Post your Gripe

[Relle]

My gripe today... I'm trying SO hard to get my blood pressure down. I've been on a low carb diet for about 6 weeks; I've lost about 15 lbs. in the past two months. I eat more vegetables now than I have in my entire life! Today, I went to the doctor to refill my prescriptions and my bp has gone UP. I am SO incredibly frustrated... and disheartened.

No matter what I did, it didn't change anything, so had to give in and just keep taking them. I now have to take at home readings which are in the required levels, because I get white coat and the readings are always high at the GP. She's happy with my at home readings to leave the meds at the level they are at now. I walked 5 x a week, 6 to 7kls, gym weights 3 x a week, aerobics 1 x week, summer swimming and with all that exercise nothing changed. Don't be too disheartened, I've been there too.

 

[Misschief]

So sorry you are dealing with this @Mischief my grandma swore by hibiscus tea for lowering blood pressure long before I even know about the research. Not saying it works but maybe look into it?

I may just try that. I do have hibiscus (and a whole lot of other) tea here. Isn't it interesting what our grandmothers swore by? Mine used to take 5 gin soaked raisins every morning. She said it was for her blood pressure.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I have white coat syndrome too! Most readings are due to LPNs that don't follow proper procedure... like chatting away while doing it and pumping until it hurts and I recoil! My doc told me to ask for an RN to take my BP when I come to her office.

I also am one of the 33% that can't take BP Rx. It makes me sick. My doc prescribed it 6 years ago. I immediately had mild diarrhea, vertigo, incontinence, etc. After 30 days on it, I told my doc it made me sick and she said, "Well, we won't know if it's working until you've been on it for 6 weeks." So, I renewed my prescription and soldiered on. The symptoms got far worse -- extremely urgent, explosive diarrhea for one thing!

Long story short, after going on the BRATT diet for a month (!) to correct the symptoms, all my muscles atrophied. I haven't had the strength or energy to exercise for the past 5 years until recently when I quit taking another drug I was on. All of a sudden I felt like my old self again! It was like a miracle!

@Relle You're my role model. I've started exercising and walking daily. I hope to be where you are a year from now!

@Saponificarian I tried hibiscus tea for a while -- I liked it, but I stopped when it was no longer available. Can't remember if it helped or not.

@Misschief I eat 9 gin-soaked raisins every morning for arthritis pain. That works! I've been doing that for 10 years. I have zero pain most days, but it hasn't lowered my BP. In addition to exercise, I'm focusing on reducing stress (yeah, right! ), deep breathing and meditation. IF I remember to do it, taking a few deep breaths when feeling stressed really helps.

 

[Misschief]

@Misschief I eat 9 gin-soaked raisins every morning for arthritis pain. That works! I've been doing that for 10 years. I have zero pain most days, but it hasn't lowered my BP. In addition to exercise, I'm focusing on reducing stress (yeah, right! ), deep breathing and meditation. IF I remember to do it, taking a few deep breaths when feeling stressed really helps.

Ah, that's what it was. I was a teenager when my grandmother came to visit from the Netherlands. I mis-remembered.

Stress reduction? That's what my soapmaking is for. We've decided that I'm going to take Easter week off, primarily for rest and relaxation but also to gear up for the market that starts up in May. I'm already looking forward to it. It won't be long enough, I'm sure.

 

[msunnerstood]

And another 3 hour outage this morning

 

[Lin19687]

Wish I had an outage. but we don't get to go home. Last time the phones were out so we still just sat here staring into space...

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

thundering and lightning here plus the snow has dust from Texas in it so this is the color it is

 

[earlene]

The only pair of reading glasses I have with me on this trip just broke! To make it worse, they're the ones I bought while in Reykjavik! So they weren't cheap and I do LOVE them. Or that is to say, I did Love them. Not so much now as I can't quite wear them now and can't fix them either. Guess I have to go to WalMart and get another pair in the morning! What a bummer.

