hi knowledge-seeker,

The most tried and true natural alternative is losing weight. How are you in this department? On your vegan diet you should be getting really slender.

Beyond that, I do believe it's a chemical thing that your body is producing or not producing that leads to your blood vessels getting constricted. It's very likely genetic. Didn't your doc ask if your parents had the same problems?

BTW, do you take your BP reading at home? Is it still high? Mine is perfectly normal at home but crazy at the doctor's office. If this is the case, you can ask for a 24-hour monitor then you'll see how you are when you are away from the doc's, and yet it will be an official reading.

KSeeker, how’s the Watermelon seed sprouting these days? Seems all that popped in my head when I seen your name-post! As you told me about sprouting Watermelon seeds ..some time way way back…I still have not tried that ‘melon-sprout‘. Perhaps…these links may, in some part, help you for a better day for you, your family -lucidhunt..

http://www.highbloodpressureinfo.org/benefit-of-celery.html

A Health Benefit of Celery is
it`s ability to lower blood pressure.

It is able to do this because of being rich in potassium, but this health benefit of Celery consumption is due to more than one ingredient that most sufferers of high blood pressure are not aware of.
One such ingredient is called phthalide.
Phthalide (3-n-butylphtalide [3nb] ) is a compound which helps to give Celery its unique aroma and taste.
It works by relaxing smooth muscles in the vessel walls causing them to dilate and allow blood to flow more easily


It was discovered after Quang T. Le, a medical student and William J. Elliot a clinical pharmacologist at the University of Chicago did some research. Their action followed an incident where Quang`s father followed an old Chinese remedy noting the health benefit of celery in reducing high blood pressure.
After being diagnosed with the condition he ate a quarter pound of celery everyday and his blood pressure returned to normal, so being intrigued as to why it worked William and Quang investigated and found the responsible compound Phthalide which reduces the production of stress hormones called catecholamines.
Stress hormones are known to restrict blood vessels inhibiting blood flow. Phthalide blocks tyrosine hydroxylase enzyme action which is needed to produce stress hormones.

All you folks who are suffering from high blood pressure and love celery, listen to what Dr. Elliot had to say about the benefit of celery compounds:
”Phthalide works through such a simple and direct mechanism to dilate vessels," and continues, “Many of our current antihypertensive agents act through more roundabout mechanisms ... and can have troubling side effects, such as fainting, drowsiness or impotence."
But beware! He also warns of the high salt content of celery, which I have noticed when I eat it raw, and that eating too much can be toxic.

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http://www.watercure2.org/high_blood_pressure.htm

Celery Lowers High Blood Pressure
The lowly celery stick doesn’t get much respect. Popular primarily as a low-calorie snack or cocktail garnish, celery actually has significant health benefits, including reducing blood pressure. Research at the University of Chicago Medical Center are credit with one of the first studies of celery’s effects on blood pressure, which was prompted when the father of one of the scientists noted a drop in his blood pressure from 158/96 to 118/82 after eating ¼ pounds of celery (about four stalks) daily for just one week.
Studies show that celery’s blood-pressure-lowering effects are due to a compound called 3-n-butyl-phthalide, which can reduce blood pressure by an average of 12 -14 percent. According to researchers, phthalide relaxes the arterial muscles that regulate blood pressure, allowing the vessels to dilate. Phthalide also reduces blood levels of stress hormones that can raise blood pressure by causing vessels to constrict. If you have high blood pressure and want to give celery a try, eat four to five stalks a day for a week and observe the effects. But don’t overdo it.


