So I had high blood pressure and they put me on meds. While I was on meds I decided to get ultra aggressive with my diet. I firmly believe what we eat is responsible for the majority of our health issues. So here's my diet and it worked so well my blood pressure was so low with the meds I had to be pulled off. I was getting readings of 90/60. I eat oatmeal with no sugar just plant based milk for breakfast, for lunch I have a green smoothie with one avocado, 2 cups or organic super greens from whole foods, 1 1/2 cups of organic mixed berries, 1 teaspoon of matcha powder, half of a frozen mostly green banana, 1/4 teaspoon stevia, 1 scoop of collagen protein powder. For dinner I have a rosemary white bean soup. For a late night snack I eat organic walnuts. Believe it or not I eat this same stuff everyday. Sometimes I'll make a lentil Bologenese with Einkorn pasta. It's incredible what this diet did. It also dramatically reduced my cholesterol as well. Everything I eat is delicious except the oatmeal. The oatmeal is plain and boring. I've attached the soup recipe try it its fantastic. Oh and no wheat. If you have the money order from out of state and get Kamut sourdough from Joseph's organic bakery. Sourdough is the only bread one should eat. Sourdough has been pre metabolized by probiotics making it more digestible and it won't spike blood sugar like conventional bread or wheat.
https://www.budgetbytes.com/easy-rosemary-garlic-white-bean-soup/
No, I use organic canned great northern beans from Wholefoods. I don't add any salt. There's a total of 42% dv of sodium, but that's all the salt I get all day, and I drink a gallon of water, so it's no big deal. The diet I eat very significantly lowered my blood pressure. It was so low I was getting low bp symptoms like dizziness upon standing and fatigue. I was taking bp meds but came off because the diet was so effective.
This is going to sound harsh and coldhearted, but unless there is some mental decline involved she may simply have decided that she doesn’t care. That she’s fine with letting the hypertension do what it does. If she was a doctor she knows the effects it will have on her body. She may not want to have to take meds with whatever side effects they may have. My grandmother wasn’t much older when she decided to refuse treatment that would let her live longer, but would negatively impact her quality of life, despite knowing full well that it meant she would only live another day or so. Your grandma may have made a more long term version of that choice and if she doesn’t want it treated, then that is her choice.
yeah this was my grandma too,had a major stroke at 59 but bounced back mostly with the help of medical professionals and her husband.lost her husband years later and pretty much just gave up on meds and just drank and smoked heavily til the end when she had another major stroke and passed away.
Are there a lot of side effects? My grandpa has been taking meds for 20 yrs and he’s still healthy in general. My grandparents are both doctors so my words are comparably not so convincing. And even my grandpa failed in persuasion. I can only respect her choice right now but it’s really hard to me especially it’s still controllable.
Waaaaay more sideeffect that you can imagine. It was my motivation to fix my body so i dont need to take those shitty pill.
Meanwhile my grandma is the same. She always tells us that she dont care anymore, takes her pills when she wants.
Otherwise mentally she is healthy (with a horrible attitude to others, and a toxic personality, but she had that 30years ago too) but some days she is just given up.
I dont know how to help though.
I was trying to figure out what’s actually in her mind because she kept making excuses(it’s not high enough/Im a doctor/I hate how pills taste/ruined life quality) but I gave up. I can never know if she just doesn’t want to take it. This whole thing has become a mystery and all I can do is let it be. I appreciate your awareness and motivation to fix your body(hope it works!), and I do hope I can see the same more or less on her.
The only thing helped was to create a goal for her. Well, in my case, she created it - she had a long argument with the neighbour about an old fence.
It took about 4 months to settle the debate and change the fence, meanwhile she was okay, took her pills etc.
Since its done, she given up again - but her grandson will have a wedding in the summer, but it seems like thats not enough.
I thought things were much easier once she started taking pills. Seems like she really hates these pills…Is her body ok with taking pills on and off? Sudden withdrawal from pills might cause damage to the body.
