A very unnecessary and stressful trip to the ER all because of a BP machine.

Ruth n Jersey

Ruth n Jersey

Well-known Member
Location
Northern New Jersey
Let me explain that at age 74 I am very much anti medication. I take nothing but a 1/4 tablet of Ambien to help me fall asleep. These my husband gets for me when he goes to the doctor. My little treat that gives me a great nights sleep.
My son in law is a doctor and knows how I feel. I have high blood pressure readings at times and he keeps tabs on that. He knows that the quality of life is much more important to me than extending it possibly in pain or walking around with all sorts of side affects from meds and I also know that many people need these meds and can't function without them. I'm fine with that but for myself I will hold off as long as possible.
A couple of days ago I felt out of sorts,a headache, and I had a stressful conversation on the phone. I don't check my BP to often but decided to do so. I checked it a few times with a super high reading.
I called my son in law and he told me to go to the ER. I don't want to take meds but I don't want a stroke either.
I went through an entire cardiac work up. Sat there for over 5 hours. Bp readings were a bit high but nothing like they were at home. Bottom line was that the tests were fine but I need to follow up with my doctor. I didn't tell him I haven't been to a doctor in over 15 years and don't intend to start now.
I came home and checked my BP again. Off the charts. The hubby took the machine to the doctors office and found it to be totally out of wack.
We have had the machine, an Omron, for quite awhile and had it checked occasionally.It's always been accurate yet I know they can't last forever.
I'm very happy and relieved I didn't have any problems but yet it was quit a scare. Bp is back to its normal for me range.
I wish they could make those machines not to give a false reading but instead have some type of warning that it isn't functioning as it should.
 

Sounds like a sort of self inflicted white coat syndrome. I've had high readings and was told to I'd better go to the ER or else. The thing with numbers especially self taken is that there is the stress/anticipation for the reading and stress of going through the process which probably accounted for your high reading. So many variables could affect or not affect readings.

I'm mostly a physical symptom person so I never fret numbers. It's helped me stay out of the vortex of the medical industry for 2 centuries now.
 
Ruth n Jersey said:
Let me explain that at age 74 I am very much anti medication. I take nothing but a 1/4 tablet of Ambien to help me fall asleep. These my husband gets for me when he goes to the doctor. My little treat that gives me a great nights sleep.
My son in law is a doctor and knows how I feel. I have high blood pressure readings at times and he keeps tabs on that. He knows that the quality of life is much more important to me than extending it possibly in pain or walking around with all sorts of side affects from meds and I also know that many people need these meds and can't function without them. I'm fine with that but for myself I will hold off as long as possible.
A couple of days ago I felt out of sorts,a headache, and I had a stressful conversation on the phone. I don't check my BP to often but decided to do so. I checked it a few times with a super high reading.
I called my son in law and he told me to go to the ER. I don't want to take meds but I don't want a stroke either.
I went through an entire cardiac work up. Sat there for over 5 hours. Bp readings were a bit high but nothing like they were at home. Bottom line was that the tests were fine but I need to follow up with my doctor. I didn't tell him I haven't been to a doctor in over 15 years and don't intend to start now.
I came home and checked my BP again. Off the charts. The hubby took the machine to the doctors office and found it to be totally out of wack.
We have had the machine, an Omron, for quite awhile and had it checked occasionally.It's always been accurate yet I know they can't last forever.
I'm very happy and relieved I didn't have any problems but yet it was quit a scare. Bp is back to its normal for me range.
I wish they could make those machines not to give a false reading but instead have some type of warning that it isn't functioning as it should.
Click to expand...
Sorry you went through all that, I'm not one to go to the doctors very much either. Good to know that the home blood pressure machines can be inaccurate, always wondered about that. My inlaws had a machine and it seemed they were always upset with the erratic readings.
 

My father (he died in 1991, so a long time ago) got a BP machine and was taking his readings many times a day and making himself sick from the results. I decided then and there that I would never get a machine and be tempted to be obsessive like that. While taken at the doctors, the machine readings are always 20 pts or more higher than the manual readings. Like you, I am also anti medicines and at this time don't take anything and resist any pressure from doctors. I'm glad it turned out to be a wacky machine.
 
I have had high readings at my doctors office then lie down and wait a few minutes and it is fine. Also I have taken it a home and it may be 136 then I'll wait quietly for 30-40 seconds and it will read 122. There is no way to calibrate BP machines so always bring it in when you visit. I was told not to buy the wrist models because of the bones in our wrists alter the readings.
 
Every time I see the doctor she asks if I take my blood pressure regularly. No. I hate when they take it why would I do that to myself. Your husband gets you Ambien when he goes to the doctor. :ROFLMAO:
 
I'm glad it was just a faulty piece of equipment and not a serious health emergency.

I would encourage you to talk to your SIL about seeing a PCP and having lab tests done on a regular basis.

Just because you don't go to the doctor or take routine maintenance medication does not mean that you are healthy. At least see a PCP a couple of times each year and have routine lab work done even if you choose to decline recommended treatment/medication.
 
It is better to be "safe than sorry", 5 hours to put
your mind at ease, time well spent.

When we get ill or think that we are ill, we always
think the worst and be afraid.

A good Doctor on the other hand will laugh at us
and say "Nothing wrong here, you are fine, it is just
a ******* and will go in a couple of days", nothing
done, just the right words used.

Mike.
 
I did have my machine checked so it is working well. I have gone from high to now way too low. Was so low this morning and did not feel well. In nutshell...
Very low on left side...whoa - much higher on the right side. Fill in ER doctor said go with right side. Since when ? Why has no one ever said try the right side and go with that? And why so much difference ?
 
Thanks for telling us about that, @Ruth n Jersey
Omron is often the only brand sold, so it's good to be aware of, that their readings can be so far off.

I like the idea of having 2, to check if they agree,
but not sure about it if they are the same brand, plus the expense, but a good idea I will consider.
 
As I am on thyroid medication I must go to the doctor at least once a year to get my blood work done. It’s good to get my lab work done as it gives me peace of mind. I get checked for diabetes. liver enzyme readings and of course thyroid levels. I get my heart checked and my blood pressure checked at the doctors office so that also gives me peace of mind. I don’t have any other tests/ shots such as mammography, colonoscopy, flu shots, or pneumonia shots. As I don’t have a family history of colon or breast cancer it’s my judgment call.
 
Get your BP checked, of course, but things like that and PSA levels in males tend to draw almost obsessive attention from medics, increasing our anxiety levels and generating unnecessary tests and procedures when many of us are just in the upper end of the bell-shaped curve, and are "high normals" who are healthy despite our numbers...

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Ruth n Jersey said:
The hubby took the machine to the doctors office and found it to be totally out of wack.
We have had the machine, an Omron, for quite awhile and had it checked occasionally.It's always been accurate yet I know they can't last forever.
Click to expand...
BP monitors for home use usually only last a few years. I'd get a new one.

Kaila, Omron is one of many brands available both in stores and online. I haven't checked, but Consumer Reports probably has done a review of BP monitors.
 


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