Does anyone use vits and/ or supplements to lower high blood pressure?
Or certain foods that especially help you personally?

I have messed around with magnesium which seems to help some and the staff at the health food store suggested Hawthorne berry which I tried for a couple months without too much success. I went to a doc who specializes in natural remedies and she gave me a list of stuff as long as my arm, it was way too complicated a regimen....4 or 5 bottles of stuff just for BP to be taken, some on empty stomach, some on full stomach, some 2x a day, some 3x a day....it was insane. I was getting stressed just trying to keep it all straight.

My complicating issue, is that I take SO many meds already for pain, etc that whenever I add a prescription bp drug to my already sedating Vicodin, Lyrica, etc, I can barely function I am so foggy headed and sedated.

Would love to know If anyone uses vits or supps for high BP and what you use.
Thanks,
Diandra

The single most effective thing for me has been Magnesium in the form of a wonderful lotion.... Morton Epsom Lotion.

Rubbed into the wrists and inner arms (where the skin is the thinnest), it is absorbed that way and works better than oral forms for me. It opens up blood vessels that may be contracted in areas, where oral cannot get in.

You can use it for muscle tension and pain also.

Available at Walgreen's and WalMart locally and online at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Morton-Epsom-L...n+epsom+lotion

Use about a quarter's dollop once a day. A little goes a long way.

Oh, MrsD...I love you!!!! We all need to bottle you and take TBSP of MrsD's advice every day!
You are so kind to share your wealth of knowledge and research with all of us every day.
In a million yrs I would never have thought of a lotion to solve this issue.
I have a Walgreens close by.
Thanks SO much!
Diandra

I don't have high BP so can't really help with that, but I just wondered whether there was a reason for your having high BP in the first place. e.g. the kidneys have a lot to do with blood pressure, and of course there are many other reasons. Sometimes looking to the source of the problem will send you in the direction needed, although having said that, it's sometimes difficult to find that cause.

hi Lara,
thanks.
docs say cause is high pain levels, high stress and taking Mobic from time to time. When I was good about exercising regularly and eating well it still did not help. I had a physical recently and no kidney problems noted.
thnx, Diandra

For me it has been the following and it has worked wonders to the point that my doctor is likely to lower my BP medication next month if I keep it up:

.Added magnesium tablet before bed
.Conscious effort to eat foods with potassium in it...sulfite free apricots, potatoes now and then
.little to no sugar
.added a green juice most mornings...kale, spinach, cucumber, celery and a small amount of lemon and broccoli

For me, my blood pressure starts dropping within three days do doing this. Within a week, if done consistently, my BP will drop by several points...and if I keep it up, I have to lower my medication. Sadly, I messed up for the holidays.
But, I'm going back. I kept records before and within three days I actually felt a little woozy on my meds...as if I was taking too high a dose of my BP medication. I see the doc in January to discuss this. I had emailed her my numbers and she and her partner were amazed. I personally think magnesium and potassium are key, as well as the avoidance of sugar and salt (I was basically avoiding salt anyway).

I'll probably add the Morton's cream too!

For nutrition and diet info that is helpful look up DASH meal plan. It stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension. As far as nutrition goes a natural and healthy diet includes less processed foods (less salt) and more potassium, magnesium, and calcium. If the hypertension does not respond adequately to diet and exercise then medication can be a lifesaver. A healthy diet as well as weight loss can really help lower or even help prevent high blood pressure.

Hi Diandra, you’ll probably view this a little skeptically, but the supplement that has been most effective for me for BP control is hawthorn. I use the Jarrow formulation: http://www.iherb.com/Jarrow-Formulas...1&sr=null&ic=1
I took 1000 mg daily divided into two doses for about 6 months until it had a noticeable effect on my readings. Now I am down to 500 mg daily as a maintenance dose.

Over the years I’ve tried lots of other supplements to reduce BP without much success. I do take 400 mg of magnesium citrate each day, but what actually has made the most difference for me was reducing my salt intake to 1500 mg daily.

Losing weight was also helpful. Even a 5 lb reduction has made a difference for me. I also used to exercise regularly, but that has now become very difficult with my current mobility problems.

Hope you are successful in finding something that works for you!

I had to succumb to 25mg atenolol, 25mg hydrochlorizide and 2.5mg amlopodine...I tried hawthorne for many years and it wasn't doing it for me. I take upwards of 1000mg mag divided thru the day ... I worked and worked but I think a lot was white coat in doc's office and then I went thru some yrs of taking BP at home. I was driving myself nuts. I know celery is a good veggie for lowering BP, it contains a certain oil that lowers BP. I eat it fairly often. Try to buy organic when price is right. I take extra potassium daily. Daily meditation helps a lot too.

I should have emphasized in my first post that reducing salt intake was key for me to get my BP under control without prescription medication.

My BP is now normal and fairly steady when my salt intake is 1500 to 2000 mg daily. If my intake is more than this, say around 3000 mg, then my BP does rise. I have a reliable BP monitor and I check it frequently to be sure of my readings.