Blood Pressure Tests 1 & 2

[fmdog44]

I took my BP at full rest and the results was 117/76 pulse=76 Immediately I squeezed a wrist exerciser and held it closed for the duration of a second test and the readings were 138/91 pulse=86. This is why your pressure is higher after walking to the pre-exam room that when after waiting for the doctor to come in the room.

 

[Della]

After tricking that blood pressure machine for years by thinking about my cat, it all caught up with me last week while I was at urgent care for a terrible cough. I read 160 over 110 and that's not good at all. Unlike my wishy washy doctor who always asks me what I think, this no-nonsense nurse practitioner put me straight on Losartan.

I took my little pill everyday for six days and then I realized I was feeling really bad and worse each day. Leg cramps at night, hot sweats, overall weakness, shaking hands, and -- the scariest part-- while I was having an eye exam I completely lost focus and started day dreaming.

So, I put a call into my regular doc, who is on vacation of course, and his nurse said I could quit the Losartan and she would have him call in some other RX. That was yesterday and the script hasn't happened, but I feel better for not having taken the pill last night.

Anyone else have blood pressure stories?

 

[Tom 86]

Depending on your age & your heart condition. My heart Dr. says a good B.P. for a person my age is 140/86 I have one of the best Omron cuffs B.P. machines my Dr got me, He said do NOT use the wrist cuff ones they are not accurate. I take it in both arms every morning after 5 min. rest at the table. It's usually around 135/55 to 135/86 I have several B.P. meds I take along with water pills to get rid of excess water in my blood.

He said if you're in pain your B.P. will go up. Also if you go to a hospital or a Dr's office & it's higher. That's called "White Coat" syndrome. YOur worried or scared of what he/she will find.

I've been on Losartan for years. My Dr told me to get COQ-10 to take to stop the leg cramps at night. I did that & now no more leg cramps.

 

[Liberty]

I insist on waiting a few minutes before letting the nurse take my BP when at the doctor's office, because I know it wouldn't be accurate right after I've walked in from the waiting room. Taking a few relaxing deep breaths and relaxing your head and shoulders is best, too.

In the doc's office, there is a framed cartoon that shows the doc telling the nurse "send them back out into the waiting room for another hour, their BPs are too low. LOL.

 

[Della]

My Dr told me to get COQ-10 to take to stop the leg cramps at night. I did that & now no more leg cramps.

Since my doctor seems to have dropped off the face of the earth, @Tom 86 is my doctor now.

I bought some COQ-10 at the store yesterday ($49). I chose the 100 grams for starters but I didn't get any improvement yet (still up four times with leg cramps) so I'm going to take two today. I could see they come in 100, 200, 300, 400 so I don't think that will be too much.

 

[WheatenLover]

My doctors' nurses always check my oxygen level with a pulse oximeter. It measures the saturation of oxygen carried in your red blood cells. Last winter it alarmed me because when they did that, the pulse ox never measured anything. It turned out to be that my fingers were too cold. So if you get that test done routinely at a doctor's office, and it doesn't work, that's why. A lot of docs do that now because one of the Covid symptoms was (or maybe still is) low blood low blood sat. I actually can't recall whether they did it as part of the pre-exam before Covid.

 

[dseag2]

My blood pressure top reading was typically 160. I started drinking beet root juice and taking Magnesium supplements and my last reading was 148. The beet root juice is an acquired taste but I find it tastes a bit like V8 juice so I just chug a bottle of it. It also improves energy level. I'm a believer.

 

[Don M.]

My doctors' nurses always check my oxygen level with a pulse oximeter.

An Oximeter is a handy tool....along with a blood pressure monitor....to keep around the house. I bought one when this Covid first hit...due to reports of low oxygen levels being a symptom of Covid. We test ourselves a couple times a week, while relaxing at home, and that gives us a better analysis than getting tested while rushing around at a doctors office, or hospital.....IMO.

 

[fmdog44]

Depending on your age & your heart condition. My heart Dr. says a good B.P. for a person my age is 140/86 I have one of the best Omron cuffs B.P. machines my Dr got me, He said do NOT use the wrist cuff ones they are not accurate. I take it in both arms every morning after 5 min. rest at the table. It's usually around 135/55 to 135/86 I have several B.P. meds I take along with water pills to get rid of excess water in my blood.

He said if you're in pain your B.P. will go up. Also if you go to a hospital or a Dr's office & it's higher. That's called "White Coat" syndrome. YOur worried or scared of what he/she will find.

I've been on Losartan for years. My Dr told me to get COQ-10 to take to stop the leg cramps at night. I did that & now no more leg cramps.

Wrist cuff apply pressure on the tendons on the wrist. That is the explanation I heard few years ago so I stopped using the one I had. I also have the White Collar issue but my doctor blows it off if it is a little high. I use a battery powered meter my Microlife model BP3GX1-5N. It is one of the meters my doctor uses.