Blood pressure advice needed page 2

[Paleobird]

I actually have tried that some times in the evening, and the results were good - it dropped to well within normal. The problem is that it is way high all day. Does deep breathing change the way BP is at all times, or only when being practiced and in the immediate thereafter?

It's not just about breathing in order to bring the BP down for a test. It's about incorporating these breathing techniques into your whole life to the point where you don't have to think about doing them, you just do.

Try doing the deep breathing at several point throughout your day (say first thing, lunch, after dinner, before bed). Also a yoga class might help. It is not just about stretching into weird positions. The breathing is an essential component of it.

Also, what jumped out at me from your OP. It's only been 6 weeks. Chill and give it some time. It took a lot longer than six weeks to get the high BP.

[jojohaligo]

It's not just about breathing in order to bring the BP down for a test. It's about incorporating these breathing techniques into your whole life to the point where you don't have to think about doing them, you just do.

Try doing the deep breathing at several point throughout your day (say first thing, lunch, after dinner, before bed). Also a yoga class might help. It is not just about stretching into weird positions. The breathing is an essential component of it.

Also, what jumped out at me from your OP. It's only been 6 weeks. Chill and give it some time. It took a lot longer than six weeks to get the high BP.

What she said.

[Primalwombat]

Blood pressure is not a static thing... It will, and it is intended to, fluctuate. If your BP is around 140/100, it is NOT catastrophically high... High, yes, but should you freak out, no. The "healthy" bp range has been lowered over the years so that at the moment (in Australia) the "optimal" standard sits at 120/80, but there is talk about dropping that. I personally believe a lot of this has to do with the desire to get every living soul on BP medications, but before you succumb to the lure of the big pharma, make sure that...

- You measure your BP from both arms (one is often different from the other)
- You measure BP at the same time of day (much like weight)
- You are relaxed when you do it
- You are sitting down (posture affects BP)
- You are not hung-over, uberstressed, just finished 10k run, etc...

Just be aware that bp is dynamic and it is NOT intended to stay the same throughout the day. Different people simply have different baseline BPs, and yours, while high-ish, maybe your baseline. Having said that, I would attempt to lower it by dropping added salt alltogether.

Deep breathing is all good, but using it to momentarily drop your BP to a lower range doesn't do much, as the effect is passing.

Cheers,
M

[jojohaligo]

Having said that, I would attempt to lower it by dropping added salt alltogether.

It is possible that this is true, but is it? Are there good studies that show this? Maybe so...I don't know...anyone have any links regarding that...

[noodletoy]

...at the moment (in Australia) the "optimal" standard sits at 120/80, but there is talk about dropping that. I personally believe a lot of this has to do with the desire to get every living soul on BP medications, but before you succumb to the lure of the big pharma...

this.

[Bioletti]

So I've been doing the primal thing for about six weeks...I've dropped 13 lbs (from 188 to 175, and I'm a 5'10" male) and I feel good. But my damned BP is still high - typically 130-140 over 90-100 range during the day. I cannot seem to push it down. It does drop down into the 120-130 over 80-90 range after a couple glasses of wine in the evening.

One one of the big reasons I am pursuing the primal diet is to get my BP down, but I have seen no improvement at all, even though I am eating zero processed food and going plenty light on the salt.

Ideas?

If it's any consolation, Butch, I once read that FDR's blood pressure was 300/160. I'm pursuing the primal for the same reason as you plus to get my waist down a few inches, since I'm satisfied with my upper torso and legs already, and I want to prevent looking like Kool-Aid in the next few years. Keep up the good fight.

[nc_hokie93]

Butch,

Just curious if you'd had any success with lowering your BP w/o meds. Been facing the same issue and have been eating paleo for almost 2 years all the while being on BP meds which keeps it around 120-130/80-90. Have tried a couple of times to go off them only to watch my BP go up. Pretty sure I got dealt a bad genetic hand. Haven't tried magnesium supplementation though so that may be next.

[BestBetter]

I know this is an old thread, but...

There are lots of things that can cause high or low blood pressure, and not all of them are in our control.

For example, my husband was told by a doctor that he has an 'extra half liter' of blood, meaning that he has more blood than he needs, which results in him having a BP that's on the higher end of normal. It's also possible to have a little less blood than you should, which can cause chronic lower BP.

Alcohol is a vasodilator, which is why it causes BP to drop. If your high BP is due to vasorestriction, then you'd probably want to focus on removing factors that cause vasorestriction, or increase things that cause vasodilation. In the past, my husband has supplemented with L-Arginine to increase blood vessel elasticity and vasodilation, which did result in lowering his BP.

Increasing vasodilation is big in the bodybuilding world, which is where you'll find a lot of info on the L-Arginine and other supplements/strategies if you google it.

From my research and personal experience, salt is rarely responsible for high BP problems. It seems to be a red herring.

Chronic stress is another common cause of high BP; how are your stress levels?

[JoanieL]

Personally I wouldn't let bp go that high and would get meds until my diet controlled it. Think of your blood vessels like pipes. If the pressure of the fluid (blood) going through those pipes is consistently high, there's more of chance that the "pipe" will burst.

Anyway, jmo. High bp is a fear of mine and when mine started to rise I did everything I could to lower it (exercise, diet, supplements) w/out medical intervention. Only alcohol worked. Since alcohol interferes with life, I opted for the doctor. I never did try COQ though.

Good luck.

[fuzzylogic]

Personally I wouldn't let bp go that high and would get meds until my diet controlled it. Think of your blood vessels like pipes. If the pressure of the fluid (blood) going through those pipes is consistently high, there's more of chance that the "pipe" will burst.

Anyway, jmo. High bp is a fear of mine and when mine started to rise I did everything I could to lower it (exercise, diet, supplements) w/out medical intervention. Only alcohol worked. Since alcohol interferes with life, I opted for the doctor. I never did try COQ though.

Good luck.

First off: sit for 10-15 minutes. Don't wear anything, even a tshirt, under the bp cuff. Have your arm at heart level, not hanging down. Now, take your bp.

The majority of people aren't salt sensitive for bp. Only if you have fluid retention issues----so eat salt, and lots of calcium and magnesium and potassium too. 6 weeks isn't really enough time for you to see a whole lot of difference. Add 45+ min of low level exercise to your day, and cut back/out on caffeine.

BP in the 130-40's over 90 isn't going to give you a hemorrhagic stroke, or fry your kidneys. Relax. It's not too high to give non medical intervention a chance to work. Move, eat well, limit stress.....