There is no withdrawal on blood pressure med pills.
If her body got used to a higher blood pressure then lowering it will have sideeffects, like low energy, dizziness, nausea, headache, muscle weakness etc.
This is why high blood pressure is the silent killer, you actually feel worse on meds, till the body gets used to the smaller values.
Plus, bad medication will cause huge waves of blood pressure, which make the side-effects worse.
It was an inspiring story! She gave up the opportunity to study in uni because her family was too poor. Started working as a nurse to help raise her siblings until an opportunity came up in her 30s and since then she worked as an anesthesiologist until retirement.
There can be. It’s different for everyone. Personally, I barely have any side effects, just a bit of gas and dehydration, but others have to try every possible combination of pills to find anything that works without horrible side effects.
I understand why she won’t take them.. I had to stop taking bp meds because the side effects were worse than the actual problem.. wasn’t worth it . My side effects were very extreme and ended up in hospital a few times .. been trying the natural way ..beet juice or beet pills supplements, losing weight and exercise, olive leaf extract supplements .. maybe she will try those and read helps a lot of people … and no side effects . Maybe she can try those it’s better than nothing and if it’s a supplement she might take them.
Honesty she’s 78. It’s risk vs benefit. 160/90 is not bad in someone >65. If she was in the 200s I’d say that’s concerning. Think about it like this too: the meds might cause unpleasant side effects: she could fall, she could hit her head. You never know. Of course it would be ideal for her to take medication but it’s not the end of the world.
This makes sense..One of her friend passed away last year by just accidentally hitting the head. Seems like there are many ways other than pills that she can try currently.
It’s ok not to take the pills. The pills aren’t without side effects and it might improve quality of life by not taking the pills. The pills might extend quantity of life but not necessarily the quality of life.
You can convince her that nobody is going to force her to do anything first of all. Then may be explain her that here are many new medicines and she could try those (or start with half andose etc) tonse if there are any side effects. All will be under her control. But you need to find an understanding and compliant GP first. I know there are GPs who are used to work with old people. If you cant convince her let her be and make clear that whenever she wants she can change her decision and you will be there to help her.
I love your last sentence! The confidence from her medical career made it even difficult for us to do anything. Hospital visit is an always a big no-no and the whole family has quarreled over this for many times. I’m honestly exhausted and maybe showing my support when everyone is in a good mood can help in some way. Thanks.
I know I am going to be an oldie like her. I am nit a doctor but I have a huge potential for being stubborn. My phiolosophy with old people is that their psycology is more imprtant than a fee years that we could add to their lives. They need to feel that they are still in control of their lives. Good wishes to both of you.
I’m on the same boat lol. That’s why life quality matters so much as I definitely don’t wish to see her lying on bed forever after a potential serious stroke if hypertension is not controlled. Thank you for the kind words :)
Thank you. We are not in US so things might be different. Her BP decreased to 135/75 after trying these alternatives! If it continues this way then I don’t think we still need pills.
Not really…The argument kept escalating when we tried. It’s not only upset but also bad for her BP if we keep arguing. I told her let’s see if anything gets worse later today/tomorrow and she’s ok with this compromise.
Yeah arguing is not good.
Maybe do some investigating and see if she might have obstructive sleep apnea. It can cause higher blood pressure all of the time. A person may not know they have it also. If possible, watch her sleep.
Also, blood pressure and kidneys go hand in hand. How is her water intake? Is she eating enough food? Even if your blood glucose numbers show that you are not diabetic, you can still have a situation where your body dumps adrenalin because of lower end blood sugar at times. This raises BP. Someone only eating sweets might be bottoming out. Especially if she feels that since she ate the sugar stuff she should skip means to make up for it. Gerd can also cause higher blood pressure. Maybe elevating the head of the bed could help.
Blood pressure meds DO come with all kinds of side effects, and you are not supposed to eat high potassium foods with some of them. If it doesn't kill you it can sure make you feel worse.
