deneau@apollo.uucp (Thomas Deneau) (01/14/86)
A 65-year old friend has been on high blood pressure medication for about the last ten years. (I don't know what medication nor do I know his actual blood pressure ranges). About four months ago, he started a daily habit of eating a few spoons of whole honey (the kind that comes with honeycomb and all). He chews the honeycomb well, extracting most of the juices, but doesn't swallow the actual wax. He has a home blood pressure kit and he soon noticed from daily measurements that his blood pressure was staying lower and more stable. (He was still taking his blood pressure medication). He sees his doctor once a month for measurements. Once month ago, his doctor said that his blood pressure had been low and stable enough for the last three months that he could stop taking his medication. And since stopping the medication one month ago, his blood pressure has remained low and stable. A couple of questions: 1) Has anyone else heard of honeycomb having this kind of beneficial effect on blood pressure? 2) Do doctors normally take patients off blood pressure medication like this? I guess I always thought it was a lifelong regimen. ----- Tom Deneau ...decvax!wanginst!apollo!deneau
ron@brl-smoke.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (01/15/86)
> 2) Do doctors normally take patients off blood pressure medication > like this? I guess I always thought it was a lifelong regimen. > My father, who is on the borderline high side, has his blood pressure checked fairly often and the doctor only prescribes medication when he is not under control. Generally, the choice is yours, the doctor tells him, if through his diet, etc...controls his blood pressure, he won't bother making him take pills. -Ron