Guest guest Posted June 14, 2001 Report Share Posted June 14, 2001 Hello all! I was diagnosed with high blood pressure a couple years ago. I am only 32 and am in pretty good shape. I am very happy to say that I have since been able to stablize it with vitamins, excersize, and a vegetarian diet. But now I am dealing with a touch of depression. The nurse (nurse practitioner) that I see is very open to herbal rememdies and we have agreed that I will try the ever-popular St. John's Wort, but she was not sure if it will affect my blood pressure at all. Lately, maybe because of the moodiness, my BP has been high again and I don't want to take anything that will aggravate it. Does anyone know if this herb is safe to take with High BP?? Thank you (in advance) for any insight. Blessings, Brandy P.S. I love this message board!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 14, 2001 Report Share Posted June 14, 2001 - <boleybrandy <herbal remedies > Thursday, June 14, 2001 12:21 PM [herbal remedies] Depression/High blood pressure > Hello all! I was diagnosed with high blood pressure a couple years > ago. I am only 32 and am in pretty good shape. I am very happy to say > that I have since been able to stabilize it with vitamins, exercise, > and a vegetarian diet. But now I am dealing with a touch of > depression. The nurse (nurse practitioner) that I see is very open to > herbal remedies and we have agreed that I will try the ever-popular > St. John's Wort, but she was not sure if it will affect my blood > pressure at all. Lately, maybe because of the moodiness, my BP has > been high again and I don't want to take anything that will aggravate > it. Does anyone know if this herb is safe to take with High BP?? > Thank you (in advance) for any insight. Hi Brandy, While not a herb, the amino acid Arginine has been shown to have a good blood pressure lowering effect. It dilates the blood vessels. Try 2 g, 3 times a day for a week or so and have a check. http://www.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/06/06.12/20010611drgd001.html " Arginine Treatment Improves Insulin Sensitivity WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) Jun 11 - Long-term treatment with L-arginine improves insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes, preliminary study results show. L-arginine, which increases nitric oxide (NO) levels, is known to stimulate insulin secretion, the authors note. To investigate its effects on insulin sensitivity, Dr. PierMarco Piatti, from Universita Vita-Salute in Milan, Italy, and colleagues administered L-arginine or placebo for 1 month to 12 well-controlled, lean type 2 diabetics, mean age 58 years. Patients treated with L-arginine, 3 g, 3 times per day, showed reductions in systolic blood pressure compared with placebo-treated patients, the authors report in the May issue of Diabetes Care. Treated patients also showed significantly increased forearm blood flow and normal levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate, a second messenger of NO. Compared with placebo-treated patients, those who received L-arginine had a significant 34% increase in glucose disposal and significant improvement in hepatic insulin sensitivity, as endogenous glucose production decreased significantly, the report indicates. However, glucose production in both the L-arginine group and the placebo group remained significantly higher than in 10 normal subjects. " Our study has shown for the first time that an increment in NO availability induced by the administration of L-arginine is able to increase insulin sensitivity, even if complete normalization is not achieved, " the authors conclude. Diabetes Care 2001;24:875-880. " ======================== Good Health & Long Life, Greg Watson, http://www.ozemail.com.au/~gowatson gowatson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 14, 2001 Report Share Posted June 14, 2001 Have you tried Hawthorn for the blood pressure?? It is a wonderful herb for the heart and heart health. Hope you find something to help with the other. Patty - boleybrandy herbal remedies Wednesday, June 13, 2001 7:51 PM [herbal remedies] Depression/High blood pressure Hello all! I was diagnosed with high blood pressure a couple years ago. I am only 32 and am in pretty good shape. I am very happy to say that I have since been able to stablize it with vitamins, excersize, and a vegetarian diet. But now I am dealing with a touch of depression. The nurse (nurse practitioner) that I see is very open to herbal rememdies and we have agreed that I will try the ever-popular St. John's Wort, but she was not sure if it will affect my blood pressure at all. Lately, maybe because of the moodiness, my BP has been high again and I don't want to take anything that will aggravate it. Does anyone know if this herb is safe to take with High BP?? Thank you (in advance) for any insight.Blessings,BrandyP.S. I love this message board!!Federal Law requires that we warn you of the following: 1. Natural methods can sometimes backfire. 2. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before using any natural remedy. 3. The Constitution guarantees you the right to be your own physician and toprescribe for your own health. We are not medical doctors although MDs are welcome to post here as long as they behave themselves. Any opinions put forth by the list members are exactly that, and any person following the advice of anyone posting here does so at their own risk. It is up to you to educate yourself. By accepting advice or products from list members, you are agreeing to be fully responsible for your own health, and hold the List Owner and members free of any liability. Dr. Ian ShillingtonDoctor of NaturopathyDr.IanShillington Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 14, 2001 Report Share Posted June 14, 2001 Hi there. My hubby also has high blood pressure, and that is one of the herbs he has to stay away from. He's controlling his with diet and walking (on top of all the exercise he gets lifting at work!). He used to be regulated by prescription drugs, so I'm pleased that he got off them. He takes his BP regularly, and gets reviewed by Dr. every 4 months just to keep track. High BP is a serious problem in his family line. Anyway, the SJW causes heart palpations and shorteness of breath as it raises the BP when he's on it for more than 5 days, so he just stays away from it. Hope this helps. Debra/northernNY (lurker coming out of hiding) ---------- > boleybrandy > herbal remedies > [herbal remedies] Depression/High blood pressure > Wednesday, June 13, 2001 10:51 PM > Hello all! I was diagnosed with high blood pressure a couple years ago. I am only 32 and am in pretty good shape. I am very happy to say that I have since been able to stablize it with vitamins, excersize, and a vegetarian diet. But now I am dealing with a touch of depression. The nurse (nurse practitioner) that I see is very open to herbal rememdies and we have agreed that I will try the ever-popular St. John's Wort, but she was not sure if it will affect my blood pressure at all. Lately, maybe because of the moodiness, my BP has been high again and I don't want to take anything that will aggravate it. Does anyone know if this herb is safe to take with High BP?? Thank you (in advance) for any insight. Blessings, Brandy P.S. I love this message board!! Sponsor[<http://us.adserver./l?M=201903.1442208.3019420.1252795/D=e groupmail/S=1700060815:N/A=666029/rand=451979921>] Federal Law requires that we warn you of the following: 1. Natural methods can sometimes backfire. 2. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before using any natural remedy. 3. The Constitution guarantees you the right to be your own physician and to prescribe for your own health. We are not medical doctors although MDs are welcome to post here as long as they behave themselves. Any opinions put forth by the list members are exactly that, and any person following the advice of anyone posting here does so at their own risk. It is up to you to educate yourself. By accepting advice or products from list members, you are agreeing to be fully responsible for your own health, and hold the List Owner and members free of any liability. Dr. Ian Shillington Doctor of Naturopathy Dr.IanShillington Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 14, 2001 Report Share Posted June 14, 2001 herbal remedies, boleybrandy@r... wrote: > Hello all! I was diagnosed with high blood pressure a couple years > ago. I am only 32 and am in pretty good shape. I am very happy to say > that I have since been able to stablize it with vitamins, excersize, > and a vegetarian diet. But now I am dealing with a touch of > depression. The nurse (nurse practitioner) that I see is very open to > herbal rememdies and we have agreed that I will try the ever-popular > St. John's Wort, but she was not sure if it will affect my blood > pressure at all. Lately, maybe because of the moodiness, my BP has > been high again and I don't want to take anything that will aggravate > it. Does anyone know if this herb is safe to take with High BP?? > Thank you (in advance) for any insight. > > Blessings, > Brandy > > P.S. I love this message board!! I am new at this site, and have several sources to check, but, as the intro/purpose statement of this group says, there is alot of conflicting info out there; for example I've heard DON'T take ginseng if you have high blood pressure vs. ginseng is an adaptogen, hence, if low, it raises blood pressure, if high, it lowers it!?! See what I mean! So, I'll look into it, if you don't already have an answer, and see what I can find! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 15, 2001 Report Share Posted June 15, 2001 herbal remedies, bigbird3969@m... wrote: > herbal remedies, boleybrandy@r... wrote: > > Hello all! I was diagnosed with high blood pressure a couple years > > ago. I am only 32 and am in pretty good shape. I am very happy to say > > that I have since been able to stablize it with vitamins, excersize, > > and a vegetarian diet. But now I am dealing with a touch of > > depression. The nurse (nurse practitioner) that I see is very open to > > herbal rememdies and we have agreed that I will try the ever-popular > > St. John's Wort, but she was not sure if it will affect my blood > > pressure at all. Lately, maybe because of the moodiness, my BP has > > been high again and I don't want to take anything that will aggravate > > it. Does anyone know if this herb is safe to take with High BP?? > > Thank you (in advance) for any insight. > > > > Blessings, > > Brandy > > > > P.S. I love this message board!! > > I am new at this site, and have several sources to check, but, as the intro/purpose statement of this group says, there is alot of conflicting info out there; for example I've heard DON'T take ginseng if you have high blood pressure vs. ginseng is an adaptogen, hence, if low, it raises blood pressure, if high, it lowers it!?! See what I mean! > > So, I'll look into it, if you don't already have an answer, and see what I can find! > > Steve Okay, I checked the abbreviated monograph from the American Botanical Council, and my first edition of the PDR for Herbal Medicines, and the only warnings were of a minute possibility of digestive complints, and negligible chance of photosensitivity; no contraindications except as stated before (ie. MAOI's) Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 16, 2001 Report Share Posted June 16, 2001 All I have ever seen and all that I can find written even by the MD's says to be careful with narcotics and antidepressants when taking St. John's Wort. It may increase their effects. And St. John's Wort may cause photosensitivity so you might want to be careful about overexposure to direct sunlight. But there is nothing anywhere that I can find that says St. John's Wort will increase your blood pressure. Some of the books I have are geared specifically to finding problems with using herbs and are written by pharmacists and Doctors who treat herbs as dangerous drugs that they are trying to warn you about. But their warnings for St. John's Wort are only for narcotics and antidepressants with a concern about photosensitivity. It would seem that you should have no problems taking it. Annette bigbird3969 Thu, 14 Jun 2001 19:40:23 -0000 herbal remedies [herbal remedies] Re: Depression/High blood pressure > herbal remedies, boleybrandy@r... wrote: > > Hello all! I was diagnosed with high blood pressure a couple years > > ago. I am only 32 and am in pretty good shape. I am very happy to say > > that I have since been able to stablize it with vitamins, excersize, > > and a vegetarian diet. But now I am dealing with a touch of > > depression. The nurse (nurse practitioner) that I see is very open to > > herbal rememdies and we have agreed that I will try the ever-popular > > St. John's Wort, but she was not sure if it will affect my blood > > pressure at all. Lately, maybe because of the moodiness, my BP has > > been high again and I don't want to take anything that will aggravate > > it. Does anyone know if this herb is safe to take with High BP?? > > Thank you (in advance) for any insight. > > > > Blessings, > > Brandy > > > > P.S. I love this message board!! > > I am new at this site, and have several sources to check, but, as the intro/purpose statement of this group says, there is alot of conflicting info out there; for example I've heard DON'T take ginseng if you have high blood pressure vs. ginseng is an adaptogen, hence, if low, it raises blood pressure, if high, it lowers it!?! See what I mean! > > So, I'll look into it, if you don't already have an answer, and see what I can find! > > Steve > > > Federal Law requires that we warn you of the following: > 1. Natural methods can sometimes backfire. > 2. