I was diagnosed with severe hypertension years ago. At the time, my doctor put me on a treatment plan that consisted of blood pressure medications, exercise, and diet control for sodium, but my blood pressure was still too high. I switched medications several times and had three severe allergic reactions, one of which sent me to the hospital. My doctor began to suspect that the stress of my job was behind the hypertension.

In desperation, I ran PKC's High Blood Pressure Diagnosis Coupler. It asked a question I had never been asked in three long years of hypertension treatment: Do you eat licorice? That was an understatement! I kept a large bag of licorice in my desk drawer and used them to help deal with the stress of my job. I thought it was healthier than smoking! The Coupler pointed to something called "licorice-induced hypoaldosterism syndrome." After I spoke with my provider, I stopped eating licorice, and my blood pressure has been under control ever since.

—Ollie G., RN
   Project Manager