Has anyone lowered blood pressure without meds?

[charitytodayislovely]

High BP runs in our family and I usually take mine about every 6 months or so. I get really anxious taking it so the readings are usually quite high on the first few tries. Anyway took it today and it's defo way too high so I'll ring the GP first thing in the morning.

It's a bit of a wake up call as I'm 3 stone overweight and I've been mucking about for ages, gaining a few pounds/regaining them so this is the kick up the bum that I need,

Question is, has anyone managed to lower their BP without need for meds? I've recently started Weight Watchers (I'm only 1 week in) and if possible would love to do this without meds.

Dr David unwin for a fairly drastic but excellent eating plan to reverse diabetes that will also bring your bp down as you drop a couple of stone

I agree!

Just to clarify, I'll be chatting to my GP and taking her advice but if there's a way to try and lower it naturally first then I'm keen to do that. I'm not anti med but I think if I 'fix' the problem with meds then I'll not be inclined to make the weight/lifestyle changes I need to make. I'm seeing this as an opportunity to get my arse into gear!

It's definitely important to control such high BP with medication initially, @charitytodayislovely . I'd work with the GP to determine a tapered reduction of meds once you've improved all the other contributory factors, i.e.:

Reduce stress (this is really important! Meditation and breathing exercises can help)
Lose weight (this is also key to reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes)
Healthy diet (Mediterranean style - lots of vegetables, no UPF)
Exercise (both cardio and weights/resistance)
Limit alcohol and caffeine, and don't smoke

But please keep liaising with your doctor!

Been to see GP today and BP was very high but that's also down to me having white coat syndrome. Anyhoo he's put me on 2.5 mgs of Ramapril and said if I make some lifestyle changes, lose weight etc, he's happy to review. This is the kick up the ass I've needed!

I've reduced mine hugely. Mine was higher than yours OP initially. I have lost 2.5 stone and I walk daily, low salt etc and I am on a quarter of the dose of meds I was originally on.

That's encouraging @MrsPelligrinoPetrichor and well done. I'm feeling a bit annoyed at myself as I feel it's lifestyle-related but I'm also feeling very motivated. I've just been for a brisk 15 minute walk and then I'm going to do a workout this evening after work. I'm going to pace myself though otherwise I'll make drastic changes that I won't stick to, so I'm aiming for 2 stone weight loss with Weight Watchers and at least a 20 min daily walk. That's my starting point for now and I'll review after that.

That sounds great, @charitytodayislovely.I'm not familiar with WW but I hope that its focus is on healthy, unprocessed foods, ie lots of vegetables, a fair amount of lean protein and some healthy fats and unrefined carbs. If you Google Mediterranean diet you'll find lots of recipe ideas.

I dont know how fit you are and whether you already have an exercise regime, but Lucy Wyndham Reed and Rebecca Louise are very good for beginners. Growingannanas is a bit more intense, and if you relish a real challenge, have a look at Caroline Girvan. Working out with dumbbells is really benefit as it provides both cardio and resistance.

But please keep taking the Ramapril until your GP says you can reduce the dose. It definitely can happen if you put in the work!

Yes.

I put my high bp and type 2 diabetes into remission by losing 4 stone on the counterweight programme.

Overseen by NHS you drink shakes for 3 months 800 calls a day and then reintroduce food over the next 3 months.

I've put a bit of weight back in over the last few years but still in remission.

@FlowerArranger WW is largely low fat I would say but you can eat veg, fruit, lean protein and pulses etc and then you have daily points if you want to add in fats etc. I lost 4lbs in my first week of using it and didn't feel deprived at all.

On a normal day I do about 6000 steps but that's not really exercise it's just movement around the house/office so my first goal is to add in a brisk walk every day. I have a tendency to throw myself enthusiastically into new things and then lose interest quickly so I'm focusing on simple sustainable things I can easily do - eat well, sleep well (no more phone surfing at bed time!!) and build in more exercise. Obvs will take the meds and as my weight drops, I'll ask for a review.