Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

Every drug can have unpredictable effects on your health

High blood pressure has many causes and countless things in life can contribute to it.

So if you’ve tried all the usual ways to lower blood pressure to no avail, it’s time to look a little deeper…

Did you know that numerous drugs and medications – both legal and illicit, both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) - can raise your blood pressure, sometimes to dangerous levels?

Possibly the most alarming risk comes from a common, OTC pain reliever used by countless millions of unsuspecting people. It’s IBUPROFEN, also known under trade names including Advil, Motrin and Nurofen.

Even more alarming is the fact that while the published side effects of this medication include several conditions that can be associated with high blood pressure (dizziness, fainting, fast or irregular heartbeat), high blood pressure itself is not even listed!

But the fact is that use of NSAIDs (non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen is increasingly recognized as a significant cause of secondary hypertension (high blood pressure with a known cause).

A dangerous “time of month” for your blood pressure?

Women are particularly vulnerable to blood pressure elevated by NSAIDs. A major study shows that women using ibuprofen as little as 4 or 5 times a month are at significantly greater risk of hypertension. In a cruel irony, ibuprofen has long been a popular remedy for women suffering from menstrual cramps and taken for… 4 or 5 days a month!

Ibuprofen: a double-edged sword against those on blood pressure medications…

Ibprofen is a high blood pressure risk in more ways than one way; while acting directly to elevate blood pressure it does the same indirectly by interfering with the effects of medications to lower blood pressure.

Drug interactions become more complex and unpredictable with each new medication a person uses. Further complicating the situation is the fact that many people end up requiring multiple medications to control their blood pressure. It’s not uncommon to add ibuprofen to the mix and subsequently suffer intense frustration that the meds “aren’t working”!

Aspirin: the heart-healthy NSAID that lowers blood pressure?

Aspirin is also a common anti-inflammatory but, ironically, it’s generally treated as a healthy tonic for the heart due to its ability to prevent blood clotting. Aspirin’s effect on blood pressure, however, is not so clear-cut; some experts claim that it can lower blood pressure while others argue the opposite.

What is not in doubt though, is the danger of combining aspirin and ibuprofen due to the extreme impairment of blood clotting it results in. Research shows that regularly taking both aspirin and ibuprofen will double your overall risk of death and increase your risk of death by heart disease by 73%!

Drugs may be the cause of your high blood pressure and not the solution!

Still fighting high blood pressure? The cause (not the solution) may be hiding in your medicine cabinet!

While medical experts are gradually conceding the risk of high blood pressure from taking ibuprofen and other NSAIDs, the problem is still generally underestimated. Few doctors would suspect ibuprofen as a primary cause of hypertension.

But even though it may not be a frequent cause it surely happens… Hearing from hypertension sufferers around the world on a regular basis I get reports from people who have totally reversed their high blood pressure through stopping their use of ibuprofen alone.

NSAIDs are surely some of the worst offenders when it comes to raising your blood pressure… but they are by no means the only ones. Other common medications that can affect your blood pressure include cold and cough medications, which often combine NSAIDs with decongestants, another class of drug that can contribute to hypertension.

Then there are weight loss drugs and appetite suppressants. In fact, virtually every drug has the potential to impact your blood pressure and your general health in unpredictable ways.

So if you’re fighting to lower your blood pressure take a good look right now at the drugs you’re putting in your body. The solution to high blood pressure may be simpler than you think.