Alternatives

[Stainlessstevie]

Has anyone gone the alternative route to control their BP, IE Homeopathy, Acupuncture, Herbal etc.If so what & were there less side effects, also was it successful??.

[Happyrosie]

obviously I started down the lifestyle and diet route but have not used over-the-counter preparations nor acupuncture etc. My sister used acupuncture for something else and it seemed to bring her pressure down very very slightly.

You could also post this request in the British Heart Foundation part of Health Unlocked

[Stainlessstevie in reply to Happyrosie]

Eating a very healthy way, good amount of exercise, weight is right for my size.Just have side effects on the BP/heart drugs.

[Happyrosie in reply to Stainlessstevie]

if you are in the UK you can ask your pharmacist to suggest alternatives, or indeed there may be a pharmacist attached to your doctor's group of surgeries - ask at your doc's reception.

[Stainlessstevie in reply to Happyrosie]

I appreciate the reply, but I'm after people's personal experience of the alternatives, ie effectiveness, side effects etc.I struggle with drug side effects.

[tykesammy in reply to Happyrosie]

Hi Happyrosie. My feeling is ,If you cannot get any help from a doctor, you sure as hell ain't getting it from a pharmacist.

[Happyrosie in reply to tykesammy]

Mainly because pharmacists have trained for years concerning medications and doctors haven’t.

high street pharmacists do stints in bospitals, where they advice the doctors.

[tykesammy in reply to Happyrosie]

Oh really !!! Well I have to say pardon me then. I just think doctor's do not have a clue at times. But for me It is very scary.

[Happyrosie in reply to tykesammy]

Doctors very rightly rely on pharmacists for help. Doctors are not and cannot be all-knowing and all-seeing, they are professionals who sometimes need other professionals to help them - I see this as an advantage.

[tykesammy in reply to Stainlessstevie]

Oh tell me about it, I am diagnosed as being BP meds Intolerant. So I am struggling.

[rosyG in reply to tykesammy]

Hi

I have been given so many BP meds that haven't worked and the few that worked caused tachycardia My problem now is I had a mild heart attack in January so have to return to the BP meds I have asked to be referred to a hypertension clinic and will post on here if anything is suggested that might be of use to others. Calcium channels blockers and diuretics worked but caused tachycardia Am now trying Losartan cause cardiology likes it after heart attack Also supposed to have beta blockers but I have occasional vagal atriall fibrillation and beta blockers can make that worse so really am going round in circles!!

[tykesammy in reply to rosyG]

Hi rosyG, yes I too have gone through the whole lot of BP meds. I have posted before and you may have seen my post, that I was diagnosed as being BP med intolerant. I am sorry to hear you had a mild HA. Thing is with me, I know that these meds would bring my BP down, but they all make me feel really unwell !!! A while back I was under the endocrinology dept, had loads of tests to try and find a reason for my high bp, but nothing specific came from all the tests, so the endocrinologist ( whom I did not like one bit ) came to the conclusion that I needed to have CBT sessions to ( AND THIS IS WHAT SHE SAID, I WAS ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS ) to accept and tolerate the side effects. I asked her how she would feel if she felt unwell all the time, and felt like life really wasn't worth living. Of course no answer, she thought it was all in my head. Needless to say I asked to be transferred to Bristol Heart Institute. I am now trying Eplerenone for the 2nd time in small amounts, so I still haven't found the answer yet. Probably if I lost 2 stone and walked 5 miles a day, That may be the answer ?? But we are not all perfect, and owing to agoraphobia/panic attacks/depression It is a tough one.

[rosyG in reply to tykesammy]

they tried me on eplenerone after heart attack nbut no effect.

[tykesammy in reply to rosyG]

Oh really rosyG, well I aint holding out much hope then. But as a last resort they are going to try my on a drug which is used for erectile dysfunction lol called Tadalafil, but apparently it is not licensed for the use of hypertension, but they say when all else fails they sometimes use it. x

[rosyG in reply to tykesammy]

I think I saw Barts hospital had had success with that

[tykesammy in reply to rosyG]

Oh really ??

[tykesammy in reply to tykesammy]

Something has to work.

[BobbyCollins]

Hi there

I also would be interested in this approach but I think it is a challenging route to go down. I too suffer badly with side effects and surgery pharmacist says he is at a loss now. Saw a cardiologist too complete waste of time prescribed drugs I'd already had and said well don't take them then. It is so hard to keep going I am worn out with it all. As ever any thoughts welcome.

[tykesammy in reply to BobbyCollins]

Hi, yes it is very soul destroying, some people can just take a pill each day, like my hubby with no side effects at all. I have been 5-6 years on this trail, and it has had a disasterious affect on my health I believe.

[Shirl9354 in reply to tykesammy]

Hi, Have you made any progress on finding an alternative treatment?

My daughter is in the same position as you. Tried every tablet for very high blood pressure. Severe headaches and /or sickness. Can’t tolerate any of them. Consultant says you know the risks if you don’t take the tablets! No empathy at all.

