Blood pressure

[redpoppy77]

Hi all. Stupid person here. Stubborn.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

If you are still suffering with high blood pressure you need to ring 111. Trust me the medical staff do not want Coronavirus any more than you!

[redpoppy77]

Yes. Even if g for a walk. Then I come back I need a sleep. Left arm hurt. Bit of ache chest. Newspaper and tv . Scared we to do anything. Took my blood pressure about about half hour ago it was 181/101 then 173/101. On the tuesday it was 202/114.

[84green in reply to redpoppy77]

Please call 111

[marigoldb in reply to redpoppy77]

Do hope you have done what others have suggested and rung 111. Hospitals are warning us not to neglect our health problems, and I know if you have to go to A&E they have set aside areas away from suspect Covid 19 patients. Let us know how you get on, feeling concerned for you.

[CR50 in reply to redpoppy77]

Your blood pressure is very high! When it goes this high is an emergency and you should phone 999 .

[ellj]

I echo the above replies. Please call 111 now if you haven't already.

[Prada47]

It sounds like you are heading for a Stroke quite soon !!! Now that is not a bit Blunt It's as Blunt as you can get.

You are in serious difficulty Dial 111 they are used to dealing with Stupid Stubborn People. Honest I have called them a couple of times and I know I am both Stupid and Stubborn. How do I know my Wife tells me and she is never wrong.

Call Now

[lettingoffsteam]

They have said outright on the news that the NHS can cope with cardiac patients and doesn't want anyone to sit at home instead.If you are getting chest pain plus high bp then you need to be checked.Hanging on will make it worse plus bp like that needs fixing.Please do it.

[Heythrop51]

Didn't you post some months ago? You need to seek help on this. Some simple lifestyle changes and a few medications have reduced my BP, cholesterol and HbA1c although the latter two may not apply to you. You cannot just sit on the fence as the fence will fall sometime!

[Sunnie2day in reply to Heythrop51]

Just 20 days ago - and all respondents on that discussion urged the OP to call 111 with some of us saying call 999 as one of the OP posts reported an alarmingly high BP (over 200 iirc).

Surprised the OP is still able to post - I thought he/she would have collapsed and been taken to hospital with readings like that 20 days ago. God only know what his/her arteries and heart look like after these shocking delays seeking help!

[84green in reply to Sunnie2day]

I regard myself as stubborn but question the point of self monitoring anything (BP, blood sugar, heart rate etc) if you aren’t going to be either reassured if the results are good or take action if they are not.

[seasider18 in reply to Sunnie2day]

In 2000 my GP sent me to hospital with BP 210/110. In 2020 I can get even higher readings at times still. I was on probably max medication that gave me bad side effects and brought it too low. As recently as 19 th Feb paramedics took me to A&E when it was 230/130 and erratic heart rate. from 48 to 160 with palpitations. They did blood tests and had me on a monitor. It gradually went down to 174/85 and they were going to give me Amlodipine and send me home. Nurse got the tablet and went get me some water. When she returned I pointed to the monitor that showed 147/84. Doctor told her not to give me the tablet.

I go to the hypertension clinic at the Royal Sussex and after six years with many test he concluded that I'm not truly hypertensive and just have peaks for no known reason and that was why meds gave me more than usual side effects. He gradually reduced them and I now just take 12.5 mg of losartan in the morning and another if it is high in the evening.

I had my aortic valve replaced in 2012 and a pacemaker fitted in 2016.. I'm 86 and mostly my BP is in the high 130's.

Should I have had a stroke or be dead by now?

[Sunnie2day in reply to seasider18]

If you had not gone for medical attention, yes, you should have had a stroke or even be dead by now according to all medically accepted thinking.

The difference between you and the OP is you went for medical attention to discover what, if any, clinical hypertension (and the consequences of) you had. The OP keeps posting about her/his exceptionally high BP readings but doesn't consult a medic. Unlike you, you brilliant person, you - it takes a brave and wise person to ask for and accept help. Well done, and you are proof-positive we are all different as to what constitutes high blood pressure.

Sadly, the OP refuses (as evidenced by the repeat posts that do not include 'So I went to my GP and he/she said...') to be as wise as you.

[seasider18 in reply to Sunnie2day]

Yes but after 20 years I still get unexplained highs that on occasion last up to three days. I believe that it is caused by digestive/vagus nerve problems..

