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High blood pressure anyone?

Glyko said:
Anyone managed to lower their high blood pressure? I have medications but my pressure is still high. I'm thinking of fasting....desperate....no idea how to lower it naturally.
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There’s something called ‘white coat syndrome’ which makes a persons BP go up whenever they visit a doctor or hospital. It’s recognised in other countries but not so much in the UK
 
Sutherland34 said:
There’s something called ‘white coat syndrome’ which makes a persons BP go up whenever they visit a doctor or hospital. It’s recognised in other countries but not so much in the UK
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Hi I get "white coat syndrome" when I go to the surgery for checkup. I've found that you need to relax 5 to 10 minutes before you have your B.P. done. I use breathing exercises and doing this can reduce your readings by a fair margin if you Google "breathing exercises" you will see what I mean. Most of the exercises are along the lines if breath in for 4 secs and then exhale for 4 secs and repeat for a couple of minutes. Is your B.P. normal at home using your own meter? I usually do a week's worth of readings and my surgery accept it as they know I have " white coat syndrome". Lol. Obviously if your readings at home are high then you might need to see your G.P. The Wim Hof breathing exercises for beginners on you tube are very good. Hope that helps...
 
Just got back from Pre op, again. All is well except BP which went through the roof again. They wouldn't take it manually. The cuff causes me so much pain they can't get a proper reading. Now have date for op. Everything else fine. Now worried they will now cancel op. Took it again half an hour after getting home and it was fine.
 
filly said:
Just got back from Pre op, again. All is well except BP which went through the roof again. They wouldn't take it manually. The cuff causes me so much pain they can't get a proper reading. Now have date for op. Everything else fine. Now worried they will now cancel op. Took it again half an hour after getting home and it was fine.
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I hope you get your op. My GP always takes my blood pressure manually, for what it's worth (probably not very much).
 
filly said:
Just got back from Pre op, again. All is well except BP which went through the roof again. They wouldn't take it manually. The cuff causes me so much pain they can't get a proper reading. Now have date for op. Everything else fine. Now worried they will now cancel op. Took it again half an hour after getting home and it was fine.
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I have exactly the same problem, I have bruised where the cuff has been before and they also refuse to take it manually. At home better, white coat syndrome is horrible.
 
Lainie71 said:
I have exactly the same problem, I have bruised where the cuff has been before and they also refuse to take it manually. At home better, white coat syndrome is horrible.
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I just hope I don't get to hospital next week and they send me home again! Trying to be positive....
 
Mbaker said:
Walking and hand grips exercises consistently. Real garlic (not powder) and beetroot if you can tolerate it. This is what I have done to get to 118 / 72. Hard to tease out what has made the most difference, but I did do a test along time ago with garlic and this dropped my pressure by about 8.
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Hi how much beet juice and garlic do you take daily to reduce you BP please?
 
Another with white coat syndrome here.
I ended up doing a week of monitoring at home with my own BP meter using a form from the surgery.
Results were fine.

Last review around September I warned that I had white coat syndrome but was told that my BP was "perfect".
Just checked and the result doesn't show on my GP system.
 
jude23 said:
Hi how much beet juice and garlic do you take daily to reduce you BP please?
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I get four pack beetroot from either Waitrose or Morrisons. I use half with a meal. I do not do garlic so much now, due to the smell and having good numbers, but "we" cook with garlic often. I did notice I am sensitive to coffee, including decaf. I like natural remedies, if this is for you testing is key.
 
I got cross with the nurse at my surgery when she was taking my BP because as soon as the cuff started to inflate she would ask me a bunch of questions :rolleyes: The guidelines are: rest your arm on the desk/table, take a few relaxing breaths, DON’T TALK, place both feet on the floor (don’t cross your legs) and think of something nice, usually walking on a deserted beach for me. I do take BP medication and have white coat hypertension but since doing this little ritual it has improved. If the nurse starts talking to me I ask her to stop talking and start it again. Goodness knows what’s written in my notes:D

edit to add: Also I didn’t know that high bp is a precursor to T2D! I only found this out a couple of years ago and I’ve had high bp for about 20 years. It’s slowly coming down with low carb eating.
 
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TrevorFisher said:
Get yourself a bp machine and take yourself at home. Do it regularly and keep note of the results on your phone.
Doctors will still want to do their own check, but you can show them your results.

They are not expensive
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I used to pop a letter to my doctor with my home BP readings, then I joined MyDiabetesMyWay (I'm in Scotland) and put them in myself. They get added to my records with an indicator that they are a home reading.
 
TrevorFisher said:
Get yourself a bp machine and take yourself at home. Do it regularly and keep note of the results on your phone.
Doctors will still want to do their own check, but you can show them your results.

They are not expensive
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I sure wish I could. I have a machine at home but no Dr to take my BP. So I have no way to know if it's right or not. Covid got rid of the pharmacy ones .
I could always wait the 12 plus hours in er for a BP check tho.
Our walk ins are camera Dr's.
So no option there.
 
cdpm said:
I sure wish I could. I have a machine at home but no Dr to take my BP. So I have no way to know if it's right or not. Covid got rid of the pharmacy ones .
I could always wait the 12 plus hours in er for a BP check tho.
Our walk ins are camera Dr's.
So no option there.
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You take your own with a home machine. No need for a doctor. Approved machines are accurate enough. The bhf are not the only place to get them

Buy approved Blood Pressure Monitors | British Heart Foundation

Buy BIHS Approved Blood Pressure Monitors from the British Heart Foundation. Check your numbers from the comfort of home. Wide range of leading brands.
giftshop.bhf.org.uk giftshop.bhf.org.uk
 
I found this result quite surprising - they found the most effective form of exercise for reducing systolic BP was isometrics (static stuff like planks and wall sits).
Even just static holds with hand grippers can have a significant effect.

 
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