Can't leave home without it.

[Lightattheend]

I can't wait until the day that I don't have to take my blood pressure monitor everywhere to obsessively monitor my blood pressure and pulse. It's like my purse or cell phone. I can't leave home without it.

[jkl5500]

It looks like the same model I have! But why take it everywhere? The more you obsess over your BP, the higher your anxiety will be, and that will raise your BP! It's a self-fulfilling prophecy! Have you discussed your BP worries with your doctor?

[Lightattheend in reply to jkl5500]

I have health anxiety about my heart amongst other things. I obsess over the way it beats, the health of it and everything. I've been told I have a healthy heart but I can't seem to accept it. I feel like I need the monitor everywhere with me.

[Lightattheend in reply to jkl5500]

With the monitor I can keep track of my pulse (which I feel like I need to) and my blood pressure too so it doesn't go too high and cause heart problems.

[Hidden in reply to Lightattheend]

What will you do if it's too high? I found out I have high BP and need to time a Dr for meds.

[Lightattheend in reply to Hidden]

If it gets too high I will run to the ER. That is the safest thing to do I would think? What do U mean time a Dr? If you have consistent high blood pressure you will have refills on your BP meds from a Dr right? Several people in my family have high blood pressure and they just keep getting refills when they run out. They don't keep calling a Dr to get more. And I don't think a person will be prescribed meds for one episode of high blood pressure. It has to be a continuous thing. I have health anxiety so I worry about everything. With my family history of high blood pressure (mom, sister, granny) of course I'm gonna worry. From a ache, to a palpitation, to a headache, I worry about it all.

[Hidden in reply to Lightattheend]

I just started having high blood pressure and need to find a Dr to start new meds. I was on propanol but had headaches and dizziness. I will also need to buy bp monitor. This is new to me. I'm worried also.

[Lightattheend in reply to Hidden]

Oh, ok. I get what you're getting at now. Yeah U may wanna talk to your primary care physician or even a cardiologist, as they can prescribe blood pressure meds too. And yes a blood pressure monitor is good to help U monitor it at home. For me it gives me a little sense of peace if U will. My blood pressure runs high (as far as I'm concerned) sometimes and of course I will make it go higher when I panic. If it hits 130 on the top number I'm in a panic. My mom and granny have been on blood pressure meds but when my sister was put on them it put the icing on my cake (anxiety wise). The best of luck to U.

[jkl5500 in reply to Lightattheend]

Hi, it's me again. Now, I'm not a doctor, but I do know a thing or two about BP from reading about it. If your systolic (top number) hits 130, that is nowhere near a dangerous reading! If you don't believe me, ask your doc next time. I know better than to ask a woman her age, but BP creeps higher as we get older. Here is a website with some numbers.

idealbloodpressureinfo.com/...

Also, any one reading is just a snapshot of your pressure at that moment. If you're angry, scared, or just climbed some stairs, it will be higher than 120 / 80. You need many readings over a fairly long period of time to establish a diagnosis of hypertension. If you haven't already, please discuss what I wrote here with your doc on your next visit.

[foxglove_pnw]

Hi there ! I also have the same model ! I totally understand you ! I have developed a unhealthy friendship with mine and my oximiter. It has got much better and I agree with jkl5500.

Have you done heart tests ? 48 hour Holter ?

The last time I measure my blood pressure was last Saturday . I used to do it every day several times per day. It can get better

Good luck

[Lightattheend in reply to foxglove_pnw]

I have done several holter monitors, multiple ekg's, multiple blood work ups that I lost count and 2 echocardiograms. I actually go tomorrow to talk with my 2nd cardiologist about the results of my second echocardiogram I just had last week.

[Lightattheend in reply to foxglove_pnw]

Hopefully I get good news tomorrow then I can pray to accept it. I honestly think my palpitations are what is causing my anxiety about my heart. They won't stop.

[foxglove_pnw in reply to Lightattheend]

Did the Holter pick up something ? How about the Echocardiogram ?

Believe me I know how you feel , I just picked up my Holter test results ( 35 pages) because I was convinced my heart rate was too low and on my test, it says my lower heart rate was 43 bpm .

My cardiologist said it is normal ! And I don’t have any symptoms!

Good luck !

[Lightattheend in reply to foxglove_pnw]

The holter monitors picked up episodes of PVC's, which I was told is nothing to worry about. The 1st echocardiogram was normal. I found another cardiologist to do all the test over to make sure nothing was missed. I go tomorrow for the results of another echocardiogram I just had. I've had 2 treadmill stress tests too. If everything is good tomorrow I have to learn how to accept the results. My anxiety/health anxiety and all is like a bully to me. If U keep letting a bully, bully U they will continue until U fight back. I have to learn how to fight this bully back! Good luck to U too!

[jkl5500]

I see high BP runs in your family. As for me, my mother had it, too. My BP gets high entirely to anxiety, as my weight is normal for my height.

I truly sympathize with you. Please don't think I'm putting you down in any way, because I'm not. But don't you think the best way to deal with this is to have a talk with your doctor, and then follow his/her instructions? That will give you a sense of control over this fear, instead of endlessly worrying about a heart attack or stroke. You don't want to live in misery 24/7 worrying about something that is (according to your doctors) very unlikely.

