Question:
Can someone advise best natural remedy for high blood pressure?

My mom has essential high blood pressure sometimes reaching over the 200/160 mark. As her blood pressure has been high for a while she has an enlarged right ventricle which will and is leading to CHF. Her breathing is already heavy. Her doctor has given her Betaloc, Plendil, Inhibace, Dosan, Cartia a blood thinner, Lipex for high cholesterol and Quinine for night cramps. She's in her early 70's and she complains of head aches, extreme fatigue and loss of energy. She has increasing dark circles around her eyes as if she hasn't slept in months with shortness of breath like she's gasping for air. I would like her to try natural remedies because these synthetic drugs don't appear to be doing much for her overall health. Can anyone advise some really good and effective natural remedies to treat both high blood pressure and CHF? I know Celery is good for lowering blood pressure.

Answer: It's great that you are concerned for your mother. She has a lot of stuff to be concerned about, and I hope you can take the time to learn about all of the issues.

I feel for you and your mother. It's hard to believe that they can't get her BP under control. I'll give you my best answer on natural means for reducing BP, but I strongly recommend you find a hypertension specialist. The bloodpressureline Yahoo! group is a great resource, as well. It is run by a hypertension specialist who can help you to find someone in your local area.

On the CHF side, you should find a heart failure specialist, as well. (Not just a regular cardiologist!)

Now, as to how to treat it:1. Do *all* of the obvious things:a. No smokingb. Cut out caffeine and alcoholc. If her BMI isn't < 25, help her figure out how to get it down there. Obesity, more than anything else, is a huge issue. Check out the DASH diet and the rice diet.d. Reduce sodium intake and increase potassium intake (fresh fruits such as oranges and bananas can help here). -- This is actually a very easy thing to do and might bear fruit, so to speak.e. Make sure she doesn't have sleep apnea. It can cause high BP.f. Get her regular exercise, even if it is just walking around a few times a day or doing water aerobics. Build up her stamina. Create a log for this, if necessary, so that she can visually see her own progress.2. Take her BP regularly. If she doesn't have a digital BP cuff, get her one and make sure she knows when and how to use it. (They're remarkably inexpensive... around $50 for a good one at your local pharmacy.) Have her log BP as well as exercise.3. Work with the hypertension and heart failure specialists to determine if her medications and their dosages are appropriate. Is Betaloc the right beta blocker? Is a calcium channel blocker such as Plendil indicated? Is her ACE inhibitor (Inhibace) at the right dosage, and does she understand the best times of day to take it? Cartia is a calcium channel blocker. Why is she on two different CCBs? Quinine is not FDA-approved for the treatment of leg cramps. There should be a better way for that, IMO. And if she has shortness of breath at night, why in the world isn't she on a diuretic to get the fluids out of her lungs?!4. Check out chfpatients.com for more information on CHF treatment. Start by reading "the manual". You might also be interested in the "nutrient stew" section.5. Ask your mother if you can sit in on her doctor appointments. Write out as many questions in advance as possible and send them to the doctor beforehand. You'll get much more thoughtful responses this way.

Please feel free to contact me if you want to chat about any of this...