Now that we know a little more about the wonderful world of beta blockers, and how they are revered all around the world (especially in the U.S. where Jerry’s cardiologist thinks they ought to be added to our drinking water), the question becomes, “How can we avoid these toxic drugs and still address the adrenaline pump and negative ‘fight or flight’ influences on our blood pressure”? When it comes to natural diuretics for replacing the drug diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide, for example, there are numerous good natural food and supplement options. Even when it comes to replacing ace inhibitors there are natural alternatives like pomegranate and cocoa that can do the same thing in a healthy fashion.
When it comes to beta blockers, the direct replacement just isn’t readily available. Indeed, that ought to tell us something! That is another thing that makes this particular toxic drug so insidious. It is often the drug of choice with physicians in the U.S., it has no direct natural replacements, and it has negative side effects and a whopper of a rebound effect that render it pure torture for many people. Since there are no foods that are natural beta blockers, at least none that I have been able to find, then the question becomes “What can I do as an alternative to beta blockers”? That certainly became a big question in my mind when it became abundantly clear to me that I did not want to live with this oppressive, toxic drug in my system!
Fortunately, there are many ways of dealing with the “adrenaline factor” that can help reduce or even eliminate beta blockers. For purposes of discussion, I am dividing these up into four general categories: 1) Food and supplements, 2) Exercise, 3) Relaxation Techniques, 4) Adrenal Therapy.
First, there are foods and natural supplements that can help with relaxation and turning the “fight or flight” mechanism down a notch or two. One of the reasons, in addition to overeating perhaps, that we get sleepy after that turkey dinner is that turkey contains L-tryptophan, a very relaxing amino acid. But eating lots of turkey every day is not a practical answer.
As one example of effective supplements, studies indicate that the amino acid Taurine reduces epinephrine (adrenaline) in the human body and is sympatholytic (inhibits the postganglionic functioning of the sympathetic nervous system). Sympatholytic drugs have been used to treat generalized anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and PTSD. I have taken Taurine, in combination with 5-HTP, and have found the combination to be very calming and relaxing without any sluggish or “foggy brained” negative effects.
That brings me to the second supplement that I have used for it’s calming effect, the amino acid 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan). 5-HTP is a precursor to biosynthesis of both serotonin and melatonin from tryptophan. So, why do I care about that? Well, both serotonin and melatonin are important in rest, relaxation, and healthy sleep. In addition, the hormone serotonin is known to modulate mood, EMOTION (my emphasis), sleep, and appetite. Melatonin is important to restorative sleep and is a powerful antioxidant to boot. Taking the combination of taurine and 5-HTP before going to bed has resulted in calm and peaceful sleep for me, and at times I have also taken them during the day for their calming effect.
There are other supplements which can have a calming effect that I have not taken, so I cannot offer a first-hand personal experience regarding their effect on me. These include GABA, kava, aswhganda, valerian, and passion flower. The interesting thing about all of these supplements is that are all used for their calming effect, and there are a variety of mechanisms associated with them, such as inhibitory neurotransmitters, precursors to serotonin production, or increasing GABA in the brain as with passion flower, for example. There are studies which have shown the effectiveness of these supplements to reduce anxiety, and I would recommend the guidance of a good naturopath to determine what might be most helpful in any given case.
Second, we can deal with anxiety and stress by relieving it through exercise. Our own exercise program consists of at least one hour of exercise at least 5 days per week. We like to take at least a day completely off on the weekend for just plain old fun! Our exercise is varied, and occurs outdoors whenever possible. These include swimming, hiking, aerobics, weight training, walking……….and wading fishing! There are lots of places you can get good information on exercise programs, so we won’t spend a lot of time on this subject. We do like to incorporate weight training because it maintains muscle mass and increases metabolism. After a weight workout, however, I always do an additional 30 minutes of aerobics to bring my blood pressure back down if it has been elevated by weight lifting.
Third, as an alternative to beta blockers, we can utilize relaxation techniques to help calm the anxiety and the flow of adrenaline. These include breathing techniques, meditation, and imagery. I have not used imagery, but there are some excellent books on the power of imagery. I suspect some could argue that it is a form of meditation. As far as breathing techniques go, there are many. I was never sure what to try regarding breathing techniques which included varieties of eastern breathing techniques for hypertension, yoga techniques, and others. There was fast breathing and slow breathing, there was alternative nostril breathing, there was seetkari and pranayama, and so many variations that I lost count. As a result, I did not become an expert on yoga or eastern breathing techniques.