Amazing Results With Salt Baths
I have personally seen my blood pressure drop to normal virtually every time in 5 to 15 minutes after being in a salt bath consisting of 2.5 cups (2 cups for our large tub, 1 cup is fine for a regular size tub) of salt (unprocessed Sea Salt is best, but even junk table salt is very helpful) and about 1/2 cup of baking soda. Keep the water temperature at 98.6 or lower so your body isn't isn't being stressed trying to maintain the proper temperature. My problem is that even though I drink a lot of water & use plenty of salt, there are times when I get dehydrated. Rather than drink enough salt & water, I started researching the salt baths and the results were amazing. This is great for people whose MD tells them not to use salt & you can bet he/she would have no problem if you swam in the salt water in the ocean. That's why dehydrated people feel much better when they swim in the ocean. Incidentally, the salinity of the ocean and the water environment of a an unborn baby is exactly the same according to Dr. Batmanghelidj.

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(your great output of urine can cause major nutritional loss and could you slow the water- a few hours before you go to sleep…stop the ‘waterworks’ while sleeping…sleep is very..’needed’)
http://www.whitakerwellness.com/health-concerns/nutrient-losses-cause--diabet...


Diabetes is a nutritional wasting disease. The elevated blood Sugar levels that characterize diabetes cause excessive urination. The root words of diabetes mellitus come from the Greek meaning to pass through and sweet or honey. High blood sugar, whether it’s caused by insufficient insulin or insulin resistance (type 1 or type 2 diabetes, respectively), overwhelms the kidneys’ capacity to reabsorb glucose and all other water-soluble nutrients.
Every time the blood Sugar rises and urination increases, the diabetic patient loses water, magnesium, zinc, B12, B6, folic acid, and many other nutrients. Although water is replaced by drinking, nothing is done to replenish the water-soluble nutrients that are also swept out. The diabetic condition demands that these nutrients be replenished—and in large supply—to prevent the devastation that comes from nutritional deficiencies.
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http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/nerve-issues.html


BETTER BUT NOT CURED] 10/20/2010: Karen from Idaho, Usa writes: "14 years ago I suffered a terrible head/neck/shoulder/brachial plexus injury from a head-on car accident. After many years of surgeries, years of prescription meds, therapy etc. my right arm remains nearly 70% paralyzed and I battle pain and spasms everywhere from the neck down continually. Sometimes I can barely walk. One particular remnant of my injuries is that for all these years since my injury my fingers have not wrinkled in water as they used to prior to the accident. My doctor said it is because of the nerve damage. He said that is how they can tell sometimes if a person has a nerve problem, they soak their hands in water. With all my other aches, pains and spasms this however was the least of my problems, and didn't affect my life, just an observation of the change.
Three years ago I met a person who changed my life. He was a walking miracle (another story) and he inspired me to seek a life change through nutrition and natural remedies. In the course of my trying many things I came across an article on the benefits of Magnesium and so bought me a bottle and started taking them daily. I also bought a bottle of concentrated chloropyll and put several drops in my juice daily. If I can remember right, it was about 2 weeks later that I was taking a shower and noticed my fingers felt funny. I looked at them and saw something I hadn't seen in years... Wrinkled skin! This was a clear sign to me that my nerves had improved after all those years. But, as we sometimes do, I got side-tracked with life the past year and got away from my healthy regime and my symptoms all worsened and again my fingers stopped wrinkling.
About three weeks ago I returned to using magnesium and eating healthy and today my fingers started wrinkling again in water! I am now going to up my magnesium intake and start using the Magnesium Oil to see if I can make further improvements. This tells me it's helping my nerves... I'm hoping the Magnesium Oil will help my spasms and pain. I still have the partial paralysis but I hold out hope that I'm very close to finding the solution or combination of solutions. Although this is my first post, I have been browsing this site almost night and day since I found it and have shared it with all my friends."

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http://www.healthway.co.za/product-details/Magnesium-Oil.html?productMore=1&p...


Heart disease- Mg deficiency is common in people with heart disease. Mg is administered in hospitals for acute myocardial infarction and cardiac arrhythmia. Like any other muscle, the heart muscle requires Mg. Mg is also used to treat angina, or chest pain. Hypertension- With insufficient Mg, spasm of blood vessels and high cholesterol occur, both of which lead to blood pressure problems.

