Monitoring my bp at home need some help.

jon671

jon671

Member
Anyway I bought a monitor read the directions and set it up correctly. I did my first reading last night it was 140/96 waited five minutes (longer than the manual said and retested) it was 120/86 again this morning first thing after waking up I tested it was like 144/90 then again 5 minutes later retested and was like 130/86. What is going on is it "whitecoat" hypertension. I realize it needs to be lowered and I am working on that and that it fluctuates, but I don't understand the rapid fluctuation. Thoughts? Hypertension? Statins or continue dieting and supplementing.
 
Take 3 readings, a few minutes apart, one after the other, and average it out for a more accurate result.

I've had large fluctuations at the doctor's office myself...waited 10 minutes and it came back normal again.. for me it was due to questioning about family health history and then immediately doing my BP which came back high probably because I was thinking about things that upset me and would shoot it up. Some people I know have their BP shoot up just visiting the doc as well. Could be happening with you as well if you're thinking too much about it when you check it yourself.
 
Same deal last night and today. I am keeping track to show doc. I think if I average the numbers so far I am fine and don't need meds.
 
jon671 said:
Anyway I bought a monitor read the directions and set it up correctly. I did my first reading last night it was 140/96 waited five minutes (longer than the manual said and retested) it was 120/86 again this morning first thing after waking up I tested it was like 144/90 then again 5 minutes later retested and was like 130/86. What is going on is it "whitecoat" hypertension. I realize it needs to be lowered and I am working on that and that it fluctuates, but I don't understand the rapid fluctuation. Thoughts? Hypertension? Statins or continue dieting and supplementing.
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Jon is this a wrist cuff? if so make sure you take it sitting, arm on the table like you are going to arm wrestle, bp monitor above the level of your heart.
 
BUCKNUTS said:
Jon is this a wrist cuff? if so make sure you take it sitting, arm on the table like you are going to arm wrestle, bp monitor above the level of your heart.
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Hyper tension
>80% is lifestyle and nutritonal imbalances, hormonal issues which i have seen in a clincal setting. By examining and ruling out these factors one can potentially reduce their BP meds or even discontinue them.

Currently working on a case where a women was diagnosed as anxiety/add HD put on psyho meds for years when simply looking to fact they were anorexia ,mother was born with anemia, hormonal imbalances. Even the mechanism from start to finish was laid out to her back by scientific research from double blind studies. When this was brought to her attention she was relieved and was given hope, but was also pissed at Dr's. I told them it was not there fought, but what they were taught in medical school. Since correcting these she is lowering meds and has become a new person. Its amazing how a little research can do if dr's take the time to look for the cause instead of looking at the symptoms.
 
The Matrix said:
Hyper tension
>80% is lifestyle and nutritonal imbalances, hormonal issues which i have seen in a clincal setting. By examining and ruling out these factors one can potentially reduce their BP meds or even discontinue them.

Currently working on a case where a women was diagnosed as anxiety/add HD put on psyho meds for years when simply looking to fact they were anorexia ,mother was born with anemia, hormonal imbalances. Even the mechanism from start to finish was laid out to her back by scientific research from double blind studies. When this was brought to her attention she was relieved and was given hope, but was also pissed at Dr's. I told them it was not there fought, but what they were taught in medical school. Since correcting these she is lowering meds and has become a new person. Its amazing how a little research can do if dr's take the time to look for the cause instead of looking at the symptoms.
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:think:You lost me bro I was only commenting on the type of blood pressure monitor Jon is using. The home monitors especially the wrist cuffs are not terribly accurate and are very sensitive to movement of, and position of the arm. Not that they are completely useless because I think if used at the same time of day etc you can at least establish a baseline for that machine and then note any variations thereafter.
 
Jon. BP can fluctuate more than that within a few minutes. Also from arm to arm. It is important to always be either sitting or standing, (consistently), when taking the measurements. BP will be higher if standing baring any anomalies making the reverse true. Wrist cuffs are complete junk and should be avoided like the plague.

Using an arm cuff, I would suggest sitting upright in a comfortable position, place the cuff on either arm, (it's good to experiment to see which one is more reliable/consistent as well as which one is on average higher), locate the brachial artery which is the main artery in the arm located just medial to the top of your elbow joint, then place the pump tube of the unit over this. Tighten the cuff just snug and rest your arm on a solid surface as close to heart level as possible. Next proceed with the test. I am assuming it is an automatic Sphygmomanometer here.

It is helpful to take it at the same time everyday and under the same conditions, (full vs. empty stomach, etc...). Keeping as many variables the same lends itself to getting as accurate a reading as possible as often as possible.

The good news is, your BP is not all that high generally speaking. At your age Statins wouldn't really be needed. Not knowing your history nor being a qualified professional, I couldn't say what would be best for the management for the symptom nor if there is some important underlying cause. In the past I dealt with hypertension and successfully mediated it with a simple diuretic. I believe it was HCTZ (hydrochlorothiazide). After losing some weight and making some other health changes I no longer needed to take the medication.

I hoped that helped and best of luck to you. Be well.
 
Mine is always high at the doc too. So I bought my own monitor. It's normally at home 120/80 or there about. After a Workout I've seen it as low as 110/69. I thought after a workout it would be lower. So now I have fun checking it after certain things, like hot tub, sex, etc. It's kinda fun.
 
