Blood pressure

[c.milton]

General Price said:

Good luck CM,that is a bloody impressive reading.Do you feel ok in yourself?

Thank you! As TameRacingDriver mentioned, the headache is a real pain - literally and figuratively.

TRD also mentioned feeling really unwell - this, 100%. However, I also have some other health issues, so I can't really say that the BP is solely responsible for this.

I might be stating the obvious, but one thing I can say for certain is that long-term uncontrolled BP does serious damage to your insides - eg, hypertensive retinopathy. Am blind in my right eye now because of this and down to "vision impaired" in my left eye.

Do I feel OK in myself? I have always used humour and sarcasm to deal with my health issues - and rather it be me affected than anyone else. But - as the AAs have appeared in the past 18 months, I now feel ... scared.

Wishing all here with high BP the very best for the future.

[BoRED S2upid]

mickythefish said:

I've just had a check up, it came out at 150-100.

I don't drink or smoke, obese by a 3 stone,I have lost a stone in the last few months though cutting back and fasting.

I'm in my 40s, got a lot of issues/stresses, am I going to keel over?

What did the doc say? Shed another stone?

I’m sure they see lots higher than that. Worth doing a reading at home when you are relaxed and not stressed.

[mickythefish]

BoRED S2upid said:

What did the doc say? Shed another stone?

I’m sure they see lots higher than that. Worth doing a reading at home when you are relaxed and not stressed.

It was a nurse, she just said monitor it, and if it is still high, go to the GP.

[grumbledoak]

mickythefish said:

I've just had a check up, it came out at 150-100.

I don't drink or smoke, obese by a 3 stone,I have lost a stone in the last few months though cutting back and fasting.

I'm in my 40s, got a lot of issues/stresses, am I going to keel over?

It's not "he's gonna blow at any time" numbers, but you are above the threshold for medication.

Lose that four stone and see what happens.

[TameRacingDriver]

c.milton said:

Thank you! As TameRacingDriver mentioned, the headache is a real pain - literally and figuratively.

TRD also mentioned feeling really unwell - this, 100%. However, I also have some other health issues, so I can't really say that the BP is solely responsible for this.

I might be stating the obvious, but one thing I can say for certain is that long-term uncontrolled BP does serious damage to your insides - eg, hypertensive retinopathy. Am blind in my right eye now because of this and down to "vision impaired" in my left eye.

Do I feel OK in myself? I have always used humour and sarcasm to deal with my health issues - and rather it be me affected than anyone else. But - as the AAs have appeared in the past 18 months, I now feel ... scared.

Wishing all here with high BP the very best for the future.

Jesus mate, that sounds rough. I've got to admit reading this I truly have been very lucky, I can't imagine how st that must be to lose a lot of your vision AND have the other health issues. I was also lucky that my organs were not damaged.

Mine was probably exacerbated by the sleep apnea but I think without the medication I'd either be in a much worse state now or simply not here. All because my Mrs forced me to go to the doctors - I didn't want to go, typical bloke.

I hope you feel better soon.

[mickythefish]

grumbledoak said:

It's not "he's gonna blow at any time" numbers, but you are above the threshold for medication.

Lose that four stone and see what happens.

yeh that's the plan, fasting seems to work for me.

[grumbledoak]

mickythefish said:

yeh that's the plan, fasting seems to work for me.

It's not inconceivable that your BP will be in the normal range when your weight is.

[c.milton]

TameRacingDriver said:

Jesus mate, that sounds rough. I've got to admit reading this I truly have been very lucky, I can't imagine how st that must be to lose a lot of your vision AND have the other health issues. I was also lucky that my organs were not damaged.

Mine was probably exacerbated by the sleep apnea but I think without the medication I'd either be in a much worse state now or simply not here. All because my Mrs forced me to go to the doctors - I didn't want to go, typical bloke.

I hope you feel better soon.

Thank you! I actually just saw your post from this morning - not sure how I missed it earlier.

