Blood Pressure 185/115

[mhsjax]

It would be nice to have another reading now. It's possible it's come down somewhat now that you're home and presumably more relaxed. So probably no need to be afraid tonight, but do have it checked out tomorrow. The silent killer aspect happens over time, as I said, if left untreated. One way or another, it does need to come down for the long term.

When I was first diagnosed, my OB/GYN's nurse said about the same type of thing that the OP Dr said to her. Only she went into detail about a friend that had died. Mine was about 140/90 at the time. She terrified me so much that now I have a total phobia about the blood pressure cuff. Mine goes up when I see them taking it on my DD 11 during her physicals. I stated going to a cardiologist about 2 years ago just to make sure everything stays under control. I had a stress test, and they were actually kind of laughing, but not in a bad way, because they said it was the worst case of white coat syndrome that they had ever seen. They could tell from the test and my records what it was. They gave me some sort of pill to bring it down and told DH not to worry, by the time I got out to the car, I could barely walk and that night my BP was literally 85/60. It was fine the next day.

My cardiologist said that she should have NEVER, said this. It twas actually my first panic attack, I had just gotten over a breast cancer scare and I had 3 young kids at home. Now some 9 years later, I am almost panic attack free, but the BP won't come down whlle at the Dr's office. I am so tired of having to explain this to every Dr I see.

 

[mhsjax]

Thank you so much for the replies. I decided not to wait until tomorrow and just go to the ER. I'm now feeling shortness of breath, but my DH thinks it's from nerves. He said we'll go and have them check it out, otherwise I'll be up all night in fear. I just don't understand, I've never had HBP before. My psych doc scared the living crap out of me the way her face changed when she saw the numbers and said this is an emergency. Why would this happen to me? I was always healthy??? It's just a shock. Anyway, I'm off to the ER. Wish me luck, please. Thank you.

Good luck and I am so sorry. I didn't read this post before I posted mine. I hope you do read mine, you sound just like me and my reaction. Keep us posted.

 

[phorsenuf]

I've been having terrible blood pressure lately. It's up, it's down. it's all over the place. My Dr doubled one of my meds ad added another and It's still wonky.
You should get a home blood pressure monitor and record reading for a couple weeks and see how it is.

Hope everything turns out for you ok at the ER. Shortness of breath and chest pain combined with BP issues isn't something to wait and see. Been there, done that, had a heart attack.

I'll be thinking of you.

 

[Wendy31]

When I was first diagnosed, my OB/GYN's nurse said about the same type of thing that the OP Dr said to her. Only she went into detail about a friend that had died. Mine was about 140/90 at the time. She terrified me so much that now I have a total phobia about the blood pressure cuff. Mine goes up when I see them taking it on my DD 11 during her physicals. I stated going to a cardiologist about 2 years ago just to make sure everything stays under control. I had a stress test, and they were actually kind of laughing, but not in a bad way, because they said it was the worst case of white coat syndrome that they had ever seen. They could tell from the test and my records what it was. They gave me some sort of pill to bring it down and told DH not to worry, by the time I got out to the car, I could barely walk and that night my BP was literally 85/60. It was fine the next day.

My cardiologist said that she should have NEVER, said this. It twas actually my first panic attack, I had just gotten over a breast cancer scare and I had 3 young kids at home. Now some 9 years later, I am almost panic attack free, but the BP won't come down whlle at the Dr's office. I am so tired of having to explain this to every Dr I see.

I am so glad I'm not the only one!! This is me EXACTLY!

My BP totally panicked me when I was pregnant the last time, &, now I have panic attacks & anxiety about it.

I feel anxious right now even thinking about it.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm sad to read that so many people have anxiety having their BP taken. If I could wish that to go away for you all, I would.

I guess I should say I'm a long term cardiac nurse in a major referral center. Other hospitals send their toughest cases to us, so we see everything that can possibly happen.

Yes, blood pressure should not be that high. As I said, the heart is working way harder than it should with each and every contraction. It has to "overcome" that pressure in order to get the blood out. (In effect, it's like pushing against a kinked garden hose.) Over time it causes thickening and stiffening of the heart muscle which then causes poor contraction and filling. This process is known as hypertensive heart disease. It is called "the "silent killer" because it often goes undetected yet eventually leads to heart failure.