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http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/breakdown_advice/carcough.html

Car Cough Clinic
What's that sound?

http://automechanics.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/car-maintenance-101-troubleshoo...

What I dont understand is you seem to be well informed about diabetes and uncontrolled hypertension, you understand that either is dangerous and the combination is dynamite - it will severely shorten your lifespan, you know that stroke is a real risk for you and you probably know that stroke could lead to you being totally crippled and dependent - yet you are determined not to take drugs because they may have side-effects.

I can only encourage you to look up what the side effects of stroke are and then think carefully how that compares with the minor inconveniences that millions of people who take drugs happily put up with.

Damage from diabetes and hypertension is cumulative - you already have many years with both. I suggest that you listen to your doctor and get onto drugs first, then experiment with other natural cures that may allow you to slowly wean off drugs - it has been done.

Your handle is knowledge seeker - please take on board this piece of knowledge about high blood pressure - it does not matter how you get your pressure down - GET IT DOWN.

Hawthorne and cayenne pepper -- as hot of heat units as you an tolerate and work up to 100,000 and higher.

Hi Knowledge seeker. I know the feeling. I have been doing everything I can to avoid getting on those allopathic meds - Because - of their severe side-effects. My kids are the same way.

But I have found some things that will help you greatly with the Diabetes - and then I can tell you about the HBP.

I found that the Herb - Gymnema - can not only help bring down High blood Sugar pretty quickly - but It ALSO Helps Rebuild the pancreas. There are now more studies that actually say that. It is great. I have reduced my insulin need in half the amount from when they first started me.

Clinical Studies:
http://www.restorativemedicine.org/books/healing-diabetes-complementary-natur...



When got lax - I ran out of Gymnema and didn't take it for a while - my blood Sugar need quit going down. I attributed that to the lack of Gymnema. It Works!

I take two in the morning and one at night. They are 400 mg.

I also take two 1000 mg capsules of Cinnamon whenever we have a heavy meal - such as Italian or Mexican food. Then - in the afternoon before supper - I will take two More capsules of 1000 mg of Cinnamon.

My Blood Sugar has been pretty normal. It is usually 127 - and the highest was around 158.

You can also drink tea called Lychee tea - it is great for restoring your eyesight, healing kidneys, and for lowering the Blood sugar. I drink at least two to three cups of it every day.

* This is what I found is the Best Diet for High Blood Sugar: (I have tried a number of diets and) I found that the low-carb diet works best for diabetics. Our bodies need protein because our cells need to be renewed ever 6 mos. So I would not go on just a vegetable diet. I did try that for a while - but it made me sicker in the long run. And I could not maintain my low blood sugar reading either. Which surprised me. I finally ended up with the low carb diet – and I was amazed at how good I felt and how good my numbers ran.


*As for the lowering of the Blood Pressure - I did try drinking a tea in an 9 oz bottle I made out of Turmeric, Cumin, and Celery Seed. It lowered my BP down to around 100/60. I sipped on it while I was waiting for the doctor - since my problem is the “white coat syndrome” - where doctors make me extremely nervous. But I am certain you could take this on a daily regimen. They are all safe and good for a number of things.

I know I have heard parsley works well for this also - but I am not sure what parsley would do to the kidneys long term and it might contribute to gout since it is hard on the kidneys. It might be too strong for daily consumption. I am not sure. I would stay away from parsley if you have any doubts .


I hope you will try the tea, the diet, and Especially the Gymnema and Cinnamon (according to what I read – you need at least 4 – 6 grams of Cinnamon for it to do anything to lower your sugar.) And the great thing about taking the cinnamon like that amount – is it Helps lower cholesterol. (The herb Gymnema does that also as it says in the link I provided). My doctor initially wanted to put me on statins – But Then I took 5 -6 grams of cinnamon + the Gymnema daily and he was amazed at my great numbers. I Didn’t have to go on the statins after that.

Good luck and God bless! I’ll be praying for you!

