Blood pressure in a flare- is it normal to be up?

[Klfah]

Hi all, please can ask your advice? I am recently diagnosed and have been doing ok. Recently l have been anxious and experienced a flare and by chance took my blood pressure which freaked me out as it’s 160/100 and hasn’t come down after 5 days. My legs, feet and arms and tingling but l am ok. How do l know what is the flare and what is blood pressure related? And what should l do now? Kate

[Greenpeace]

Hi Klfah , it’s late so I’ll be brief.

Not knowing your age or other health problems, I think if you are worried about your BP , the best person to speak to is your Dr. or Practice Nurse.

However, you’re obviously worried, so from my own experience, I would say the following.....the worst time to take your BP is when you are under stress, it will be up.

You need to sit down when you’re calm, without your legs crossed, no talking, with your arm in a comfortable position, and take 3 readings one after the other, with a little gap between each one. The 3rd reading is one you record. Do this 3 times a day for a couple of days, say morning, midday, and evening. If you find you’re still worried about it then speak to Dr. or Nurse.

I take BP medication, and my Dr is happy with a reading of 140/70.but that’s for me. Stress, pain, exercise, even talking can push up your BP.

Hoping that this info helps.

Take cars.

GP. 😊😊

[JayCeon]

Dunno if you're still interested...

If you are in flares quite a bit of the time and the readings are high even if you do them correctly, then it will be better for your system to take supps or if nec. meds.

My BP did go up last year when I had more pains, so I had to take BP meds, but is now down now I have the pains down and also take various supps which have this positive side effect (GABA, Mg, passionflower, rose root).

We found out it was up as my GP said it is "normal" for it to go up when we are in more pain, normal however meaning meds were nec, first rose root and when that didn't help regular meds, of which I didn't like the theoretical side effects of one (Lercanidipin) but then was allowed to take just the other, Candesartan, which seems to have only a few. Now due to the less pain and supps I can leave them, but have to check every two weeks, similarly to how Greenpeace has described it. The differences: German recommendation is to sit & wait calmly 5' before starting (or I take 5 readings, so I don't get bored or start doing something else), always use the same arm, preferably where the reading is higher, put the arm horizontally (height of the atrium/heart), not vertically, and take the average of the last 2 readings (very necessary I think, because each reading differs quite a bit, can be 20-30mmHg). The second reading is best between midday and 4pm, the morning reading is most important. It's better if I do it myself due apparently to a bit of white coat syndrome/hypertension when a doc does it, altho I don't feel anxious there and didn't used to have it. But due to fibro I have a lot more questions I want to recall, despite a list, that might be a reason. All of this means much lower readings (20-30mmHg) than before.

Due to the BP I went to a cardiologist too, and when I found out there I also have genetically high blood fats, to a lipidologist and angiologist, resulting in having to take Ezetimibe and Atorvastatin and a strict Mediterranean diet.