Well done to your good lady for making you go to the doctor: I'm sorry to hear you will be on the meds permanently, but glad to hear that you were diagnosed early and haven't suffered any organ damage.

Thank you for your good wishes but, really - t'is but a scratch!

I was lucky in a way that I decided to have my mid-life crisis early - bought a lovely fiat barchetta LE for my 30th birthday and married a hot blonde Estonian lady a few months later! Car is long gone, but had some great drives, wife still here, and we have 2 beautiful daughters, so life is all good.

Well, mostly...

Stay safe and keep up the good work. I hope the CPAP machine will help and - who knows - one day you may be able to reduce or even stop the meds! Wishing you the best of luck.

[TameRacingDriver]

[Badda]

bigdom said:

Plenty of things can affect it, it's not always diet, salt, booze, weight, stress etc.

Well said. Your genes play a bigger role in your heath than most other things IMO.

For those who are on the fence about taking antihypertensives at a young age, high BP in your 40s has a direct link to developing dementia later life as well as strokes, MIs etc of course.

[mickythefish]

Badda said:

Well said. Your genes play a bigger role in your heath than most other things IMO.

For those who are on the fence about taking antihypertensives at a young age, high BP in your 40s has a direct link to developing dementia later life as well as strokes, MIs etc of course.

I'm not a fan of pills, would rather try natural things first.

[TameRacingDriver]

mickythefish said:

I'm not a fan of pills, would rather try natural things first.

Let's hope you don't die in the meantime then...

[mickythefish]

TameRacingDriver said:

Let's hope you don't die in the meantime then...

bit extreme. We can all die at anytime. I think that jumping straight to pills might not solve the route cause. Clearly for me losing weight is important and I will try that first.

[Bonefish Blues]

mickythefish said:

TameRacingDriver said:

Let's hope you don't die in the meantime then...

bit extreme. We can all die at anytime. I think that jumping straight to pills might not solve the route cause. Clearly for me losing weight is important and I will try that first.

I'd say jump on the pills. Lose the weight. Speak to doc about new lifestyle and review ongoing need for pills. In that order.

[Vasco]

mickythefish said:

TameRacingDriver said:

Let's hope you don't die in the meantime then...

bit extreme. We can all die at anytime. I think that jumping straight to pills might not solve the route cause. Clearly for me losing weight is important and I will try that first.

I'd usually agree with that approach - BUT for High Blood Pressure tablets will work far quicker and many attempts at losing weight often fail. In any event BP can be caused by many things so weight might be irrelevant.

[dandarez]

Vasco said:

mickythefish said:

TameRacingDriver said:

Let's hope you don't die in the meantime then...

bit extreme. We can all die at anytime. I think that jumping straight to pills might not solve the route cause. Clearly for me losing weight is important and I will try that first.

I'd usually agree with that approach - BUT for High Blood Pressure tablets will work far quicker and many attempts at losing weight often fail. In any event BP can be caused by many things so weight might be irrelevant.

First and foremost you have to make sure you really do have high BP and not WCS. Loads of men suffer WCS.
I'm literally amazed at patients who are put on BP pills after just one solitary reading... that is bloody crazy!

You need to take several readings, not one, over a period of time. I can probably beat TRD with his 'high'. I was led on the operating trolley outside theatre when my BP went through the roof - 220+ over 130+ (can't recall the exact fig). The nurse I'd been chatting to said words along the lines of 'You should be dead!' LOL. The theatre anaesthetist took more readings at my request but it didn't come down low enough - the surgeon came out and cancelled the operation. I was told to go on BP pills for a couple months. F off!
Like many blokes, in the GPs or hospital surroundings we get WCS (I have it bad, as above illustrates).

To get accurate BP readings if you are a 'normal' bloke that hates doc's surroundings, you need to be relaxed, sat down, feet flat on floor, back upright posture, monitor (home) on left wrist in correct position, hand open, relaxed facing up, and right hand relaxed also facing up. Take deep breath sit still, no talking (every GP or nurse that's taken my BP chats! I'm usually legs crossed and chatting too! Readings will not be accurate, One reading most certainly will not.

