What is a good natural or herbal remedy for high BP besides garlic. I am allergic to garlic. I have blood vessals that have burst in my eyes and the doc has put me on a blood thinner. My BP has not been very high but I'm told I really need to watch it now. Any suggestons? I don't want to think about eventually having to take medication for high BP because I am so allergic and it is AWFUL trying to find medications that I can tolerate. Any help will be appreciated!!!

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), March 14, 2001

Answers

According to Herbally Yours: Barberry...Balck Cohosh...Blue Cohosh...Cayenne...Don Quau...Gotu Kola...Hawthorn...Mistletoe...Passion Flower...Primrose...Skullcap...Valerian

From Hermann's Encyclopedia of Fruits and Vegetables: asparagus...beans..berries...brocoli...dandelions...garlic/onions...gi nger...grains...grapes../raisins...kiwi...lychee...ornamental flowers...tomato...tropical fruits.

Relaxation and prayer.

-- Cindy (SE In) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), March 14, 2001.

Diet & Exercise,Walking is very good also swimming. Use seasonings other than salt avoid processed foods with high salt or sodium. Cut back on alcohol and caffeine. Stop smoking. Find out if your HB is cause by potassium deficiency. Instead of garlic, onions do the same. Cucumbers have calming agents. Try a good foot massage. but above all remain calm and find some time each day for just you and RELAX!!!!!! take the phone off the hook,shut the drapes/blinds,lay down some where very comfortable and let your mind go blank for about 1 hr works wonders.

-- Tom (tjk@cac.net), March 14, 2001.

Lots of water,, and ask Doc about asprin a day

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), March 14, 2001.

Watching fish in a fish tank is supposed to be a good one.

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), March 14, 2001.

Eat Oatmeal every morning and lots of beans, beans the magical fruit. Both are supposed to lower it.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@hotmail.com), March 14, 2001.

Suzy, didnt you have eye problems a while back with fuzzy blobs obscuring your eyesight? I think I remember telling you I had kind of the same thing and it was caused by leaky blood vessels in the eye.....
I guess your problem has gotten worse, good grief! they burst! I feel so bad for you. If your BP is high I really really really really really recommend you get on BP medication as soon as possible, the longer your BP is high the more damage is being to the organs and systems of your body and the worse your health is going to get, which boosts your BP, which makes your health worse...etc its a downward spiral.
My wife had high BP for a long time and she avoided dealing with it until one day she landed in the hospital with renal failure, and even how she has chronic renal insufficiency with only 30% kidney function. Docs said it was caused by the high BP.

Take care of it! Soon!!

Dave

-- Dave (Ak) (daveh@ecosse.net), March 15, 2001.

I can appreciate how you feel. Another problem some of us who have Post Polio Syndrome is high blood pressure. Great,huh? I am allergic to most BP meds and also have very high BP. All the relaxation in the world won't help the damage of polio. Friend, the only thing I can tell you is to try the herbal ones a bit, but get to the doctor and find whatever will work. I HATE the meds I'm on as I spend valuable time half in a stupor every day for a few hours. I would not allow myself to drive anything. I've learned to take the morning meds very early in the day. But, they do work and my BP is great and I feel a lot better most of the time. Please don't take changes with your health as we don't always get a second chance. God bless.

-- Ardie from WI (a6203@hotmail.com), March 15, 2001.

It would be hard to make recommendations without knowing more about you and your health situation, but some herbs you may want to look into are Hawthorne, Motherwort, Black Cohosh, Skullcap. Lifestyle changes are key--take a look at your diet and activity level. Take up a relaxing activity, such as yoga, meditation, or Tai chi. Consult with a holistic nutritionist (key word = holistic). You may want to consult an oriental medical practitioner (e.g., acupuncturist).

-- amy (acook@in4web.com), March 15, 2001.

Suzy -

Hawthorne is an herb that strengthens the heart and purifies the blood, but if you are taking medication it is best to get the doctor's input. Part used is the berries, but there are some great organic capsules on the market. I use those.

Spices you can add to foods to help strengthen and regulate the heart and blood pressure are:

Cayenne pepper, ginseng, kelp, marigold (great in salads, and is good for the eyes!) peppermint (tea), rosemary.

Herbs specifically for blood pressure:

Alfalfa, evening primrose (oil), gotu kola, lemon grass, passion flower, scullcap, valerian (tea, might want to put scullcap with it, and it is a sedative of sorts), wild cherry bark tea,

Foods which will help keep the pressure low:

Strawberries, onions, any (other) hot peppers. Beets will keep liver toned, and cucumbers are good too.

If you need some specific combinations, just email. Also - please check with your doctor before taking any herbs (capsules, teas, etc.) as they can and do react with certain medications.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), March 15, 2001.

BTW -

Don't know if you would be at a point where pregnancy might be possible, but, if you are: both cohoshes can cause uterine contractions. Also, be extremely careful with the mistletoe. I didn't list it because it is poisonous.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), March 15, 2001.