I tried transcendental meditation, and I found it effective for lowering blood pressure and just helping to relax. At the same time, meditation was sort of an effort all its own, either trying to concentrate or not trying to concentrate for 20 minutes twice each day. Over time, I lost interest in twice daily meditation. I tried BP down, which is a combination of squeezing “squeezy balls” and breathing at the same time. It was also effective in lowering my blood pressure but it incorporated what I felt was a “fast” breathing technique which was less comfortable for me from both physical and psychological perspectives on my desire to become more calm and lower my blood pressure. The simple fact is, while it has nothing to do with resperate being associated with this blog, my resperate machine became my favorite method of breathing to relax and lower blood pressure. I can vary the time I spend on each session, I like the idea of breathing slower to calm, and not faster, and I have the older machine and I like the musical tones (the older machine which has a better sound, I believe). I can do my resperate when I lay down to go to bed, take it off when I am done, and just slip right into sleep. I have measured my blood pressure after using resperate, and it gives me the best reduction of those things I have tried. For those reasons, resperate is my choice. So, there you have it, and nobody paid me anything for saying it.
Finally, I want to mention another therapy that I have utilized with success in calming my adrenal glands and lowering my blood pressure. This therapy is “specific frequency microcurrent”. SFM is an interesting approach to many health issues in that it is essentially an electrical model of the human body. This electrical model goes back to at least the late 1800’s and early 1900’s when Dr. Albert Abrams founded the Electromedical Society and Electromedical Digest. Of course, there were those who thought he was a quack, but the technology has been given a new lease on life in more modern times, and today Carolyn McMakin is probably the authority on the use and efficacy of frequency specific microcurrent today. Now, the interesting aspect of fsm for me was the two specific frequencies that deal with the adrenals. Through the use of this extremely low lever of electrical current, at the right frequencies, the adrenal glands can either be stimulted to produce adrenaline, or can be calmed to not produce so much adrenaline. As you can perhaps tell from my articles so far, I am about as skeptical and about as in-depth into the knowledge of any potential treatment as you can imagine. What I discovered when I first tried fsm, and more specifically the “calm adrenals” setting, was that I became much calmer after the 15 minute treatment. I also took my blood pressure and it was considerably lower. Additional treatments yielded the same results. I also learned that many therapists utilize this machine for treatment of hypertension.
I first learned about fsm from my doctor at Whitaker Wellness Clinic. I also discovered that the company which makes the machines also makes a home unit, and I bought one. Thanks to lifestyle changes in many directions, I no longer use the machine regularly. I have to say, however, that it was definitely helpful to me in overcoming the anxiety and adrenaline component of my hypertension. Today, thankfully, I live with normal blood pressure without any drugs, including the one I Iove to hate the most………..atenolol!
I am very interested to see how others handle the anxiety/adrenaline factor in hypertension. As always, I look forward to your helpful comments and I hope others will be assisted by them as well!
Until next time…………all the best………..naturally!
(26 votes, average: 4.31 out of 5)
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What company make the fsm home unit ? What is the model number ? Thanks
Good morning, Hai!
The microcurrent machine that I have used is the one manufactured by Precision Distributing, Inc. (PDI). It is a preset program for “calming adrenals”. The machine also has preset programs for many other health problems.
If you wish to learn more, here is a link for you:
http://precisiondistributing.com/info.html
All the best to you!
Hello DC, a couple of questions for you: what is the exact name of the machine you purchased. I looked on the link you gave above but couldn’t make much sense of it; also cd you suggest the daily mgs for the taurine and 5HT, and finally the mgs for daily dose of potassium.
Thanks.
Hi Marie! The FSM machine that I bought has been replaced by newer models. The Home Care unit is the least expensive and I believe that it does have the pre-programmed frequencies to “calm adrenals”. If you are interested, you can have the company verify that this program for calming adrenals is on the home care unit.
I took Taurine morning and evening, 500 mg. each time. NOW Foods is the brand that I took and they make a 500 mg. capsule that they recommend one to four times per day. Studies have shown that Taurine itself reduces systolic blood pressure about 9 points and diastolic pressure about 4 points! See,
http://www.chiro.org/nutrition/ABSTRACTS/Natural_Approach_to_Hypertension.shtml
I only took the 5-HTP one time per day, usually at bedtime with my evening Taurine. NOW Foods makes a 100 mg. 5-HTP capsule also, and that is the one I took.
I have tried potassium supplements, but my doctor at Whitaker Wellness actually recommended low-sodium V8 juice for my potassium supplement. The little 5.5 fluid ounce can of low sodium V8 juice contains 700 mg. of potassium chloride. I drank one in the morning with my breakfast juice and one in the evening with dinner.
Hope that helps, and all the best!
