Being asked to measure my own blood pressure.

Hi everyone,

Due to Covid, I’ve been asked to document my own blood pressure for a repeat prescription of the pill. Even at home it makes me nervous doing this.

As soon as I got the monitor my heart was in my mouth, I’m trying to make sure I get an accurate reading that is not affected by my anxiety and it’s super difficult as I had built the anxiety up over an hour.. I’m 27 by the way. The first measuring was something ridiculous like 145/87 heart rate 122. Took 10 minutes of calming down and after a few tries I got it down to 125/91 but heart rate is still high as I can’t control my anxiety. I’m assuming when my heart goes down to what is normal for me (80/90) my blood pressure will follow suit.

how do I relax myself beforehand? Is this the normal anxiety experience? Obviously I don’t want to be prescribed something that could harm me but it’s hard to get an accurate result. When I’m at the doctors I get nervous and sometimes they have to take it twice but I never pay attention to the readings.

thank you

You have my absolute sympathy as I am exactly the same. Could you ask a friend or family to check it while you distract your focus? A couple of things that work for me; camomile tea, breathing in for 3 and out for longer over 5 minutes, some cbd oil or calming drops of some kind. I even find doing it outside if you can get privacy in the garden for example will help to calm you. Keep the cuff on while breathing so the minute you've calmed down you are ready to start the machine. Try not to get wound up by it being a bit high (easier said than done I know) but even your highest readings are not catastrophic. The reading will come down if you calm down.

Thank you! I mAnage to calm myself down in the end and the blood pressure went to normal

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Originally Posted by Lf93

Thank you! I mAnage to calm myself down in the end and the blood pressure went to normal

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Great news!

my blood pressure seems quite high. I'm 40 , male 140/84 pulse 85.. i dont really feel stressed. when i move around it goes up a fair bit.
I went to A&E the other day and got checked. No heart issues on the machine but pulse was high at first 105+ with a high blood pressure. This went down after an hour though , DR seemed happy.
Whats doing my head in is I'm not anxious to the point it's annoying me. Also I need to start exercise, im pretty unfit but I hate just going out and doing stuff without the car.

You bp is ok. I don't see any reason to be concerned at all.