How long did it take for your BP to go down?

[moonmirror]

I came back to this primarily because my BP was running at 140/100. One week on strict carbohydrate restriction, it is exactly the same. I did it to get rid of alcohol cravings, too, but this was the main reason.

This runs in my family. My dad and brother are both medicated for it, but the medication doesn't really control it well. Their diastolic still runs high, also. There is severe heart disease in my family. Diabetes, too.

So...for those of you who brought it down with this diet, how long did it take? I'm wondering if some weight loss needs to occur before it comes down.

I was actually ok with my weight, I had made peace with being a size 12-14. No biggie. I hated being out of control with carbs, and I hated having a problem with alcohol, and then when my BP went through the roof...it was time.

I guess now its time for another physical, but I hesitate to go on meds that don't help anyone in my family. My brother even started running daily + bp meds + 30 lb weight loss, and it didn't go down.

[Moogie303]

I've been eating LC for over 7 months now and have lost 75lbs. My BP started dropping gradually along with my weight. It did not happen overnight. Was it the weight loss or the change in eating or the exercise that caused it to drop?? Probably was a combination of all three. When I started my BP was "under control" with the meds but I was taking a pretty high dose twice a day and it was usually in the 120's over 80's range. Now my issue is that it is too low (the diastolic is usually in the 50's now) so we have changed my meds to reflect my new state of health.

Originally Posted by moonmirror

This runs in my family. My dad and brother are both medicated for it, but the medication doesn't really control it well. Their diastolic still runs high, also. There is severe heart disease in my family. Diabetes, too.

My guess would be that they're not on the right medication. I think in the beginning I had to try at least 10 different meds before I found the one that controlled my BP. With heart disease and diabetes running in your family, LC eating is the best way to go. I am also diabetic and am now almost completely off the meds for that. You can control this, it is in your power.

You need to give it some time. Giving up alcohol is a biggie and should help your BP, but it won't happen overnight. Patience..............

Angie

[Magicsmom]

Originally Posted by Moogie303

My guess would be that they're not on the right medication. I think in the beginning I had to try at least 10 different meds before I found the one that controlled my BP. With heart disease and diabetes running in your family, LC eating is the best way to go. I am also diabetic and am now almost completely off the meds for that. You can control this, it is in your power.

You need to give it some time. Giving up alcohol is a biggie and should help your BP, but it won't happen overnight. Patience..............

Angie

I agree with this. It takes a lot of experimentation with the various drugs out there before you find the one that works for you. In my case, my high BP is congenital. My dad and his mother both had it. When I had to go on BP meds, I weighed 150, so it's not connected to my weight. So losing weight has had no affect on it, and I still need meds.

[moonmirror]

Thanks for the responses.

I'm a little worried about going on meds, and then experiencing a drop. I used to get a drop when I ran a lot, if I ran more than an hour or so.

I'll get a physical soon.

[chiody]

There are many factors at play here, genetics, family history, wt., dietary parameters, salt consumption, stress, etc. No hard fast rules to abide by FWIW. My anecdotal experience was a gradual decline with wt. loss and exercise. Nothing as dramatic as changes in BS levels switching to VLCing.

Early 20's, was stage 1 hypertensive, corrected with exercise and reduction in salt intake over a 3/4 yr. period.

[flourchild]

My BP hasn't drop with LC eating. Despite losing significant poundage, walking, hydrating and watching my sodium intake, it stays in the twice-normal range without medication. Both of my parents have high BP however, so it appears to be genetic. However LC helped with other things (BG, migraines etc.) so it's still been a bit of a "miracle cure", far as I'm concerned.

[peanutte]

My blood pressure was as high as 170/100. I'm not kidding or exaggerating. In fact, I had some readings that were even higher. I considered 155/95 to be an improvement.

Following my doctor's advice, I cut back severely on caffeine (now I hardly ever have it), and completely overhauled my excessive drinking habit. I thought those two things would bring down my blood pressure, but at 190-212 pounds, no, they didn't really have the desired affect.

He also said I needed to lose weight, so despite my thyroid condition, I was bound and determined to do so.