Thanks DC! Advice around quantities is really helpful – I will add the taurine to my evening magnesium and 5HTP, and thanks for the tip about the V8 juice – I think we can get it here in the UK. It would be really great if at some point you actually create a posting listing times and quantities for the supplements you have experimented with, and if Jason and other would do the same. Many thanks to you and all the contributors.
Hi just looked at the site you directed me too – greatly appreciated, really helpful.
Campbells low sodium tomato juice has even more potassium in it.
Well, what is your current regimen? How long have you been on it? Are you still trying new things?
Have you experimented with dropping certain parts of your regimen? E.g., what would happen if you didn’t exercise for a week, a month, etc.?
Why not comment on BP measurement variability, depending on time of day, day of week, emotion, just plain unexplained, etc. What do you do if you get one high reading? What would you do if you got several high readings? Also what about measurement equipment, I use an Omron unit, which I trust but have not verified.
I got to the slow breathing idea via a ‘biofeedback’ game called The Wild Divine, which costs about $200.00 but is worth in IMO. It includes a fingertips sensor which measures electrical skin resistance and heart rate. When you breath slowly, your instantaneous heart rate varies with your breath in a pretty much pure sine wave fashion. The whole subject is referred to as ‘heart rate variability’ and it is a good thing, the more the better, as it stimulates the vagus nerve which relaxes the whole body. You can see it very clearly using the Wild Divine hardware/software which plots instantaneous heart rate and GVR (galvanic skin resistance (as I recall), a good measure of your state of relaxation. For me this empirical verification was very important. Now however I use resparate as its easier to follow the guide tones.
I have found tai chi and qi qong very calming. As an additional benefit, my asthma has improved, probably due to the breathing techniques.
Tai Chi is not only really cool…….it is very healthy! 🙂
All the best!
I can personally vouch for the positive effects of adaptogenic herbs such as Ashwagandha, Rhodiola root and Shizandra Berry. They have a very calming effect on stress and are touted as being extremely effective in combatting everything from oxidative stress to adrenal fatigue.
Thanks Jason! I had such good results with other supplements and relaxtion techniques that I really never got around to these. It is good to know that they worked for you!
All the best!
Hi DC:
I look at the web site “http://precisiondistributing.com/info.html”. Which machine you bought (The Precision Care, The Auto Care, The Home Care, The Custom Care, etc.) ? Also the website indicates that a prescription is required to purchase any one of these. Did you have a prescription when you order one of these ? Thanks
Hai
Hello Hai!
I bought one similar to the Auto Care, but I believe the Home Care model contains the “calm adrenals” frequency pre-programmed in. I bought mine through my chiropractor, and yes, the company only sells to health professionals, but those health professionals can sell the units to patients. The Home Care unit is the least expensive, and again, you will want to confirm, but I believe it contains the adrenals frequencies.
All the best!
Thank you for your ongoing report. I just had my first far infrared (FIR)sauna treatment; but, will have to have more in order to see if it will lower my BP. DC, have you ever tried FIR sauna?
Hi MontieJ! Yes, I own two infrared sauna’s. We have on in our home in Montana. It is a 3 person sauna so that there is plenty of room for my wife and myself at the same time. I also own a personal FIR sauna that we travel with. We take it to Az. in the winter, and B.C. in the summer/fall. Both are made by Sunlighten Saunas. I always end my workout with 30 to 60 minutes in my far infrared sauna. The sauna is not only a vasodilator, but it helps get rid of excess fluid so also acts similarly to a diuretic in that it lowers blood volume and blood pressure. Over time, I have found the vasodilation and detox aspect to have lasting effect on lowering my blood pressure.
I intend to devote a future post to FIR sauna. All the best!
wow such wonderful information, you are a blessing! Please keep writing! I also use the Resperate machine and supplements but am going to get the taurine/5htp and give that a try for awhile. I was put on beta blockers and could hardly walk up a hill even when I lowered the dose they gave me so i weaned off it after a few months. I take magnesium and hawthorn for my heart along with juicing and a vegetarian diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.
HI anneh! What you have done is one of the most helpful things that you can do for hypertension. A healthy diet is critical and a large percentage of foods from complex carbohydrates, fresh fruits and vegetables, makes a big difference in blood pressure for many, many people. Magnesium is one of the heart healthiest supplements, and I am a BIG fan of fresh pressed juices and juicing. I will devote a future post to juicing and fasting, including juice fasting and its reported effects on hypertension.
Keep up the GREAT work, and all the best to you!
Thank you so much for the input here. I have what you call White Coat Syndrome.
