Blood pressure medication query.: I have just... - Thyroid UK

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Blood pressure medication query.

Wilko91 profile image
9 Replies

I have just completed, 7 day blood pressure home monitoring ( 2 readings) a day. I did manage to miss getting 1 entry noted in time So 13 readings submitted on questionnaire on my phone. NHS discarded the first days readings, and said my average BP from 11 readings is 135 over 89. Im a 62 year old male. My question. Is it likely that i will be told, i need to take BP medication? I am Hypothyroid, have CFs which is manageable and have IBD in remission st this time. I have lung issues at the moment and havent been well Atelactasis (partial lung collapse) ongoing investigations. Just wondering if there are different criterias for starting BP meds.

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Wilko91 profile image
Wilko91
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Regenallotment profile image
RegenallotmentAmbassador

Hey Wilko91

You have a lot going on… just ^bumping your post so those with experience have a better chance of seeing your message 🌱

arTistapple profile image
arTistapple

That BP is pretty good. I would think it would be better to monitor it a good bit longer before supplying BP medication. It’s normal for BP to be higher when ‘active’ and lower when resting. As an average it’s very good. Higher diastolic (the lower figure) is common with hypothyroidism but it can be lower than ‘average’ too.

A further chat with your medics should iron this out.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator

Do remember that none of us is medically qualified. Some may have personal experience, of course. But your situation is complicated and you really need advice from people who understand your issues.

Doris11 profile image
Doris11

Hi there your readings seem pretty ok 👌 maybe do it once a week in the morning and just keep an eye on it 😀

Brightness14 profile image
Brightness14

Hi I had a problem with my NDT after Covid and my Blood Pressure increased. My GP wanted me to start on medication. I went online and found Hawthorn Extract I have been taking it now for nearly two years and my blood pressure is fine.

It has been used for over 100 years and in Germany even the GP prescribe it.

Some Beta Blocker can alter your conversion of T4 to T3 too.

Tina_Maria profile image
Tina_Maria

Your blood pressure can be influenced by a number of things. As we age, our blood vessels are not as elastic as they were and in general, older people tend to have a higher blood pressure reading than young people, mainly due to the stiffness in their blood vessels. Not drinking enough water or fluids can also have an influence on blood pressure.

Looking at your average readings (which are not too bad), they would fall in the category high-normal blood pressure and the advice would be to monitor the situation, as you could go on to develop high blood pressure (above 140/90). For people in this intermediate category, diet and lifestyle changes should be advised to see if the readings get back to normal. Aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling and swimming are excellent ways to get the blood pressure back down again, as they can reduce the stiffness of the blood vessels and help the blood flow more freely.

Have you been under stress lately? If you have a lot going on at the moment, this can increase the blood pressure by quite a bit and if things get more under control, the BP can come down again. I would watch the diastolic readings though (this is the pressure in the arteries between heart beats), if this is high over a longer period of time, it can lead to damage to your arteries and heart. If you are stressed, relaxing exercises such as Qi Gong, T'ai Chi or mindfulness could be very helpful.

It also depends if you have any other underlying chronic conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease etc. and your doctor should make a thorough assessment of your overall health, lifestyle and underlying conditions before prescribing any medications.

There is also some info on the British heart foundation website, which might be of help.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

Wilko91 profile image
Wilko91 in reply toTina_Maria

Thank you TM. One thing i know i do need to watch is my fluid intake. Quite often i have to remind myself to drink more. Diastolic readings where the one i was always mindful of, i want to get that lowered if i can. But once my situation improves hopefully, that will improve. We shall see. Regards.

Wua13262348 profile image
Wua13262348

Me again , Wilko. I am 66, and you and I have pretty similar problems. A few years ago my blood pressure was being monitored in that it was checked once per year. They do this if on HRT. I had a 24 hour monitor to wear from the hospital for one day, 3 years running. The following year, it was , like you did, a 7 day home monitor for cheapness. With the hospital 24 hour monitor, they used to let you take the readings away to deliver to your doctor. You could open the envelope, photocopy the results, then hand them in. That way you could see your readings , maybe hourly or half hourly for 24 hours. My bottom reading dropped a few times to about 50, which is not good. They have averaged your readings, and they used to do this with the 24 hour hospital readings too. If your readings are very high (yours aren't and look excellent) during the day, and drop as you sleep, averaging the readings gives a very skewed result. My high blood pressure was situational rather than functional as the hospital nurse could see my high blood pressure dropping as I left the hospital .(white coat syndrome) It was much lower as I slept. This brought the average down. It is the average they look at.

My blood pressure was much higher than yours, and I was never given blood pressure medication. I attended a hospital eye appointment as the optician suspected a pituitary tumour (2014) and at the eye appointment, my top reading was 211. The nurse said that I should see my doctor about this. I had worn a 24 hour monitor from the hospital 2 weeks before this, and wasn't put on medication. Whilst wearing it, coming back from the hospital, the bin men had blocked my driveway with my emptied bin. From my monitor I could see this produced a top reading of 177!

I can record a top reading of 200 in a g.p. surgery. I attended a neurologist hospital appointment on a Saturday in 2021, after getting lost, couldn't get parked, made it by the skin of my teeth, and whilst the hospital practically shut down due to covid. I was flabbergasted to find that when they measured my blood pressure within minutes of arrival, that it was nigh on perfect at 122 over 82 (120 over 80 preferred). The reason for this, for me, was I was taking 3000 dose of sub lingual hydroxocobalamin, methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin Vit B12. I had also lost 3 stones 2 pounds in weight as per the protocol I referred you to in answer to Citta's Statins post a few days ago, which I referred you to yesterday.

I'd be flabbergasted if you were put on blood pressure medication as your blood pressure , to me, looks excellent for your age. Some doctors will give medication. I , personally, wouldn't take blood pressure medication if offered it with readings like yours.

I need very high Vit B12 to control my blood pressure. A lot of people would give their right arm for readings like yours. My personal opinion is, don't worry about your blood pressure, you have enough to worry about, but not that.

What Tina_Maria posted is also true and a balanced view of what we both know of your circumstances. The above is my experience of blood pressure problems.

Wilko91 profile image
Wilko91 in reply toWua13262348

Great response Wua. Many Thanks! I wont be taking the statins, just going to watch my food and drink intake, and get more walking in. I bet white coat syndrome too.lol. Your BP readings were astonishing. Hopefully better these days. Increasing my Vit D as required, everything else on that front seems okay according to blood test results. Got a MOM health blood test kit will ise it overbthe next few weeks to see if my Cholesterol has improved. Little steps…see where they lead . Regards.

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