I did lose weight on a low-fat, higher carb WW-Core style diet ("way of eating"--whatever) before coming back to Atkins. I went from 212 to 179 and then regained back to about 195. My blood pressure didn't come down. I tried exercising more. It didn't come down.

I switched from Effexor to Wellbutrin, because of a correlation I noticed in being on Effexor and having high blood pressure that I'd never had before. My blood pressure still didn't come down enough.

After starting Atkins in early January, and sticking to it, and eating clean, I was off my meds by the end of February. Now, WITHOUT my meds, my BP was running as low as 70/50. Normally, now, it's never as high as 120/80.

So to answer your question, it only took two months on Atkins to bring it down.

[cleochatra]

My blood pressure dropped in about a month on Atkins, and I was able to cease medications. I was probably lucky, though! My doctor said I simply didn't need them anymore after that. I was pretty thankful.

[peanutte]

I know--I was extremely grateful and happy about it too.

[sistertzu]

Some people with high blood pressure are not helped by diet. Some have never been overweight, it is and individual thing. My blood pressure has lowered below normal in the past year. I am no longer on meds.

Sis

[jezzie]

My BP went up after 11 months on LC and losing 59 pounds . No reflection on LC.
Not all high BP is sodium, diet or weight related. ..... Sometimes the cause is unknown.

[laureninva]

You mention alcohol - were/are you a frequent drinker? Prior to my return to LC in August, I was drinking often (a couple drinks almost daily). Even on medication, my BP was running 140/90. I quit drinking 100% and went back to LC. Within about a month my BP (still on the same meds) is down to 112/60. My doc will probably cut my dosage down at my next visit.

Alcohol SERIOUSLY affects blood pressure if you are a regular drinker. If you cut back significantly or quit completely, you will probably see a drop in your BP. It takes about a month for it it level out.

[fawn]

Are you a smoker? That can also have a negative affect on bp.

Are you taking any omega 3 supplements? A krill oil? Cod Liver Oil? That can also help normalize you.....

[moonmirror]

Oh, I just saw there were responses in here!

Yes, I was a drinker, but I've quit as well. Three weeks now. I do anticipate that helping my blood pressure.

I haven't been a smoker for about 12 years. I smoked quite a bit in my early adulthood. I'm quite horrified by it. I anticipate being equally horrified in the future as I look back on the drinking.

Eyes forward! Yes, I CAN put down unhealthy habits. It is completely possible.

Low-carbohydrate eating seems to squash my desire for both sugar and alcohol. Both seem abhorrent to me right now.

[peanutte]

Yes, I was a drinker, but I've quit as well. Three weeks now.

That's awesome. Good for you!

[moonmirror]

Fawn, do those come in tablet form? I'm pretty sure I don't want to take a tablespoon of that.

Genetically I come from the northern hemisphere, I am pale and light eyed and redheaded, all my ancestors come from Ireland and Scotland and the Netherlands. I am supposed to eat a lot of fish! There's also a lot of alcoholism in my ancestry.

I find that I don't, though. Its expensive, its hard to find good quality here, and I have concerns about its cleanliness.

I could eat fish daily though, I love it.

[cleochatra]

Lemon flavored cod liver oil is amazeballs! It's very refreshing. We add it to protein shakes for breakfast. The regular CLO is a little grode.

[moonmirror]

Lemon-flavored, huh? Hm. Does it taste like fish, too?

[cleochatra]

Honestly, I have no clue why it doesn't, but it doesn't taste ookie fishy. It tastes almost minty? Very refreshing for cod liver. The kids can tell that from the regular CLO in their shakes.

[moonmirror]

Update: went into the doc, because my BP was STILL 140/100 this morning. I've been on Atkins for two weeks now.

She put me on blood pressure meds. God, I can't believe this. Age 40, on meds?? The pharmacist looked at me and said, "why are YOU on this?" I still look kind of young for 40. I said, "Family history, I think."

Then she gave me a diet that's nothing like Atkins. I'm not really sure about that. My best guess is that a diet without sweets, without alcohol, and that is whole foods is the key, and I'd bet the fact that I don't eat grains is a non-issue here.

Anyway. I don't want to be walking around with pressures like this, so that's the way it is.

[flourchild]

Originally Posted by jezzie

Not all high BP is sodium, diet or weight related. ..... Sometimes the cause is unknown.

