Posted on 05/31/2026 1:55:23 AM PDT by House Atreides
I’d be curious to know your experience with it. I’m considering replacing either Amlodipine or Valsartan (I take both to control my hypertension) with Rilmenidine.
And, yes, I’ll consult with my doctor also. Rilmenidine was finally approved in 2025 by the FDA for use in the US. It’s been approved in Europe and elsewhere for many years.
taken from AI:
“Compared with Amlodipine and Valsartan, rilmenidine tends to cause less ankle swelling than amlodipine and may have beneficial effects on sympathetic nervous system activity, but it is generally considered an older, second-line blood pressure medicine. Amlodipine is usually very effective, taken once daily, and widely used, but can cause ankle swelling, flushing, and headaches. Valsartan is also a common first-line treatment, is generally well tolerated, protects the kidneys and heart in many patients, and is less likely to cause swelling than amlodipine, though it can occasionally raise potassium levels or affect kidney function. Overall, many doctors would typically choose valsartan or amlodipine before rilmenidine because they have stronger evidence for reducing long-term cardiovascular risks, while rilmenidine is often reserved for situations where other medications are not tolerated or additional blood pressure control is needed.”
Lisinopril?
I used tio suffer from hypertension.
Caused by overwork and a bad marriage.
I was on the path t death.
I registered for a two week meditation intensive.
https://www.karmecholing.org/program/2-week-meditation-retreat-summer-2026
Then after kept practising meditation daily for an hour early each morning.
After 6 months...hypertension decreased to a low level; and disappeared after a year.
I made changes to life also.
My heart goes out to you.
Olive leaf extract (standardized for oleuropein) is good for high blood pressure.
I had open heart surgery about 2 years ago and was prescribed Amlodipine and Valsartan along with Metoprolol, the amlodipine and valsartan are combined into 1 pill.
The surgery was to replace a bicuspid aortic valve and to repair an ascending aortic aneurysm, ultimately, I ended up with a pacemaker as well.
Since the surgery and after Cardiac Rehab, I joined a gym and have been going 4-5 times a week, I generally combine light weight training with cardio training in my workout, the elliptical machine is the machine I use most often.
I don’t notice any major side effects from the drugs I take, except when working out, I can’t prove it but I believe the level of my workouts is lower than I would like due to the drugs, specifically the metoprolol.
Metoprolol is designed to slow your heart rate down and I’ve noticed at the peak of a cardio work out sometimes my heart rate is below 100 bpm which limits how hard you can work out, which is fine considering the surgery I underwent.
But don’t stop your meds first.
This is great advice in the broad strokes. Drugs aren’t the answer to everything - and that’s coming from a PhD chemist who believes *deeply* in the dictum, “better living througb chemistry.” But that statement doesn’t mean just shove in the chemicals left and right.
As far as meditation, it’s very biblical. But you will find many if not most practitioners you will find fold in new age or pagan teachings along with meditation, so be wise as you move forward.
Similar advice for the aging. Yoga can provide flexibility and joint strength and balance that can help the elderly avoid serious fractures that are often the beginning of a slow end. But it’s hard to find yoga training that doesn’t come with a dose of eastern pagan teaching. But there are places you can find it.
I would recommend cooking with raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
I was taking Losartan for a few years and started cooking with the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds (I would put a cup of each in whatever I was cooking. It sounds like a lot, but I cook to last 4 or 5 days at a time.
My blood pressure got so low that my PCP told me to immediately get off of Losartan.
my BP was getting so low (81-94 / 40-60). Now that I am not taking Losartan, it is usually about 90-105 / 60-75.
(I do check my BP every morning.)
I can tell it’s the seeds since if I go more than 2 days without eating them, the BP jumps back up.
Obviously, I prefer natural over meds.
I was on valsartan and it worked well for me. But whatever happened to cause that spike in my BP back in the fall, is over now and I’m off the medication.
Lisinopril often comes with a NASTY cough as a side effect.
I’d work on the cause vice the treating the result. The drugs they push are often far worse than what they supposedly treat.
Ya gotta love the description/assessment of some medications. In one breath you hear, "protects the kidneys" and in the next breath, "can occasionally raise potassium levels or affect kidney function." Typical pharmaceutical industry CYA language.
I’m not completely sure if this is just a correlation, but once we started walking a few miles every day, both hubby and I have had great doctor visits. Neither of us take any BP meds (and very little else). Just make sure to use good athletic shoes for walking.
Start with a few blocks, then build up how far you’d like to go. It has become an important part of our lives now.
It seems like you would have to consult with your doctor to change the meds - have you had all the tests done and checked off boxes that can cause it, like excessive salt, poor diet, alcohol, heart tests, being sedentary, etc?
“ Lisinopril?”
That’s what I take. It’s pretty good.
I can’t take Ace-Inhibitor medications like captopril or lisinopril because I’m one of a significant percentage that who cough persistently and uncontrollably from taking them. Docs aren’t sure why this happens but it’s a non-starter because of it. Constant tickle in the throat causing cough and it went away a day after discontinuing the class of med and switching to a different family of BP med.
I wouldn’t tell anyone to stop taking their medications (an exception might be statins), but the 2025 guidelines for older folks has changed via AHeart assc. I quit lisinopril and feel better. Lost the cough. Is my BP 120/70? No. But can live with 140s 150s and do just fine. That used to be the norm for older people before BP medicine. Meditation and raw pumpkin and sunflowers seeds seem reasonable alternatives to BP medications.
Consider a low dose calcium channel blocker and the ARB Telmisartan
Believe it, or not, breathing practice can reduce blood pressure over 25 points. Rapid, shallow breathing doesn't let CO2 build up to the level needed to relax blood vessels.
One item that helps do this is RESPeRATE. Results were best for people with the worst blood pressure:
- Adults over 65: Average reductions of 16/7 mmHg.
- Stage 2 Hypertension: Patients with initial systolic pressure >160 mmHg see average drops of 17/7 mmHg.
- Top Responders: The top 10% of users have reported reductions as high as 36/20 mmHg.
Also, check your calcium hard plaque levels. These make your vasculature incapable of expanding, as needed. There are ways to reduce calcium lining all of that. Get a coronary calcium scan done to see how bad it is, for you.
I have posted articles and studies on addressing this, which also reduces blood pressure.
No personal experience as my bp trends low but friend took nattokinase and after about 6-7 months problem was gone
Despite no issues I take it as a precaution
Might want to look into it-lots of legitimate studies about it
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