[Stainlessstevie in reply to Shirl9354]

In fairness to your consultant they are restricted in the information they give out, from what I have been able to find out the alternatives are not tested in the same way as medical drugs, so the info available is more anecdotal (ISH).I'm tolerating my drugs better now, but it has taken nearly a year.

If/when I try alternatives I will be considering Hawthorn extract initially, my understanding is it can take up to 3 months to be effective, so there is a long transition period, I would guess your consultant knows all this.

[Stainlessstevie in reply to Stainlessstevie]

Just to clarify, when I say 'tolerating my drugs better', it's not great.

[Stainlessstevie in reply to Stainlessstevie]

Just to clarify, when I say 'tolerating my drugs better', it's not great.

[tykesammy in reply to Shirl9354]

Hi, I had that same lame excuse every time . As you know I had been on this trail for 6 years, to the point that my doctor's I believe, thought I was probably some sort of attention seeker. Trust me no person with high blood pressure would not want to take one little tablet a day to improve things. Even my endocrinologist told me that I needed CBT, and get this one lol --- To tolerate and accept these medications. All the BP meds I have taken over all these years have truly made me really not want to be around anymore. That may sound dramatic but true. So I got rid of my horrid endocrinologist at my local hospital, and asked to be referred to Bristol Heart Institute

[tykesammy in reply to tykesammy]

Sorry Shirl9354 I cut myself off too soon.

[tykesammy in reply to tykesammy]

So yeah went to BHI, and they were really helpful, and are trying me on a drug called Aliskiren, which finger's crossed I am dealing with.

[tykesammy in reply to tykesammy]

I think in all honesty, like me and your daughter Shirl9354, there are just some of us that simply cannot take bp meds, without really having a very bad affect on our lives . I was taking Candasarten for years and years, really ever since I had my first baby at 17, but I had no clue what that drug even was, only later did I find out it was for bp. Until I entered the dreaded menopause, and suddenly I was having trouble breathing. Oh boy so I was told I had asthma, which I had never had in my entire life. So for 5-6 years I had 2 inhaler's that did nothing. I asked to see a specialist asthma nurse at my practice, she said ---- you do not have asthma, it is candasartan that is causing you breathing issues. I have learnt so much from the internet which no-one likes you to do. But I was never going to just give up. x

[Shirl9354 in reply to tykesammy]

That’s strange you should mention asthma. My daughter maintains it’s to do with her monthly cycle that she has breathing problems at those times of the month. She is now on two inhalers. They do give her some relief. But no one takes her symptoms seriously. That isn’t the main worry of course which is her very high blood pressure. And no Doctor or consultant likes you to ask questions or have a patient who can’t just take the tablets. X

[tykesammy in reply to Shirl9354]

That was my big annoyance, everyone thought oh no what now. But I was not about to give up, I am like a jack Russell with a bone lol. Can I ask what meds your daughter is taking, and how many has she tried? I got so distraught that I paid at a cost to see a top hypertension specialist in London, Professor Lobo how is very well known on the Internet. But it was he that diagnosed me with being intolerant to blood pressure medications. I am now on a tablet given to me by Bristol Heart Institute called Aliskiren, I am taking it slowly at the moment, and am taking 1/2 tablet, but I do expect them to up it. Finger's crossed I am tolerating it very well at present. Getting back to my local doctor's over 5-6 years, they told me ----- well you have tried them all, there is nothing more we can give you. I said ok I will just wait for a stroke or heart attack then shall I.

[tykesammy in reply to tykesammy]

Sorry Shirl9354, me again. I wanted to say how ill all of these meds made me feel, but everyone thought it was all in my head, and I knew it certainly was not. On most of them I always had really bad low back pain, aching joints and generally feeling very unwell. Also I suffer with anxiety/depression, some of the tablets made all that so much worse too. But I think I was logged down as a pest.

[Shirl9354 in reply to tykesammy]

Thanks for your reply.

Sarah used to have very low blood pressure then about 2.5 years ago it started to increase. She has tried CCBs, ARBs, ACE Inhibitors twice, Beta Blockers and lastly a patch.

All at tiny tiny dosages. She reacted straight away to them all and lasted the longest on the Lisprenol Ace Inhibitor with Max dosage of paracetamol every day. That just took the edge off the headache and did not reduce her blood pressure. It’s no life when you are trying to work full time.

The consultant has said the same as your GP. Take the tablets and suffer the side effects there is nothing more we can do or you know the risks of stroke or a heart attack.

I spoke to BHF today and they suggested the Endocrinologist route and to ask for an echocardiogram to check the heart is working properly. Her kidneys have already been checked with a CT scan. So that our next route to try. I will have a look at that tablet you are taking. Did Prof Lobo give you it?