Oh, why did I not take the BP pills (one PHr on reading this story - I've posted it before (we're talking 2017) said he recalled me as the one who 'refused to take his meds'. Idiot. Should have read the whole thing. What had happened was in for a hernia op. Ward anaesthetist took my BP in ward, 'normal'. When the patient prior to me came back into the ward, he was yelling the place down. As I was called I passed by him and he screamed 'Wish I'd never had the op, I'm in more f pain now than when I came in!' I'd just got on the trolley and was wheeled off to theatre trying to ignore him. Obviously, it had affected me. Afterwards a nurse said 'that's why your BP went crazy.' The ward anaesthetist even apologised (I suppose he was not going to argue the toss with a 'Theatre' anaesthetist.
So, off I went home. My GP was mad and signed me to go back but it was no good. 2 months on f pills while I had a hernia that could possibly strangulate. Clever, eh? I went private and surprise, had the op under a 'local' anaesthetic and chatted to the surgeon while he operated.

I spoke with a cardiologist who said high readings were very common as is WCS. One reading on its own is bonkers, you need several - go online to the BHS site (British Hypertension Society) and you can print off sheets to put your own readings in over several days. I was given these sheets by the locum in 2017 for home monitoring. Just print a few off. You'll get a much more accurate assessment over a week, than one single reading in a GP or doc's environment!
link:
https://bihsoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Home...

He said to me 'If you get woken in the night by breaking glass indicating a likely burglar about to enter your home, the first thing healthwise that happens is your BP will rise, dramatically in this sort of situation. Does any of your family have normal BP?' I said 'Yes, my wife.' I tried his experiment. She sat near the patio window taking her BP on my request. First result was normal, in fact much better than 120 over 80. She did another, again normal. I said 'Do a few more.' I made an excuse to leave the room, went outside, got a metal barrel I had ready and rubber hammer and without her seeing me, as she did another test I hit the drum - bloody hard!
Her shock was a bit more than I'd planned. I went inside as she's yelling what the hell did you do that for?
I asked to see the monitor. It had shot up to 180 over 99. A bit like a bloke who has his BP tested in an environment he doesn't like, the docs!

Should add: Many surgeries have their own blood pressure seats where you can relax and take your BP and it prints out the readings on a slip you can take away with you as a record. Ours used to have one, and it was great. A locum I saw insisted I use it (when my results were high in his room - he suggested I go for a walk, relax, come back and sit quiet and do it by myself. The 'result' difference was amazing... ie much 'lower'! but our BP seat has now gone - to save money. Fools.

[Vasco]

dandarez said:

Vasco said:

mickythefish said:

TameRacingDriver said:

Let's hope you don't die in the meantime then...

bit extreme. We can all die at anytime. I think that jumping straight to pills might not solve the route cause. Clearly for me losing weight is important and I will try that first.

I'd usually agree with that approach - BUT for High Blood Pressure tablets will work far quicker and many attempts at losing weight often fail. In any event BP can be caused by many things so weight might be irrelevant.

First and foremost you have to make sure you really do have high BP and not WCS. Loads of men suffer WCS.
I'm literally amazed at patients who are put on BP pills after just one solitary reading... that is bloody crazy!

You need to take several readings, not one, over a period of time. I can probably beat TRD with his 'high'. I was led on the operating trolley outside theatre when my BP went through the roof - 220+ over 130+ (can't recall the exact fig). The nurse I'd been chatting to said words along the lines of 'You should be dead!' LOL. The theatre anaesthetist took more readings at my request but it didn't come down low enough - the surgeon came out and cancelled the operation. I was told to go on BP pills for a couple months. F off!
Like many blokes, in the GPs or hospital surroundings we get WCS (I have it bad, as above illustrates).

