DH Very high BP what will happen

[Clearinguptheclutter]

Dh went for a (routine he thought) BP check this morning and was sent straight to a&e. They seem to be taking things very seriously and the latest reading is 242/160 which is apparently “a record”. 48, a bit overweight, otherwise fairly healthy (or so we thought).

they are hooking him up to an ecg now. I know he’s in the best place but I have to stay at home cos kids coming home soon. Can anyone advise what’s likely to happen next. I presume he could be admitted.

panicking just a bit. Other that obviously panicking DH is fine with no symptoms.

ah yes we've found out about this already! No coughing yet but I imagine they will increase his dose.

This happened to my DH, he’s on medication now and we have a monitor at home because his reading increases so much at the doctors.

Has he had blood tests? High BP and VH may not be caused by heart issues as it can also be kidneys. The hospital and/or GP should do bloods. Obviously your husband has been referred to cardiology and that’s good they will do some investigations but don’t be shocked if he then gets referred to other specialities. He may be put on medication to lower BP but it it’s important to check for the underlying cause as well.

It’s good that his high BP has been picked up and he is now being monitored and medicated . This will increase his chances of leading a long and healthy life .X

they def did bloods (and urine) yes and although we dont know the specific results he was told that they werent worried about his kidneys which was an initial worry.

Don't stress. High BP causes issues. but really only over the longer term. They can check to see if those things have happened (kidney function etc.) so hopefully that has/will be done.

They'll get him on meds to bring it down, and hopefully he'll be out of the woods.

How’s he doing OP? How are YOU doing?

This could be me. Except I train heavy weightlifting & metcon/HIIT 3-4 times a week. My BP is sometimes quite low, particularly after exercise.

The treatment & medication for high BP is very good.

Your DH can help himself by losing weight & taking up exercise - when cleared by the medicos, that is.

thanks for checking in. it feels like we've been on heart attack watch for the last 10 days or so but DH continues to not have any symptoms.

DH now has a fancy monitor that does his BP three times in a row then takes the average - he does this religiously three times a day. There is now a slight downward trend but not dramatic. This morning he was 168/114 though his middle of the day readings are always higher- he hasn't had over 200 since thursday which is a relief The diastolic number seems to be going down more quickly than the systolic. Doc now has him on amlodipine and rampiril and this will be reviewed next week.

DH has upped his exercise and reduced his salt. I think his diet is already pretty good (vegetarian) and he doesnt want to make major changes that he cant stick to. he is also considering weight loss injections though is not keen as he believes they are a short term fix (still worth doing IMO)

As for me I'm pretty stressed with it all but its a bit weird with him not actually being ill. I cant get him to put his feet up. He WFH (which I think is part of a the problem as his existence is so sedentary) but I'm grateful for now as I dont have to worry about him commuting all over the place. Hwoever, he is supposed to be going on a work jolly abroad in three weeks or so though which I'm goign to have to try and veto unless it really does come down a lot (unless I'm being unreasonable?). At the very least I will ask him to check with the GP about it .

@Clearinguptheclutterthe thing about the jabs being a ‘short term fix’ is that losing excess weight and central adiposity, even for a few months, reduces his risk of a Cardio event, diabetes, cancer etc for those few months and beyond (as the increased risk of overweight is cumulative and builds over time). Any reduction takes stress off the body even if you then put it back on again and even better if he manages to keep it off.

If he is overweight, losing weight will reduce his risk massively. I assume he doesn’t smoke and doesn’t drink much as those should be cut down (or stopped). Also look at a cardioprotective Mediterranean or DASH diet.

Hell need to let his travel insurance know and if it's not controlled and he's waiting for an echo they might not cover him. (This could be your get out clause for him!!!)

My DH has been through this with a reading of 255/180 and was sent right to an and e . They monitored him for1-2 hours and the cardiologist said he had no idea why they keep sending this problem to an and e as is really not that important for urgent treatment unless the bottom number is above 200. I called the gp back as the cardiologist on call wouldn’t give him medication as it’s the gps issue to prescribe for high blood pressure. Had a huge argument with them trying to explain to every tom dick and Harry and had to threaten a formal complaint stating that they were SO WORRIED they sent him to a and e who could do nothing and yet then when it was batted back into their lap they were refusing to prescribe the medication on the very last day they were open before Xmas shut down. I said I would email the complaint to create a paper trail right away and if anything happened to my DH over the festive break then they would have a law suit on their hands for failing to provide care after telling us he urgently needed care. LO and behold they managed to get an emergency prescription to start that day and within 3 days his blood pressure was under control for the first time in 3-4 years (they had totally failed him for that long). Funny thing is he didn’t have any symptoms at all and doesn’t feel any better for being on the pills but he had afib and a few other heart probs so it was very important to get him sorted

OMG OP that is horrendous. He could have a heart attack or a stroke. He also won't be eligible for any surgery as he could die under a GA. He MUST take it seriously.
When mine hit 210/150 I lost 6 stone on GLP-1s right away.
Within a year and a half my BP is normal without medication, my pre diabetes has gone and I walk miles.

thank you, He doesnt smoke or drink very much at all so no easy wins there.

I am very aware that it's serious and I have not suggestested that he is not taking it seriously

yep have thought of this. He reckons the work travel insurance policy he'd be travelling with covers all of this but I'll make sure he checks.

And it's simply untrue that he "won't be eligible for surgery". It would need to be under control for most elective surgeries but of course he would be operated on if it was something urgent/emergent.

Im not suggesting you are not taking it seriously. I hope it all goes well.

Just to sound a note of caution, losing weight and upping exercise is of course very beneficial for one's health in general but if your high BP is due to genetic factors, it can make little to no difference at all. I say this as someone who lost 5 stone and became uberfit only to find it had no impact whatsoever on my high BP. I spent a lot of time worrying and stressing about diet and exercise which ironically would not have helped the BP. It was an enormous relief when the doctor told me to stop beating myself up about it as I could be the fittest person on the planet but I woyuld still have high BP requiring medication due to my genetic factors