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Q: How can you lower blood pressure without medication?
I have somewhat high blood pressure right on the edge of being stage one hypertension. I don’t want to take medication because A.) I don’t have insurance at the moment and B.) Blood pressure medication is bad for the liver.

So the question is: how can I lower my blood pressure without using medication? Thanks!

A: 1. Lose weight if you’re overweight.
2. Reduce sodium intake. try to keep it under 2,200 milligrams a day.
3Reduce your alcohol intake. try not to exceed a drink a day. Also, stop smoking.
4, Exercise more frequently.
5. Eat a diet low in fat, saturated ,fat sodium, and colesterol. And increase your intake of legumes.

Q: What blood pressure medication is the safest during pregnancy??
I just recently had a miscarriage caused by high blood pressure. I want to try again, but i am worried that taking any medication while pregnant will harm the fetus’s growth. My doctor told me that i will continue to miscarry without the medication, but i am very worried about any effects to the baby. What is the safest blood pressure medication to take while pregnant and have there been any studies to prove no abnormalities. I am very worried. Please can anyone help. Thanks.

A: Sousou! High blood pressure medicines commonly used during pregnancy include:

* Methyldopa (a first-choice oral medicine for controlling high blood pressure during a pregnancy).
* Hydralazine (a first- or second-choice intravenous medicine for quickly lowering severely high blood pressure during pregnancy).
* Labetalol (a first- or second-choice intravenous medicine for quickly lowering severely high blood pressure in the hospital, and also considered a first- or second-choice oral medicine for controlling high blood pressure during pregnancy).
* Nifedipine (a first- or second-choice oral medicine for controlling high blood pressure during pregnancy).

Magnesium sulfate is considered the safest and most effective anticonvulsant for preventing eclampsia (seizures) during pregnancy

Medicine for preeclampsia and high blood pressure during pregnancy may be used to:
* Control high blood pressure. Lowering high blood pressure does not prevent preeclampsia from getting worse, because high blood pressure is only a symptom of the condition, not a cause. High blood pressure medicine is usually not used unless a pregnant woman’s diastolic blood pressure (the second number) reaches levels of about 105 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury) and above.1 Expectant management is the preferred treatment for mild high blood pressure during pregnancy.
* Prevent seizures. Magnesium sulfate is usually started before delivery and continued for 24 hours after delivery for women with pregnancy-related seizures (eclampsia) and those with moderate to severe preeclampsia.
* Speed up fetal lung development. When possible, a corticosteroid (betamethasone or dexamethasone) is given to the mother prior to a premature birth (up to 34 weeks of gestation). This medicine matures the fetus’s lungs over a 24-hour period, which lowers the risk of breathing problems after birth.

For more information on miscarriages and birth defects visit my free website
http://www.pregnancy-guidelines.com

http://birthdefectcauses.blogspot.com

Q: How exactly does blood pressure medication work ?
If blood pressure is the result of blood moving inefficiently or in a restricted manner around your body then how does blood pressure medication go about lowering it ? Does it contain something that expands your arteries ? Or some type of blood thinner ? Or does it merely slow your heart down ? Thanks for your replies

A: Blood pressure is the force exerted by the flow of blood on the walls of major arterial blood vessels — similar to the flow of water through a garden hose. It is determined by the amount of blood being pumped by the heart in a minute (cardiac output) compared to the resistance of the arterial vessel walls.

This explains why both the amount of fluid in your arteries and the relative elasticity, or “hardening” of the arteries, are factors in high blood pressure. Again, think of a hose. If the water is turned on full blast and there is a kink in the tubing, the pressure builds up. Likewise, the higher the volume of blood and the stiffer the artery, the harder the heart has to work to pump the blood around your system.

Because blood is the foundation of life, nature is mainly concerned with a loss of blood pressure. If your blood pressure drops suddenly, during shock or in reaction to medication for example, our bodies have multiple protective measures to instantly restore homeostasis.

But nature has fewer mechanisms to address high blood pressure, so the best defense is a good offense. How do you know if you have high blood pressure? Up to a third of the people who have it don’t even know it. Since there are virtually no symptoms until hypertension is advanced, the best way to tell is to get regular blood pressure readings

Antihypertensives work in one or more ways: by decreasing blood volume via increased urine production (diuretics); by facilitating blood flow through dilation of blood vessels (alpha-blockers, ACE inhibitors, and sympathetic nerve inhibitors); or by decreasing the rate and/or force of heart contractions, thereby decreasing volume of blood pumped through arteries (alpha-beta blockers, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers). Other drugs, like angiotensin blockers and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, block natural chemicals produced by the body to combat low blood pressure.

Q: Does blood pressure medication make everyone feel tired and sore all over?
I have been taking blood pressure medication for 3 days, and although my blood pressure is now perfect, I feel awful.

I just wanted to know if this is something that is temporary, where the side effects you become immune to, or if this is something unusual?

