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My first real health breakthrough with raw

steviostevio Raw Newbie

I have been struggling with high blood pressure since last fall. I currently take 3 medications, which keep it around 130/90 (still too high). Around 2 weeks ago, I jumped into 95%+ raw, 99% vegan (I had some cooked corn on the cob with butter and a slice of pie at a family dinner), and in that time, my blood pressure has dropped to 110/70! I have not been under 130/80 in over 2 decades. Though it is true that I am still taking the meds, I think I am getting low enough to start the experiment of tapering off. I can’t wait until my next doctor’s appointment, and since it is still a few weeks away, and I will have another blood test before then, perhaps even time to start saying farewell to the cholesterol meds as well…

Comments

  • jellibijellibi Raw Newbie

    Yay, congratulations! That is such great news :)

  • Wonderful!!!

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    Absolutely!!! If you know you are dedicated and are vegan then start weening slowly over months, with your MD’s blessings…

    Great job!!!

  • CarmentinaCarmentina Raw Newbie

    That’s great news. Be careful tapering off the meds, like you wrote. My understanding of blood-pressure drugs is that you can’t ever get off them, but it probably depends what you’re taking. Great progress. Good luck.

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    stevio~ Congrats!!!!! waterbaby12347 is very wise!!! Please take her advise and work with your doctor to “properly” decrease your meds. With some meds, going cold turkey or even decreasing at a fast rate can do damage (part of the insidiousness of some pharmaceuticals). I would also suggest finding out what the side effects of your meds are if you are being over medicated. As your body improves, it is common that the same dosages may cause you to be over medicated and your doctor will need to adjust your meds. For example, with some bp meds, a side effect of being over medicated is feeling dizzy, especially when getting up (the meds are causing the bp to drop to low). To your continued improvement…

    Carmentina~ Your understanding is correct if one doesn’t increase needed resources like nutritionally dense food. Many people aren’t willing to change anything in their life so they continue to get the same results (eg. blood pressure issues). However, stevio is being proactive and shifting to a more nutritionally dense food program. He is starting to give his body what it needs to improve his health and seeing results.

  • Wow, this is fantastic news! Keep up the great work! Long live RAW!

  • iknikn

    Congratulations! Keep up the good work! I wish my step father would do the same, but he is absolutely hopeless. He is on 9 different medication and takes medicine for the side effects, and those medicine’s side effects. It’s a vicious circle. Be proud of yourself!

  • Bravo! Keep up the great work!!!

  • steviostevio Raw Newbie

    thanks all!

    The encouragement and support around here never stops amazing me.

    I agree with all the advice about working with my doctor and doing this under supervision. He is also a reasonable person, though skeptical of diet being enough to eliminate meds of any kind. I was unable to convince him to let me try the diet for a month before starting a cholesterol med, as he thought my health was too much at risk for that, but when he suggested upping my BP meds at my last visit, he agreed to give me 6 more weeks to see if diet could have an impact as the numbers were more boarderline than critical. Now I am very glad he agreed to wait 6 more weeks before adjusting the meds.

    I am taking 3 different meds for the blood pressure (calcium channel blocker, beta blocker and ACE inhibitor). The beta blocker has been problematic since day one causing fatigue, muscle weakness, and dulling my cognitive functioning. We were hoping to get me off of that one sooner than later already, and I am down to a dosage small enough I have to cut pills because they don’t make them in low enough dosages. Hopefully this will be step one. The other two will doubtlessly follow.

    He was also convinced I might be able to get off of them just by losing weight (which he will attribute this result to) to normalize my BP. After 18 years of quacks prescribing psych meds to treat undiagnosed sleep disorders, I was hoping to be med free by 40 (december) but then this fall the choleserol and diabetes diagnoses came in. I will definitely be med free by 40.5 at the rate that nutrient dense food is allowing my body to heal.

  • Stevio,

    So what are your results from the cholesterol test? Hoping for a really good report from the Dr.!

  • steviostevio Raw Newbie

    I have my follow-up appointment wednesday, and I find out then. I had to reschedule due to some family issues that came up.

  • newbienewbie Raw Newbie

    one more day – we’re all waiting to hear :-)

  • newbienewbie Raw Newbie

    stevio – how’s it going? how were your test results?

  • steviostevio Raw Newbie

    Well, I had my appointment a couple of days ago.

    To summerize: I have been on blood pressure medicine for about 8 months. That got me down to 130/90.

    I have been on diabetes meds for 12 weeks, that started to stabilize my blood sugar.

    I have been on cholesterol meds for 7 weeks.

    I have been eating mostly raw vegan foods for 7 weeks.

