(by Gladys) — I took blood pressure medicines for years. My toes tingled when they didn’t hurt or felt on fire. I decide to do some research and chose to take L-Arginine. As I weaned myself off the RX’s, I took my L-Arginine everyday.
I modified my diet, did sit ups daily and by the end of 2 week my BP was 126 over 64. It has basically remained that way for about a year. When the medications have more side effects than the good they can do, I refuse the medicine and find alternatives.
It has worked well for me. I want my medical issues to be resolved not masked with a prescription.
(60 votes, average: 4.32 out of 5)
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Hi Gladys, and thanks!
L-Arginine is only one of the effective supplements that we have discussed on the natural alternatives blog, and I couldn’t agree with you more. Good on ya!
You are fortunate that you found your answer so quickly and with just the right efforts for you! Thanks for confirming that natural therapies can be effective!
All the best!
What dosage are you taking?
where do I get Arginine
Where can I get L argenine
Walmart or any health food store
YOU SHOULD GET IT IN ANY HEALTH FOOD STORE.
Every Vitamin Shop sells it, I have L’Arginine and Glutamine and when I have a sour stomach one pill of that eliminates the problem the minute I swallowed it, much better than Maalox or Tums or even Nexxium which eats your bones away.
The best form of L-Arginine that I have found is Thorne Research. They offer a time release L-Arginine supplement called Perfusia S-R. It was recommended by my doctor at Whitaker Wellness, and it has served me well. It releases L-Arginine over time rather than in a huge dose all at once.
You can get this from many of the online supplement providers such as iherb, Supersupplements, and VitaCost.
I take two capsules, two times per day, with morning and evening meals for a total of 1000 mg. per day. This is a supplement that I still take daily.
All the best!
Interesting comments everyone. Just a thought, remember just as drugs will react differently with individuals so does natural supplementation in regards to what your body is needing or can process! There is no cookie cutter solution – you have to pay attention to how you feel and if it’s not working it could be many things – including the manner in which you are taking the supplement. What I mean is that for instance some people (me being one of them) cannot digest iron supplementation pills but I can absorb and quickly recover iron deficiency if instead I drink spinach juice daliy for awhile until it is better. The closer you can get to natural the better your body can recognize it but if you cannot chagne a lifestyle or stand to do this than supplements is better than not doing anything. Applause to those seeking another way instead of making these drug companies richer than they already are and what a great blog!
Yes It Works But One Thing! If You Suffer With Asma Dont Take It Can make asmatics Worse
In the article it says bp was lowered to 126 in two weeks. It would be helpful to know what the bp was before the change was made (to see how much of a difference it made)?
One supplement I have found to be very effective is olive leaf extract with 20 percent oleoreupin.
It’s important to note that everyone responds differently to various supplements. Some worked for me and others did not. It’s best to consult with a naturopathic doc so they can help with the trial and error aspects. I don’t recommend self medicating unless you are very adept at it. I would forewarn against L-Arginine. My ND did not recommend due to potential heart related problems that can be brought on using this long term. Stay with known safe and effective supplements such as CoQ10, Magnesium and Fish oil.
Dr OZ is a great show to watch because I have been researching alternatives for years and he comes up with most of what I know about and many others I didn’t. I was on Lisinopril and Atenolol since 2010 Jan as I had mitral valve prolapse with regurgitation and didn’t get surgery until Aug 2011 and so my Dr wanted me on these drugs to help make my heart not work as hard with the MVP. In May of this year after a chest xray my right lung is deflated and the Dr asked me if I smoke or ever smoked and I told him I have NEVER smoked, so he next asked me what meds I was on and those are the only 2 that I am on. He told me Atenolol is GREAT for your heart but TERRIBLE for your bronchial tubes so he wanted to stop it in June and is seeing me again this week. He told that if my BP goes above 140/88 to go back on the Atenolol, as I have a home BP monitor and so about 3 weeks ago my top # was 140 and over, so I started to take Hawthorn which is great for BP. SO I have been taking my BP every other day and last week, the top # is staying in the 120’s range and bottom is still in the 70’s range. SO it works and if I can get my BP down even further I am going to stop the Lisinopril. I am very learned on my health and so I know what to do. You also have to make sure you are taking the necessary mg for good quality supplements in order for them to be affective. I also take Omega-3’s 2000 mg/day, CoQ10 400mg/day and that helps my arthritis and psoriasis and they are both severe, they don’t cure them or even stop the pain totally, but I live in FL and we have had lots of rain since May so when it rains like now, I am hurting. But at least I don’t have other side effects.
