Blood Pressure

[JulieJay92]

Should i be concerned about my BP

It has varied for months but on average around 128/86

For 2 days now it has been 138/96 :ohmy: no matter what time i do it although before bed last night it was 150/95

The only other 2 things i have our mild lower back pain and upper jaw pain - possibly from a tooth at the back which gives me grief as i do occasionally grind my teeth in my sleep and also a shootiing pain in my left baby finger

Probably not related but i am on my period since friday - can someone please advise

[sb001f8994]

Hi,
Im not an expert and can only pass on what my gp told me. Blood pressure for me (Im 49) should be 140/90 or below. I was told that anything up to 160/100 would be kept carefully monitored and medicated if it persisted over a couple of months. My hubby's bp was high, 170/102 for six weeks under the doctors watchful eye and after it looked like it wasnt budging he was put on medication. He now has a good bp reading, has had no effects from the medication and doing great.
Hope this is a little help to you, take care.

[joannap]

i really would not be worried - your bp can fluctuate constantly. when you are on your period and also in pain/stressed - your bp will naturally be higher.

i had an over active thyroid last year - my bp had always been clinically perfect but as soon as i got thyroid problems my readings were in the 140's for ages which really freaked me out - to be honest - i stopped taking my blood pressure in the end so i could not get anxious about it! my gp told me that because i am only 35 - there is no way that they would consider medication. the last few times i had it checked it was in the 130's and they said it was nothing to worry about.

if you take you bp - take it ONCE a day - preferably in the evening when you are relaxed. if the first reading is high - it is perfectly acceptable to take another 2 and then take the average of those. i bet you it calms down soon x

[joannap]

ps - who decides it should be a particular reading anyway lol? i bet in the years of our grandparents no one fussed about bp and it would be interesting to note if there were actually more strokes/heart attacks. i am not saying that advice/treatment should not be sought if it is very high and that yes - many people need drugs in this case but i read the other day in a problem page about a gp who had advised a man to go on statins for his bp - he was in his 70's and his bp was lower than mine lol! the thing is - we all read reports of gp's getting paid exta each time they prescribe a statin and so it makes me very cynical. unless you bp rockets - i really would not worry xx

[JulieJay92]

thanks everyone

I did it sunday morning and it was 135/87. Had friends round last night and today it is between 150/95 and 160/00 :ohmy::weep:

My pulse is 78 which i know is good. I assume alcohol raises it??????

It has freaked me out today, but i am exactly half way through period and jaw pain has gone :) just my usual twitches in my chest which i know is my anxiety which is what led me to do my BP but now im in ultimate panic. I have ust taken a 2mg diazapem and will try BP in an hour or so

[Jaco45er]

Ahh that BP taking can be addictive, I should know ;)

As you are probably aware, 120/80 is optimal, but anything upto 160/100 is actually considered low risk for most people, unless you have other health issues.

Ok yer, the lower the better, and I often hit 160/98, but a GP told me, they are not worried about "peaky"blood pressure, unless it goes off the scale.

What a GP would be worried about is, if you are hitting above 160/100 when you wake, and it stays up there all day, that's when they start to talk about taking meds to control it.

I used to really freak when I seen 160/100, but after doing a 24 hour test, the GP told me to not worry, on average the BP is fine, but obviously try some lifestyle changes to bring it lower.

He actually said cut down on wine, what kind of lifestyle is that? :wacko:

[JulieJay92]

lol - i should probably cut down too but hey ho, how boring

it is still staying the same and the hubby is cracking up with the constant noise of the machine - one reading did lower to 145/96 but immediately doing it again 156/100 :( :(

Am really worrying myself silly as Drs in spain are a fortune and many dont speak english :(

[Geoff2301]

I have bp problems and the gp has put me on medication for the last 10 months. It can vary vastly though between 200/105 at its worst and 115/75 best! Just seeing a spider on the floor will be enough to make it jump significantly for many people! There's a really usefull site for monitoring your bp.... http://bp-chart.com/en/users/login ....... where you enter your reading. at a certain time each day.... you can even take 3 readings in quick succession and it will record the average of the 3 You can then bring up a chart where the bp apears as a graph and you get a good idea of the general trend/average. Its also important to take it at the same time each day for accurate comparison of the readings.