Read more: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Condi...is-High-Blood-Pressure_UCM_301759_Article.jsp

When the pressure that the heart has to pump against is lowered, it’s as if the heart and says, “Ahh, finally! Thanks, I needed that!”. Finally it can relax because the kink in the garden hose has straightened out and pumping becomes a lot easier for the heart. Now it can do its job a lot more efficiently and compensatory changes in the heart itself do not have to take place, which is why it’s so important to get that pressure down and keep it down. Regular readings of the BP help verify that all is well.

I just want to add that, it can, but hypertension doesn’t always take place in a vacuum. Often there are other problems that can be causing it, or related to it, and treatment of those problems will be as important as treatment of the BP itself. But that’s for another discussion. Main message here is that it behooves us all to keep that pressure within normal range for our long term heart health. If you know your BP runs high, make it a priority to get it down and keep it down.

 

[msmouse]

I have a severe phobia when it comes to doctors. So, two weeks before I have an appointment, I take my bloodpressure at home and record it. That way, I can show it to him when he takes it and it is sky high. A few years back, I had a nosebleed. It scared me so bad that I went to the emergency room. I was terrified. So much so, that my bloodpressure was 280/160. Even the doctors got hysterical when they saw that. I could not make them believe it was due to my panic. Anyway, I am on medicine and get great readings at home. But, "katie bar the door" when I have to go to any doctor.

 

[Planogirl]

My blood pressure went up drastically when I was about 30. My doctor ordered every test imaginable and no reason for it was ever found. I've been on BP meds for many years now and I doubt that I'll ever be able to function without them.

Be warned: some meds cause other reactions. I've had chronic coughs, swelling gums, stomach issues and so on. If you have to take meds, it can take some time to find the right combination.

 

[Aisling]

Well, I'm home from the doctors and my blood pressure has been a consistent 140/90 all night without meds. That 185/115 scared the holy moly out of me. I was told to immediately cut out salt and drop 10 lbs by next month. The doctor said the psyc doc's portable machine may have been off or maybe I did spike, but it's down now so we feel better about it. I realized now that I've been taking my good health for granted and ibeing overly shocked that I of all people, Miss healthy, can have an illness. Scary awakening. So now I'm going to be more aware of my health and aim to live strong. I'm pushing 50 in a few years and I want to be healthy as much as I can do something about it.

THANK YOU ALL for thr replies, prayers and well wishes! I just about freaked out last night, but I'm calm now. I'm on a mission now to get my BP down! You all are the best!!!

My thought might not be of any help, but if you have larger arms and the psychiatrist was using too small of a cuff, that would have created a false reading.

This is a good point. The BP machine got so tight I thought holy crap this is never going to stop squeezing me I never had it that tight on my before.

Do you take nsaids ( anti inflamatory drugs?) I do for my back, and they made my blood pressure go up.

This too! I also had a temporary back issue from bending over gardening and sitting in the wrong position, which caused me a lot of pain afterwards. I've been taking nsaids for the last week or so everyday. Dang! No more nsaids for me!

 

[phorsenuf]

Thanks Pea. Yo0u are always so helpful in these matters.

I have a question. What does it mean if your top number is fine, say in the teens (hundreds) but the bottom number is always higher, say 90's. I always thought the numbers raise together (if that makes sense)

Any word from Aisling? Hope everything is ok.

 

[kamik86]

Did the person take your blood pressure only once or did she do it again?

I had a wellness screening at work the other day. The nurse was 15 min late with the last person and I had a meeting right after my appointment so I was feeling rushed. Between that and hating the finger prick to draw blood (for cholesterol and blood sugar) when she took my blood pressure it was 156/90 something. Now I have high blood pressure esp given that I'm only 24 but that is a good 10 points higher then I have ever seen it even when really stressed about work and finals. So she did it again near the end of the session when I realized I had time and the finger prick had been done for a bit... and it was 125/78. Much more like it usually is when I'm not too stressed.