Atenolol is a dangerous poison. It is no longer part of the first tier of hypertension in Britain as I mentioned in my Natural Alternatives blog on Beta Blockers. It increases the incidence of diabetes among those who take it.
I am hoping that you are getting your omega 3’s from quality fish oil. If you are over 45, I hope you are taking your CoQ10 in the form of ubiquinol rather than ubiquinone. As we age, we cannot absorb ubiquinone as well as ubiquinol. Hawthorn is helpful to many people, but it did not help my hypertension.
Unfortunately, there are a few natural alternatives that help almost everyone with their hypertension. My next article on Natural Alternatives talks about one such therapy – far infrared sauna.
Many of the other alternatives are hit and miss for many people. What works for one, may not work for anther, so people have to be prepared to give alternatives a fair trial of at least 30 days before making a determination. Because hypertension is multifactorial it takes some work to figure out what will work for each individual. The work is well worth it, however.
All the best!
Yes, I am well aware about how CRITICAL it is to take quality supplements. I take RES-Q 1250 for my omega 3’s and QUINOL for CoQ10 and you are correct in that we need the ubiquinol for us older folks. Having had severe psoriasis for 42 yrs, and passing it on to my 2 older sons, I know only too well how some things work for one and not the other…my oldest and I can take the same things, but not the middle son – nor can we use what he does!! I want to try this L-Arginine, Dr OZ gives it kuddos. I had something go haywire in May and when they gave me nitraglyceride in the ambulance it relieved the “elephant on my chest” but all of my tests came out fine! But I had high glucose tests and the same thing happened after valve surgery last summer. I am off Atenolol for GOOD, according to me..haven’t seen my cardio guy yet, but I won’t take it and he doesn’t force things on me when I refuse. With taking red yeast rice I got my LDL’s from 176 to 116 in 2 years! And I am not taking that anymore and don’t care that my LDL is below 100 which is what they want now, but 116 is good and all I read is that some say that it isn’t necessary for it to below 100, when just a decade ago or less it was to be below 200!!
And what is far infrared sauna??
Kudos to red yeast rice. I swear by it. It lowered my LDL 70 points when I first started taking it.I continue to take two 600mg a day to keep it down.
Good advice, Jason. There is also a direct correlation between L-Arginine and gout. I went through a period of chronic gout attacks when my MD perscribed hydrochlorothyazide for my high BP. She took me off pronto, after the attacks started. If you have never had a gout attack, consider yourself lucky. I’ve broken limbs skiing, thrown my back out and ripped a tendon in my arm. Nothing can touch the pain associated with gout. Anyone who has ever had a gout attack should steer clear of L-Arginine. For more info, simply Google L-Arginine and gout.
I certainly agree that CoQ10, fish oil, and magnesium are safe and effective supplements, but they are only the beginning of many more safe and effective supplements. We have talked about many in the Natural Alternatives blog, and will talk about many more.
All the best!
Preston, your experience sounds very similar to my Dad’s. He has gout also and the doc had to discontinue the HCTZ as it aggravated it more. He was also told the Indomethacin is bad for kidneys used long term and should only use it for an acute gout attack.
I used L arginine, taurine, celery seed extract,garlic with hawthorn and cayanne , it all helps alot but Microlactin from vitalist works the best. It’s actually for the joints but one of its side effects is that it lowers BP. I hade had high blood pressure Afib and tachycardia for 15 years when Suddenly I got a strangulated hernia and found out that it was what was causing my heart problems, excessive sweating and weakness! The mess I had been prescribed caused more problems and didn’t help that much. Once I got the hernia repaired I could except use without pain lose weight and now feel great abut late as I am 65 but better late than never.
Back in the early 1980s I went to a Vitamin Shoppe in Austin, Texas and saw CoQ10 and in the back of it was printed 100% Magnesium. Then later they changed it to other things and I wondered why they did that because Magnesium is important but very cheap. Why is CoQ10 so expensive?
Thanks Jason will continue with Co Q10, Magnesium and Fish Oil. All these I have found my way to take by reading over the months
Has anyone besides D Carestia had any success getting off meds via diet and lifestyle? I tried once and failed.
