If you have high blood pressure how high was it before treatment?

[Queenmargery]

Apart from during one of my pregnancies 15

• years ago I've always had normal blood pressure. I'm 49 and overweight. One of my friends has recently been diagnosed with hypertension and she recommended I keep an eye on mine. Last summer mine was 120/80 but when I've checked it the last few days it's been 145 /85 a few times. I've had a very stressful week this week and slept badly. I have anxiety and I am stressing myself out about it. I have a doctor's appointment booked but its not for nearly a week. I have a slight headache which seems like the sort of headache I would get if I was not sleeping well but now I keep thinking it might be a symptom. Googling would suggest my BP definitely needs to checked out but not at a dangerous level. I just can't relax.

My dh's was in the 140s but he had no idea/no symptoms.

That's only slightly high, but definitely worth keeping an eye on. Are you taking three readings at five minute intervals (staying sitting down peacefully in between them)?

I did the three readings but I didn't stay sitting between them. I do that later but I'm trying not to get obsessed.
I haven't been this anxious in quite a long time. I can't seem to calm myself.

I tracked my BP for 3 weeks and showed the results to the doctor at my HRT check. I was borderline overweight and highest BP was 150/95, lowest was 130/85, with various in between. Doctor was not concerned at all.

Then had private medical check up through work at which BP was 145/90 and they said I needed monitoring with ambulatory BP. Went back to GP and they told me not to worry.

I made greater (proper) efforts to lose weight and having lost enough weight to get into not-overweight range, BP is now generally below 140/90.

I think the NHS is sliding fast in the direction of "don't do anything until we really have to" and private healthcare is probably a better measure, though sadly not in reach for most people. And I couldn't get any referral for monitoring on my work healthcare because other than the BP and high cholesterol, I didn't have any issues requiring investigation.

You should sit still for 5 minutes before taking BP as they are looking for your 'resting' BP.
Record for a few days so that GP can get an idea of your average.
145/85 is only slightly high. Your headache is more likely to be due to your difficult week.
Hope things calm down soon

My BP was a bit raised last summer (150/60 over 80/90). No other risk factors so no treatment but when It was checked again recently I was asked to take readings for a week. These were all sky high, 190 ish over 90, sometimes 100. I’ve been out on medication and a statin today. Bit upset about it tbh, I’m 58 but slim and generally healthy.

Mine at one point was 140/115 and in that area for the 2-3 weeks I was measuring it.
It's now controlled with 2.5mg Ramipril daily. I'm 43.

I reached 246/148 when I had my Stroke. Didn’t have a single symptom, never had headaches, nothing.
Now back down to around 132/83. On 5mg Amlodipine a day.

I was overweight by about 4 stone 2 years ago with mild headaches and a BP of 140/90. Spoke to a friend who is a GP and she said - monitor it for 7 days taking readings at the same time. But being a friend she advised to get it under control naturally rather than jump to medication. This meant more exercise/cardio and watching what I eat/reducing salt and losing weight. First I went cold turkey on caffeine - which brought the reading down by 5 straightaway and my headaches stopped. Then I started losing weight/exercise/food etc and my numbers came closer to 120/80-125/85. Now I'm a healthy BMI and I don't think about my BP.

My DH has high BP and on meds since 10 years. I didn't want to go down that route. When he was first diagnosed his was 180/120

Thanks everyone. This has helped a bit.
I think I'll try not to take it again tonight and do the three readings sitting down tomorrow.

Hopefully I'll sleep better tonight now that my stressful work week is over.

I hope you have recovered and are doing well now.

OP Id be over the moon if mine was like yours

Ive had all sorts of readings in all sorts of settings, there is no consistency with it at all. Ive had it 190/100, Ive had it 140/80 and everywhere in between. When its in the 160s to 150s, everyone seems happy with it. Im trying to lose weight and am on Candasarten. I was also given doxysozin but it makes me too dizzy and I dont take it. The GP said to ignore this for now while I lose weight so Im hoping the weight loss does the trick.

I've been so worried that I think I might finally have the motivation to do something about my weight.

Your GP will probably ask you to complete a BP diary. I have to take my BP every morning and evening for 7 consecutive days. I do three readings each time with a minute rest between and write down the lowest one. Then at the end of the week I have to use a calculator to work out the average reading each day, then use the daily totals to get a weekly average. It’s all recorded on a chart which I email to the practice so my GP can looks at the trends and the final average reading.

It’s quite a commitment!

I struggle to use an arm cuff on my own, have fat arms and the cuff keeps twisting so I need three hands to put it on! So I bought a wrist cuff which is much easier to use. My GP was a bit sceptic about it even though it is made by the same company who make the one he uses but i calibrated it with the nurse and it was accurate.

However, after taking meds for a few years and having them adjusted, I had a TIA last year and my BP was sky high when I went to the Stroke Clinic so ended up on higher doses, blood thinners and statins!

I never had any symptoms of having high BP, no headaches or dizziness, so was lucky that the after effects of the TIA was noticed by my optician - I have got a scar on my eye where the blood clot had gone and lost some vision in that eye.

@Queenmargery the doctors will ask you to measure your BP over a week so if your app isn’t for a week you could go in with the numbers to speed up the process.

Take your BP first thing in the morning, both arms. Then again last thing before bed again both arms. Do this for 1 week and write down all the measurements. The doctors then take an average to work out a plan of action.

They won’t do anything from a couple of measurements as it could just be daily fluctuations and stress.

198/120. As PP has said, I'm on 10mg of Amlodipine and it hovers around 140/85, GP is not too concerned.

It's always been high, but that has been put down to 'white coat'.

Mine was 230/125 when it was diagnosed. I’d gone to the GP with a persistent headache.

My GP said not to trust home readings. At my surgery they can only ever get reading if they use the manual one. Any digital one thats used on me doesnt work properly.

They couldnt use the 24 hour one on me.

Thank you Have happily made a full recovery 😊

It's a vicious circle because stressing out about it will raise your blood pressure. I speak from experience!

I'm not sure at what point they decide to medicate. I've had a few high readings but because they are mostly normal my GP isn't concerned. So I think it's a bit of a mystery!

130/100 or so.

The more stressed you are about it when you take it wont help. As asvised, sit still for 5 mins before taking it and deep breaths / thought of a nice beach whilst taking it.

When the bottom number crept above 90, that was the start of medication therapy.

Mine was188/ 115 I had gone in because of awful dizziness and horrendous back of head headaches plus other neurological stuff. Checked my liver via bloods and put me on blood pressure meds and statins 5 days later- I changed from perindropil though to low dose beta blockers as I couldn't tolerate the perindropil and found beta blockers took the headaches away far better. Now it can be anything from 118/62 to 138/75 depending if I've just climbed stairs, had a bath etc

I was referred to cardiology. They like home readings because there’s much less stress involved so readings are generally more true.

The Omron home machines are really accurate.

I was medicated from day one, I take six pills a day with little chance of reducing them atm. Sometimes they can’t find a cause, it’s just high.

I’m fit and healthy. Walked eight miles in the hills and did a yoga class today. My BP is still higher than it should be.

Currently working through meds to reduce mine, currently around 150/92, told far too high especially as been recently diagnosed as diabetic which means they want it down to about 140/70-76. I’m 50 and fat, limited exercise ability due to disabilities / mobility issues. They do keep asking if I’m more tired / more headaches / other symptoms, but as I also have ME & fibromyalgia, it’s kinda hard to know which symptoms to allocate to which condition?! 🤷🏻‍♀️