Hi Bugseye

Sorry for the delay but I was interstate and not keeping tabs on posts on this web site.

I just completed my 8 weeks on vitamins and minerals in place of meds (meds being Avapro).

To determine if the vitamins and minerals have had any significant effect, I decided to try one month with no meds and no vitamins and minerals.

When that is all complete I will post my BP readings as follows:

(1) Pre-meds
(2) With meds
(3) With no meds BUT with vitamins and mineral supplements
(4) With no meds AND NO vitamins or mineral supplements.

That will demonstrate if the BP 'Cure' had any effect on me.

Stay tuned :-)

Note so far, early days yet, I see no significant difference between the BP readings of (3) nad of (4) above

Hi Jonathon

I'm a bit like you diagnosed 3 weeks ago and I am only 39.. put on Adalat and couldn't cope with the side effects, dizziness and excessive need of a bathroom, but worst was really red and hot legs after showering and walking. I am now on hydrochlorothiazide but learnt my lesson and have done a great deal of research. Fortunately my local library had a copy of the book you have reviewed and I read it through in about 48 hours. Couldn't put it down, but I am not sure how to proceed from here. I was warned 12 months ago that I was possibly hypertensive and advised to lose some weight. I did, just over 20 kgs of it, still about 8 kgs from normal BMI. Walk everyday.. So I am at that stage of do I listen to any other suggestions or just live with the medication. Would love to hear if you have had any success. I have always poo pooed vitamins and my husband is loving the fact that I am now taking Q10, omega 3, folate, fibre etc etc all things suggested by Kowalski.. Hopefully you have had success. I'm not ready to get old!

.

Hi Annal

What I can say, from my observations to date is that:

1. Vitamins and minerals may make you feel better and even look better but I wonder if the vitamins and minerals really do any good in terms of lowering BP (I'll know in a couple of weeks). A do they do you any good in terms of improving your general health is another good question.

I say this because MOST of vitains and minerals sold in Australia are termed IMMEDIATE release and are not stored in the body but are expelled through urine. In the USA many are sold as SUSTAINED release and are far better absorbed in the body.And stay in the body for much longer periods of time.

2. You mention exercise and weight loss. These are important but I feel so is your family history regarding high BP. If your parents had/have high BP then I wonder if exercise will help you keep it down. 'More' is better than 'less' exercise I’m sure, but that doesn’t mean that just working out will keep the BP down.

3. As to losing weight, I found that I lost most by eating less carbs. Not to say NO carbs, just less. And no carbs at dinner.

4. Have you considered taking AVAPRO, that’s the drug I was prescribed. The only side effect I noticed was a lowering of sex drive. No dizziness and no extra bathroom visits accompanied the use of Avapro. But then different people can suffer different side effects from the same drug.

In a few weeks I would have completed my study on whether the vitamins and minerals really have any significant effect.

I'll let you know the results. Good luck to you.