I tried several times and failed over the course of almost 2 years. That is why I say that solving the hypertension problem is a difficult and time consuming task for many people. It is worth the effort, however, and people need to find the solution that best addresses their problem. Be prepared to try things that help others, but that may not help you. Many alternatives will help almost everyone, but the best alternatives for you likely will require trial and error.
This week I will discuss a therapy that helps almost everyone – far infrared sauna.
All the best!
Try Dr John McDougall’s vegan diet. Or, better still, attend one of his week-long clinics in Santa Rosa. I have not been to a clinic but been following a vegan diet for a number of years now and my blood pressure has come down to a more reasonable level, although not as much as I would like (mid 130s/mid70s). I hope that one day I will be able to attend one of Dr McDougall’s clinics.
Just started L-Arginine myself – is there a proper time for taking it? The bottle says, between meals, it’s hard to remember that time when I’m off doing other things.
Also, do you take it all at once or split the Mgs.? Like 500 and 500 or 1000 all at once?
Love the RESPeRATE and do it for 20 minutes every day. Feel so much better than when I was on those pills!! I don’t take anything now. Have been doing RESPeRATE for over a year – love every minute of it!
started L-arginine about 2 weeks ago and it has lower my BP to a good range. seems to have helped lower the upper number more. also started taking pomegranite concentrate everyday. not sure if that is helping as well.
i am on 35 mg of avapro (cut pill in half) for 5 years. thinking about cutting it in half again and seeing if i can wean off it. thoughts?
Do yourself a favor and research that drug, I am not familiar with it. There are some good sites to go on which WebMD.com is good to start. I would think that you could come off of it, but see what that drug says about it use and side effects and all – just do googles searches asking the questions you want answers to.
And……..google “patient complaints about avapro”……..that will be an eye opener. I found so many things in common about the harmful effects of the toxic drugs I was taking that others had also suffered.
All the best!
I would try adding in Magnesium and CoQ10 during the weaning off process. I actually weaned off the meds over a few months by changing the diet. Tried DASH but wasn’t getting fast results, then went plant based and that is when the real magic started occurring– no atherosclerotic building blocks was key.
Hi DJ! Weaning off of hypertension drugs is many times “no small feat”. For many, it must be done very slowly and gradually. I cut different dosages of pills into different doses so that I could reduce gradually over weeks and months. When I tried to make too big a drop, I failed.
Dr. Sherry Rogers outlines a weaning protocol in her book, “The High Blood Pressure Hoax” that is very slow and methodical. The fact is, I had to go even slower……..
All the best!
Beet powder-mix with water and drink..helped with my blood presure almost immediatley. Go to health food store. Google “beet powder”and read all the benefits.
Beets are part of my daily juicing regimen……3 celery sticks (diuretic), 2 carrots, about a 2″ square of fresh beet (diuretic and blood cleanser), spinach, and cucumber (diuretic).
Beet powder is a great alternative for those who do not juice fresh fruits and vegetables.
All the best!
L-Arginine is a supplement used alot by athletes and body builders. In conjunction with Amino Acids, Arginine is known to help expand the blood vessels, increasing oxygen to the blood. This action, by its very nature, will help in reducing blood pressure. Of course, its not a magic vitamin, so a steady, consistent application should be used.
I see you did your homework Stuart…that is why I use it it does help with lowering the BP and I am also a cyclist so it help me as well for Sprinting by letting more oxygen into my blood vessels so I tend to have more stamina as well. Very good supplement I highly recommend it and it can be found in any pharmacy….
Arginine with Citrulline is even more effective than Arginine alone. A Doctor won a Nobel Laureant in Medicine based on this science. Its pretty easy to find this combo out there in the marketplace. I use it and it definitely makes a difference.
L-Arginine has helped in 2 ways, BP & ED but I read recently it doesn’t help much over 40 & I’m 70, so you can’t believe all you read on health blogs.
I am 63, and L-arginine in the form of time release Thorne Research Perfusia S-R has been very helpful to me. So, you can’t believe everything you read off of health blogs! 😉
All the best!
L- Arganine helps but in my research I found out that if you carry the herpes virus that causes cold sores you will be more prone to breakouts which actually did happen to me.
Yake L lysine regularly and you will not get herpes simplex blisters. Quercetin with vitamin C helps also amino acids cans and often should be used together!
