BP is 210/105 - help!!!!

[Sleepysand]

I have had raised BP off and on since having children. When I got my weight under control and exercised I got it down to 120/70 but over the last 5 years (I am 48) I have changed jobs and am now in a very stressful and busy job, for complicated reasons travelling 120 miles a day to do it for not much money. (Don't say change, if it was possible I would). My late father and my sister both have BP problems. I have never been medicated for BP, I always controlled it as above.

I am now, oh, 14 stone and about size 14 or 16 and fairly horrified to realise that I cannot walk up 4 flights of stairs without pausing for breath. The only other symptom I have is that sometimes when I bend down I can sort of hear my pulse in my ears, and if I turn to reverse I might feel a bit giddy.

Lately the stress has got too much for me and I developed vertigo too, so I finally went to the Drs (I hate Drs) today, with the result above. She retook it with another machine and got 190/98. She is aware of a specific stress at the moment (I have a bullying at work thing going on) and says we will remeasure when that is resolved (ie never, it feels like). I'm feeling really worried. What are they likely to do? I can't not work - I am the breadwinner and have 4DCs in teir teens.

Any advice on what is likely to happen (please don't say "you will drop down dead of a stroke if you carry on like this and don't stop work" though)?

[knackeredoutmum]

You can certainly make an impact on this within say 2 or 3 months, but i think you probably know most of this anyway!

1. Lose weight, at 2lb a week you could lose a stone and a half within 3 months - weight loss has a quick and big impact on blood pressure - cut out all alcohol, soft drinks, cakes, biscuits and as many carbs as possible
   

1. get a lot more aerobic exercise, with your long commute this might mean lunch time aerobics classes or even an exercise machine (eg elliptical trainer) at home - you cant mess around with your health and in your place I would borrow to buy a machine if I could afford to pay it off - regular aerobic exercise (like 4 x 30 mins a week) is also the top way of reducing your bp
   

1. take up a yoga or pilates class once a week or more if possible
   

1. consider getting signed off sick at work if that will reduce stress
   

1. look at the beet it website and google the product, apparently this concentration o beetroot (its equivalent to something like 350mls a day) works to reduce blood pressure
   

Best wishes

[Sleepysand]

I didn't really know all that at all - thank you. I don't drink as it is but god do I eat cake. I think DS3 might goes halves on an elliptical trainer with me. I am signed off for now but not being there is more stressful than being there, mad as it seems. I am going back on Wednesday though I am signed off for longer. I will look at the beet thing too though.

i think I am sort of surprised because I was fairly lucky in the past - I swam at National level as a teenager, and then rode my bike everywhere and trampolined through my 20s and 30s. So until I had the children my BP was 110/65 and I have always been, even recently, fairly fit - if chunky - and at 45 and 13 stone I could run a mile and hike up hills with teenagers. Now I look and what used to be muscle is flab, and I get out of breath doing normal sorts of things. Maybe that is just age? I had convinced myself that I was invincible. It seems I am not, or not without help.

[digerd]

110/65 BP was a very fit low BP. My SIL was like that and had inherited a wonderful cardio vascular system from her father. As she approached 70, it increased to a normal higher but still very fit BP. She is 5' and 11 stone, but all muscle.
It is strange that yours has become so high, but could be just at the DRs as I get that - once it was 190/110 and despite him trying it 3 times it wouldn't go down.
I have one at home to check when I am calm, and is always fine.
Blood pressure tablets to reduce it are very successful for most people.

[Sleepysand]

Well, I was in tears as they took it -basically I am being bullied at work and I was telling her. I am scared of doctors too. But there is a problem. I think it is lack of self care.

I am really lucky in my genes. My mum is 83, has 120/80 BP and competes nationally in a sport. When I married I was size 6-8 and weighed 11 stone, but could lift my 15 stone ex as dead weight. I cannot believe I let that slip away!

[knackeredoutmum]

you know what else, there is a difference between your basic underlying bp and your bp when you are in a stressful setting remembering stressful things.

Could you invest in a home bp monitor, omron is a good brand, get a blow up arm one instead of a wrist one if you can. They dont cost too much and you can easily buy online.

Anyway, if you test in the morning once a day and record it, you may ind that your basic bp is much lower than the one in the gps surgery.

Also, i you get a free bp check at a pharmacists, and get them to write it on a card, your gp will update your medical records with this new info

[sashh]

They can treat it with meds, you just need one or two pills a day.

[Sleepysand]

thank you, that all feels much more reassuring. I wish the GP had said that - she seemed to leave me with the idea that the only solution was to reduce the stress levels, which ironically really stressed me out. She didn't offer me pills or a 24 hour BP monitor.

The diet has begun, and there is an incentive to stick to it other than wanting to be size 10 again. DS3 and I are picking up an elliptical trainer on payday, and I have taken steps to sort the bullying thing out. And I have an appointment at the GP next week to see her again and hopefully get some pills. Big Sis has some that are also diuretic, I could even lose weight with those :-)

Who knows, with all this health stuff going on I can probably work even harder...

[larrygrylls]

Sleepy,

It does concern me that you are considering exercise with a resting (albeit stressed) bp of 210/105. Exercise does raise the upper BP number (although not the bottom one, cannot remember the reason) and that would put real pressure on your blood vessels. I would certainly build exercise and fitness up gradually and not rush into pushing yourself into a high percentage of your max heart rate (generally 220-age).

As others have said, also buy a reliable home monitor and take your bp twice a day. See what the average is. This is apparently now actually recommended to be what doctors use for prescribing, rather than a single measurement at their surgery.

[Sleepysand]

I used a heart rate monitor when I did a bike ride about 2 weeks ago - even when a bit out of breath my heart rate only made it to 120, and my resting rate is 70 - I assume because I was so fit when younger I am still feeling the benefit a bit. But I will stick to brisk walk for now. I've never used an elliptical trainer (or any gym equipment really) but I assume I can take it slow.

I've ordered a BP monitor today.

[knackeredoutmum]

Good for you, we alk have to tske charge of our own health. Let us know what result you get on the home test

[DolomitesDonkey]

sleepy I'd like to join you in this crusade.

I've had headaches for 2 weeks so went to doc yesterday am and was stunned with a reading of 147/110 . I usually 110/60.

I left with a 24hr monitor and am being tested for kidney problems , diabetes, high cholesterol and thyroid issues.

I eat paleo so am unlikely to have diabetes issues.

I am totally freaked out. I also had a resting pulse of 62 which according to dr. Google means I will be dead by supper time.

I had PE with my first baby and bp issues in second pregnancy. I'm overweight but I'm muscly, I can sprint, climb stairs etc.

Frankly I'm terrified right now and like you I need to keep working to put money on the table.

[TheLightPassenger]

I've been down the 24 hour monitor/blood test route for high BP, and ended up on medication, noone has ever expressed any interest in my work/stress levels(!), if that reassures anyone, the lifestyle advice has been what you would expect, increase exercise and lose excess weight.

I find that I find the ordinary sized BP cuff uncomfortable, so my readings show up significantly higher than when I ask for the outsize cuff to be used, might be something to consider next time you have it checked?

[Sleepysand]

Dolomites, would be good to share the journey. I go back Wed if I live that long. I think pg - I have 4 DCs - may have messed up something. Keep in touch and pm me if you want.

TLP, I had lower with a small cuff manual sphyg than the large cuff auto one, maybe because I did not feel like my arm was being amputated....