Has anyone successfully reduced their blood pressure without medication?

[Sunshineandflipflops]

Hi

I have had fairly high bp the last few times I have been to the doctor's. They won't let me have the combined pill because of it so i am on the mini-pill.

Now and again I get really bad headaches - I have just got over a 2 day one and I'm thinking it may be related so my parents and partner want me to go to the doctor again to ask about medication.

I really want to avoid being on life-long bp medication if I can so was wondering if anyone has successfully managed to lower theirs without?

For context: I could do with losing a stone or so...am a size 14 but have never been skinny. I don't smoke, I am currently not drinking (stopped 2 weeks ago) and am intending to only drink occasionally going forward. My diet is balanced on the whole - I'm no angel but I cook from scratch most of the time - fairly healthy meals such as chilli/rice made with reduced fat mince, prawn stir fry, pasta with a bit of sausage in...that's a few meals from this week's menu.
I do add salt to food, which I will stop.
I walk or run every day - aim for at least 10,000 steps.

I just got hold of a bp monitor and my reading was 135/99, which I don't think is good.

Any advice or positive stories...?

Thank you

Hi, just thought I'd pop back with a little update in case anyone else is struggling with their blood pressure.

My bp has gone from 135/99 the day I started this post to 119/79 in the past couple of days. I am taking it every few days to keep an eye on it and although it's still on the higher side of normal, I have high bp in my family so I don't expect miracles, I just don't want anything bad to happen to me at 42 if I can do something to prevent it.

I haven't had any alcohol for 77 days, have been eating better so have lost some weight and that has meant my running has become easier and more enjoyable so I have been doing more of that.

I just need to not slip back into bad habits now but hopefully I won't be needing medication for the foreseeable

That’s inspirational! I was thinking how unfair your high BP was given your exercise/lifestyle/moderate weight (i have similar lifestyle and bp 105/70 at the age of 62, which I thank my parents for). Amazing that you got it down further, and I am going to concentrate on shifting those lockdown pounds to make my running easier too.

That’s brilliant, OP.

I was on the verge of needing BP medication and started using MyFitnessPal two years ago - I’ve lost three stone and my BP has come right down.

Yes, of course you can. Most people rather just take pills. There are many ways to lower it. Plant based diet, internment fasting, losing weight. Mine went from 120/80 down to 100/60 in 4 days when on the whole30 diet. And now I’ve added bread and pasta back in, it’s still at a good range 110/65. 120/80 is okay as well. But just letting you know how I lowered it. It might have even gone down within a day or two of diet change, but I only checked 4 days in. I think taking out dairy helped a lot with keeping it down.

Congratulations! Losing weight & e excising means you’ve decreased your risk of cancer, heart disease & diabetes too.

Thanks. I know I am predisposed to higher BP due to my family history but if I can keep it to the higher end of normal myself then I shouldn't need the medication.