A: It does take a while to adjust to. Ive been taking BP meds for 8 years and I just got my dosage adjusted last Thurs. Now I feel Blah!( tired, Dizzy, headaches) Eventually your body will get used to it and you will be feeling great.

Q: How long does it take blood pressure medication to take effect?
I am a 33 yr old guy. My doctor just put me on 25mg of Hydrochlorothiazide. One pill a day. I started taking yesterday. I have been monitoring my blood pressure constantly since. Its still way too high. Should I be concerned and call my physician or wait a few days for the medication to take effect.

A: HZT acts as a diuretic to reduce the volume of the blood. The Kidney is the one doing this work, therefore you might need to wait for a few days to normalize your blood pressure.

While taking this med, you need to eat potassium-rich foods such as banana, raisins, orange juice to prevent hypokalemia (low potassium level on the blood) which is an occasional side-effect.

For further readings, check this site: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a682571.html

For further discussion on any medication go to pharmacy reviewer forum website.

Q: Does Blood Pressure medication always work ?
I work with a lady who has had high blood pressure for years. Last week, she had, what they diagnosed as Bells Palsy – and per her on medication for her high blood pressure. Today our boss took her blood pressure and it is 160/100. I’d be running to a doctor – what do you think ?
How many days does the medication take to become effective ?

A: No medication always works. But generally it works for a large portion of those who use it.

160/100 is not life threatening. She needs to follow her dr’s orders, continue her medication and follow up on treatment.

Medication is not a magic bullet, it takes time, tweaking, dietary and lifestyle changes to work optimally.

Q: What type of high blood pressure medication would be best to combine with a low dosage of beta blocker?
I recently started taking medication for high blood pressure. My doctor prescribed a beta blocker and a diuretic. However, I am not tolerating the diuretic and was wondering what other types of medication would be effective in a combined therapy with a low dosage of a beta blocker.

A: You have two more options among the first line antihypertensive medications. Your doctor can either place you an an ACE inhibitor such as lisinopril, or a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker such as amlodipine. The choice depends on your other medical problems. For example, if you are a diabetic, lisinopril would be better for its kidney protection effects; if you like to excercise a lot, amlodipine would be better since it does not bottom out the blood pressure during excercise, etc. What you should avoid is non-dydropyridine calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem, which tend to slow down the heart and, combined with the beta blocker, could lead to the heart rate that is too slow.

Hope that helps,

Haslo

Q: Is it true that once you start taking High Blood Pressure Medication , you have to take them forever?
I have heard that once you start taking high Blood Pressure medication that you have to stay on it for he rest of your life even if you improve your condition, is that true ???

Best Informed Answer 10 Points and please provide links if possible

Thank You !!!!
That’s funny Jenny my Doctor pretty much put it the same way .

A: You can go to WebMd.com and read up on hypertension. Blood pressure medication is not a given for the rest of your life and many people can discontinue their medication with their physician’s approval once they start exercising every day, have lost weight, eat a more healthy diet and their blood pressure is now back in normal ranges. Have you never watched “Biggest Losers” on TV where lots of those overweight men are taken off all or most of their medications once they change their lifestyles? Occasionally, there is a heredity factor that no matter how well you eat, exercise or lose weight, your blood pressure remains elevated. Those people will need to take blood pressure medication the rest of their lives.

Q: What is the best time of day to take a new blood pressure medication?
My husband is starting a new blood pressure medication, Lisinopril. Because he is taking other medications, I cannot figure out the best time of day for him to take this additional daily pill and achieve desired results.

A: I work in a cardiac intensive care unit and the doctors there recommend that our patients take their oral blood pressure medications first thing in the morning. The medication takes about 2 hours for it to be working at its full affect and this way they get the full benefit of it through out the entire day. We even recommend that they set their alarm clocks and take it at the same time even if they are off work or on vacation. I hope this is the kind of information that you are looking for.

Q: How fast does high blood pressure medication work?
A relative is on a low dose high blood medication and I was curious how fast it takes effect after she takes it? Is it a matter of minutes, hours, or days?

A: It depends on what kind of medication it is, and some people need to be on meds a couple weeks before the BP goes down. Generally, if it’s a beta blocker, it works pretty fast, reaching peak effectiveness in 24 hours.

Q: Blood Pressure Medication, Benazepril 20mg, does it work immediately or long term?
I know that antidepressants can take up to a month to build up in your system and start working but does Blood Pressure Medication, specifically Benazepril 20mg, need time to build up in your system or does it start working from day one?
My father has recently been put on blood pressure medication and I want to learn more about it.

Don’t tell me to “Go to the doctor” because he is getting his meds from a doctor but this is for my own information.

