Blood pressure controlled without medication

[pmarzea]

losartan gives me kidney problems. Is there any natural way to decrease blood pressure without medication?

[happyrosie1]

in the UK, guidance for doctors is that (when high blood pressure is manifest and unless it is very high) patients should be given guidance on lifestyle and diet, and only after three months should medication be offered. This is because changes in diet and lifestyle can usually lower blood pressure.

and it’s very possible to lower a dose or even eliminate medication if one is already being treated.

If you have a look at the website Blood Pressure UK, the specialist charity, you’ll find guidance and information.

[Blearyeyed]

You could ask for other alternatives to the losartan with your GP or Cardiologist, there are other medications which may not cause you kidney issues.You can obviously use the usual diet and activity advice , but it's likely that this will not bring down your blood pressure as much as you require on its own so getting a lower dose and doing some trial and error of some form of antihypertensive will still be required.

[Mentdent]

Lose weight and exercise. Other than that take the pills. For most us us it needs to be both.

[MoretonCross in reply to Mentdent]

Well, he can't "take the pills" if they give him kidney problems, can he? That's the reason for his query...

[Mentdent in reply to MoretonCross]

There are more than one type of blood pressure pill. High blood pressure damages kidneys as well as heart, lungs, brain etc. . It’s a silent killer and needs to be dealt with.

[Blackknight57]

if it’s upsetting your organs the doctors should know already.

Have serious words with them.

[fishonabike]

After losing weight and becoming more active I was able to reduce my BP medication, so you could try that, bit BP tends to increase with age anyway.

There are alternatives to Losartan your GP could prescribe , but it is worth remembering that high BP can also damage your kidneys and eyesight so it's a fine balance!

[mozart27]

I think the answer to your question is "Yes, it can but it's difficult and perhaps not by much". When I was first diagnosed with hypertension 25 years or so ago, I tried all sorts of things including spending hours in floatation chambers but as my doctor said, "You can't spend your life in a floatation chamber"! I see you are in the States and a male aged 81. I wonder what blood pressure target you are trying to achieve because it may be one which is too ambitious for your age. I also wonder what other medication you have tried because there are many others apart from Losartan, which do not put the kidneys at risk. I don't know if I can recommend books and the like here but there is an American geriatrician who writes about blood pressure targets and the elderly. There is also a book written by an American hypertension specialist which describes the mechanisms involved and every drug available to treat hypertension. If you send me a private message, I will certainly be able to give you details.

[Sanmo]

Have a look at cinnamon, Ceylon is better than Cassia, both work but Cassia may cause problems with the liver if taken in large doses. It works for me.

[readyabout]

Hi, I have been seeing a Naturopath, who is Iridologist and Herbalist, I believe you have plenty of those in US. I have found a combination of herbal tinctures work very well, my BP is now less than my Naturopaths. We are in contact with Jonathan Landsman in US, found his advice very good.