I participate in Healthy Studies. Use to never be a problem qualifying. Except now I seem to have the white coat syndrome. I exercise five times a week, swimming, biking, jump rope, weight lifting and walking. Also eat right. At age 52 I have found our bodies are starting to miss things called deficiencies of certain things at our age. Just a few life alterations can be very helpful. I am eating vegetables and fruits and taking out all soft drinks, and using stevia. Also learned to stop eating fruit at 5:00pm and always eat breakfast and a few snacks under 100 calories to keep the metabolism running.. My blood pressure is still around 130/75 heart rate is 65-80……I take it about 3 times a day. But I will say when qualifying it goes up to 160/103. My doctor suggested to just take a beta blocker when qualifying two hours before. I have heard weening yourself slowing when taking beta blockers is a must. If I just take one pill when trying to qualify will there be side affects. I am just talking about taking one beta blocker like every 3 months one time…..It is so hard to condense this into a few words. Not sure if you will understand what I am trying to say…..All blood work when qualifying shows very very good. Vitals are an important role to make it into the study. Once I am in the study my blood pressure is around 128/70…..I guess my main question in a nut shell is the beta blocker on weening off……
I also seem to have White Coat Syndrome. You mention Healthy Studies. What does that program entail? My doctor also mentioned a Beta blocker to prevent a White Coat spike, but I’m concerned it may lower my resting BP too much which runs about 118/63.
To DC: I have 2 heart stents..Rx morning 81 mg. aspirin 50 mg metoprolol 20 mg lisinapril-Bedtime 20 simvastatin also took Plavix for 3 yrs after stents were placed in 2008. After 3 yrs. off Plavix and trying to gradually get on natural regime to lower BP, especially systolic number which fluxuates from 170-140. Dystolic seems to be in line,under 80. I just read your article on Taurine plus 5 HTP. I’d like to go all natural by taking Rx every other day. I see the doctor next week for a check up. If my lipids are good but systolic still higher than doctor likes I’d like to go natural. How many mg. of each would be good for me to try? Can you answer in your column?
Hi Jt! Thanks for you comments and question. Your situation is complex enough that I think you should consult with a good naturopathic physician to get your regimen down to the exact specifics you are seeking. I took Taurine twice per day, 500 mg., although some people take it up to 4 times per day. I take 5-HTP, 500 mg., only once per day, before bedtime.
There are lots of natural therapies, diuretics, ace inhibitors, and alternatives to beta blockers, that can help many people get their blood pressure back into a normal range. Diet and exercise are two of the biggest factors, so don’t overlook them. I eliminated refined sugar, HFCS, white flour, other glutens (sugars), and table salt (sodium chloride) from my diet replacing it with good quality Himalayn sea salt.
I think a good naturopath could give you some advice on natural alternatives to the poisonous statins, as well. Red yeast rice might be one example. But again, your condition is complex enough that you should get professional assistance from a physician in tune with natural therapies in making any changes in your regimen. Weaning off of toxic drugs is something that needs to be done slowly over time as you measure and document positive changes from natural alternatives.
I have a naturpathic physician myself, as well as my alternative medicine doctor at Whitaker Wellness, so hopefully that tells you how important I think that guidance can be at times. good luck and all the best!
D. C
Do we need to worry about taking many natural pills for the BP? Are our kidneys & liver capable of handling natural supplements for a long period of time?
That’s a rerasonable and logical question and something I pondered too, when I was in a zombie like state on medication. Not trusting my own “self medicating” abilities, I decided the best and safest route to take was to hire a naturopathic doctor to help me and it was the best decision I made. They weaned me off the meds and now it’s just the diet, exercise and supplements keeping me on BP autopilot.
Hi Mak!
The best result is the one where some natural therapies, like natural diuretics and natural ace inhibitors, become less important over time. And other natural approaches like diet, exercise, and relaxation techniques become an increasingly important part of our lives.
I am much less worried about natural therapies than toxic drugs. I also have a naturopath as well as an alternative medicine physician. You don’t need them if you spend a good part of your time mastering the subjects yourself, but they can be helpful. That said………..trust your health to NO ONE BUT YOURSELF! Understand what is going on with your body and make all your final decisions. Relying blindly on other people is a formula for problems……
All the best!
Thanks Mr.Carestia,
You are a gift, to take time to share what has worked for you.I will forever thank you.
Johanna
One comment regarding Valerian , after a short spell it stops being effective and can cause BP to go up, it smells like dirty socks too.
Melatonin works well for sleep and seems to aid in BP lowering as well. 3 mg before bed works great and produces very low BP readings upon waking.
Hi Lin!
I never used Valerian. Please see my response to Jerry, below.