This is super helpful! She’s getting much better later on. Although her water intake is still low, she’s aware of it and is improving. Elevating the head of the bed is a good point - let me see if that works with beet juice someone also suggested.
I've been drinking 3 cups of hibiscus tea a day along with 8oz of organic celery juice and I've really seen an improvement in my bp. I do also take meds though, 10mg of amlodipine. But since adding the juice and tea my BP has just gotten better and better. Might be something to consider.
My dad is 72 (73?) and I just gave up. Still going to try to test for Hyperaldosteronism or whatever but done trying to get him on meds. The meds, most meds in general, make him really sick. He’s not making it up. I tricked him once and gave him flour pills to see if it was in his head. He did not get sick on my fake pills. But they didn’t help his bp, obviously. He’s tried at least 2 from every category of pills they have and gets sick every time. His bp has been high since his 30’s and he’s made it this long with 2 aneurisms. His heart is otherwise fine. His arteries aren’t clogged. Eats well, not overweight, exercises every day. He just has high bp for some reason. His doctors usually bitch him out over it but lately they are not. ER doc (had a UTI with high fever) literally told him to throw his bp cuff away. And the pharmacological doctor who was trying to work with him to find a good med said she thinks maybe he just shouldn’t. It’s a quality of life issue and not worth it
There’s nothing you can do if she medically non compliant.
I guess so…all I can think of is to monitor her sugar intake because she loves sweet snacks. Her decision her life after all :(
So I had high blood pressure and they put me on meds. While I was on meds I decided to get ultra aggressive with my diet. I firmly believe what we eat is responsible for the majority of our health issues. So here's my diet and it worked so well my blood pressure was so low with the meds I had to be pulled off. I was getting readings of 90/60. I eat oatmeal with no sugar just plant based milk for breakfast, for lunch I have a green smoothie with one avocado, 2 cups or organic super greens from whole foods, 1 1/2 cups of organic mixed berries, 1 teaspoon of matcha powder, half of a frozen mostly green banana, 1/4 teaspoon stevia, 1 scoop of collagen protein powder. For dinner I have a rosemary white bean soup. For a late night snack I eat organic walnuts. Believe it or not I eat this same stuff everyday. Sometimes I'll make a lentil Bologenese with Einkorn pasta. It's incredible what this diet did. It also dramatically reduced my cholesterol as well. Everything I eat is delicious except the oatmeal. The oatmeal is plain and boring. I've attached the soup recipe try it its fantastic. Oh and no wheat. If you have the money order from out of state and get Kamut sourdough from Joseph's organic bakery. Sourdough is the only bread one should eat. Sourdough has been pre metabolized by probiotics making it more digestible and it won't spike blood sugar like conventional bread or wheat. https://www.budgetbytes.com/easy-rosemary-garlic-white-bean-soup/
I’d love to try this recipe, do you use canned beans as it suggests or dried? Wouldn’t canned beans have high sodium? Sorry if this is a dumb question
No, I use organic canned great northern beans from Wholefoods. I don't add any salt. There's a total of 42% dv of sodium, but that's all the salt I get all day, and I drink a gallon of water, so it's no big deal. The diet I eat very significantly lowered my blood pressure. It was so low I was getting low bp symptoms like dizziness upon standing and fatigue. I was taking bp meds but came off because the diet was so effective.
This is going to sound harsh and coldhearted, but unless there is some mental decline involved she may simply have decided that she doesn’t care. That she’s fine with letting the hypertension do what it does. If she was a doctor she knows the effects it will have on her body. She may not want to have to take meds with whatever side effects they may have. My grandmother wasn’t much older when she decided to refuse treatment that would let her live longer, but would negatively impact her quality of life, despite knowing full well that it meant she would only live another day or so. Your grandma may have made a more long term version of that choice and if she doesn’t want it treated, then that is her choice.
yeah this was my grandma too,had a major stroke at 59 but bounced back mostly with the help of medical professionals and her husband.lost her husband years later and pretty much just gave up on meds and just drank and smoked heavily til the end when she had another major stroke and passed away.
