My Decision To Get Off Hypertension Medication
May 12, 2006
I’ve been taking medications for hypertension for over ten years. I take two types of medications.
First I was prescribed Atenolol, a beta-blocker. My blood pressure was still high, so the nurse practitioner added Adalat, a calcium-channel-blocker.
At the time I was very stressed out because I was raising two young children by myself. But hypertension also runs in my family. My mother has it and my maternal grandmother did too. My grandmother had many strokes which my sister (a nurse practitioner) told me were caused by not taking medications regularly. I watched my grandmother suffer after a major stroke she had at the age of 80. For the next six years, until she passed away in 1996, my grandmother couldn’t walk or talk normally. Natuarlly this all frightened me, and I was determined to take my medications as prescribed.
Ten years later, I wonder if I’m doing the right thing. I’m much more relaxed now. I moved away from the San Francisco Bay Area and for six years now have been living in a tiny town in the Klamath River Valley of Northern California. Also the children grew up. They are 16 and 17 now, and are not so totally dependent on me. My life is pretty much stress-free, and I’m happy.
These drugs I’m taking have side effects, like all others. And I’ve added one more drug - in 2001 I started taking Levoxyl for a hypothyroid disorder that was discovered when I had my hysterectomy.
I want to be meds-free! I want to be healthy again, and live a normal life, not dependent on the medications I’ve believed were so vital to my existence. And I believe I can do it. I simply need to learn more about natural remedies and get healthier by exercising more and losing weight. I’m about 60 lbs. overweight. In the last few months I’ve lost about 20 pounds (it fluctuates a little).
I’m starting this weblog to chronicle my attempts to lose weight, get healthy, and get off the medications forever.
Get your doctor to switch you to cardizem capsules - generic is known as diltiazem.
it is the best things to control bp and also taper down from. Unless you eat a lot of salt - I get by easily on 200 mg of salt a day - otherwise you will need a diruetic and that might be all you will need.
People dont need much salt at all and it raises body fluids and blood pressure alot.
Most people eat from 3,000 mg salt (sodium) a day to 7,000 mg.
You can get all your body needs from a cup of skim milk and from your ordinary tap water.
Never use a water softener for drinking water - if you have one of those do what we do - buy distilled water at your local walmart - we always keep 4 gallons on hand.
No doubt your lifestyle is much calmer now in the Klamath River Valley. We lived in Medford for 2 years and liked it. We’ve been to Klamath Falls a number of times.
Best wishes - keep us posted.
John and Teri Hansen
Comment by John Hansen — December 1, 2007 @ 8:53 am
I was wondering if your off the meds? Ive been on Atenolol for about 7 years now. Ive lost 20 pounds by changing the way I eat. Ive been so fatigue with the Atenolol I haven’t felt like excersing. I just lowered my doseage from 50mgs to 25 mgs. I had a few days that I felt like I was having withdraws. My docter says to start weaning off by taking 25mgs every other day for 2 weeks and then stopping. I think Im going to wean off it a little slower. How did you do it and did you have and withdraws?
Comment by Brigitte — March 5, 2008 @ 5:16 pm
Brigitte, yes, I’m off the Atenolol now, thank goodness. It kept my heart rate so low I couldn’t benefit from aerobic exercise. With aerobics, you have to get your heart pumping fast, and my heart never got fast because of Atenolol so all that exercise I did was essentially wasted effort.
When I escaped from Atenolol I did it by exercising a lot, then getting the NP to change to 25mg pills (from 50mg) … then taking it every other day for a while, like your doctor suggested. I don’t remember having any withdrawals.
After that I kept using Nifedipine for a while (Adalat) and now have quit that but instead am taking Lotensin and Microzide (diuretic). So I’m still not totally meds free but I think if I got more exercise and lost weight I could still get off all hypertension medications.
Comment by Linda — March 12, 2008 @ 2:16 pm
Im glad your doing so good. Im still not off the Atenolol yet. Ive cut about a quarter off the 25mgs and today (6th day) Im having the withdraws. This medicine has awful side affects. I’ll be so glad to get off it. How is your blood pressure doing? Are you taking any suppliments?
Comment by Brigitte — April 1, 2008 @ 4:15 pm
Hi Brigitte . . . My blood pressure is fine, but I’m taking an ace-inhibitor now (lotensin). It seems to be working great without side effects. Still I’d like to use natural remedies instead. With a pill you never know what the drug companies might be putting in it. That may sound a little paranoid but in this day and age I think it is a valid concern.
Comment by Linda — April 6, 2008 @ 7:03 am
Hello everyone I stumbled upon this website in hopes that i could get some helpful hints for my mother. I need some help. My mother is 58 years old and two days ago she got her blood pressure readin and it was 191/141 which is definatly stroke readings my mother very stubborn about going to the doctors and has taken herself off of hypertension meds for a tear now. She is a very active woman in her commuity and also with helping me with my children. So becaus eshe does not feel bad she does not take this hypertension thing to serious I know that it is. I have taken it upon myself to make her an appointment but before we go to the doctors I wanted to know some a the medications to aviod and also maybe some of the ones that worked for you. She does not have insurance but i’m willing to pay out of pocket for her presciptions so the cost does not matter. I need some adviceThank you
Comment by Tiffany — June 25, 2008 @ 7:06 am
I live in Kenya and have started taking hypertension medication 2 months ago.
I am 49 years old, My BP was around 130/90 to 100. The medications are 2.5mg of Nebilet
( nebivolol ) and 150Mg of Irovel,( irbesartan ). My resting heart rate is now 50.
When I do my cardio workout I struggle to reach 132.Before the drugs my cardio workout rate
was about 142. I feel I still have a cardio workout after sustaining my heart rate at 132 for half an hour.But I’m I really having a cardio workout or I’m I wasting my time? Is therea formula for maximum heart rate when on hypertension medication?
Comment by Andrea Lolli — July 6, 2008 @ 6:05 am