Thursday, February 20, 2020

Hey, neat!

So, the doc's been concerned about my blood pressure enough to prescribe two different things, now.  Neither worked well (as in, there was maybe a 5 pt bp drop, maximum--when I needed a 20 pt drop), and both had...side effects.  The first one was a diuretic, and pushed my already-low blood sodium into concerning ranges, even with me increasing my salt intake.  The second was a calcium channel blocker that caused a headache that acted like a migraine, but didn't respond to any of my usual anti-migraine tricks until the bp med wore off. 

I got the celery seed extract in the mail last Friday, and started taking it Sunday after I started feeling better--75mg 2x per day.  I researched it hard, looking at side effects (none listed), and drug interactions (interacts with levothyroxine by reducing what the body can absorb/use, but everything does, so I take it no closer than 4 hours after I take my thyroid meds). 

And my blood pressure did what I wanted it to.  It went down.  Significantly.  I had a follow-up doctor's appointment on Tuesday, and my blood pressure was smack-dab in the normal range.  Even with the frustration of having to have the appointment in the first place--I'd been called back because the doc hadn't paid attention to my chart and/or forgot and/or missed something.  And then the doc didn't bother to show at the appointment.  The NP that showed up to deal with me forty minutes into the appointment was quite nice, and I don't have to go back. 

So far, I'm not noticing any side effects.  Not even the threatened muscle cramps that the diuretic caused. 

I'm also back to taking the turmeric/curcumin (500 mg 3x per day for the rest of the week) and fish oil (1x per day--really high levels of DHA/ARA per capsule, and also includes 2000 IU of D3).  Standard, daily pain levels caused by inflammation are tolerable, at this point.  I can close my hands all the way, instead of having the joints where my index (and now middle) finger meets my palm freeze up.  My major, weight bearing joints are working better, too, and putting up with my yoga routine well enough that I was able to double my reps (2 reps of 12 flowing poses, 2x per day).  My joints feel a lot more stable, and hurt less.  And my energy levels aren't particularly impacted by the yoga. 

My balance is still off, but I'm still congested from last week's bout with the flu.  And it always hits me in the ears, really bad.  As in, my ears are so congested that my hearing is affected, and my balance is just...wonky, at best. 

Funny thing...I'd been trying to achieve several things for several years--lower pain levels, higher energy levels, feeling human.  I'd tried generic levothyroixine, Tirosint (which worked a lot better than the cheap tablets), Aleve, aspirin, Anacin (worked better, but could only take it in the mornings), Meloxicam (worked wonders, but couldn't take it often).  None of the above really helped significantly, or for as long as they should have.  Like they do for most people.

Currently, I'm taking NP Thyroid (desiccated porcine thyroid gland), turmeric/curcumin, fish oil, and now celery seed extract...and things are starting to turn around.  All of these things are fully natural, and unlike the pharmaceuticals listed above, they're working. 

My body is seriously weird. 

6 comments:

  1. I am 59, and have a number of the same health issues that you do also. The blood pressure is all too familiar to me. I take my BP at home, with one of those cheap wrist monitors. It might not be that accurate, but it tells me if my pressure is better or worse, and it is not too far off from my doctor's office. And I have discovered that my blood pressure, while I take medications for both migraines and blood pressure, is hard, almost impossible to keep under control, unless I hold my caffeine intake down to a more reasonable level than what I sometimes like. My method of choice for caffeine is Mountain Dew, which also has a horrific level of sugar and HFCS, which I think is worse than plain sugar.
    The thyroid issue, for me, started a long time ago. I asked my pharmacist at the time, why did my thyroid level suddenly go down,since I didn't have cancer or any other health issues. She told me that organs just wear out. However, what I have since learned, is that since I live in Michigan, and am old enough to have been here during the crisis that befell our state in the 1970's known as the PBB crisis. I take levothroid every day, to keep my levels high enough to not have problems with a low thyroid level. https://www.michiganradio.org/post/michigans-toxic-1973-pbb-food-contamination-associated-more-health-effects

    pigpen51

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dang. I'm turning 41 in the first part of March. I'd worry a lot less about my functionality if I didn't have an 11 year old son and 9 year old daughter to keep track of.

      I'd already cut out a lot of the sugar in my diet--I don't care for sweets, anyway. And the plain, black coffee I drink doesn't really do more then temporarily nudge my bp.

      My son murdered my thyroid. It quit working after I'd had him. It didn't get noticed until I got pregnant with my daughter. And childbearing-induced hypothyroidism is...actually one of the more common forms for women. I've read some troubling hints that some of the chemicals sprayed on farm fields can kill a thyroid gland, too, and I grew up with fields on all sides of me.

      I'm sorry you're suffering from the same types of health problems I am. I wouldn't wish most of them on a politician.

      Delete
  2. Great news, and sometimes simple works... Glad it's working for you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm thankful. It is, indeed, working. It's working better and with fewer side effects than synthetic meds. I'm incredibly thankful.

      Delete
  3. I am very interested in the celery seed extract. My blood pressure goes p to dangerous levels at times, yet every single medication I have taken has made me faint, even in 1/8 doses. I broke 3 ribs that last time I fainted. Not fun. Is there a brand name that seems to work better for you?

    I am very glad that some of the supplements are helping.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I got mine from Amazon. Link is here: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EDJN330/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

      My doctor was impressed. So was her nurse. Watch your bp on this, though. Mine went from 146/95 or so to 113/78. Seriously, keep an eye on it.

      Delete

Sorry, folks. A hundred plus spam comments in an hour equals moderation on older posts, so until further notice...you're gonna have to wait for your comments to be approved before they show up.