>At doctor today, I think the blood pressure was 170 or 175 over 86-90 (sorry I forgot). It often is 85-90 on bottom number and once was 100 which was the highest on the bottom. The top runs about 160-175 or so. Maybe occasionally goes higher. I am not wanting to take the diuretic and ace inhibitor she wants me to take. I said I would check out drugs but knew I would not take them but did check them out--side effect wise-- and decided I am not feeling comfortable with taking those drugs. My kids worry cause I won't take drugs for that or diabetes.

I'm sorry you have a hard time walking. It messes up lots of things. (How well I know that!) If you're really insecure walking, though, you might consider whether you might fall trying to cross the slippery pool surrounding area. So you might try getting a rollator to get to the pool steps/railing. I have a rollator I got from Amazon that I'd recommend. It's the Rollator Junior by Drive.

The general trend for diabetics is to have the systolic pressure more out of bounds than the diastolic. When mine is at its worst, the difference between the two pressures could go up to around 150 points or even more. Aim for a systolic reading at 130 or lower, even if the diastolic ends up being on the slightly too low side to get there.

You can try Mukta Vati. I first found out about this amazing blend of herbs from Dr. Andrew Weil's website. He didn't stipulate which of the two possible brands (two different formulations of herbs) to take. I've tried both, and the one from Ivy's is the one that has the greater impact on my blood pressure. It does have a powerful impact if you take enough of it. In the US, you can get it here:

https://www.herbs2healyou.com/mukta-vati.html


They have information and directions on the website. If you end up scheduling surgery sometime, be sure to pay attention to their warning that it can function as a blood thinner on some people. Indications are that it does function that way on me.

I've suffered fewer side effects from Mukta Vati than from ACE inhibitors, Angiotensin II blockers, Beta Blockers, and Calcium Channel blockers. My problem is bad enough that I've been on maximized doses of all those, including 3 of them at the same time and my systolic was still sky high. (Think: 245 and on up to 270 for a systolic.) I'm a highly allergic person (tested allergic to 66 foods) and believe I actually developed an allergy to at least one of the drugs; the more I took, the more I needed because my body was responding by upping the blood pressure, not the reverse. Anyway, I quit them all with sky high readings over a period of a few days, working Mukta Vati in gradually to the maximum dose there (according to the website) = 6 tablets daily. I don't swear that Mukta Vati has no side effects; if you tend toward allergies anything that you take in on a daily basis can begin to produce allergic side effects. But I can at least swear that the tablets don't make my blood pressure go up--quite the reverse.


==
The one caution I'd add is that with a diabetic problem too, you have to worry some about possibly having another risk factor, i.e., kidney disease, in your future. That's a big deal. I have that problem. If I could still be on the prescription stuff, I would be, simply because of my kidney disease and the potential greater benefit from the prescriptions on kidney disease. Research has shown that of all the blood pressure possibilites, ACE inhibitors actually extend life span for diabetics, and are the drug of choice for diabetics.

The ACE inhibitors and to a somewhat lesser extent the Angiotensin II blockers, and to a noticeably lesser extent the half-loop diuretic HCTZ do something not understood in terms of the mechanism of action, but the kidney-benefitting result was well documented in a respected study several years back: they function to help protect the kidneys from the deteriorating effects of high blood pressure on them. Knowing that, I'd still be on my ACE inhibitor and the Angiotensin II blocker too, if I hadn't had such alarming reactions to them.

I'm not a doctor and my advice doesn't mean much, but I'd suggest that in your spot, weighing all the factors, you'd be better off going on an ACE inhibitor and if that doesn't do the trick fully, going on an Angiotensin II blocker too. You might at least give them a try and see whether you could tolerate them. You don't want to wind up with kidney disease and look back, wondering whether you might have given them a try and postponed your kidney disease to sometime on further down the road.