To get accurate BP readings if you are a 'normal' bloke that hates doc's surroundings, you need to be relaxed, sat down, feet flat on floor, back upright posture, monitor (home) on left wrist in correct position, hand open, relaxed facing up, and right hand relaxed also facing up. Take deep breath sit still, no talking (every GP or nurse that's taken my BP chats! I'm usually legs crossed and chatting too! Readings will not be accurate, One reading most certainly will not.

Oh, why did I not take the BP pills (one PHr on reading this story - I've posted it before (we're talking 2017) said he recalled me as the one who 'refused to take his meds'. Idiot. Should have read the whole thing. What had happened was in for a hernia op. Ward anaesthetist took my BP in ward, 'normal'. When the patient prior to me came back into the ward, he was yelling the place down. As I was called I passed by him and he screamed 'Wish I'd never had the op, I'm in more f pain now than when I came in!' I'd just got on the trolley and was wheeled off to theatre trying to ignore him. Obviously, it had affected me. Afterwards a nurse said 'that's why your BP went crazy.' The ward anaesthetist even apologised (I suppose he was not going to argue the toss with a 'Theatre' anaesthetist.
So, off I went home. My GP was mad and signed me to go back but it was no good. 2 months on f pills while I had a hernia that could possibly strangulate. Clever, eh? I went private and surprise, had the op under a 'local' anaesthetic and chatted to the surgeon while he operated.

I spoke with a cardiologist who said high readings were very common as is WCS. One reading on its own is bonkers, you need several - go online to the BHS site (British Hypertension Society) and you can print off sheets to put your own readings in over several days. I was given these sheets by the locum in 2017 for home monitoring. Just print a few off. You'll get a much more accurate assessment over a week, than one single reading in a GP or doc's environment!
link:
https://bihsoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Home...

He said to me 'If you get woken in the night by breaking glass indicating a likely burglar about to enter your home, the first thing healthwise that happens is your BP will rise, dramatically in this sort of situation. Does any of your family have normal BP?' I said 'Yes, my wife.' I tried his experiment. She sat near the patio window taking her BP on my request. First result was normal, in fact much better than 120 over 80. She did another, again normal. I said 'Do a few more.' I made an excuse to leave the room, went outside, got a metal barrel I had ready and rubber hammer and without her seeing me, as she did another test I hit the drum - bloody hard!
Her shock was a bit more than I'd planned. I went inside as she's yelling what the hell did you do that for?
I asked to see the monitor. It had shot up to 180 over 99. A bit like a bloke who has his BP tested in an environment he doesn't like, the docs!

Should add: Many surgeries have their own blood pressure seats where you can relax and take your BP and it prints out the readings on a slip you can take away with you as a record. Ours used to have one, and it was great. A locum I saw insisted I use it (when my results were high in his room - he suggested I go for a walk, relax, come back and sit quiet and do it by myself. The 'result' difference was amazing... ie much 'lower'! but our BP seat has now gone - to save money. Fools.

To keep this in perspective, you clearly are a fairly extreme version of White Coat Syndrome. As you say, many people suffer with it and higher BP readings result - medical staff are very aware of the issue.
I very much doubt that anybody is prescribed tablets for high blood pressure on just one reading but it's important to get a reasonably accurate set of readings in the short term.

[Badda]

dandarez said:

First and foremost you have to make sure you really do have high BP and not WCS. Loads of men suffer WCS.
I'm literally amazed at patients who are put on BP pills after just one solitary reading... that is bloody crazy!

You need to take several readings, not one, over a period of time. I can probably beat TRD with his 'high'. I was led on the operating trolley outside theatre when my BP went through the roof - 220+ over 130+ (can't recall the exact fig). The nurse I'd been chatting to said words along the lines of 'You should be dead!' LOL. The theatre anaesthetist took more readings at my request but it didn't come down low enough - the surgeon came out and cancelled the operation. I was told to go on BP pills for a couple months. F off!
Like many blokes, in the GPs or hospital surroundings we get WCS (I have it bad, as above illustrates).

