login
High blood pressure questions...should I be worried?
-
No new posts
 2007-03-30 4:01 PM |
Pro  4206   Los Angeles, CA |  Subject: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried?I went to the doctor the other day and she said I had high blood pressure. It was some crazy number, I think it was 143/87. She said it could be wrong because I might be nervous about going to doctors. I said fine, and she told me to go home and take my blood pressure over several weeks at the same time, same place. I used three different machines ranging from $50 - $150 just to make sure one machine wasn't calibrated right. The results are below: 143/87,58 128/82,57 126/79,61 141/88,63 137/86,60 138/87,62 117/89,57 124/83,64 115/78,61 121/79, 64 117/81, 63 127/77, 66 125/79, 63 131/88,67 132/83,65 131/78,63 I showed the doctor and she said, you probably were just stressed out or something. Here's the kicker. I just had a life insurance exam and my readings were worse than the 143/87. It was something like 155/94. Of course the life insurance examiner is like, no, we can't put that on the form or you won't get life insurance and he said to go see the doctor and then we will reschedule. WTF? Edited by auto208562 2007-03-30 4:04 PM |
| 2007-03-30 7:13 PM in reply to: #743562 |
Master 2136 A Prairie Home | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? Wow, those numbers are all over the place. During what time period were those readings taken? Perhaps you could measure your bp over a longer period of time, say over a week, and at the same time of the day, say first thing in the morning. BP can be affected by what salt and caffeine intake also. P.S. I am not a doctor. But I am concern about my bp all the time.  |
| 2007-03-30 7:20 PM in reply to: #743562 |
Pro 4206 Los Angeles, CA | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? I did take them all at the same time, right when I got up...per instructions from my doctor. Every morning, at around 6AM. I have no idea what is going on. I wish there was a more sure way to figure this out. I mean, at one point, the doctor took out those scopes that you listen to your heartbeat and used that. Talk about a good possiblity of user error...she's older, with glasses, good luck. |
| 2007-03-30 11:22 PM in reply to: #743696 |
Coach 9167 Stairway to Seven | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? I have no idea what is going on. I wish there was a more sure way to figure this out. Figure out your blood pressure? You've done it. Your average systolic BP is between 120 and 130, which is borderline high blood pressure. I mean, at one point, the doctor took out those scopes that you listen to your heartbeat and used that. Talk about a good possiblity of user error...she's older, with glasses, good luck. What are you talking about? What do her glasses and being older have to do with taking your blood pressure? The thing is called a stethescope and you can't work without it. Blood pressure is measured by LISTENING with the stethescope as the external pressure applied to your arm decreases. The dynamap/automated machines are no more accurate than using a stethescope, and frequently a stethescope is more accurate because the machines can't pick up a quiet/weak heartbeat. If you are questioning your doctors reccomendations, (what were her recommendations?) then get a second opinion from a physician with a good recommendation. (not from an internet board) Here's some info that appears to be fairly on the spot. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertension |
| 2007-03-30 11:24 PM in reply to: #743692 |
Coach 9167 Stairway to Seven | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? Denise2003 - 2007-03-30 6:13 PM Wow, those numbers are all over the place. This is normal, your cardiovascular system is designed to respond dynamically to all the stresses of life. A single BP measurement (as by the insurance agent, or in the doctors office) is fairly meaningless. Hypertension can't even be diagnosed without 3 or more blood pressure readings that are above normal. |
| 2007-03-30 11:33 PM in reply to: #743562 |
Pro 4206 Los Angeles, CA | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? I'm not questioning the doctor's recommendations than the technology used to determine the blood pressure. She said based on my results over the two week period, family history, and exercising, she's leaning towards diet and said I should probably change my diet to see if that brings my numbers down. Then to see her in one month. What I don't get is why you just can't do some single test to determine the it. If everytime, I went to the doctor and I show high blood presure and she gives me some medicine because of it, but really, I don't need it because I was just nervous or whatever, to me, that's a useless test. To then rely on me to determine it, it just seems so backwards. I'm not knocking the medical field or anything, It just seems odd. But thanks for the medical information. Appreciate it. (and I was being sarcastic about her age and glasses. That she had to use that manual thing, which you implied could be more accurate again still baffles me that we don't have anything better). |
| 2007-03-30 11:44 PM in reply to: #743793 |
