Other than yet more medication does anyone know how to get High Blood Pressure down?

There's a machine called a Resperate, basically you breathe with it and gradually slows down your breathing rate. It does work. A low salt diet and exercise also is supposed to help.

I'm with Grandma Mora . And yes, as the machine goes up it tightens the cuff so that it really squeezes and hurts my arm and it stays at the very painful point for a number of seconds before releasing the cuff. . I'm aware re salt and do try to avoid it as much as possible. My diet is reasonable healthy = lot of fish and vegetables.
Again, thanks for your contributions.

I have the same problem and have had it for several decades. I am on three tablets which could be smarties they help so little. In the past I have followed all the advice, no salt, lose weight, cut down on alcohol etc etc. My blood pressure remained high and is high to this day. I too find that home readings are lower than GP ones. I also find the cuff they use extremely painful and maybe one cause for higher readings, especially in the light of lower readings at home.

Sorry OP I don’t have any answers as I am in the same boat, but I do sympathise!

I suggest you insist on a manual monitor. The doctors do have them (hidden in a drawer somewhere). My own BP goes down a lot with more walking and exercise - so usually in the summer months when the dog gets longer walks and I'm out and about more!

I absolutely hate having my BP taken. I just find the squeezing cuff causes great discomfort. I am not overweight. I prefer having injections to BP check. Prefer going to the dentist for fillings rather than go for blood pressure monitoring. We are all different.

Same here Bbarb, horrendous side effects, normal 24 hr readings and much lower with a manual BP machine. The practice nurse even suggested that I'd imagined side effects, - not very nice! I don't take my pills if I've got a busy day or I'm out for a special do and I always feel much better!

I am underweight at 7st 2lb and have thin arms but the cuff is still downright painful. I want to shout Stop Stop as it tightens and tightens and the pins and needles shoot through my. hand and fingers. Its torture and the anticipation of this makes my reading higher, I'm sure.
A 24hr monitor showed no problems but I have a huge argument with medics before any procedure because of the BP readings.
All the pills have quite serious side effects, dry mouth and eyes and 'ladies bits' or an irritation cough or swollen legs or migraines and sight problems . But they seem to be handed out like sweeties. I know they call high BP the silent killer but I'm not quite convinced all this medication is the answer. In some cases it seems to make things worse, and once you're on them you're afraid to stop.
Sometimes I feel like throwing them in the fire and seeing what happens to the readings.

Lots of good advice here
www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Yourlifestyle/Eatingwell

I was told I had high BP before Christmas - down to a good level now, with a combination of Ramipril (5mg) and a good diet. I am vegetarian anyway, but increased the fruit and veg I eat. Beetroot juice is good for you and I find it ok - pomegranate juice too. Lots of oats, pistachios, whole meal bread and pasta, dark chocolate, blueberries. NO SALT.
Trying to do at least 20 mins exercise daily.
I’m taking my BP every other day at the moment, as recommended by the cardiac nurse at the surgery (best of 3 readings).
Good luck!

Take-up Tai Chi of Yoga both can help. Drink beetroot juice.

I find it very painful to measure my blood pressure when it is high. The cuff is not too tight and I am not fat, it's just that it gets very tight as the measure goes up.
Having been well controlled for years with one tablet (cut down from two at one time) mine is raised again. I'm not overweight, my sodium is always below normal, so it's not salt. I'm active and have a healthy diet. I can only put it down to stress.

Well if beetroot is really the answer you must learn to like it
I also have white coat syndrome and my BP is fine when I take it myself at home but always up at the doctors or hospital my doctor is more than happy with my readings
Although the cuff feels very very tight I ve never found it painful I guess it’s a pain threshold thing some peopl3 feel it more than others
I love salt so use the lo salt stuff
If it was me I d google all the good things and eat them even if they re are not very likeable

There was a programme about blood pressure some time ago. A male voice choir from South Wales was divided into two groups, half had to eat beetroot every day. I can’t remember what the other group did! BUT the beetroot group all had lower blood pressure! (Shame I hate it!)

You could try cutting down on/cutting out salt. Not just the salt on your meals or in cooking, but the salt that is in a lot of food. Try reading the labels on foods - even Digestive biscuits, soup, sauces, etc., contain a fair amount of salt. Good luck.

Nanamae77
Why is it painful? I suffer 'white coat' syndrome .This means my BP will go up the moment I step through the door of a hospital or surgery.There is little I can do about this and have been advised to obtain a BP moniter and take readings in the days leading up to an apt.I do not have to use a needle so interested as to why you find it painfull.

I seem to remember that we shouldn't have a hot drink before taking BP.

We also cut our salt and use lots of garlic, onions and herbs for flavour.

If we go out for a meal we often find the food too salty now. I can't believe that our local pub puts salt on the chips before serving! We have to make a point of saying 'no salt please' when we order.

Nanamac I've been in a similar predicament to yours. On BP tablets for 20 years, last year it suddenly went up. It took a visit to a specialist plus 3 different tablets to bring it down and this took quite a few months. I too bought a monitor, at first I kept checking it, eventually relaxed about it and I now just check it twice a week, once on Monday morning and the other on Friday evening. Like other posters I had to take a cocktail of lisinopril, amlodipine and a diuretic. If you are overweight, losing some weight can only help.

Make sure the doctor or nurse does two or, better still, three readings of your BP. Mine is always lower the second and third times. Also, beware of the 'white coat' syndrome. The very thought or sight of a doctor (whether or not wearing a white coat) raises my BP.

Always empty your bladder before a BP test. If your BP is high, yes, it hurts, making the reading even higher.

Insist on an (old fashioned but superior and accurate) aneroid sphygmomanometer and stethoscope reading. Arrhythmias and/or muscle tremors make for (even more) inaccurate readings using automated monitors.

We are all different. Doxasozin is the only med that reduces my BP at all!

I'm not obese but several times when having my BP taken I've squealed out loud and said that's really hurting and been told it doesn't hurt. Well it may not hurt most people but it's certainly hurt me several times.

You will need a change of diet if only for a month to get you started. Google food to help lower BP and you will find fish high on the menu.

I agree, salt should also be banned but you should be able to find interesting food which will hopefully lower the BP.

Simple (in theory, anyway) - just lose weight!

Years ago my husband had high blood pressure and the doctor called me in and said it could be controlled if salt was removed from his diet.
I duly did this and six weeks later his BP was back to normal.
The doc. then confessed that he always tells patients this but few follow through.
It wasn't easy to get enough flavour into food so I researched recipes and with herbs and spices replacing salt plus great attention to labels we succeeded. Over time your tastebuds adapt.

The link that Jura added has other veg/fruit. Berries. Tomatoes.

I'd make a smoothie and drink it IN ADDITION to including in meals. I might join you!

Thanks to you all. If bananas and parsley along with a Chinese vegetable I would definitely give it a go! Not beetroot though!!
Re the 'dopine' drugs I took them for years and they made my feet and ankles swell, Put up with it until my very broad feet grew bunions which along with plantar fascitis made it impossible to find shoes that i could walk in without pain. I don't think I've made the cuff too tight, but I'll try ;loosening it. In the instructions it said it wouldn't work properly if the cuff was too loose.

Cranberry juice and/or Beetroot juice are supposed to help, but must be taken daily. If your overweight you could try reducing your weight, easier said than done though. Regular exercise helps, but must be done at least three or four times a week and must raise your heart rate.