Good suggestions all....I would just add Coenzyme Q10 50mg twice a day;magnesium (preferably in taurate form); celery is good; one tablspoon flaxseed oil/day; if you have the salt-sensitive type of HBP, take calcium supplements (1.5 grams, preferably in form of calcium citrate. And some form of meditation is an absolute must! Every study I have seen about full relaxation techniques has shown to help lower blood pressure.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), March 16, 2001.

I couldn't believe I had high blood pressure as I was only 30! I really didn't want to take meds for the rest of my life so asked my doctor if there was anything I could do to avoid having to do that. He told me that some people are salt (sodium chloride) sensitive so reducing salt intake can have a positive effect on blood pressure. Exercise and eating a very low sodium diet (less than 1500 mg sodium total per day, roughly 500mg per meal) has helped me keep my blood pressure in the normal range for the past 5 years without any medication. Get in the practise of reading food labels. There is a surprising amount of salt in things like ketchup and baking powder, canned beans, bread, spaghetti sauce, etc. Low-no salt substitute foods are available or you can make your own. Check the grocery store for soups, canned beans, cereals, ketchup, etc that are low in salt or no salt added (often in health food section). I've found that a number of organic brands (such as Muir Glen and Health Valley) don't add salt to their products. Some but not all are labeled right on the front as "no salt added". You can also find Low Salt wheat thins, ritz crackers, Orville Reddenbaker popcorn and Peter Pan peanut butter on the shelves next to their regular salt level counterparts. Rice, grains, fruit and veggies are generally low in salt. I use a potassium chloride salt substitue called "No Salt" in cooking (even use it in place of salt in bread machine recipes). I sometimes increase the amount of other spices in food to make up for the lack of salt. The American Health Assoc has a good low-no salt cookbook which I found in the local bookstore. Your taste buds adjust very quickly. There are many prepared foods that I used to like that just taste way too salty for me now. Nature's Own is a potassium chloride water softener salt that might be available in your area. Have your blood pressure checked periodically. Drink plenty of water. Good luck.

-- Kim in WI (pdmille1@facstaff.wisc.edu), March 17, 2001.

Thank you all for all your suggestions so far!

I haven't been officially diagnosed with high Blood pressure but EVERYONE else in my mother's family has it (but ALL of them are way overweight also)

But with the problems I'm having I want to take preventative measures now! Thank you all again!!! suzy

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), March 17, 2001.

Hi Suzie,, I have mile HB pressure,,and doctor says caused by stress and bad diet. I have done research in Health books also. So,changing diet, eating healthier,more veggies, fruits, herb teas, especially ones to calm, like Chamomile,peppermint,Strawberry leaf, passion flower, Skullcap, Valerian root, (very good). Stay away from caffeine, (big no-no) Strict salt free diet,,and that is hard,,get in habit of reading labels as mentioned. Some things to look for are labels that say,,sodium, soda (salt, of course) and a symbal that says NA. Avoid those.,, Here are some minerals and vitamins that are good..Magnesium, Coenzyme-Q10,Vitamin C, 3000-6000 mg daily, Vitamin E,100 IU daily,work up to 400 IU daily adding 100 UI monthly. Lecithin, 1200 mg,3xdaily.Daily brisk exercise helps, at least 20 to 30 minutes. Listen to any kind of music that soothes you,,avoid stressful entertainment,,people (true). Take time to relax in anyway that YOU enjoy,,hot baths with essential oils are nice. If you decide to restrict salt,,be sure and take Kelp daily because our system needs iodine and Kelp provides that. Lack of Iodine can cause thyroid problems. Be sure and consult your doctor if any question about any of this. I see you are on blood thinner, so don't want to double up on blood thinners. vitamin E thins blood. Aspirin also. I hope you get the problem under control and start to feel better real soon,,,Sometimes just changing diet, cutting out salt and daily brisk exercise does the trick,,lowers HB pressure right away. Any questions on herbs or teas or essential oils, feel free to email me...Take care,,

-- Patsy, MT (cozyhollow-gal@care2.com), March 19, 2001.

Hawthorne capsules worked for me. Temporary situation, bad reaction to "chemical" asthma medications but caused high BP and some irregular heartbeat as well and high pulse rates. Stopped the chemical asthma meds and started the hawthorne and within a month everything was pretty much back to normal.

-- Sharon in Ky (timberln@hyperaction.net), March 20, 2001.

I had high BP for a looong time. It went away by itself when the kids grew up and moved out. Sandy

-- Sandy in MN (jpevans_56353@yahoo.com), March 21, 2001.

I cured my HBP just by changing my lifestyle to what I am now. Relying on what I can do here on the place first, putting "the job" and its stress in last place of importance and most of all speaking truthfully about my feelings on any topic being discussed. I found I can do something effectivly AND let those involved know if I dislike it tactfully. I haven't lost that many "freinds" and the ones that I did lose weren't that big of a loss anyway.My BP went from 150/110 to 110/76. Most folks don't realize how much of an effect eliminating social sensitive masquarade and replacing it with interactive constructive honesty can make on your physical health.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), March 21, 2001.

The low-carbohydrate diets reduce blood pressure without any medications. Best book to read is called Protein Power -- just the facts, no hype. Contrary to what some people think, it is also a very healthy way to eat.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), March 21, 2001.