Coach 9167 Stairway to Seven | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? auto208562 - 2007-03-30 10:33 PM I'm not questioning the doctor's recommendations than the technology used to determine the blood pressure. She said based on my results over the two week period, family history, and exercising, she's leaning towards diet and said I should probably change my diet to see if that brings my numbers down. Then to see her in one month. What I don't get is why you just can't do some single test to determine the it. If everytime, I went to the doctor and I show high blood presure and she gives me some medicine because of it, but really, I don't need it because I was just nervous or whatever, to me, that's a useless test. To then rely on me to determine it, it just seems so backwards. I'm not knocking the medical field or anything, It just seems odd. But thanks for the medical information. Appreciate it. (and I was being sarcastic about her age and glasses. That she had to use that manual thing, which you implied could be more accurate again still baffles me that we don't have anything better). I hope i didn't sound cranky. It may sound backwards, but this is the way it is. Check any medical textbook, she's spot on. First line recommendations is actually SIX months of diet & exercise. THere is no single test. A single high blood pressure won't kill you. A lifetime exposure to elevated blood pressure MIGHT kill you. Your body is dynamic with nearly instantaneous response to stressful situations (like hospitals, insurance phsyicals doctors offices, car accidents, bears at your campsite, muggers in a dark alley, a car on top of your friend) and elevated pressure in response to that is normal. Sorry, there is nothing better, except maybe an arterial blood pressure in which a catheter is inserted INTO a major artery at your wrist or your groin and real time pressure recordings are made. Even these need to be calibrated, but you don't really want her do to that at your next visit, do you? |
| 2007-03-30 11:53 PM in reply to: #743562 |
Pro 4206 Los Angeles, CA | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? Your the third doctor (I assume) or knowledgeable medical person that has told me this. And all three are not related to each other or know each other so there's no conspiracy unless the conspiracy is at a higher level, the whole medical community. Thanks again for the info/advice, and yea, I don't like any medical device near my groin |
| 2007-03-31 12:00 AM in reply to: #743793 |
Elite 2493 Chicago, IL | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? here's my advice.... 1) you're not a doctor. yes we "non doctors" want to assume we know the right thing, but most of the time we don't know the right thing, so don't pretend you're a doctor and start second guessing, even if your doctor sucks... don't abandon treatment, what does that solve really??? 2) your doctor sounds like an idiot. hell would freeze over before my doctor saw high blood pressure in me and told me to go home and check it on my own. She would have me in there every hour of every day if she felt something was wrong, she would never tell me to go check something so volatile on my own... 3) find a new doctor. blood pressure is nothing to joke about. it can lead to strokes, heart attacks, and gawd knows what else. if you're blood pressure is that high, you should be concerned... and to poo-poo that is just stupd... 4) bottom line here is you have a problem with your blood pressure. either you get serious about it and do something about it now while you have the advantage of taking care of it... or you don't, and it takes care of you... the latter is probably not the wise choice. sorry, but i work in a hospital, and people question doctor's all the time... and when a patient doesn't like what the doctor has to offer, they find a new one... and that's okay. just find one who checks out that blood pressure... because really my friend, when you're near 150's, it's not good Edited by pigfinn 2007-03-31 12:08 AM |
just go, be strong, and find out what's really going on... you owe that to yourself 
| 2007-03-31 12:07 AM in reply to: #743799 |
Elite 2493 Chicago, IL | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? auto208562 - 2007-03-30 11:53 PM Your the third doctor (I assume) or knowledgeable medical person that has told me this. And all three are not related to each other or know each other so there's no conspiracy unless the conspiracy is at a higher level, the whole medical community. Thanks again for the info/advice, and yea, I don't like any medical device near my groin gawd I hate when people say that... that the medical community is a conspiracy. you know what i think that means in reality... that people can't accept that they're sick... geezuz... get to a real doctor... and if you must play the conspiracy game, at least it will save your life, sigh. |
| 2007-03-31 1:35 AM in reply to: #743802 |
Coach 9167 Stairway to Seven | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? 2) your doctor sounds like an idiot. hell would freeze over before my doctor saw high blood pressure in me and told me to go home and check it on my own. She would have me in there every hour of every day if she felt something was wrong, she would never tell me to go check something so volatile on my own... I bet if you ask your doctor you'd get a different answer. Here is what the folks at teh New England Journal of Medicine have to say about home blood pressure readings: "Accurate measurement of blood pressure and verification of elevated pressure on multiple occasions over time are important. Ambulatory or home blood-pressure monitoring can identify “white-coat hypertension” (blood pressure that is elevated when measured during an office visit but that is otherwise normal) and prevent unnecessary treatment. White-coat hypertension, present in 20 percent of patients with elevated blood pressure, is associated with a lower cardiovascular risk than is sustained hypertension, but it may be a precursor of sustained hypertension and therefore warrants monitoring." N Engl J Med 2003;348:610-7. The two references in this paragraph: