Trying to get rid of meds

I just want to speak just from my beliefs about taking medicine. I've always been a person that never wanted to take any type of medication because I felt that your body would gain a dependency on them, especially for something as minor as a headache. I saw people take the powder BC (headache medicine) every day because their body was telling them that their head was hurting. The reason that I want to get rid of taking these blood pressure pills is........it just doesn't sit too comfortably with me about taking these pills for the rest of my life until I die, or they kill me. What if I've been taking them daily, and decide to go on a week cruise for my 45th birthday. If I leave my pills at home, I'll come back dead and I really don't like the idea of that. I'm trying my best to lower my blood pressure to a normal level by eating correctly, exercising, and if you know me personally my attitude is really nonchalant about most things so my stress level is decent. I'm really just afraid of my body gaining a dependency to this medicine. There is a few things I've been researching like drinking a cap full of apple vinegar, or drinking green tea with ganoderma in it. When I start doing these things, I'll keep my log and make sure I keep everybody updated with the results.

Reason for this blog

First I want to thank you all for caring. Not only about me, but hopefully after understanding me you will look more into yourself and care more about your health.

The reason that I started this blog in the first place was to be a young advocate of high blood pressure in the young African American male community.

I was 26 when high blood pressure was even a word that came out of my mouth. I first noticed when I saw a flash of light in my eyes, sort of like the aftershock you see when a bright light is put in your face and taken away. I didn't know anything about high blood pressure so I went to the eye doctor to see what was up with my eye game. When they told me that I needed to take a cat scan I just headed home to Chicago for a second opinion. When I got there they did the same tests and got the same results that I got in Mississippi, but before I left the clinic the nurse took my blood pressure. That was the first time I knew that it was high blood pressure that gave me certain symptoms like waking up with a head ache, hot flashes and the blurred vision. That really explained a lot to me, but it also made me aware of my own health showing me that I'm an adult and can't eat things like burgers every day.

I started taking blood pressure pills daily but to no avail, my pressure remained high. After tracking my pressure readings for over a month, but getting no positive results I decided to look at my lifestyle. I had already stopped eating pork after raising some with my grandfather they were disgusting animals to me, I slowed down drinking liquor, started eating salads and started jogging every other day.

The doctor changed my pills three times, and the last time that my dosage was upped, I came to the conclusion that maybe man made medication isn't the answer to solve high blood pressure for everybody. I started to seek other solutions to resolve my health issue, all that I've researched and tried will be featured on this blog along with the data I recorded from myself for all to read and hopefully together we all can boost the awareness and verity of this epidemic.

WHAT IS BLOOD PRESSURE: Blood pressure is the force in the arteries when the heart beats, and when the heart is at rest. When blood pressure is high, there is an increased risk of heart disease (which leads to heart attack) and stroke. It is most common in adults over age 35, and is especially prevalent in African Americans, the middle-aged and elderly, obese people, heavy drinkers, and women who are taking birth control pills. Those with diabetes, gout or kidney disease are also prone to suffer from high blood pressure.

The reason that I am so concerned about this in me is because I'm neither of the above, well except being black. But is that enough for me to have high uncontrollably high blood pressure? Oh yeah and maybe the drinking part used to be a bit excessive, but that slowed down a whole lot since I found about my health problem.

Blood pressure readings

These are all the blood pressure readings that I have taken every morning at 7 am. I haven't taken any readings during the weekend.

• These readings were taken after the start of medicine: 160 mg of Diovan

April 7 2011: 161/111April 8: 148/102April 11: 151/101April 12: 146/97April 13: 157/108April 14: 145/102April 19: 151/103April 20: 143/98April 22: 143/104April 25: 154/114April 26: 143/105April 27: 145/97April 28: 148/103April 29: 147/105May 2: 149/110May 3: 156/105May 5: 148/105

helloThe mess that were prescribed first weren't working, so my medicine was changed in hopes that my blood pressure readings would do the same.

• these reading were taken after changing my medicine: 5 mg of Enalipril I started taking them over the weekend but took my first reading the following Monday

May 11 2011: 153/112 - after the first reading my mom thought since my bottom number remained low I should up my dosage from 5 mg to 10 mg. May 12: 160/114 May 13: 141/109 -

• after this reading with no positive results we decided to up my dosage to 10 mg. I took them all weekend and my first reading started that following Monday

May 16: 142/104 May 17: 146/101 May 18: 158/113 May 19: 157/119 May 20: 141/104 May 23: 152/104 May 24: 150/105 May 25: 148/108 May 26: 131/96 May 27: 150/111 May 31: 132/108 June 1: 143/94 June 2: upped my dosage to 20mg 144/99 June 3: 143/103 June 6: 143/93 June 7: 150/100 June 8: 147/101 June 9: 148/97 June 10: 150/98 June 13: 147/103 June 14: 148/104 June 16: 149/106 June 17: 158/96 June 20: 143/102 June 22: 150/105 June 23: 154/110 June 24: 154/115 June 27: 157/117 June 28: 148/109 June 29: 156/114 June 30: 151/113 July 1: 147/108 July 5: 150/97

testing

this was just a start to me blogging.....