I found Lysine Ointment at GNC in a small little bottle. I use a thin coat on my lips at night and have stopped my herpes simplex blister outbreaks. I also find that dehydration brings them on along with stress. Drink plenty of water.
I have never had a problem with consistent use of L-Arginine in time release capsule form. I have found it safe and effective, and it was recommended by my physician at Whitaker Wellness Center.
Thorne Research makes a time release capsule that allows a pretty consistent administration of L-Arginine over time. That is far preferable to a large dose hitting your system all at once.
This is the L-Arginine that I recommend.
All the best!
GREAT SHARING EXPERIENCE . I WILL START L-ARGININE REAL SOON. I AM ON B.P. MEDICATION. I WANT TO ELIMINATE B.P. MEDICATION. PLEASE SOMEBODY COMENT ON THIS. RECENTLY I STARTED TAKING RAW BEET ROOT JUICE. SUPPOSE TO HELP YOU IN ALL DIFFERENT WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALH.
Thorne Research Perfusia S-R, a time release form of L-Arginine. I take 2 capsules twice per day for a total of 1000 mg. per day. I started with that dosage and continue it today.
All the best!
People need to be very careful popping L-Arginine tablets. My naturopath did not recommend due to an increased risk of cardiac events. You can get plenty of natural L-Arginine synthesis consuming plant based foods.
Guys, let’s just make it simple. Let this be your ultimate guide: ONE MAN’s MEAT IS ANOTHER MAN’S POISON.”
It good to share experience about something. But steer clear of recommending it straight away. Some things just don’t suit other people. It’s good to try with an expert advise. But then you are your best doc. There is no adequate nor exact way to describe how your body reacts.
Hi Dennis!
I like to think of it a little differently. All of the natural therapies and supplements are not one tiny fraction of the poisons of toxic hypertension drugs. Not all of the natural alternatives, however, helpe all of the people who need help. People often have to try a variety of healthy alternatives to find what best helps them reduce high blood pressure.
To that end, the trial and error is very worthwhile and I have never been harmed by good, natural, food-based alternatives including supplements.
All the best!
An Excellent response by D. Cerestia.
Cheers
I WOULD TO GET SOME COMENTS & EXPERINCES WITH BEET ROOT JUICE & L- ARGININE USE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH
This is great feedback about the L-Arginine Supplement. Or is it a supplement? Either way, I’m going to give the time release option a try and hope for the best.
I hate taking pills or anything that has several side effects.
Wish me luck and thanks for the Feedback!
Hi J!
Here is my caution to you. L-Arginine may not be the natural therapy that is most effective for you. At the same time, it may be. If it isn’t however, that is not unusual nor should it be the end of your effort. Many people have to try many alternatives to find what works best for them. And indeed, there are many natural alternatives that can help people. Some things help almost everyone, like far infrared sauna, for example. Many supplements help some but not others.
Do not be discouraged if the first thing you try does not give you the result you seek. Keep seeking among the many things that have helped the many!
All the best!
What are your thoughts on taking Beet powder and L-Arginine during the same trial period?
Thanks for the Feedback!
The upside is that both supplements may help you, and you will get a synergistic effect. The downside is that you won’t be sure that both of them are helping you.
My best trials were always one thing at a time over 30 days with daily blood pressure readings to see what the effect of that single change was.
My first step was to juice diuretic and other circulatory health vegetables in a morning drink. These included celery, carrot, beet, and spinach. Those are healthy for me, included natural diuretics, and did lower my blood pressure. From there I added natural ace inhibitors (pomegranate and cocao), and the pomegranate worked well for me.
Then I began to add supplements……L-Arginine, Taurine, and others.
Even if the beet powder does not lower your blood pressure, it is healthy for you. If the combination does not lower your blood pressure, you have eliminated two natural alternatives, and can move on to the many others that you can try next.
All the best!
L-Arginine can also bring on an attack of Shingles which happend to me – very painful. If you have ever had chicken pox I would not recommend taking L-Arginine.
Just try a garlic tooth before breakfast every morning and check your results in less than a week. And it is completely natural. If it doesn`t yield benefits it doesn’t harm.
Just try a garlic tooth before breakfast every morning.
It is effective in lowering your blood pressure in a natural way without any side effects. Try it and check results in less than a week.