Also if I have mine done at a doctors instead of at the nurses at work it will be at least 5 points higher because my doctor always gives me a hard time and I really don't like him and then he will try to put me on medication and lecture about all the stuff I have to do etc etc. I have heard of other people that just get nervous around doctors and that makes their blood pressure go up.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I have a question. What does it mean if your top number is fine, say in the teens (hundreds) but the bottom number is always higher, say 90's. I always thought the numbers raise together (if that makes sense)

Glad to help. The bottom number, or diastolic pressure, signifies the resting phase of the heart cycle. (Contract, rest, contract, rest.) If the diastolic reading is high, it means the heart is working (sometimes *really*) hard (the higher the diastolic number goes) even during the time it should be resting, which is why that number being high is especially concerning. It puts a major strain on the heart over time.

More info: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-h...and-systolic-blood-pressure-know-your-numbers

 

[phorsenuf]

Well, I'm home from the doctors and my blood pressure has been a consistent 140/90 all night without meds. That 185/115 scared the holy moly out of me. I was told to immediately cut out salt and drop 10 lbs by next month. The doctor said the psyc doc's portable machine may have been off or maybe I did spike, but it's down now so we feel better about it. I realized now that I've been taking my good health for granted and ibeing overly shocked that I of all people, Miss healthy, can have an illness. Scary awakening. So now I'm going to be more aware of my health and aim to live strong. I'm pushing 50 in a few years and I want to be healthy as much as I can do something about it.

THANK YOU ALL for thr replies, prayers and well wishes! I just about freaked out last night, but I'm calm now. I'm on a mission now to get my BP down! You all are the best!!!





This is a good point. The BP machine got so tight I thought holy crap this is never going to stop squeezing me I never had it that tight on my before.





This too! I also had a temporary back issue from bending over gardening and sitting in the wrong position, which caused me a lot of pain afterwards. I've been taking nsaids for the last week or so everyday. Dang! No more nsaids for me!

Glad to see everything turned out ok. It may still be running a bit high from all the anxiety. Did you get a cuff so you can monitor at home?

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

I never had high blood pressure until last year (I am 39). At first we were just watching it since I was very low on the 'high' side. I need to loose a little weight, but never add salt to any foods. The only salt I take in is when I eat any prepared foods. Well, I just went for my physical in March and it was a little higher so my doctor put me on hydrochlorothiazide (water pill). I had some dizziness for about a week, but that went away and I just had a follow-up and now my BP is completely normal. The Rx is on the $4 list at Target and I was able to get it in a 90-day supply for $10.

Good luck in dropping the 10 pounds! I need to do the same!!

 

[DebbieB]

When my mom was having chemo and seeing various doctors, her blood pressure was all over the place. I really think alot depends on the person taking it and their machine.

When I had my physical last year, my blood pressure was in the 150's, it was never that high. He had someone else take it after the exam and it was in the 120's.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I am so glad all is okay. Blood pressure is very scary. You already have anxiety so I hope you can find a soothing tool that works for you and don't be upset if you end up on meds, it is not so bad.

 

[Aisling]

Glad to see everything turned out ok. It may still be running a bit high from all the anxiety. Did you get a cuff so you can monitor at home?

I bought a cuff today and when my kids, husband and mother finish taking their blood pressures 100 times in a row I'll give it a try and learn how to use it. All afternoon I've been hearing "can I check my blood pressure, mom?" They think it's a friggin toy!

 

[phorsenuf]

Glad to help. The bottom number, or diastolic pressure, signifies the resting phase of the heart cycle. (Contract, rest, contract, rest.) If the diastolic reading is high, it means the heart is working (sometimes *really*) hard (the higher the diastolic number goes) even during the time it should be resting, which is why that number being high is especially concerning. It puts a major strain on the heart over time.

More info: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-h...and-systolic-blood-pressure-know-your-numbers

Thanks again Pea. My bottom number has been a bit elevated lately while my top stays lower. Stared getting some foot swelling too. Thankfully I see my cardiologist tomorrow.


How are you feeling Aisling?