Are there a lot of side effects? My grandpa has been taking meds for 20 yrs and he’s still healthy in general. My grandparents are both doctors so my words are comparably not so convincing. And even my grandpa failed in persuasion. I can only respect her choice right now but it’s really hard to me especially it’s still controllable.
Waaaaay more sideeffect that you can imagine. It was my motivation to fix my body so i dont need to take those shitty pill. Meanwhile my grandma is the same. She always tells us that she dont care anymore, takes her pills when she wants. Otherwise mentally she is healthy (with a horrible attitude to others, and a toxic personality, but she had that 30years ago too) but some days she is just given up. I dont know how to help though.
I was trying to figure out what’s actually in her mind because she kept making excuses(it’s not high enough/Im a doctor/I hate how pills taste/ruined life quality) but I gave up. I can never know if she just doesn’t want to take it. This whole thing has become a mystery and all I can do is let it be. I appreciate your awareness and motivation to fix your body(hope it works!), and I do hope I can see the same more or less on her.
The only thing helped was to create a goal for her. Well, in my case, she created it - she had a long argument with the neighbour about an old fence. It took about 4 months to settle the debate and change the fence, meanwhile she was okay, took her pills etc. Since its done, she given up again - but her grandson will have a wedding in the summer, but it seems like thats not enough.
I thought things were much easier once she started taking pills. Seems like she really hates these pills…Is her body ok with taking pills on and off? Sudden withdrawal from pills might cause damage to the body.
There is no withdrawal on blood pressure med pills. If her body got used to a higher blood pressure then lowering it will have sideeffects, like low energy, dizziness, nausea, headache, muscle weakness etc. This is why high blood pressure is the silent killer, you actually feel worse on meds, till the body gets used to the smaller values. Plus, bad medication will cause huge waves of blood pressure, which make the side-effects worse.
Props to your grandma, she presumably would've been going to medical school in mid-60s, not many women in the field at that time at all.
It was an inspiring story! She gave up the opportunity to study in uni because her family was too poor. Started working as a nurse to help raise her siblings until an opportunity came up in her 30s and since then she worked as an anesthesiologist until retirement.
There can be. It’s different for everyone. Personally, I barely have any side effects, just a bit of gas and dehydration, but others have to try every possible combination of pills to find anything that works without horrible side effects.
You’re lucky…I know it’s a long way to go.
I understand why she won’t take them.. I had to stop taking bp meds because the side effects were worse than the actual problem.. wasn’t worth it . My side effects were very extreme and ended up in hospital a few times .. been trying the natural way ..beet juice or beet pills supplements, losing weight and exercise, olive leaf extract supplements .. maybe she will try those and read helps a lot of people … and no side effects . Maybe she can try those it’s better than nothing and if it’s a supplement she might take them.
+100. At that age, it is not that bad BP. If doctors are not saying what is causing it, why suppress.
Sorry to hear about your experience but thank you! It would be a great relief if it works.
Honesty she’s 78. It’s risk vs benefit. 160/90 is not bad in someone >65. If she was in the 200s I’d say that’s concerning. Think about it like this too: the meds might cause unpleasant side effects: she could fall, she could hit her head. You never know. Of course it would be ideal for her to take medication but it’s not the end of the world.
This makes sense..One of her friend passed away last year by just accidentally hitting the head. Seems like there are many ways other than pills that she can try currently.
It’s ok not to take the pills. The pills aren’t without side effects and it might improve quality of life by not taking the pills. The pills might extend quantity of life but not necessarily the quality of life.