And thanks for listening to my problem. 😀

[tykesammy in reply to Shirl9354]

I feel so sorry for your daughter, it is not easy to cope with at all. No, Professor Lobo did not put me on Aliskirin, but he did put me forward with his team of doctor's at a London hospital to go on a trial for renal denervation, where they do something to one's kidney's, which I was up for, BUT what they wanted were for 1/2 of the people he put forward for this treatment were to have a placebo and the other 1/2 the real thing, but they were going to monitor us all for a year. I spoke to his doctor's and I felt that I really didn't have a year to wait. The whole thing was making me really ill with worry. Sorry all my reply is in one block, as I cannot locate my spacer lol. I have been down the endocrinology route, and had many many test's which thankfully came back ok. But that is how I asked to be transferred from my local hospital, to Bristol because the endocrinologist at my local was so vile and so unsympathetic, I had to put in a complaint about her. I don't want to come across as one of those people who is ALWAYS complaining, because I so am not like that, but when I feel I have a rough deal I will fight for the right treatment. Your poor daughter sounds very like me, can I ask how old she is ( sorry if that is rude ) I am now 67. Aliskirin I believe I am right in saying is a renin blocker, that supposedly relaxes the arteries. If I am wrong on that I apologise, but yes look it up, I don't think it is widely used for BP tho. At Bristol that was going to be their next approach for me was a patch. I somehow have linked my problems to my hormones, they have been a curse to me all my life, with PMS etc, but my god when menopause hit me it truly was the worst time of my life, and sadly my daughter who is 47 is going down the same route. So very sorry it is so long.

[Shirl9354 in reply to tykesammy]

That’s no problem in the length of your reply. There is a lot to say.

Sarah is 44. She was being considered for the kidney thing but the consultant said she didn’t fit the criteria as she was not currently taking any BP medication and it only resulted in about a 5 point lowering of BP. I don’t know why it was suggested in the first place. It put her hope right up that it was going to sort out her BP. I’ve looked on line and Aliskiren is no longer recommended by NICE. I think it’s down to cost and it’s never been suggested to Sarah by any of her other doctors. And they say there are other BP medicines out there. But what about people who can’t tolerate those?

I will keep that Aliskiren in mind for after we have done Endocrinology and heart echo. It’s a long road and all so slow.

Take care and I hope Aliskiren is your route out of the night BP problem. 😀

[tykesammy in reply to Shirl9354]

Oh god your poor daughter is quite young for all this crap isn't she ? I have a family history of HBP to, do you suffer with it ? Yes I think it could be down to cost as well. Bristol have been so helpful to me tho, and they send these meds to me via courier, which is 40 miles from me. I do hope all goes well with your daughter, I send my very best wishes.

[Shirl9354 in reply to tykesammy]

Thank you. No myself and my husband have good BP, in fact my husbands is too low. But my sister has high BP and my father had high BP. So there is some family history.

At least you have found a way forward from Bristol. Sarah used to live there a few years ago.

Take care. X

[tykesammy in reply to Shirl9354]

Take care too, but most likely to be continued lol.

[rosyG]

PS to my post below . Beetroot juice has been shown to reduce BP ( see Queen Mary's study also on BHF website) and seems to have some effect for me

[tykesammy in reply to rosyG]

Yes Beetroot juice is good, tastes like shit but good. lol

[figster]

hi,

Sorry for the late reply to this post. There are plenty of people with high BP who use an alternative approach. Unfortunately, there are not many who respond to such questions on this platform. It’s really frustrating but in my experience this platform is not great for people who are minded to consider a natural path to wellness.

Having said that I am happy to share my experience. First a caveat that I am not a medical practitioner and am not offering advice to you.

I have used a number of natural approaches. However, I have mild hypertension so bear this in mind. Originally, I used a high dose Hawthorn Extract which worked really well for me for about a year before it stopped working. My BP then started to creep up again, no idea why. I then started using Olive Leaf Extract and Taurine, which brought my BP back into the normal range.

There are several people on this forum who use Hawthorn for BP control and others who use Olive Leaf. I am hoping that this post might prompt a response from one of them!

Hope that helps you with your journey.

[Stainlessstevie in reply to figster]

What concentrations are you using.

[figster in reply to Stainlessstevie]

I use 1000 mg olive leaf extract twice a day. Same with taurine.

[figster in reply to figster]

I can’t remember what I used re Hawthorn extract but it was very effective for a year or so. You want extract rather than berry. There’s loads of research on the internet.

[figster]

I have not had any side effects with Hawthorn or Olive Leaf extract. Get support from a good holistic practitioner, particularly if you are taking other medication. A pharmacist won’t have the answers you need regarding herbs and supplements.

[Stainlessstevie in reply to figster]

Thankyou for posting, I find it surprising that there isn't more info regarding people's experiences with alternatives.My personal leaning would be towards a more natural type of treatment, but that is due to side effects which are pretty horrible from BP drugs.

[figster]

same here, I had horrible side effects with prescribed drugs. I am more inclined to use natural approaches where I can so I lean in that direction anyway. I’m confident that you will find something that works for you but it takes time and energy. It’s a real shame that the people who are on a natural journey feel uncomfortable posting in this group. It’s very mainstream unfortunately. Other groups are much more open to alternatives.