 

[Steve85569]

My BP is down since I started taking Hawthorn.
Old herbal treatment for regulating blood pressure available at the local health food store.

On a side note, I am also now augmenting my COPD treatment with herbals and have cut my steroids in half. Jan says I sound better while I'm sleeping and I feel better when I'm out and about.

Maybe our ancestors knew something that we've forgotten...

 

[Lin19687]

Gripe, when people don't read the manual and just wing it. and then I have to deal with it.

 

[Arimara]

I knocked my brand new two hours old 2 oz bottle of lavender eo on the floor and shattered it.....everywhere.....foo.

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Nate5700]

So, if babassu oil is solid at room temperature, why does it come in a bottle? Like a jug that you pour.

 

[dibbles]

So, if babassu oil is solid at room temperature, why does it come in a bottle? Like a jug that you pour.

That never makes sense to me either - some suppliers sell oils that are solid in a jug. It must be less expensive than a pail/bucket. I'd melt it all and put it in a bucket.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I'd melt it all and put it in a bucket.

Yeah, I agree. Soapers Choice does that. I put the jug in a sink of hot water. Once melted, I pour into 1 -lb. containers, seal, mark date and contents on top. Works for me... but it is a nuisance.

 

[lenarenee]

My BP is down since I started taking Hawthorn.
Old herbal treatment for regulating blood pressure available at the local health food store.

On a side note, I am also now augmenting my COPD treatment with herbals and have cut my steroids in half. Jan says I sound better while I'm sleeping and I feel better when I'm out and about.

Maybe our ancestors knew something that we've forgotten...

*just an FYI for any women thinking about using Hawthorne; not sure it suitable for women - do some research first. (Just a vague, foggy memory from my pharmacy days which may not be correct)

I'm so glad your COPD is better Steve - that is NO fun!

 

[earlene]

It melts very easily in a sinkful of hot water. But it probably also melts in warm weather areas. Just like CO melts in warm weather. Although I have had CO melt inside my house in the summer, the babassu has not.

 

[Dawni]

So, if babassu oil is solid at room temperature, why does it come in a bottle? Like a jug that you pour.

They're room temp must be different and maybe they didn't assume/foresee that in some areas those oils will be solid? Babasu and coconut oils are all sold in jugs or bottles here, I've never seen any in buckets or wide mouthed containers. They're solid in an AC room and in the fridge, but once they've been left out enough they go back to being liquid.

Or maybe they have to melt a huge amount of it and pouring it into bottles is easier, as well as more economical, and maybe uniform since they don't need a different container for just 2-3 oils.

Gripe: The baby has a fever and is unusually cranky because of it. I couldn't even go to the loo without him crying for me.. Had to do my businesses with the lights off and door open, with him standing guard haha

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

Gripe: The baby has a fever and is unusually cranky because of it. I couldn't even go to the loo without him crying for me.. Had to do my businesses with the lights off and door open, with him standing guard haha

I hope he feels better soon, poor little guy!!!!

 

[Donee']

I need a roadtrip but life gets in the way

 

[Nate5700]

Soapers Choice does that.

That's who I got it from. The price was right but the packaging was annoying.

I put the jug in a sink of hot water.

It melts very easily in a sinkful of hot water.

I ended up putting it in a pot of hot water, I didn't really think of the sink. Probably would have been easier since the jug was about twice as tall as the pot, the oil melted at the bottom first and I was slamming it on the counter trying to get the oil at the top to sink so it would melt. I poured about half of it into quart mason jars and the other half is still in the original bottle. But the mason jars I got don't have very wide mouths either so they won't be too easy to scoop from. But if I end up having to melt it again a quart jar won't take as long as a gallon bottle.

They're room temp must be different and maybe they didn't assume/foresee that in some areas those oils will be solid?

I don't know where it was originally packaged, but it shipped from Illinois which isn't exactly known for its warm weather.

I assume it was packaged the way it was because it was cheaper to do it that way.