I’m quite motivated to get off these meds as they are making me feel awful and it’s only been 2 months. How can anyone function feeling like this. I’m going to hire a naturopath doctor I think.
I consult with a good naturopath as well as my medical doctor at Whitaker Wellness about hypertension as well as other wellness issues. My naturapath is helpful, but to be honest, does not know all of the natural therapies that I have discovered and tried through my own research. Just remember, if what the naturopath recommends does not work for you, there are other natural alternatives that will!
All the best!
I tried taking magnesium but I had an experience of not being able to pee the normal way. I also tried Fish oil 500mg but because of acidic stomach it gave me acid pain. I am recently taking 40mg of Diovan, originaly 80mg before my heart doctor cut it to half. I am also taking Deltiazime 120mg(a time release med.) I bought resperate but have not use it everyday. I think it’s worth going to Naturopath doctor instead.
Although I understand that people want to get off prescription drugs that come with very unpleasant side-effects the reality is that if you have to take supplements on a regular basis to keep your BP under control then this is just another form of medication, also with possible unknown long-term side-effects.
Vitamin and mineral supplements may cause an unknown imbalance and my suggestion would be to go easy on them and see a dietician. What helped me was the Dr McDougall diet. It is vegan, I don’t adhere to it 100% but my blood pressure has dropped significantly and at the clinic it is in the mid 130’s/mid70’s. Not ideal, but with the very low cholesterol level, thanks to this diet, my doctor won’t pressure me into taking medication or ‘supplements’.
Hi marmotte. Respectfully, I could not disagree with you more. The food-based natural alternatives are good for you, not like the poisonous toxic hypertension drugs.
I have had the beginnings of the “vegan” discussion with a few people here, and I plan an in-depth post on diet in the coming weeks. I too believe that much of our diet should be plant based, at least the healthy plants. As just one example, soy beans are poisonous to our systems. The only soy I eat is fermented. In addition, there are things that are absolutely essential to our bodies, like “essential fatty acids” that are not sufficiently found in the vegan diet. Our bodies are more than a “circulatory system”, and essential healthy fats from animal sources are indeed “essential” for overall good health.
Again, we will discuss this in more length on the natural alternative blog. Respectfully, again, healthy food-based supplements are the antithesis of toxic hypertension drugs.
All the best!
I was wondering if anyone that had taken coq10 had any chest pains with it, I took it for about four days and had pain in chest,quit taking it and pain went away,started again and pain returned.
Hi Ronnie!
I have not heard of this before. I am curious as to your age, sex, the brand and dosage you took, and when you took it. In addition, was this ubiquinone or ubiquinol?
Thanks much, and all the best!
I agree with D. Carestia…taking supplements means that you have to do extensive research since they aren’t governed by FDA. I take Ubiquinol by Quinol which is a high concentration and I have never had chest pain and I have been on it for about 2 yrs. I just take one capsule a day which is what they say to take. Change whatever you are taking and do your research or ask on here what people think about the best QUALITY supplement to take. I have been researching natural products for years.
This doesn’t sound normal. I take CoQ10 daily. It is a power cardioprotective antioxidant.
I have been taking lisinopril 40mg and maxide for high blood pressue …it is not helping. I have been going to the doctor for over a year, even changed a few Docs…no resullts. What can I do to save my life? I do take fish oi for pain and it does help.
dee,
I was on 5 BP medicines (including diuretic) and after a lot of searching I found a cardiologist that treating high BP was his specialty. He is a professor in the Medical School at UNC-Chapel Hill, NC. I am now on three medications, including the diuretic. They are Diovan (320MG), Amlodipine Besylate (10MG), and a diuretic called Spironolactone (25MG). When I eat like I should my BP ranges from 135/85 to 117/75. I feel much better and have a brighter outlook on life. My local internist had been prescribing whatever was the new flavor being promoted by the medical companies. The doctor at UNC is Alan Hinderliter and can be reached at UNC Heart and Vascular.
Dee, the biggest favor you can do for yourself is to consume a plant based diet. Unlike medications that treat symptoms, plant based nutrition addresses the root cause. Cholesterol drops, BP normalizes, diabetes resolves. It’s quite remarkable. Please read Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease and Eat to Live. These are lifesavers. Nothing in medicine comes close to what a plant based diet does.
D. Carestia,
Please give us a link to the natural alternatives blog. Google turns up nothing on it.