BUCKNUTS said:
Jon is this a wrist cuff? if so make sure you take it sitting, arm on the table like you are going to arm wrestle, bp monitor above the level of your heart.
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Not its an arm cuff and when I monitor my arm is about heart level.
 
meathed said:
. I am assuming it is an automatic Sphygmomanometer here.
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No I bought the manual one and I do it myself. I couldn't afford the automatic on it was $117 the one I bought was $78. All the other suggestions you have about taking the reading i follow. In the manual it says if you take two to three consecutive readings 2-3 minutes apart to disregard the first reading. if that is true my bp needs to lower, but isn't so bad.
 
jon671 said:
No I bought the manual one and I do it myself. I couldn't afford the automatic on it was $117 the one I bought was $78. All the other suggestions you have about taking the reading i follow. In the manual it says if you take two to three consecutive readings 2-3 minutes apart to disregard the first reading. if that is true my bp needs to lower, but isn't so bad.
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Take it back... save up some money... and get a fully automatic machine. You will always get more consistent results with an automatic machine, and will not effect your BP merely by anticipation and listening for the bump-bump.
 
I saw the doctor the other day and bp was 140/90. I spoke to him about how I have been monitoring at home and usually is lower than that it is usually 120/80 or around that range. I lost 15 pounds since the last time I was there. So that was good, still a long way to go though.

My question is with this and slightly elevated cholesterol and being overweight should I continue to lose weight or should I opt for meds to control both. I should be seeing dr. Mariano in January is that to long to wait?

The doctor told me with my recent labs and bp he is concerned more about my future heart health as opposed to him thinking something is going to happen soon.

I am doing a keto diet mainly protein. I eat a serving of broccoli with every meal and i have been eating 4 to 5 meals a day. I supplement with metamucil, multi-vitamin, fish oil, vitamin d, hawthorne berry, celery seed and coconut oil.
 
Dadnatron said:
Take it back... save up some money... and get a fully automatic machine. You will always get more consistent results with an automatic machine, and will not effect your BP merely by anticipation and listening for the bump-bump.
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Sorry, when I said manual I meant not auto inflate. It is the one you pump with your hand then it auto deflates and gives you a reading. Like this:

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I have white coat fever and when I got my BP gage it took me a good 5 months to relax enough to get a good reading. I have been put on BP meds over my life time and each time when the Dr. checked me my levels were very high so the up the meds over and over again until I was passing out at work.

I was lucky at work they have a Dr. on staff there and he took my BP when I was out and it was so low they called EMS. In the hosp. there put a gage on me that showed I have white coat fever and took me off the BP meds.

Your levels are low to what I was getting when I first started taking my BP I would get 180/120. Later on it is 120/78.

Now for you last post I am just now a yr. after having heart bypass sugary 2 blockages at 98%. Don't mess around with chest pain go to the ER. I never had a heart attack just heartburn. I did a stress test nothing showed up so I made my Dr. order an 24 bit scan this showed I had blockage going to my heart and after the sugary I was told it was there a long dam long time.
 
pmgamer18 said:
I have white coat fever and when I got my BP gage it took me a good 5 months to relax enough to get a good reading. I have been put on BP meds over my life time and each time when the Dr. checked me my levels were very high so the up the meds over and over again until I was passing out at work.

I was lucky at work they have a Dr. on staff there and he took my BP when I was out and it was so low they called EMS. In the hosp. there put a gage on me that showed I have white coat fever and took me off the BP meds.

Your levels are low to what I was getting when I first started taking my BP I would get 180/120. Later on it is 120/78.

Now for you last post I am just now a yr. after having heart bypass sugary 2 blockages at 98%. Don't mess around with chest pain go to the ER. I never had a heart attack just heartburn. I did a stress test nothing showed up so I made my Dr. order an 24 bit scan this showed I had blockage going to my heart and after the sugary I was told it was there a long dam long time.
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I have been to the emergency room twice both times i had ekg, chest xray, and blood work done. Both times everything was fine except for my blood pressure and cholesterol which were both slightly elevated. For the blood pressure that is expected at a time like that I think.

The first time it happened was two years ago.

Maybe the latest one is related to diet? I have been doing a keto diet for a month and a half, but I cheated on Thanksgiving day. Maybe that caused it? I don't know.
 
I find the best eating program for me is Weight Watchers I have been with them for yrs. I don't lose a lot of weight when I have set backs but I don't gain it. When I can get exercise I will lose on avg. 2 lbs a week. Look into this they are great and you eat right.
 
Can one have low adrenal function ie; 'adrenal fatigue' and high BP at the same time or would this be very rare? Would adrenal fatigue cause greater fluctuations?
 
Yes one can I did and for me it's not adrenals it was my heart. Yet my Cortisol levels were very low I am secondary.
 
pmgamer18 said:
Yes one can I did and for me it's not adrenals it was my heart. Yet my Cortisol levels were very low I am secondary.
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I'm so hijacking now..sorry. But Phil, what do you think of the test where you test your blood pressure lying down and if it lowers when you test after standing up - there may be an indication of adrenal issues? How much merit can one place on this?
 
It is part of a home test you can do and shine a light into your eye if your puiple opens and closes down this is a test you can do to. Some where I have a link about this.
The home tests are in this link.
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