[JulieJay92]

thanks for that chart

If it hasnt started to lower by tomorrow i will deff use it

I honestly think it was yesterdays alcohol and my anxiety

[dodo]

I was at the GP today and mine was 120/80 which he said was perfect but I thought that was high. But what do I know, he is the Dr and he said it was good :)

[Jaco45er]

120/80? You lucky so and so you ;) that's perfect

[dodo]

It's usually 120/70 so over 80 is high for me! TY ;)

[Dizz]

Hiya leiajulie

I'm on mediaction as I had a slightly high but constant blood pressure reading of above 160/95. I was monitored for about 4 months and as it was consistenly higher they then put me on a really really low dose of medication and it's ok now.

Yours is fine as you say it's usually low so a few slightly higher readings are nothing at all to worry about as blood pressure changes all the time.

The fact that you are measuring it yourself and worrying will put your readings up anyway.

I got myself a tester just after getting my tablets and was concerned about some of the readings I got but my doc said to get an average and reliably reading you MUST take your BP at the same time everyday and your MUST sit and 'relax' for 10+ minutes before doing it. SO DON'T DO WHAT I DID and only take your reading when you feel ill or worried and DEFINATELY don't keep it upstairs as my doc burst out laughing when he heard that I always walked upstairs to where I kept my monitor to take a reading.
I felt like a right muppet when he pointed that out.

Like I said you really have nothing to worry about and everyones BP goes up and down all day long regardless of who they are, what they do or wether they are ill or well.

You're fine :) x

[JulieJay92]

thanks dizz

i lost internet connection for 5 hours which didnt help it im sure

i have since taken a amitryptline which i take occasionally to help me sleep. Last reading was 160/103 and then i didnt have a cigarette for 30 mins, lay on bed reading and doing puzzles and it is now 144/93 and 138/88 :)

i did end up having several panic attacks i think, the chest pain, tingling in left cheek, shoulder pain, arm tingling and elbow and finger cramps but my pulse never went above 73, lowest 59

Also hubby had a job interview which he is at right now and i think that was stressing me too as money is sooo tight right now

[daybyday]

leiajulie
I know everyone feels the stress of money problems.
Hope your hubby finds the job just right for him in these difficult times.

[JulieJay92]

after horrendous left under arm shooting pains and chest tightness i did my bp at 2am and it was 130/89?

this morning it was back up to 142/95

husband is getting a temporary 8 nights singing work so that is better than nothing and could hopefully lead to something more

Still dont know what to make of my BP though, its making me panic more than ever

[joannap]

do you think the stress you are under is making you obsess about bp lol? the two readings above are nothing to worry about and each time you take your bp whilst feeling stressed - the higher it will go. it will also increase for around 15 minutes or so each time you have a cigarette.

even if you did have consistently high bp for weeks on end - there is always medication but your readings would have to be way higher - put the monitor away!!!

[Dizz]

Hi again leijulie.

Honestly your bp is fine so stop worrying. I'm not just saying it to make you feel better.. It REALLY IS fine. Maybe you should just stop taking it especially when you feel a little grotty and worried.

My dad had really high blood pressure readings every time they routinely checked it whenever he went to the docs for his regular visits or if he was feeling unwell. His were always way higher than the readings you have. His were always 180+/120+

Whenever the nurse did it though his readings were fine. Very odd.. not really as apparently the doc said he was just worrying when he saw the doc but liked seeing the nurses so was more relaxed. He was slightly embarrassed as he's in his 80's.

Please don't worry about your readings at all as they are a LOT lower than mine and mine are absolutely fine too says my doc.

[JulieJay92]

thanks again everyone

It happened a few years back where it was raised consistently for 2 weeks then dropped back to 120/78 on its own

I think it is just a dreaded fear of mine as i am petrified of heart attacks etc and being so far after moving to tenerife 6 weeks ago

I will try not to do it as often but as we all know that is easier said than done and it will take me time :(

i really do appreciate all your comments and support. My husband used to suffer from high BP and they put him on tablets which didnt really help lower it so since we moved his has dropped from 170/110 to 130/85 :ohmy: and mine has gone the opposite:lac:

[Dizz]

Maybe the move to a new place has stressed you out a bit more than you realise.

Are you near a beach... watching and listening to the sea along with pebble throwing and trying to hit the waves as they spill over is my idea of relaxation luxury.