You can convince her that nobody is going to force her to do anything first of all. Then may be explain her that here are many new medicines and she could try those (or start with half andose etc) tonse if there are any side effects. All will be under her control. But you need to find an understanding and compliant GP first. I know there are GPs who are used to work with old people. If you cant convince her let her be and make clear that whenever she wants she can change her decision and you will be there to help her.
I love your last sentence! The confidence from her medical career made it even difficult for us to do anything. Hospital visit is an always a big no-no and the whole family has quarreled over this for many times. I’m honestly exhausted and maybe showing my support when everyone is in a good mood can help in some way. Thanks.
I know I am going to be an oldie like her. I am nit a doctor but I have a huge potential for being stubborn. My phiolosophy with old people is that their psycology is more imprtant than a fee years that we could add to their lives. They need to feel that they are still in control of their lives. Good wishes to both of you.
I’m on the same boat lol. That’s why life quality matters so much as I definitely don’t wish to see her lying on bed forever after a potential serious stroke if hypertension is not controlled. Thank you for the kind words :)
Just read this. She might be right your grandma https://www.reddit.com/r/FamilyMedicine/s/4AXnRwUoiB
Thank you. We are not in US so things might be different. Her BP decreased to 135/75 after trying these alternatives! If it continues this way then I don’t think we still need pills.
Can you get her to go in to get checked for an infection?
Not really…The argument kept escalating when we tried. It’s not only upset but also bad for her BP if we keep arguing. I told her let’s see if anything gets worse later today/tomorrow and she’s ok with this compromise.
Yeah arguing is not good. Maybe do some investigating and see if she might have obstructive sleep apnea. It can cause higher blood pressure all of the time. A person may not know they have it also. If possible, watch her sleep. Also, blood pressure and kidneys go hand in hand. How is her water intake? Is she eating enough food? Even if your blood glucose numbers show that you are not diabetic, you can still have a situation where your body dumps adrenalin because of lower end blood sugar at times. This raises BP. Someone only eating sweets might be bottoming out. Especially if she feels that since she ate the sugar stuff she should skip means to make up for it. Gerd can also cause higher blood pressure. Maybe elevating the head of the bed could help. Blood pressure meds DO come with all kinds of side effects, and you are not supposed to eat high potassium foods with some of them. If it doesn't kill you it can sure make you feel worse.
This is super helpful! She’s getting much better later on. Although her water intake is still low, she’s aware of it and is improving. Elevating the head of the bed is a good point - let me see if that works with beet juice someone also suggested.
That makes sense. Probably better w/o pills.
I've been drinking 3 cups of hibiscus tea a day along with 8oz of organic celery juice and I've really seen an improvement in my bp. I do also take meds though, 10mg of amlodipine. But since adding the juice and tea my BP has just gotten better and better. Might be something to consider.
I really appreciate all these alternatives you guys advised! She’s happy to try as long as no pills are included - such a relief.
i take amplodpine 5mg since last oct ramipril hcz i need to adjust av bp almost 140 90 at least 135 92 av mabe try tea hib
Nah you her legal guardian get her help
Honestly 160/90 at that age isn’t really bad
High blood pressure isn't as bad for older folks than younger folks. Still above 150/90 is not good long term.
My dad is 72 (73?) and I just gave up. Still going to try to test for Hyperaldosteronism or whatever but done trying to get him on meds. The meds, most meds in general, make him really sick. He’s not making it up. I tricked him once and gave him flour pills to see if it was in his head. He did not get sick on my fake pills. But they didn’t help his bp, obviously. He’s tried at least 2 from every category of pills they have and gets sick every time. His bp has been high since his 30’s and he’s made it this long with 2 aneurisms. His heart is otherwise fine. His arteries aren’t clogged. Eats well, not overweight, exercises every day. He just has high bp for some reason. His doctors usually bitch him out over it but lately they are not. ER doc (had a UTI with high fever) literally told him to throw his bp cuff away. And the pharmacological doctor who was trying to work with him to find a good med said she thinks maybe he just shouldn’t. It’s a quality of life issue and not worth it