A: There are 3 pharmacologic principles involved. What happens after a single dose which is not very interesting as we do not typically prescribe a single dose. Pharmacokinetics which means what the body does to the drug – absorption, distribution, elimination, and so on. This is easy to measure and most of what you read about prescription medications is their pharmacokinetic properties. Pharmacodynamics is what the drug does to the body. This is most often not understood. The pharmacodynamic effect of drugs typically takes some time. Benazepril may have some effect after a single dose, and will demonstrate most of its effective within 1 to 2 weeks, but the full effect may not be seen until 4 weeks or longer. Benazepril is an angiotensin 1 converting enzyme inhibitor. This is the family of anti-hypertensive drugs that most physicians would use to start therapy. Today it is common for people with hypertension to be on 2 or 3 drugs. This is not poly-pharmacy but a reflection of the fact that anti-hypertensive medications have over time become more effective with fewer side effects. If I may be of further assistance please let me know. I wish you and your father the very best of health and in all things may God bless.

Q: When do you take your blood pressure medication?
I have been taking amlodipine and HCT for about 3 months now. My doctor highly recommended me to take it in the morning. He knows that it makes me drowsy; but, he insists that if I take it in the morning, I will be able to urinate more frequently as needed.

But, I love taking it at night because it helps me to rest better at night. When do you all take your blood pressure medication? Just curious. And share what kind you take as well! I appreciate you all.

A: Well, I take a Beta Blocker, Toprol, in the morning and and ace inhibitor, Altace, in the evening.

The timing of when I took them became quite an issue when I was in Cardiac Rehab. On a couple of occasions, my body basically shut down on the way to work from Cardiac rehab. I’m talking indescribable tiredness. I just pulled over and laid the seat down and rested. The alarm bells seemed to go off at Cardiac Rehab. They ended up changing my medication time from 7:30 to 10:30 and it never happened again.

You might try taking the medication a little later after you have gotten up and moving a while.

Q: any suggestions for treating high blood pressure without medication?
I`ve been taking High blood pressure medication for the past 20 years and would like to know if its going to have any adverse effect on my health generally. Is there any way I could bring my pressure down without medication?

A: Non-medical modes of treatment of high blood pressure

(1) Change your outlook and the life style:High blood pressure is a result of fast and competitive modern life.

If you possess a tense personality, straight away implement efforts to change your mental attitude. Do not compete with the clock. Do not take office-work to your home.

(2) Restrict salt-intake: In fact, salt is an old habit of human beings. The salt-content of natural foods is remarkably low. It is man who adds salt to food at every step. We may prefer to remain hungry to taking a salt-less diet. But we should note that those who never tasted salt, find its taste extremely disagreeable.

(3) Reduce your weight if you are obese: High blood pressure and obesity are intimately related. High blood pressure is extremely common in fat persons.The greater the obesity, the higher the blood pressure.Many a times, blood pressure drops merely by reducing weight .Determine the ideal body-weight for your height. If your weight is more than ideal, immediate start efforts to reduce it.

(4) Take exercises and do yogasanas regularly: That light exercises and yogasanas reduce blood pressure is a proven fact.

(5) Cultivate correct dietary habits: A person with high blood pressure consume low-sugar, low-saturated fat, low-salt, and low-calorie diet. calcium and potassium have also been found to be useful in bringing down the blood pressure. A vitamin-like substances, choline also reduces blood pressure.

(6) Give up alcohol:If a person continues to drink, other measures to reduce blood pressure usually fail.

(7) Stop smoking :The incidence of high blood pressure has been found to be greater in smokers. Tobacco has two toxic elements ; nicotin and carbon monoxide.

It is not only desirable but very essential that a person wanting to bring down his blood pressure, stops smoking completely.

(8) Give Magnet therapy and Acupressure a chance.

Q: How long does it take for my blood pressure medication (Atenolol)to start working??
My doc just gave me a prescription for Atenolol 50mg.Taken once a day.I just started this medication on Thursday but my blood pressure is still very high with no signs of decrease.Does this stuff take a while to start working or will my doc probably have to raise the dosage?Thanks.

A: You can expect the full effect on blood pressure after about 1-2 weeks. However, the blood pressure lowering effect of atenolol is limited and most patients need more than one medication to effectively treat hypertension. So, you might need to add another medication to reach your goal.

Q: How can I balance my blood pressure medication?
I have just been diagnosed with Reynaud’s, and although my blood pressure is normal, I have been prescribed medication that will lower it to treat the Reynaud’s symptoms. However, I was told as my BP is normal, this can cause a bit of lightheadedness and head aches. Is there a non-medicinal way I can counteract that, as I don’t want to have to take head ache tablets as well, and I don’t want to undo what the BP tablets do.

Thanks

A: If you have been prescribed a calcium channel blocking drug such as nifedipine this Will cause your blood vessels to dilate relieving the symptoms of Renaud’s caused by constricting blood vessels however the side effects COULD be light headedness etc usually your body will adjust over a period of weeks so that you will strike a balance. Unfortunately all drugs have side effects its just a matter of weighing up the pros and cons

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