All the best!
most of the natural supplements for sleep only work for a few weeks,I suffered with insomia for years and tried everything out there with just temporary relief.You have to be carefull if you take a depression drug as they won’t mix with natural in most cases. The Beta-Blocker was causing my insomia,and depression ,when I complained to my doctor,he prescribed Ambien for sleep and Mirathapine for depression. When I got off the beta blocker I was able to get off the other two drugs. Now i’m on a Calcim Channel blocker only. I haven’t tried Taurine yet but take melatonin,and the V8 juice.Prevention magazine had an article claiming drinking 1 Oz of POM Juice ever day for a year can lower the Sys (top number) by 20 %. Been taking POM juice since April. I hope to get off the Calcium Channel Blocker soon if it doesn’t kill me first.
Jerry,
I’ve had fantastical results with the Melatonin. Not only has it solved my insomnia but it also lowers my morning BP readings on a regular basis upon waking.
Hi Jerry!
The reactions to melatonin are mixed. Melatonin is a hormone that is used often to help reset the circadian rhythm. Melatonin is also an antioxidant. It is produced by our bodies during sleeping hours. Those who do not regularly get a good night’s sleep are often lacking in enough melatonin. Most of the melatonin produced during sleeping hours is in fact produced in the dark hours before midnight. If you stay up late, then this likely makes the problem even worse.
My wife and I have both used melatonin. One of the common downsides of melatonin is the nightmares that often attend its use. Many people awaken from sleeping after taking melatonin not feeling completely rested. Both my wife and I suffered from both of these problems, and neither of us take melatonin today.
We have had much better luck with 5-HTP for sleeping. 5-HTP is a precursor to both serotonin which relaxes us and melatonin, which again helps reset our circadian rhythm and leads to more consistent sleeping hours. The fact that it is a precursor means that it helps our bodies produce more serotonin and melatonin naturally which we have found is as effective but much more mild on the dream/tiredness issues than melatonin taken directly.
If you want to relax before hitting the hay, and then getting to sleep and getting truly restful sleep, we have found that taking 5-HTP at bedtime with our magnesium supplement hot drink before retiring gives us the best result. Taurine helps with relaxation further, and again, has been found in a double blind study to reduce systolic pressures on average 9 points and diastolic pressures on average 4 points. In this regard, when I was taking these supplements for my blood pressure, I would take 500 mg. of Taurine, 500 mg. of 5-HTP, and 2 teaspoons of natural calm in hot water before bedtime.
This combination has been very effective without the vivid dreams and the “melatonin hangover” we experienced the next morning.
Magnesium is also a natural calcium blocker, so you have the potential of a double advantage with the “natural calm” calcium citrate supplement at bedtime. Regarding the POM juice, in an earlier article I talked about the fact that pomegranate juice is a natural ace inhibitor. I have had the best results with R.W. Knudsen’s 100% pomegranate juice and Jarrow Formula’s Pomegranate Juice Concentrate. I have no experience with POM. If this doesn’t give you the desired effect in about 30 days, actually, I would try the products mentioned here instead. I noticed the impact of Knudsen’s the first day I took it. This can be taken any time of day.
Hope this information helps, and all the best!
I began having insomnia every night, beginning with my first dose of beta blockers in the hospital, I think. I usually think of pharmacists as a valuable resource, so I asked the pharmacist. He looked at his list of side effects and said, “nope, it must not be the beta blocker. Maybe you’re just worried about your health.”
I am in the process of slowly decreasing the dose of my beta blocker until off of it, and began taking the Natural Calm magnesium and melatonin. I am also earthed during a portion of the night. I have broken the trend of insomnia and am now sleeping better without the melatonin.
Normally for me waking up in the middle of the night is directly related to having sweets in the pm, so I have to get up and have a snack to get back to sleep. But when taking the beta blocker, I had it every night, even with a really righteous diet.
Try Grape seed same as Bata Blocker
Hi Dave!
I have discussed Grape Seed Extract with a couple of other commenters. Grape seed is an excellent antioxidant. That said, it does not have beta blocker qualities.
All the best!
Have you found the infrared sauna to be more benficial for lowering pressure than a convential dry sauna?
Thanks
Bob
Hi Bob…….YES, absolutely, by leaps and megabounds! I no longer go into regular, conventianal dry sauners or steam rooms. The toxin content of a conventional sauna is about 10% of the toxin content of sweat from a far infrared sauna. The FIR heats into deeper tissues and is an effective vasodilator. I sweat much more without harsh temperatures, so I blood pressure is lowered with reduced fluid volume, as well.
There is really no comparison. FIR is far superior.
Stay tuned, as the Far Infrared Sauna post will be available shortly.
All the best!
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