If you read my last post entitled "Help!!", you'll know my diastolic was getting in the pre-hypertensive stage (between 80-89). Well, the week before that my bp was around 119/79 with a couple of readings like 128/83. I didn't get it, how could it be so good and then turn bad? I realized I was taking garlic pills (I had a cold and I read that this is a natural expectorant.) I got back on the garlic pills to see if it would help my blood pressure (like in other literature I've been reading) and BAMMO! My bp down to the 120/80 norm.
Has anyone else tried this? I doubt it would help people in the 160/100 range, but it's worth a shot.
What strength are the pills in camparison to the real thing? I am Italian and I cook with garlic. In my house garlic is god it goes in everything including my cakes Just kidding..I do eat alot of garlic and still I'm on Diovan. I'm still going to try to get off these meds but right now I have alot going on and it will have to wait until a few months down the road.....Lisa
I eat two cloves of garlic everyday. I also drink two cups of green tea daily. however, i still have to bp meds. I guess garlic is benefical to some in bp, but others like me still need the little help.
Nermal;
Which garlic tabs are you taking?
I just started taking a product named "Garlicin" made by
Nature's Way. It is odorless and has a powerful release of allicin which is supposedly the most important part of the garlic. Let me know.
It's just straight up garlic (Nature's Made.) I take two pills a day (1,250 mg per pill.) I've noticed a difference. So, far my bp has been very good...118/77 and 120/80! I never got a bp right on the nose of 120/80! I'm a believer in this stuff. The garlic also claims to lower cholesterol which mine is probably pretty high. All I can say is try it. The worst that can happen is your out $6 bucks.
Granted, my bp was getting in the 130s/high 80s-low 90s. But since I've been taking it religiously for a week and a half, I'm no longer worried about the outcome when I put that cuff on. Let's see. I have a OB/GYN appointment tomorrow. I'll let you guys know how that goes (with the blood pressure I mean; the other stuff would be kind of gross.)
Last edited by Nermal1975; 02-05-2005 at 09:31 PM.
Reason: Wrong brand name
I was very interested in trying garlic to lower BP. In searching for interactions with BP meds, I discovered that anyone taking aspirin (which I must take everyday) along with garlic can run the risk of excessive dangerous bleeding. It too has the same potential as aspirin in thinning the blood. I plan on asking my doctor if I can stop the aspirin and start garlic. Hopefully it will also lower my cholesterol which has increased since taking BP meds.
Bharkins, i noticed that also that asprin, vit. e and garlic is suppose to thin the blood and work in the same way. Also, i researched and found that asprin with a diuretic or ccb should not be taken at the same time. On rxlist it stated that asprin can make these drugs ineffective. I called my cardio and she said i could stop the asprin for two wks to see if my bp would still be lowered. After stopping asprin, that's when i got the 130something.
Norvasc is a good bp med but i can't tolerate the back pain. On to clonidine.
JTU, I like the rxlist and check it a lot. I read about Tiazac, the ccb I take. I can't find anything about not taking aspirin with it. All I could find was to be careful with anesthetics. My doctor suggested I take a low dose aspirin when I was first diagnosed with hbp, and I've continued that.
I also checked one of the drug interaction websites and all I got were hits to avoid alcohol with aspirin and grapefruit juice with ccbs. Nothing about ccbs and aspirin.
JTU, I like the rxlist and check it a lot. I read about Tiazac, the ccb I take. I can't find anything about not taking aspirin with it. All I could find was to be careful with anesthetics. My doctor suggested I take a low dose aspirin when I was first diagnosed with hbp, and I've continued that.
I also checked one of the drug interaction websites and all I got were hits to avoid alcohol with aspirin and grapefruit juice with ccbs. Nothing about ccbs and aspirin.
Mgraylor, i used the drug tracker. I put all the meds i take on a regular basis, verapamil, norvasc, (use to take until today) torsemide, levothroid. The report came back that verapamil, norvasc and torsemide (with asprin) were drug-drug and it stated that asprin made these ineffective. Of course i take a full adult asprin. My cardio took me off the 81mgs and put me on 325mgs.
I took myself off the asprin after reading that on the drug tracker at drug.com My numbers did come down from 180/72 to 150/80. I will have to go back on asprin, but i will wait until i go back to my gp for his ok. Sorry, it wasn't rxlist but drugs.com
Last edited by jtu91952; 02-04-2005 at 04:49 PM.
Reason: make correction
Well, I went to my OB/GYN appt on Friday and my bp was at 140/90. Of course this just adds evidence to the white coat theory because I took my bp at home just an hour before at it was 123/83. After my exam, she took it again. It went down to 120/88.
I'm not giving up on the garlic therapy. I have found that my appetite is suppressed a tad while I'm on it (I don't know if that's a result of the garlic), it's a great expectorant for my allergies/asthma plus I'm seeing results in my bp. I'm sold on it. Again, I take two pills a day (1,250 mg per pill) with no side effects (nausea, indigestion, bad breath.)
Thanks for the aspirin tip. I've always taken plenty and usually WITH my BP meds. So if I go back on them, I'll try to take them at a different time from the aspirin.
On the garlic as a blood thinner. For many of us the extra thinning is a PLUS; I welcome it and it's sure a LOT safer than PLAVIX and aspirin which many doctors are "pushing" these days.
That's what i started doing. It was a little difficult at first bcuz i tried to take my asprin when i took the levothroid med. I needed food w/ asprin but none with levothroid.
Lenin, i also take the garlic and the vitamin e. I was told my blood was too sticky, i knew plavix was the next script so i just started the vit. e, asprin and garlic. I had a blood draw last week and now my blood platelet are fine. As for the asprin/ccb, i was so shocked i had to go to another drug tracker site to check it again. Maybe that's why my bp wasn't going down too much.
Mgraylor, i used the drug tracker. I put all the meds i take on a regular basis, verapamil, norvasc, (use to take until today) torsemide, levothroid. The report came back that verapamil, norvasc and torsemide (with asprin) were drug-drug and it stated that asprin made these ineffective. Of course i take a full adult asprin. My cardio took me off the 81mgs and put me on 325mgs.