My BP had been checked in December 1999 and was said to be normal. In early March 2000 I went to my GP after several days of my indigestion type chest pain for a remedy as we were going on holiday the following week. She took my BP and as I said it was 210/110 and sent me to the chest pain clinic who prescribed Atenolol and Amlodipine and said that I could not take my long haul flight until it came down and I had a stress ECG. It was about 160/85 by then. The stress test produced what later proved to be a false positive as did a later one a couple of years later and a stress echo cardiogram after angiograms.

The Atenolol and Amlodipine side effects spoilt my holiday causing insomnia and E.D. and I pleaded for another option . The next six all had side effects that when going to the hypertension clinic were said to be because I'm not truly hypertensive. In 2011I applied to get on a new hypertension treatment trial ( Renal denervation)and was told that my BP was not consistently high enough. The examination though showed that my aortic valve was 76% closed leading to a tissue valve replacement.

So it goes on and this year my NHS cardiologist ordered a MIBI scan that was inconclusive so he referred me for another stress echocardiogram. I received a letter from him last week (saying Good News) saying that his colleague 'could not proceed with the stress echo cardiogram. He had reviewed the MIBI test results and in his opinion there is very mild segmental abnormality which does not affect and does not make you have any heart related symptoms. As all tests have confirmed that your heart condition is stable and well I will cancel any further appointments with us and you will be under the care of the valve clinic for follow up.

I will ask my GP and the hypertension clinic their opinions on this as last year they wanted to cancel future echo cardiograms but the valve clinic nurse who I spoke to on the phone felt that in view of my history and the valve being eight years old they should continue.

This morning my average of three BP reading after an as usual poor nights sleep is 170/80 heart rate 67 bpm. Yesterday morning it was 138/76 62and the day before 139/80 64

I met someone one whose job is going around building and industrial sites doing BP testing. She said that she was told to concentrate on systolic rates of over 90 and tell them to see their GP's

[Tessie28]

Harefield are still doing emergency heart surgery. Ring 111 or even 999

[Janma123]

Redpoppy77, we all understand that you are both terrified and stubborn but please phone 111 and get help NOW! If I knew where you are I would do it for you as you need to be seen today.

The sooner you get help the less damage is being done.

I hoped that you had got help last time especially as you hadn’t posted for a while.

Please keep us posted but ring 111 or even 999.

[redpoppy77]

Had angiogram two years. Said nothing there but small narrow but told shouldn't affect me. Three month ago went A&E with chest pain told it was nothing. had X-Ray told it was ok and usual test. Then few days later phone me said I had Pneumonia. Because they compare my x-ray to the last one. This is twice they done that. Sorry. I shouldn't moan.

[Handel in reply to redpoppy77]

Hi redpoppy77. Please, please call 111. Let us know how you get on xxxxx

[Sunnie2day in reply to redpoppy77]

Your blood pressure readings are unacceptably high and would set off no end of bells ringing in your GP exam room or an A&E. Just because you've encountered some admittedly unfortunate missteps previously does not mean your high BP would likewise be mishandled.

Telephone your GP right bl--dy NOW then update us. I can almost certainly guarantee you very prompt attention will be paid to the readings you'd be reporting down the phone line, and the readings they take once you are in the exam room.

[84green]

Assuming your monitor is accurate, then your blood pressure is dangerously high and you need to have this checked out so you can receive the appropriate treatment to lower it.

I would suggest that you call 111 now and be guided by them. You don’t need to leave home to do this and they will give you proper advice. The only thing anyone can do here is advise you to call them.

You are risking your health by not doing so.

[Sunnie2day in reply to 84green]

Excellent point - the OP's monitor may need recalibration and he/she is putting themself through potentially unneeded anxiety by refusing to seek medical attention when the problem could simply be a faulty monitor.

[seasider18 in reply to Sunnie2day]

AF also causes false inconsistent readings. I'm told to take three readings and to believe the accuracy if two are similar. To be sure I usually take four.

[Hidden]

I don’t think any of us think you’re moaning, there’s no need to be sorry.

But we are worried about you and want you to speak to a nurse or doctor by phone, by dialling 111, so they can give you proper advice. They can phone you back.

Blood pressure can usually be brought down with simple tablets, and it is really important to do so, to protect your heart, brain & all your other organs, like kidneys.

Usually if we know we should do something, but are being stubborn over it, there is something else going on. Often we get some other benefit from the wrong stuff, even if we don’t know it, and this stops us changing.

Eg I know I should go to bed earlier, as sleep helps my heart condition. But I like watching tv with my spouse so I stay up late. To help me change, I agreed with spouse to still watch some fun tv, but before 8pm. Win -win, now I find it easier to do what I know I need.

Need is more important than Want, but it can be hard to do it. You know you should do something, like you said. You can do it ! Go do it ! Let us know how it goes.