Zactly. My BP was 240/161 when it was discovered and I was immediately hospitalized. By then I'd dropped major poundage but no amount of dieting seems to mitigate this number. I do still hope it will improve over time so I can throw out the meds, but who knows?

[peanutte]

She put me on blood pressure meds. God, I can't believe this. Age 40, on meds?? The pharmacist looked at me and said, "why are YOU on this?" I still look kind of young for 40.

I was put on them when I was 39. That's when I was at my heaviest. It's not a shockingly young age to have hypertension if you have contributing factors in your life.

[moonmirror]

Peanutte!

I just saw your post above. I don't know why I didn't see it earlier. I'm sorry.

Just wanted to let you know I am hoping exactly for the results you described. That was my whole reason for coming back to Atkins. The BP and the alcohol quit! So far the quit is going great.

On my meds, last night my BP was 120/78. This morning, 122/80.

I am actually not overly heavy. I'm overweight, but not really obese. Yesterday at the doctor I weighed in at 170, and I'm a size 12. Actually I'm actively shrinking right now, my pants are getting big. I didn't get a starting weight, but I was probably close to 180 when I started Atkins two weeks ago.

This diet works wonderfully when you don't drink six lowcarb beers or a bottle of wine with it every day!

[Magicsmom]

Originally Posted by moonmirror

Update: went into the doc, because my BP was STILL 140/100 this morning. I've been on Atkins for two weeks now.

She put me on blood pressure meds. God, I can't believe this. Age 40, on meds?? The pharmacist looked at me and said, "why are YOU on this?" I still look kind of young for 40. I said, "Family history, I think."

Then she gave me a diet that's nothing like Atkins. I'm not really sure about that. My best guess is that a diet without sweets, without alcohol, and that is whole foods is the key, and I'd bet the fact that I don't eat grains is a non-issue here.

Anyway. I don't want to be walking around with pressures like this, so that's the way it is.

Going on meds for now doesn't mean it's forever. I think I was 33 when I was put on BP meds. I weighed 150 and was a non-drinker/smoker. As has been pointed out, it's not always a lifestyle issue. Family history can play a major role. But if yours is lifestyle, it will show up as you lose weight and exercise. At the age of 35, I became insulin resistant. I don't think I'll ever get off the BP meds, but thank God we have them. Uncontrolled BP is MUCH worse for you than taking meds. BTW, I think that pharmacist was out of line.

[Griffen]

The Eades recommend taking magnesium to lower blood pressure. I quote:

"A few months back, a new patient came to our office for preliminary blood work prior to an evaluation by our partner [...]. In the course of his evaluation, the nurse had taken the patient's blood pressure and discovered it was extremely elevated. Since many patients come to us for treatment of hypertension, the finding of an elevated blood pressure wouldn't normally have inspired much excitement in our nursing staff, but this patient's reading was through the roof! Our nurse came flying through the door to our office with his eyes the size of saucers, reporting what he'd found, and seeking our immediate intervention. [On rechecking] we, too, got dangerously high numbers [from this patient] - of a magnitude that would send this patient to the hospital if we were unable to reduce the pressure fast. And the fastest way possible? [...] We had the nurse quickly insert an intravenous butterfly catheter and we administered - you guessed it - plain old magnesium in as rapid a drip as we deemed safe. And as usual, it worked its miracle magic and quickly brought his pressure down to a manageable level. Blood drawn from his arm prior to putting the magnesium into his vein indeed showed his blood (serum) magnesium to be on the low side of normal [...]." (The Protein Power LifePlan, p. 210, paperback edition)

It is worth trying magnesium to lower blood pressure. They recommend taking chelated magnesium supplements - so look for magnesium citrate, or malate, or aspartate when you go to the health food store. Their recommendation is that patients take at least 300 to 400 mg of extra magnesium daily. But check the bottle to find out how much of that tablet is actually magnesium and how much is filler! (Eades, PPLP, p. 223).

[cleochatra]

I'm a little bit concerned about that, especially if you're already taking blood pressure meds.

I would let LC work its magic for a month or so and you'll more than likely be either reducing or eliminating your meds, barring any unforeseen circumstances or medical conditions.