About 10 yrs ago when my BP starting creeping up and I didn't know about how with aging this does happen normally. When seeing an MD, my pressure would always be elevated and hardly ever would the MD re-test a few more times to let the pressure reduce....

Here is an informative site on decades of guidelines vs today's...is this about really caring about our health or pharma profits. It's a mind thinking link.

http://www.disabled-world.com/health...0-plus-age.php

There are comments at the end of this link and I've read most of them from people who do not take BP meds and have supposed elevated BP.


Years back I did a lot of research as I didn't want to be on lifetime of BP meds....Weston Price talked about 30+ yrs ago the guidelines were 100 plus one's age over 90. This was taught in medical schools as the guidelines.

Here's one of Weston Price links on this guideline issue.

http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-d...ehypertension/


So with all this info and my thinking, my BP would be fine at 177/90 with the years ago guidelines.

I know foods, thoughts, activities and so much affect our BP and BP can change every second of our day.

I know BP meds do come with their side effects, namely fatigue. One that I'm on also caused edema, which I did get rid of with upping grape seed extract.

Anyway, I think more and more about the side effects of pharma meds and BP meds one of them and millions are on them for lifetimes.

So I'm thinking more on this for Myself and thought I'd mention it here. Not suggesting this for anyone else but to give some thoughts.

Hi Caroline,

Respectfully, I gotta jump in here. Not saying there is no room for flexibility at all because rigid adherence to guidelines isn't always the best thing. But 177/90 is kinda crazy high.

I don't know if you're letting your BP creep up to that...just take of yourself okay?

No, it's not that and I don't take BP readings all day. But it can go up and it does even with meds people take. I've talked to people who say this and mine goes up in doc's office and I'm on meds....SO that's what I'm saying. I'm talking about the 100 + age guidelines long before modern medicine hit us.

I'm talking about the guidelines and how they change all the time. Thinking too about the fear of cholesterol and the drugs pushed on people and the side effects are huge..read about them here. Statins big pharma profits.

I've just lost so much trust in the so called healing world of modern medicine. Who is really healing with all the meds they/we take?

Foods are probably are best healers...More potassium and less white table salts.

Thanks I'm taking care of myself but questioning more and more into my late life. C

My dh had bad "white coat syndrome", always high at drs office, we got a home BP machine and it was always fine.. and at the store BP machines too..

The dr asked for us to bring in our machine so they could check it, before they stopped mentioning BP meds..

I believe everyone probably has high white coat in a doc's office and that's when so many docs get people on the BP meds. Many on them all their lives as I'm thinking this for me as it's been close to 10 yrs I think. So I'm thinking -- do I really need them.

I don't know how I'll do this as even my integrative MD worries about high BP and her patients and their annual or bi annual visits.

A person with low BP may test kinda normal in a doc's office. Too low is not great either.

I'd love to be a fly on the walls of the drug lobbyists and execs of drug companies...their bottom line is profits.

I did the recordings of BP at home for a few years and got so tired of it all.

Meditation is a great blood pressure reducer.

Dear Caroline,

Too much or too little of anything is NOT good.

Potassium can kill you.

In many of your posts you are antagonistic about pharmaceuticals but think nothing wrong of supplements.

Personally, I think that anything one takes into their body, food, pharmaceuticals, or supplements need to be tailored to the needs of the individual.

Have someone with compromised kidneys eat a bunch of bananas (full of potassium) and see what happens. Possibly death.

Sodium is also a needed substance in the body. I agree that many consume too much salt but some people NEED it, and many do not.

To blindly supplement without knowing one's own lab values is reckless in my opinion. The same applies to prescription meds without knowing one's labs.

The "normal" ranges declared for many lab results do vary with time for many reasons but to discard the benefit of pharmaceuticals completely is not wise.

Again, it depends on the individual and the needs of their own bodies.

I am not a doctor but I sure would not want to have a systolic pressure of 177 no matter what any medical book, old or new, would suggest.

Thanks hopeless, I don't forget about the over 100,000 deaths from conventional drugs reported annually.

My potassium levels come in low on labs and so I do dose with extra potassium. I don't eat enough high potassium foods but work to do that.

Personally, I've seen so much damage in my family from conventional drugs, so this has a major slant on my feelings. My sister for one has spent many thousands in drugs for supposedly to slow down the progression, she is worse than ever. At this point she has to be fed, she can hardly talk and hasn't walked for a few years. Then there is my daughter and her trips to hospital and IUC from conventional drugs...and a long stint in rehab and total hearing loss. How can I not be slanted on it all.

I do appreciate the works of Weston Price Foundation.

Thanks again.

More awareness and the epidemic of Type 2 diabetes today. I've been taking a Beta Blocker and now Calcium Blocker and diuretic for many years....and thinking more about all the interactions of these drugs and the minerals and electrolytes we need.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1124165257.htm

I've been watching my sugars more and more as I get older and so far I'm OK. But I do take extra potassium daily. The RDA in the U.S. for potassium is 4700mg daily.

I believe I eat well but I'm not perfect, whatever that is.

Anxiety and High Blood Pressure

http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/ca...blood-pressure

A good friend went thru high anxiety and depression a few months ago and ended up in the hospital for 5 days....this was all from anxiety and depression. This friend mentored me on alternatives when I first met her in 1994 and now here she is on 6-8 medications including blood pressure med. She never had high BP issues in all the years I've known her. She's now adding Dr. Sinatra's supplements for heart health and hopes she can get off some of the meds if not all. Controlling anxiety and depression is the key. She's been visiting her mother in FL for a month so just the company of her mom I'm sure is helping, but she is coming back. She doesn't want to move to FL and her mom is 93.

A lady at bridge was talking about her 68 yr old husband who is very athletic, healthy eater, runner, all sounds good...he has BP spikes and does not want to get on BP meds. She says he's laid back....probably some underlying issues going on. There is more to their story but here again could be anxiety going on he won't mention.

I started my committed daily meditation and HOPE it will bring good results....don't know if I'll get off all meds but I'd be happy to get off one at least.

The puzzle keeps unraveling. A friend says that when she ups her B1 her BP goes up and doing research she found B1 can affect BP, making it rise, as it lowers phosperous. Low phos can elevate BP. I've been taking B1 for about 6 months now so maybe that is happening too. Causing BP to rise. She is taking B1 for energy as she deals with CFS/ME. Can be very debilitating but she normally does not have high BP. I'm taking B1 since nerve damage from hip replacement.

So I did a search on high phosporus foods and pumpkin seeds and romano cheese are high on the listing. I don't eat a lot of cheese, drink no dairy milk and eat small amounts of cheese. My other friend is concentrating on no sugar kifer for more phosperous. Talk about a balancing act to try to feel good.

Another friend just bought some monosodium phosphate granules as she would like to build up enamel on teeth. She bought it from swansons. I may get some too.

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/ar...orus-foods.php

I never give up and know foods and ENOUGH can make things so much better....but the key is ENOUGH. We all cut out so much for other reasons. And how much can we eat.