Perloff D, Grim CM, Flack J, et al. Human blood pressure determination by sphygmomanometry. Circulation 1993;88:2460-70. Pickering TG. Recommendations for the use of home (self ) and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Am J Hypertens 1996; 9:1-11. Regarding lifestyle modifications: "Patients with stage 1 hypertension can be treated with lifestyle modifications alone for up to one year, if they have no other risk factors, or for up to six months, if they have other risk factors. Drug treatment should be provided if blood pressure remains elevated after a trial of lifestyle modifications alone" Stage 1 hypertension: Hypertension† Stage 1 140–159 Systolic or 90–99 diastolic Most folks in groups like this (triathlon training) think that they have already maximized their lifestyle modifications due to the amount of aerobic exercise that we perform. But that's only one in a list of modifications suggested: Table 2. Lifestyle Modifications to Prevent or Manage Hypertension.* Modification Maintain ideal body weight Blood pressure (reduced by 1.6/1.1 mm Hg for each 1 kg of weight loss) Engage in aerobic physical activity (30 to 45 minutes each day, most days of the week) (May reduce blood pressure as much as 13/8 mm Hg) Eat abundant fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products; reduce intake of saturated and total fats (May lower blood pressure by as much as 11.4/5.5 mm Hg after 8 weeks) Limit sodium intake to a maximum of 100 mmol per day (2.4 g of sodium or 6 g of sodium chloride) (May lower blood pressure by 3.7–4.8/0.9–2.5 mm Hg) Maintain adequate intake of dietary potassium (approximately 90 mmol per day) Maintain adequate intake of dietary calcium and magnesium Limit alcohol intake to a maximum of 30 ml (1 oz) per day (15 ml [0.5 oz] per day for women and people with low body weight) Stop smoking I guess medical advice on the internet is worth exactly what you pay for it. Edited by AdventureBear 2007-03-31 1:55 AM |
| 2007-03-31 7:54 AM in reply to: #743797 |
Champion 7036 Sarasota, FL | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? AdventureBear - 2007-03-31 12:44 AM Sorry, there is nothing better, except maybe an arterial blood pressure in which a catheter is inserted INTO a major artery at your wrist or your groin and real time pressure recordings are made. Even these need to be calibrated, but you don't really want her do to that at your next visit, do you? Amen. I've had a couple of caths. Not my one of my favorite activities. Also usually involves an overnight stay in the hospital. FWIW, I didn't see anything wrong with the Dr's advice in the OP. In fact, I would take it as a compliment that the Dr. felt the patient was competent enough to take their own BP readings. Mark |
| 2007-03-31 4:25 PM in reply to: #743562 |
Pro 4206 Los Angeles, CA | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? Dang, did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed? |
| 2007-04-01 8:11 PM in reply to: #743562 |
Champion 8936  | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? The original doctor did exactly the right thing. Here's your #4 MD opinion. Please ignore the person calling your doctor an idiot and suggesting you change doctors. I guess it's fun to snipe away from outside the field without repurcussions. |
| 2007-04-02 11:01 AM in reply to: #743562 |
Veteran 334 | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? I am not a doctor but had high BP for several doctor visits a couple of years ago following an automobile accident. My doctor had me test my BP at home and keep him updated. As the stress from the accident went away so did my high BP. I don't think there is anything unsual for a doctor to have you chart your BP at home on your own.........I know that I was often more stressed when I was in the doctor's office then when I was at home.....and my blood pressure reflected this stress. |
| 2007-04-02 2:23 PM in reply to: #743562 |
Champion 6285 Beautiful Sonoma County | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? I have learned more about BP today than I thought I would ever want to know. My Granny used to have her very own sphygmomanometer, and used it on anyone who wanted her too. But she was a nurse her whole life. I always hear pretty much the same numbers where I go in (120/60) and since they never make any comments about it, I figure that's all I need to know about it. Now, after reading that Wiki post, I feel like I might actually understand what it means. Whoa. |
| 2007-04-02 2:45 PM in reply to: #743797 |
| Elite 2608 Denver, Colorado | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? AdventureBear - 2007-03-30 11:44 PM I hope i didn't sound cranky. It may sound backwards, but this is the way it is. Check any medical textbook, she's spot on. First line recommendations is actually SIX months of diet & exercise. THere is no single test. A single high blood pressure won't kill you. A lifetime exposure to elevated blood pressure MIGHT kill you. Your body is dynamic with nearly instantaneous response to stressful situations (like hospitals, insurance phsyicals doctors offices, car accidents, bears at your campsite, muggers in a dark alley, a car on top of your friend) and elevated pressure in response to that is normal. Sorry, there is nothing better, except maybe an arterial blood pressure in which a catheter is inserted INTO a major artery at your wrist or your groin and real time pressure recordings are made. Even these need to be calibrated, but you don't really want her do to that at your next visit, do you? The words "catheter" and "groin" should never be used in the same sentence.  FWIW, I've had high readings as well - like 150/90. Interestingly, my doctor immediately put me on blood pressure meds than wait for diet and exercise to kick in. I couldn't stand those because they would make me pee all the time. Being the maverick that I am, I didn't refill my script and tried diet and exercise. I've found out that as long as I do aerobic exercise on a regular basis, my blood pressure goes down to and generally stays at 120/70. Riding my bike on a regular basis is way more fun peeing every half hour. I'm not kidding - that was the frequency. |