Oooh I want to find a beach now, guess I''ll just have to try it in the puddles caused by all the rain were having here today instead :D

Hope you all have a good day today :winks::hugs:

[JulieJay92]

yes we are near the beach but for 2 days not left the house - i am however lying on the balcony soaking up some rays while myanxiety is in overdrive - hence still on the laptop lol

[JulieJay92]

well i thought i would last longer than this - ended up doing it 5 minutes ago after resting. walked to seat and took it 3 times all 150/100

it is accompanied with pressure round my breastbone slightly to the left and my OH is now concearned as we havent had any alcohol for 2 days which usually raises it which has in turn made me petrified. have taken painkillers and kalms but they are really not helpng

its going to be nother long nervous anxious day :(

[AlexandriaUK]

I am not sure what to say that will make you feel better other than every time I take mine it gets higher and higher and the more you take it the higher it will raise your panic and so on, you know you are having major panic attacks and untill you come down from them it will stay up, like you can see you have taken it when you are reasonably relaxed and its fine and then you carry on thinking about it and it goes up more, you have just moved house and areas by the sound of it, I would think there was more wrong if you were perfectly calm LOL sit in the sun and take some long slow steadying breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth, my step father had high BP for 28 years before it did him any harm and he died at 97.
Phone a friend and chat and stop doing it I promise you are fine xx

[JulieJay92]

thanks - am trying - did it after sunbathing and totally calm and has lowered to 135/85 :)

[AlexandriaUK]

Thats a brilliant BP especially as I am sure that still in the back of your mind is the fear of it being high and you see it does go down its just a matter of you not worrying about it and keep testing it, now put the machine away and dont test it for at least a week cause you know its ok, what do you think is the most stressfull things to do Move and get divorced i know I have just moved and mine is up and for someone who has packed in smoking 10 months ago that was quite a suprise but like you i have to just forget about it and stop the stress and panic HE HE I wish it was that simple, you enjoy your life cause when you reach 60 + which you will and find that you have spent half your life worrying about dying what a waste Hugs and good vibes

[JulieJay92]

thanks

felt great last and and today and so far did it twice 150/104 and 132/91!!!!!

still feel great but just concerned about this as you will all understand - but off to see hubby sing tonight so may say sod it and have a drink to try and calm myself

[JulieJay92]

Forgot to add that i havent been doing anything strenuous today either and generally not anxious other than my BP - husband is now cracking up with me checking it constantly :(

Now having 2nd thoughts about going out :(

ps - still having twitches n chest and pain in left cheek constantly

[Gemini74]

Hi leiajulie
The mind is a powerful thing, as we all know here. I'm only a year older than you and I had perfect BP until about 2 years ago when it suddenly got higher. To cut a long story short, my theory is it's anxiety-related. I went through a very stressful period in my life 4 years ago and I'm convinced it's been catching up with me ever since. My GP is still investigating various possible physical causes, but so far all tests are clear. He did say sometimes things like high BP 'just happen'.

My point is that as soon as the idea that I had a blood pressure 'issue' was in my head, I would stress out every time my reading was taken and of course the reading would then be high, even at home. I think my highest top reading was 172 and my highest bottom one was something ridiculous like 130!!

Btw the pain and twitches you mention sound like textbook anxiety to me.

[JulieJay92]

thanks gemini

i have tried so hard you would not believe not to do it again but i sat on the sofa on the pc and did it every 5 minutes over 15 minute tiime period at 430pm. Each reading was 160/103:ohmy:

My husband says High BP is a problem long term and says i am making it worse doing it over and over again but i am so scared, whatever i seem to do doesnt lower it - no cigarette for 1 hour, no alcohol for 3 days - stayed same BP, less salt, relaxing, taking it easy etc etc and nothing has lowered it at all

I am just so nervous now and i know this has caused my anxiety to return big time.

Out of curiosity, does a migraine raise BP?

[JulieJay92]

i did forget to say that i dont feel like im having any panic attacks as such, im not experiencng any of the usual symptoms

[Rennie1989]

Leia

I am a student nurse and I know that your BP is absolutely fine!!!! 120/80 is the baseline of normality, 100/60 to 150/100 is normal borderlines. You suffer from anxiety and anxiety raises BP (I wont explain why .... takes too long, unless you want me to explain). My normal BP is usually 80/40 - 100/60 because I am underweight, I have seen people whose BP is high but live a healthy lifestyle therefore the BP is not a problem. Also, the older you get the higher your BP will get. I have seen people whose normal BP is 150/90 - 170/120, but it's normal to them.