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before using any natural remedy. > 3. The Constitution guarantees you the right to be your own physician and to > prescribe for your own health. > We are not medical doctors although MDs are welcome to post here as long as > they behave themselves. > Any opinions put forth by the list members are exactly that, and any person > following the advice of anyone posting here does so at their own risk. > It is up to you to educate yourself. By accepting advice or products from list members, you are agreeing to > be fully responsible for your own health, and hold the List Owner and members free of any liability. > > Dr. Ian Shillington > Doctor of Naturopathy > Dr.IanShillington > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 16, 2001 Report Share Posted June 16, 2001 Brandy, Hi! I don't know if St. John's wort does or does not affect high blood pressure so I can't help you there. But are you at all suspicious of hormone imbalance? Do you know the cause of the depression? If not you might be much happier finding the reason for the depression and handling that rather than using St. John's Wort. Just food for thought. Valorie - bigbird3969 herbal remedies Friday, June 15, 2001 7:36 AM [herbal remedies] Re: Depression/High blood pressure herbal remedies, bigbird3969@m... wrote:> herbal remedies, boleybrandy@r... wrote:> > Hello all! I was diagnosed with high blood pressure a couple years > > ago. I am only 32 and am in pretty good shape. I am very happy to say > > that I have since been able to stablize it with vitamins, excersize, > > and a vegetarian diet. But now I am dealing with a touch of > > depression. The nurse (nurse practitioner) that I see is very open to > > herbal rememdies and we have agreed that I will try the ever-popular > > St. John's Wort, but she was not sure if it will affect my blood > > pressure at all. Lately, maybe because of the moodiness, my BP has > > been high again and I don't want to take anything that will aggravate > > it. Does anyone know if this herb is safe to take with High BP?? > > Thank you (in advance) for any insight.> > > > Blessings,> > Brandy> > > > P.S. I love this message board!!> > I am new at this site, and have several sources to check, but, as the intro/purpose statement of this group says, there is alot of conflicting info out there; for example I've heard DON'T take ginseng if you have high blood pressure vs. ginseng is an adaptogen, hence, if low, it raises blood pressure, if high, it lowers it!?! See what I mean!> > So, I'll look into it, if you don't already have an answer, and see what I can find!> > SteveOkay, I checked the abbreviated monograph from the American Botanical Council, and my first edition of the PDR for Herbal Medicines, and the only warnings were of a minute possibility of digestive complints, and negligible chance of photosensitivity; no contraindications except as stated before (ie. MAOI's)SteveFederal Law requires that we warn you of the following: 1. Natural methods can sometimes backfire. 2. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before using any natural remedy. 3. The Constitution guarantees you the right to be your own physician and toprescribe for your own health. We are not medical doctors although MDs are welcome to post here as long as they behave themselves. Any opinions put forth by the list members are exactly that, and any person following the advice of anyone posting here does so at their own risk. It is up to you to educate yourself. By accepting advice or products from list members, you are agreeing to be fully responsible for your own health, and hold the List Owner and members free of any liability. Dr. Ian ShillingtonDoctor of NaturopathyDr.IanShillington Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 16, 2001 Report Share Posted June 16, 2001 herbal remedies, " Valorie Shillington " <ValorieShillington@g...> wrote: > Brandy, > > Hi! > I don't know if St. John's wort does or does not affect high blood pressure so I can't help you there. But are you at all suspicious of hormone imbalance? > Do you know the cause of the depression? > If not you might be much happier finding the reason for the depression and handling that rather than using St. John's Wort. > > Just food for thought. > Thank you for the concern. Yeah, I couldn't get away with being treated for depression without counseling. There also was labs done to check for thyroid and hormone, etc... Thank you to everyone for the replies and info! Much appreciated! Brandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 16, 2001 Report Share Posted June 16, 2001 > Do you know the cause of the depression? > If