    In those 7 weeks, my A1C dropped from 11% to 7%. This is a measure of average blood sugar over a 3 month period. I have no doubt, nor does my doctor, that my last one will be completely normal, as it will be a reflection of only my healthy eating, and not have any residual impact from my pre-raw days. 6% is considered the upper limit for normal.

    My blood pressure has come down from 130/90 as my lowest monthly reading, to 100/65. My average is closer to 110/75. This has allowed me to convince my doctor to start weaning me off the BP meds, while we closely monitor the results.

    I lost 17 pounds during those 7 weeks. I still have about 100 pounds to lose, but this takes me to over 50 lbs lost this year.

    My cholesterol has dropped from over 350 to under 175. The doctor even admits that the low dose of the single med I am taking can’t explain that big a change.

    My HDL dropped a little, but the doctor says that is normal with weight loss, and nothing to be too concerned about.

    My morning heart rate has dropped from 88 to 64.

    The doctor is still resistant to believe that these lifestyle changes can account for healing these conditions, and is still convinced I will be on meds for the rest of my life. He fought me a little about eliminating one of the 3 BP meds I take which noticeably sedates me and impairs my cognitive functioning. I pushed back to the point where he agreed, and instructed me on what I should be monitoring in the mean time. He was afraid that stopping this med (a beta blocker) could result in a heart attack. If stopping such a med is so dangerous, why am I even on it to begin with?

    I have an appointment with a naturopatic doctor in a few weeks. Hopefully I will have confidence in him and be able to pursue a health path away from the pharmaceutical industry, which is part of what helped me achieve my current state of poor health to begin with.

  • TomsMomTomsMom Raw Newbie

    You’re doing awesome!

    I’m surprised that your doctor seems shocked that a more appropriate diet would lower your high cholesterol and blood pressure. Considering that high blood pressure and high cholesterol are usually diet-related, why would he be surprised that they are lower? I think his reaction is a bit strange.

    Watch your blood pressure to be sure it’s doesn’t get too low. And yes, the medico should be closely monitoring you because you are still taking medications, and if your body doesn’t need them, then they are dangerous.

  • steviostevio Raw Newbie

    Well, his reaction has probably gotten him fired. I am seeing the naturopath tomorrow. It is a long drive for me to get there, but my health is worth it.

    The doctor said I would probably never be able to get off of the diabetes meds, but might be able to get to the point where I only need an oral and not an injectable. Well, my injection site got so sensitive, I had to stop injecting, and guess what? My blood sugar is still always normal when I check it. The med I was taking was to stimulate specific digestive enzymes. I guess I don’t need that anymore. I of course am monitoring the blood sugar even more closely, and will be asking the new Dr. to help make sure I am not doing anything reckless.

    I also have tapered off 2 of the 3 BP meds at this point, and my BP and pulse are still normal at all times of day (well, sometimes it creeps up to 124/75, however, this seems pretty reasonable to me).

    The one thing that the doctor doesn’t want to talk about is the side effects of the BP meds. My diabetes came on rapidly after starting the BP meds. This is a known side effect. Despite this, he is still resistant to trying dietary control even though my labs are all in the normal range now.

    So thanks to raw, I have ended my need for diabetes meds, and 2 of 3 BP meds, and suspect I will be tapering off the 3rd, and discontinuing the cholesterol med under the supervision of my new doctor. I think if I relied on my current doctor, and did not take control of my health by researching diet and discovering the green smoothies, and then the raw veganism, he would just keep prescribing more and more meds to treat the symptoms without ever addressing the underlying causes until it finally killed me. What I really needed was some leafy greens and fresh fruit and a high speed blender!

  • Wow dude! First let me say you ROCK! What an awesome thread to read for the first time! Second, your doctor sucks! Isn’t changing diet and lifestyle the biggest and most basic idea to fight comorbidities of obesity like hypertension and diabetes? I mean Obama even said that part of his new health care plan is to get Americans to change their lifestyles to prevent disease. It’s all over the place! What’s really cool for you is your new way of eating isn’t a fad-diet and you get to feel awesome while you heal and not feel deprived and starving or have to get your stomach stapled! What does your doctor think? The pills had some magic affect eventually and cured you? What a jerk. He should totally have been supportive. Is he old as dirt? I would get a second opinion on how to get off the beta-blocker; in fact – you should really leave that guys practice. You can rate MD’s on the web you know. Well, you always have us here to tell you that you’re awesome!