If you keep recording your BP you will only make it rise, then you get more anxious and it will rise even more. I know I am not medically qualified yet but if you want to discuss about your BP to me I am more then happy to hear from you.

[Rennie1989]

And yes, migraines do raise BP.

[JulieJay92]

thanks rennie for your fast reply. Would you be o kind as to explain it all to me if and when you have the time

im 36, 5ft and 8 1/2 stone, smoker & drinker

had 4 ECGs in July and all fine, informed possible muscularskeletal

Thanks:hugs:

[Rennie1989]

When you get anxious your adrenal glands (above the kidneys) release a hormone that we all know well - adrenaline. This causes the blood vessels (arteries and veins) to constrict. As the heart pumps the blood - and at a faster rate at that - it increases the pressure against the artery walls. And that is how blood pressure is measured. Adrenaline also stimulates the heart to beat faster so we have the energy to fight or run away from what's causing the anxiety.

Just remember that this is a normal body and primative response that everybody experiences. Unfortunately, most of us in this forum experience it more often then most people.

[Rennie1989]

Sorry, forgot to mention, smoking does increase BP because it furs up the arteries (meaning less room in the arteries for the blood = increasing pressure) and it stops your lungs absorbing enough oxygen to carry out normal activity. Of course, this is THE worst case scenario but it happens.

[joans60]

Hi Leia

I used to keep taking my bp when I was anxious anbd mine used to be high my normal blood pressure readind is 120/78 and pulse between 62 and 67 but when I get anxious it can be anything from 150/95 and sometimes higher and my pulse woill aslo go up but only as high as about 70 to 75 so my hubby got so fed up of hearing me on the machine that he took it of me and threw it away I brough another one and he did the same
so hide yours somewere because the more times you takew it the more anxious you will get I should know because I was the same.



Joanx

[JulieJay92]

thanks rennie - that makes it more easy to understand and i really appreciate it

my mum says she thought it could be because i am on my 7 day break from the pill and have had a migraine for 2 days, at its worst today so i hope all is ok

As u have probably seen i am very stressed right now with moving, work or lack of it and money so it all has contributed and i know my husband is right when he says its nothing to worry about short term, only if it was like it constantly for 2-3 months

[Rennie1989]

No wonder why your BP is slightly up then! But yes, your husband's right, if it was raised for long periods of time then it would be a cause for concern. But I shouldn't worry about it. Just take care of yourself :)

[JulieJay92]

thanks again

just did it over a 10 minute period while reading and it went from 167/104 to 150/98 and then 138/89

does that mean it isnt really anything to worry about dispite my other chest pain anxiety related i hope pain

[Rennie1989]

Well you are obviously calming down. Chest pain is something that is commonly experienced in anxiety but I never say ignore it, because even as a 20 year old woman I still get myself checked now and then for my heart because of chest pains (2 ECG's so far ...) and because your ECG's are fine then you obviously have no underlying heart conditions.

[cornishmaid]

i was addicted to taking my blood pressure,id take it and as i was anxious about taking it ,up it would go,then the more i took it the higher it went,now imnot so fussed about taking it,plus i been on bp meds for 10 yrs,and it usually sits around 120/80 is but varies depending what im doing ,if im stressed,i can send it right up 155/98 if stressy,but once i know its not too high it comes right down again,my partner was very irrated at the machine going all the time lol,what stopped me checking it was the batteries ran out,and i thought the machine was broken,so i seemed to think oh well i cant check it so dont worry about it and it seemed like a massive weight lifted off my shoulders,i didnt even think about my bp for days,then for some reason i got the machine out and put good batteries in ,the ones i had put in were cheap ones and thats why the machine wouldnt work! so i do check it again now but nowhere as much as i used to

[JulieJay92]

thanks everyone again

i tested 3 times this morning and it was 128/86 :) Guessing it must have been me stressing and anxiety attaccks all along

[JulieJay92]

still a bit better than it was previous - 135/86 pulse 70 and that was after a few drinks yesterday:ohmy:

I assume anxiety takes many forms