Blood pressure

[sallygrain]

Hi all

I have odd difficulties with taking BP. Does anyone have shoulder and upper arm pain from RA such that the BP machine is very painful. The flesh of both my upper arms is always v tender as if bruised and RA pain from shoulder spreads down to my elbow often. This means that the BP machine is unbearable and having to deal with it puts my BP up. I appeared to nurse who wacked in on my worse arm that My BP was was a cause of concern. How else can it be tested I wonder.

I would be grateful to know if anyone else experiencing this

[thelmar]

If you look somewhere like Amazon you will find that there are blood pressure machines that go on the wrist rather than upper arm. One of those might help.

[sallygrain in reply to thelmar]

Of course it had forgot they exist thanks

[medway-lady]

Yes and in my case the CKD has caused high pressure (not extremely though) and my veins are deep. No solution to the problem though. Sorry. xx

[nomoreheels]

There’s also a wrist cuff type, we have both for the same reason, upper arm pain. You may behave been told but only take your bp when relaxed & to take it three times, a couple of minutes apart each time, & take an average of the second & third.

[sallygrain]

Thanks. First one always high which makes me worry so second is high too. Crazy. I Have to get usedto taking it. I guess.

[Neonkittie17]

Understand entirely. I dislike having my BP done with the automatic machine and I have around 8 BP tests at my Rtx infusions which is hard as I have ulna nerve damage in my elbows so they must clear the elbows with the cuff or my arms go numb. I once had a bad experience where an auxiliary decided to do it herself without much experience and it resulted in my arm puffing up red and swollen and the surgeon about to do a procedure refusing as he thought I was allergic to something and made me go away for testing and to return for the procedure a month later. It was the auxiliary not knowing the machine and not being experience enough. She also wandered off for ten mins and left it on me squeezing my arm. 😑 I’d be interested in a wrist band type for doing BP. Are they any less effective than the upper arm ones?

[sallygrain in reply to Neonkittie17]

Wow. My hand goes numb too and my elbow is always sore. How was the ulcer nerve damage diagnosed? I have to say when I tried a wrist one before they were far less accurate but I think it’s depends if the machine

[Neonkittie17 in reply to sallygrain]

I get numb and then tingly hands after the BP. The ulna nerve damage was already there from a period of having to carry heavy things/osteo damage from the OA and I’d been told by my physio to always say when having my BP that they must clear the elbow/joint when they do it. Not all do .. a senior nurse objected to me saying this and I told her I wouldn’t do the BP unless she did as asked. She told me to do it myself so I put it on my arm! Most nurses are great and I just say can you clear my elbow please. The ulna nerve damage was helped enough by physio not to need surgery but I’ve to be careful not to dangle anything heavy when picking things up. So it is important anyhow not to squeeze the elbow joint in those who have RA/OA or for anyone really. For me personally, to have an injection or blood taken is less stressful than the BP. 😑

[Hidden in reply to Neonkittie17]

They’re less accurate than the upper arm, which is why they’re not used in medical settings.

[Neonkittie17 in reply to Hidden]

That’s what I suspected!

[vonniesims in reply to Hidden]

Yes, when purchasing for my team( ( some years ago I admit ) I couldn't buy the wrist ones as The Hypertensive Society hadn't approved them, You need to check your pulse too as they are not accurate if you have an irregular one