause diarrhoea in susceptible people, so they're not suitable for everyone.

Another possibility is that it may be something else in the tablets that is causing the taste. I take plain magnesium oxide with no added vitamins or other minerals, but many "improved" versions contain all sorts of other things that could be causing the taste. I once tried a selenium supplement (long before I started taking magnesium) and it gave me a terrible taste in my mouth. Or it could just be your metabolism, of course.

As long as you're only taking the recommended dose, this isn't going to be dangerous in any case. I'd advise checking the label to see what else might be in your tablets. Or you could maybe ask your pharmacist about a different salt of magnesium. However, the oxide is usually the cheapest. Magnesium is quite pricey anyway and some of the more exotic salts can push the price a lot higher.

Magnesium can be very good for BP that's only slightly high. I have to say it worked a treat for me. I've never taken any prescription medication for high BP, and magnesium reduced mine from 150/90 to a steady 120/80 in just a few weeks, and kept it there for nearly 15 years. I'm still taking it, but it hasn't worked as well for the past year or so, and my BP is now all over the place. Old age I suspect...

9

Oh dear - I can't stand the thought of beetroot! Memories of being forced to eat the stuff in childhood. I note you also say you take 500mg of magnesium (vs. my 375mg). I'd already been wondering about upping my dose of magnesium, as it doesn't cause any side-effects at the current dose. I'm a little concerned that it will bring down the diastolic as well, which is often as low as 60 these days and hit 50 in my doctor's office last week (160/50). I've been having the odd dizzy spell lately and don't want to lower my diastolic pressure any further. Still, I guess it's worth a try.

For anyone else suffering from the same condition (high systolic/low diastolic) ubiquinol really is the supplement of choice. It worked fantastically well for me, soon got my BP to 130/70 every day... till the catastrophic diarrhoea kicked in! It didn't start till four or five months down the road so I didn't figure out what was causing it at first and kept taking the stuff for another six weeks. It took me ages to work out what was wrong - one day I was so dehydrated I thought I'd have to go to A&E! But I gather mine was a very unusual reaction so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.