| 2007-04-02 2:51 PM in reply to: #743562 |
| Elite 2608 Denver, Colorado | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? Maintain adequate intake of dietary potassium (approximately 90 mmol per day) Maintain adequate intake of dietary calcium and magnesium I learned something, too. I did not know that these minerals help to reduce BP. I'm going to stock up. For those of us who had to go to law school because we sucked too much in chemistry to go to med school (in my case, there is some truth in this), how does "90 mmol" translate to "mg" that they show on the supplement bottles? Is mmol just fancy doctor code for mg? |
| 2007-04-02 6:36 PM in reply to: #746001 |
Coach 9167 Stairway to Seven | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? MikeTheBear - 2007-04-02 1:51 PM Maintain adequate intake of dietary potassium (approximately 90 mmol per day) Maintain adequate intake of dietary calcium and magnesium I learned something, too. I did not know that these minerals help to reduce BP. I'm going to stock up. For those of us who had to go to law school because we sucked too much in chemistry to go to med school (in my case, there is some truth in this), how does "90 mmol" translate to "mg" that they show on the supplement bottles? Is mmol just fancy doctor code for mg? Once you actual get INTO medical school...well, OK, once you finish your biochemistry course in medical school, it is common practice to forget all traces of it, except when quizzed by your lawyer friends in whcih case you make up somehting about the Kreb's cycle, ATP and ornithine transcarbamalase. In this case, I have no clue, I'd have to google it. |
| 2007-04-02 7:57 PM in reply to: #746350 |
| Master 1534 | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? I know that my BP was 150 systolic (can't remember the diastolic) at my last blood donation. But the nurse and came to the conclusion that I was because I had to pee....bad. Hey, the line was slow that day. |
| 2007-04-02 8:37 PM in reply to: #746350 |
| Elite 2608 Denver, Colorado | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? AdventureBear - 2007-04-02 6:36 PM Once you actual get INTO medical school...well, OK, once you finish your biochemistry course in medical school, it is common practice to forget all traces of it, except when quizzed by your lawyer friends in whcih case you make up somehting about the Kreb's cycle, ATP and ornithine transcarbamalase. In this case, I have no clue, I'd have to google it. Sorry, doesn't impress me. You'll have to do better than that. I actually know something about the Krebs cycle and ATP. ATP is an energy source used for very short duration anaerobic activities such as lifting a heavy weight. The glycolytic energy system is used for somewhat longer anaerobic efforts, and then, of course, we have the aerobic energy system which uses fat for fuel. Something like that, anyway. Don't ask how or why I know this. Okay, I'll admit that I have no clue what ornithine transcarbamalase is, but given that it ends in "-ase" it's probably an enzyme of some sort. |
| 2007-04-02 8:41 PM in reply to: #746495 |
| Master 1534 | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? MikeTheBear - 2007-04-02 9:37 PM AdventureBear - 2007-04-02 6:36 PM Once you actual get INTO medical school...well, OK, once you finish your biochemistry course in medical school, it is common practice to forget all traces of it, except when quizzed by your lawyer friends in whcih case you make up somehting about the Kreb's cycle, ATP and ornithine transcarbamalase. In this case, I have no clue, I'd have to google it. Sorry, doesn't impress me. You'll have to do better than that. I actually know something about the Krebs cycle and ATP. ATP is an energy source used for very short duration anaerobic activities such as lifting a heavy weight. The glycolytic energy system is used for somewhat longer anaerobic efforts, and then, of course, we have the aerobic energy system which uses fat for fuel. Something like that, anyway. Don't ask how or why I know this. Okay, I'll admit that I have no clue what ornithine transcarbamalase is, but given that it ends in "-ase" it's probably an enzyme of some sort. Trick question, ATP is THE energy source. The one that is used by the body that is I think she made that last one up. That is probably about as real as alpha-ketogluterate. Wait... |
| 2007-04-02 9:28 PM in reply to: #743562 |
| Elite 2608 Denver, Colorado | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? Well, jknapman, now I have to look all that crap up again. |
| 2007-04-03 2:36 PM in reply to: #743562 |
| Veteran 222 San Jose, CA | Subject: RE: High blood pressure questions...should I be worried? Wow guys, thanks for brushing me up on my BS in ecology, I haven't used that in awhile. Just wanted to add that white coat syndrome isn't necessarily something you're aware of. I didn't think I had a problem with drs or needles, until I passed out. Then I still didn't think it was the white coat until the next couple times I passed out at the dr's office. Now I think it's the white coat. |
|
|
|
View profile
Add to friends
Go to training log
Go to race log
Send a message
View album
CONNECT WITH FACEBOOK