To get accurate BP readings if you are a 'normal' bloke that hates doc's surroundings, you need to be relaxed, sat down, feet flat on floor, back upright posture, monitor (home) on left wrist in correct position, hand open, relaxed facing up, and right hand relaxed also facing up. Take deep breath sit still, no talking (every GP or nurse that's taken my BP chats! I'm usually legs crossed and chatting too! Readings will not be accurate, One reading most certainly will not.

Oh, why did I not take the BP pills (one PHr on reading this story - I've posted it before (we're talking 2017) said he recalled me as the one who 'refused to take his meds'. Idiot. Should have read the whole thing. What had happened was in for a hernia op. Ward anaesthetist took my BP in ward, 'normal'. When the patient prior to me came back into the ward, he was yelling the place down. As I was called I passed by him and he screamed 'Wish I'd never had the op, I'm in more f pain now than when I came in!' I'd just got on the trolley and was wheeled off to theatre trying to ignore him. Obviously, it had affected me. Afterwards a nurse said 'that's why your BP went crazy.' The ward anaesthetist even apologised (I suppose he was not going to argue the toss with a 'Theatre' anaesthetist.
So, off I went home. My GP was mad and signed me to go back but it was no good. 2 months on f pills while I had a hernia that could possibly strangulate. Clever, eh? I went private and surprise, had the op under a 'local' anaesthetic and chatted to the surgeon while he operated.

I spoke with a cardiologist who said high readings were very common as is WCS. One reading on its own is bonkers, you need several - go online to the BHS site (British Hypertension Society) and you can print off sheets to put your own readings in over several days. I was given these sheets by the locum in 2017 for home monitoring. Just print a few off. You'll get a much more accurate assessment over a week, than one single reading in a GP or doc's environment!
link:
https://bihsoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Home...

He said to me 'If you get woken in the night by breaking glass indicating a likely burglar about to enter your home, the first thing healthwise that happens is your BP will rise, dramatically in this sort of situation. Does any of your family have normal BP?' I said 'Yes, my wife.' I tried his experiment. She sat near the patio window taking her BP on my request. First result was normal, in fact much better than 120 over 80. She did another, again normal. I said 'Do a few more.' I made an excuse to leave the room, went outside, got a metal barrel I had ready and rubber hammer and without her seeing me, as she did another test I hit the drum - bloody hard!
Her shock was a bit more than I'd planned. I went inside as she's yelling what the hell did you do that for?
I asked to see the monitor. It had shot up to 180 over 99. A bit like a bloke who has his BP tested in an environment he doesn't like, the docs!

Should add: Many surgeries have their own blood pressure seats where you can relax and take your BP and it prints out the readings on a slip you can take away with you as a record. Ours used to have one, and it was great. A locum I saw insisted I use it (when my results were high in his room - he suggested I go for a walk, relax, come back and sit quiet and do it by myself. The 'result' difference was amazing... ie much 'lower'! but our BP seat has now gone - to save money. Fools.

n=1.

If you’re worried about bp, leave it to qualified people to advise please not internet folk. It’s quite important.

[98elise]

mickythefish said:

Badda said:

Well said. Your genes play a bigger role in your heath than most other things IMO.

For those who are on the fence about taking antihypertensives at a young age, high BP in your 40s has a direct link to developing dementia later life as well as strokes, MIs etc of course.

I'm not a fan of pills, would rather try natural things first.

I would do the pills until the natural stuff kicks in. No reason you can't come off them when you've got it under control naturally.

I felt the same as you and it made very little difference. Pills had it under control in no time.

[TameRacingDriver]

Dunno why but in this situation I'm reminded of Steve Jobs who decided he'd try and cure his cancer the natural way before trying the more established methods. That didn't work out too well for him. Extreme example I know. If I'd waited and tried to cure my BP naturally I may not be writing this message.