Your doc will no doubt tell you to watch your diet, exercise, practice relaxation techniques, etc., so you can be proactive and feel like you have control over your health.

Any kind of anxiety or obsessive thoughts are torture. I sincerely hope you have a talk with health professionals soon, so you can go back to enjoying life. I wish you the best.

[Lightattheend in reply to jkl5500]

It never crossed my mind that you were putting me down. I appreciate your advice, I sincerely do. I feel like I can't be helped. But how would I know if I don't seek help or go for one session and not go again because I feel it's useless? I don't understand myself sometimes. Thank U again. Blessings..

[jkl5500 in reply to Lightattheend]

You don't have to answer this, but: Have any of all these docs you've been seeing mention that anxiety is the problem, and not your heart? From what I've read here, you had a LOT of tests done, and apparently you checked out fine on all of them. I figured at least one of them would mention that.

[Lightattheend in reply to jkl5500]

Yes they have. I can't accept it tho. I have palpitations daily so with me having those it basically eliminates anxiety as the cause as far as I'm concerned, even tho I know anxiety can cause them. I know I'm weird. And then I read up on causes of palpitations and they're usually harmless, but then again other serious heart arrhythmias cause them. It's always "what if" it's this instead of anxiety. I will figure it out one sweet day..

[jkl5500 in reply to Lightattheend]

I don't think you're weird. I think you're just scared. I would suggest that instead of running any more tests, you should discuss your family history and your fears about your heart with a cardiologist. That would do more to put your mind at rest than any test.

[Lightattheend in reply to jkl5500]

I went to my cardiologist appt this morning to talk with her about the results of a echocardiogram I had last week. She said everything looked good, there was zero concern. She also ordered some blood work ups and she said everything looked good there too. As for my holter monitor, she said everything looked good there also. She said there was just a couple episodes of my heart rate increasing but she said that could have been caused by activity or anxiety. When she said that about my heart rate increasing of course I panicked. I told her about my fears of heart attack and my heart health altogether and she said she didn't see why because everything was coming back good. Since the holter monitor picked up increased heart rates, just to put me at ease I asked could I wear it a couple more days just to be sure, she agreed. I'll be wearing it for 2 more weeks and if everything comes back good I'm gonna try my hardest to believe it. I think I'm gonna ask for the results of everything so I can have them to look at if my mind goes left. Again, thank U...

[jkl5500 in reply to Lightattheend]

If everything does check out fine, please consider therapy to deal with your anxiety if this is still bothering you.

[Lightattheend in reply to jkl5500]

Will do!

[jkl5500 in reply to Lightattheend]

Great! I wish you peace of mind. You CAN have it!

[Hidden]

I checked my bp at the grocery store today and top # was 166.

[Lightattheend in reply to Hidden]

Now to me that's way too high..

[Hidden in reply to Lightattheend]

I tried to make an appointment but office closed. I dunno.

[Jeff1943]

To get a meaningful BP reading you need to sit for 5 minutes, not talk, not have eaten previously. Use an upper arm monitor, wrist monitors not so accurate. Omron are the best. Wrap the device round your bare arm half an inch from the bend in your arm, keep the monitor close to heart height, support the arm at heart height palm open upwards. Take your BP three times with a 2 minute gap between measurements and divide the totals by 3 (my Omron does this automatically. That is your correct BP.

In the 1970s the upper limit for the systolic was 100 plus your age so 170 was o.k. if you were 70. Then in the 1980s your BP was fine up to 160. By the 1990s the point at which intervention began (meds) was reduced to 140 where it still is today in the u.k.

However, in the U.S. the big pharmaceuticals lobbied the AMA to reduce to point at which you should stat taking blood pressure meds to 120. It was a financial decision rather than a medical decision.

[Lightattheend in reply to Jeff1943]

Good to know. Thank U.

[jkl5500 in reply to Jeff1943]

In the US, anything above 120 / 80 is called pre-hypertension. The docs usually don't push meds until it's consistently over 140 / 90. As for the reduction, I'm sure the drug companies had a lot to do with it. They have an "intimate" relationship with the FDA.

[Lightattheend in reply to jkl5500]

I just sent U a message as U were sending me one. Thank U.

[Jeff1943]

Don't be frightened by statistics, lets say that high blood pressure doubles your chance of a heart attack. That means you have a one in ten chance of a heart attack instead of one in twenty.

One in ten means the odds are still well in your favour.

[Timmypliskin]

I have severe health anxiety as well.

My cardiologist knows that, has flat out told me that I shouldn't take my bp at home. Also that the so called standard bp numbers do not apply to everyone.

Look at everything you see every day day in and day out... the world we live in makes us feel that if we are not all doing hard core workouts daily, and rock climbing in our spare time, and don't dare do anything without your fit bit...

All to sell more drugs, and devices...

No wonder anxiety issues have exploded...

[Lightattheend in reply to Timmypliskin]

Yes that's so true.

[AuntBee]

You may want to try an app that can take your BP. There is one called Blood Pressure Monitor app. It’s taken with your thumb print. There are also ones that record it and ones that tell you if you are within normal range. Also found a pulse app called Heart Rate Monitor-Pulse BPM. Again, taken with your thumb print. Search the app store because there are many so maybe you will find one that is right for you.