Of course, I don't know for sure that Mukta Vati doesn't have some kidney protection too--I doubt that it has been studied, so there's no way to know for sure. But I'd guess not. My kidney disease has gradually gotten worse over the past year of keeping my blood pressure within decent bounds via Mukta Vati. Adding back in HCTZ did appear to have a small benefit, according to the protein readings. The kind of diuretic HCTZ is is a half-loop kind. I believe that has a milder effect on pulling minerals out of the body than a full loop like fuerosemide. Anyway, I take a lot of supplements to make up for the loss, and it probably is worth it to help the kidneys even a little bit.

==
If you want to buy a blood pressure monitor for use at home, an Omron is the kind my kidney specialist researched and bought for his wife to use.

==
I seriously doubt that you can take care of your blood pressure problem without going one route or the other--your doctor's prescriptions or Mukta Vati--though there are people who have. What you might do would be to begin treatment and try to bring it down further through everything you can think of to try extra--and if it comes down enough cut back and talk to your doctor about trying it cold turkey off prescription meds (or off Mukta Vati) for awhile, just using your alternate methods. Here are some ideas for extra things you might do to add in on top of normal prescription meds/Mukta Vati:

Magnesium Citrate. I take 200 mg once daily at bedtime, preferably not close in time to taking or eating much calcium. According to the book I read on calcium, 400 mg isn't too much if you want to take a big dose.

Celery. I can't eat enough reliably often enough to do anything there. But you don't have to worry about the sodium content; it's only the sodium CLORIDE form that causes an increase in blood pressure, not other forms of sodium. (A large study was published and reported in the newspaper about 16 years ago to that effect. I've no idea why that news didn't get passed around.)

Grape Seed extract. No side effects that I can notice.

Hawthorne. No side effects that I can notice.

Vitamin C. No serious side effects that I can notice.

Pycnogenol. I've taken this haphazardly but it might help some.

==
The following supplements are for diabetes, especially, but hypertension is tied to diabetes too, so try hard to get your diabetes under good control. For a host of reasons, I'd suggest that if you can't do the job without meds that you elect to go on to insulin injections, and not subject yourself to the oral meds for diabetes. (I won't repeat everything that happened to me with the oral meds, but I knew for sure that two of them had no business whatsoever ever being marketed. One, or perhaps both, were eventually removed from the market, after lots of people suffered serious side effects--like heart attacks.) It's critical to keep the blood Sugar levels as close to normal as you can manage, because you don't want to get kidney disease, heart trouble, serious vision loss, worse high blood pressure, stroke, loss of a limb, and a host of other problems. The probability that you'll have chronic yeast infections is just about equal to the probability that you're chronically not keeping your blood Sugar within normal parameters.

Here are some suggestions for what to do for diabetes:

Any kind of exercise works to increase the cells' ability to take up insulin and that protective effect works about 24 hours. You might like a heavy cardio-workout and if so, that's great, especially for the heart. But any exercise that gets muscles to working will help with diabetes blood Sugar control.
Go heavy on the foods with the most fiber. Prefer raw foods when you can.
Cinnamon, take several spoonfuls a day.
Green tea.
Cayenne. I don't do this one except sometimes in certain dishes. It tends to speed up my heart, of which I already have plenty of.
Ginseng.
Garlic & onions. For sure this isn't a cure, but it might help some.

Alpha Lipoic Acid. I've taken this daily for the past year and it's supposed to benefit many different problems. I can't tell whether it's helping or not, but I see no bad side effects. The book "Solve It With Supplements" has nothing but praise for this one and considers it very safe.

Chromium Picolinate. This didn't agree with my stomach, but I've intended to figure out a better regimen for taking it.

Biotin. It might lower the risk of heart disease for diabetics if used in combination with chromium picolinate. Kidney patients have lower supplies of this one, but also might have a problem on using whatever biotin does exist in their system.

Coenzyme Q10.

Zinc. I've been meaning to try this one.

Fenugreek. I just recently got started on this one and I might have actually seen an effect that was good.


Well, that's all I can think of right now. I'm sorry about your bad news and hope you can get things under better control.

Best wishes,
Mary