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    Wow! Good for you! I am amazed & inspired by the way you’re really taking your health into your own hands. “What I really needed was some leafy greens and fresh fruit and a high speed blender!” Hahaha! :D I love how true that is. :)

  • newbienewbie Raw Newbie

    stevio – you bring tears of joy/admiration to my eyes. I remember when you first posted here – questions about how to make green smoothies. You’re a remarkable person and a testament to everyone who wants to improve their health.

  • steviostevio Raw Newbie

    you guys are all so kind with your support. It really makes an impact.

    I saw the naturopath monday, and I liked him. He gave me a supplement to take in place of the evil Zocor (read about statin meds if you take them – more dangerous than good for many). Though I liked him, both the cost and distance makes me think I will not be seeing him as regularly as I had hoped.

    I also saw a new nutritionist to help speed working out the quirks in my diet. She was AWESOME! Very smart, sympathetic to my desires of being a raw vegan, and is part of a holistic health practice group that my insurance covers, and is across town. And though she will recommend supplements if needed, she agrees with the idea that food is always better than supplements, so she says I should keep taking my vitamin B-12 and Vitamin D, and my concerns regarding some of my other micronutrient issues were addressed with food choices.

    I have an appointment with a Nurse Practitioner there next friday. My primary care doc is officially fired! I am down to one remaining medication to eliminate now that the Zocor is out of my life. I am confident that this last blood pressure medication can probably be safely eliminated in the next couple of months to reach my goal of being med free by 40! Of course, if it takes a couple of extra months, it does.

    It sure is nice finding competent medical advice from someone who’s treatment modality isn’t just test blood/prescribe pills.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    Yay! I’m so glad you were able to fire your doc, and to find a holistic person who believes food is better than supplements AND is supportive of your choice of raw veganism! Hooray – and when you think about it, “a couple of extra months” is not half bad in healing your body naturally. :)

  • newbienewbie Raw Newbie

    stevio – are you still doing mostly green smoothies or have you switched it up some? I’m curious bc I’m about to do a 30 day green smoothie feast; although, I’m not opposed to the occasional savory salad for a little variation :-)

  • steviostevio Raw Newbie

    Mostly green smoothies, but not the 100% I set out to do. I have a big one for breakfast and another big one for lunch, and sometimes I’ll have some seeds with one or both (I enjoy chewing the seeds, and I LOVE the flavor of straight hemp seeds).

    I tend to have a big green salad with lots of veggies most nights, and the occasional treat made from coconut oil, cacao nibs, goji berries and raw honey.

    My biggest problem is I don’t get enough protein, and I end up craving protein foods and bingeing on them for one meal every 4-5 days (usually non raw and non vegan). I will be sprouting as soon as I move, and I hope to get more protein that way, and for the next couple of weeks I am considering a hemp protein powder (or that raw superfood protein powder). It has to be better than eating a pound of shrimp every 4 or 5 days to get my legs to stop aching and to stop feeling run down.

    After I move into my new house, and get things settleed again, I might try the 30 day smoothie feast again. Well see how the next attempt works.

  • steviostevio Raw Newbie

    I had a visit with my new primary care practitioner, and she suggested cutting my BP med in half to taper off. Well, I missed my blood pressure med 3 days in a row, unintentionally (or perhaps my subconscious guiding me), and when I checked my BP today it was 110/80. I am going to monitor it closely, but I expect that I am med free.

    So my goal for med free by 40 seemed to come in. 12 weeks of high raw, and I have eliminated 2 diabetes meds, 3 blood pressure meds, and a cholesterol med. I have another blood test scheduled for 5 weeks to evaluate where things stand, and I expect that things should be within normal ranges, or at least close enough to warrant staying off the meds. This new lifestyle is certainly paying big dividends.

    Also in those same 12 weeks I have lost 31.6 pounds.

    The best part is, it is not a struggle to continue. I don’t need to motivate myself to do it. I feel good when I eat well, I feel worse when I eat less well. That alone is enough to keep me from going to far astray. High raw high vegan living may very well have saved my life, and improved the quality of that life for the future.

  • I am soooo happy for you stevio! I am going to refer some people to this topic to read your testimony/progress. You are doing a great thing by sharing with us and posting here. Congrats! I am so happy for you!

  • blueyzblueyz Raw Newbie

    Stevio – this is awesome and I am so happy for you!! I am going back to my naturopath on Tuesday because something is still off and need to figure out what is so can adress it correctly (for a change I think it is something other than thryoid since that, Vit D and other issues are now under control).

    It is sad how many mainstream Dr’s are in habit of take this or that, if it doesn’t go away we’ll try another drug…while rarely ever addressing nutrition needs or modern way of life as being a possible influence!!

    I am so happy things are working for you , and yay for the weight loss too :)

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