not you might be much happier finding the reason for the depression and handling that rather than using St. John's Wort. > > Just food for thought. > Thank you for the concern. Yeah, I couldn't get away with being treated for depression without counseling. There also was labs done to check for thyroid and hormone, etc... Thank you to everyone for the replies and info! Much appreciated! Brandy Hi Brandy, I just wanted to add to this that, as one who has suffered from clinical depression and been through therapy and drugs and testing - the whole route, I can tell you that until you realize that the root and cure to your depression is in yourself, it will not go away. SJs Wart is not strong enough and the drugs such as Prozac, Paxil, etc. only mask the source of the pain. A good therapist can help only if you are willing to see and deal with the real issue. This is probably not what you want to hear. I know I didn't but this is what prolonged it. Eventually you will have to. steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 24, 2001 Report Share Posted June 24, 2001 Dear Brandy, The St. John's Wort should not affect your BP really dramatically one way or the other (may actually bring it down some due to its diuretic properties). The best way to bring a BP down is with lots of fresh juicing and with loads of garlic. Best way to knock off the mood swings is to completely eliminate white sugar, white flour and coffee from your diet. You may also have a gluten intolerance which should be checked into. Love, Doc Ian "Doc" Shillington N.D.505-772-5889Dr.IanShillington I was diagnosed with high blood pressure a couple years ago. I am only 32 and am in pretty good shape. I am very happy to say that I have since been able to stablize it with vitamins, excersize, and a vegetarian diet. But now I am dealing with a touch of depression. The nurse (nurse practitioner) that I see is very open to herbal rememdies and we have agreed that I will try the ever-popular St. John's Wort, but she was not sure if it will affect my blood pressure at all. Lately, maybe because of the moodiness, my BP has been high again and I don't want to take anything that will aggravate it. Does anyone know if this herb is safe to take with High BP?? Thank you (in advance) for any insight.Blessings,Brandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 24, 2001 Report Share Posted June 24, 2001 Dear Deb, I'm not trying to scare you back into lurk mode ;o) but I suspect the St. John's Wort is reacting with something else he's taking to get this kind of result of raising the BP. I've never seen SJW on its own do this. Best solution I use on all my High BP patients is Garlic, Cayenne and lots (two quarts a day) of fresh organic juicing (fruit and vegetable). One of my patients who had a very high chronic BP brought it down into normal range within 4 hours by taking 8 cloves of garlic. Best bet is to cut them in half and dip into olive oil and swallow like a pill. Hope this helps. Love, Doc Ian "Doc" Shillington N.D.505-772-5889Dr.IanShillington My hubby also has high blood pressure, and that is one of theherbs he has to stay away from. He's controlling his with diet and walking(on top of all the exercise he gets lifting at work!). He used to beregulated by prescription drugs, so I'm pleased that he got off them. Hetakes his BP regularly, and gets reviewed by Dr. every 4 months just tokeep track. High BP is a serious problem in his family line. Anyway, theSJW causes heart palpations and shorteness of breath as it raises the BPwhen he's on it for more than 5 days, so he just stays away from it.Hope this helps.Debra/northernNY(lurker coming out of hiding) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 24, 2001 Report Share Posted June 24, 2001 Very good point Steve. I hope you can find some more answers on this one. Let us know. Another all-around balancer (blood sugar levels, metabolism, hormones to some degree) is Astragalus. Used in conjunction with garlic and Cayenne, a BP can come tumbling down. Love, Doc Ian "Doc" Shillington N.D.505-772-5889Dr.IanShillington I am new at this site, and have several sources to check, but, as the intro/purpose statement of this group says, there is alot of conflicting info out there; for example I've heard DON'T take ginseng if you have high blood pressure vs. ginseng is an adaptogen, hence, if low, it raises blood pressure, if high, it lowers it!?! See what I mean!So, I'll look into it, if you don't already have an answer, and see what I can find!Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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