Blood pressure.. have to wait a month to be tested again.

[Bumblebee1115]

Hi all, Posting here for traffic. I have been feeling run down lately. Visited the docs who checked my Bp. I am not sure on the exact number but he said it was high and told me to book in to have an all day bp monitor fitted as he believes that it could have been high due to anxiety of being there (I was very anxious). I am also overweight, I eat too much but I don’t smoke or drink. I also have extreme anxiety and feeling unwell.

The receptionist couldn't fit me in for a month for a bp monitor.

Convinced myself I’m going to die...

Aibu to think they should have fit me in sooner?

Surely if he was really concerned he would have ensured I was seen urgently?

Also, I’m 28. Anyone else had high bp at this age??

FionaOgre I’m the same as you, all the tests and no cause found. Can I ask what tablet you’ve been prescribed and if it’s worked for you?

Bumblebee1115
I am having blood tests for the usual sugar levels, iron levels, thyroid etc etc. The doctor said my symptoms (not been well) suggest a thyroid problem and thyroid problems run in my family so this is something he is also concerned for and I have read that thyroid issues can affect blood pressure?

They did mine, before it was worked out what I had got. Since I have been being treated for hypothyroid, my blood pressure is way down again; too low for a bit, but that was sorted out with dosage juggling.

As others have said, if the doctor thinks you are in any real danger he or she will send you straight to hospital, and that indicates your BP is not dangerously high. After all, no doctor wants their patients dying preventably.

When I was first diagnosed with hypertension the doctor put me on medication immediately rather than wait for further results. They also had a long wait for the 24-hour machine so she recommended I get a home tester and take it multiple times over the following 4 weeks which I did.

There's no way they'd have left you waiting that long without further tests or baseline meds if they thought you were in any danger.

My doctor advised me to get a BP monitor - my dad had high BP very early, and mine kept hovering at the high end of normal. He suggested that I keep a regular eye on it and come in if it started to go up.
If you get one, make sure you know how to use it. They change the rules every so often, so check what current instructions are, but one high reading isn't a problem. I think I was told something like take it first thing in the morning, sat down, relaxed, three times, and record the lowest of the readings. Similarly in the evening.

Had hbp since 24, generally average 174/102. Stress caused, also anti depressants I was on.
Am Still going aged 42....you are just making yourself worse; go and look up white coat syndrome.

We had to wait several weeks for the monitor. It really won't make a difference. Try a few small changes in meantime - more walking, diet etc

I bought a smartwatch from Amazon as one of the things it checks is bp and is very accurate.
Gp and consultants love it as they can see how much it varies on a regular basis. Even done things like readings in the waiting room and going into the doctors' room lol.
Also helped this year when a hospital nurse thought I was faking pain to get meds. I could understand the concerns because they were controlled meds and I have a history of addictions.

And if the gp was concerned, as others have said you would have been sent down to a&e/ambulatory.

As someone who was sent immediately to hospital and kept there for 4 nights this summer because of my super-high blood pressure, let me promise you that if they thought you were in any danger, you wouldn't still be at home. You're fine.

Oh dear am so sory to hear this.Well I do have bp problem.
So I am gona sugest few thngs that worked for me.

First of all buy a bp monitor from amazon.

2ndly reduce sodium intake by reducing salt or switching to pink hamalyan salt

3rdly Take one Cucumber extract out the juice of it and drink it in the afternoon mix it with orange juice to make it taste better.

Do see the gp asa u get the apointment or hit the emergency when u feel its high.

I have appalling white coat syndrome for the past 20 years. It's was only when I got a home BO monitor that this became clear. Over an hour my BP drops from 160/120 to normal. I recorded the results and the doctor was delighted I had my own monitor.

I also had a 24 hr NHS monitor check and that confirmed it

Definitely get your own monitor

Blood pressure can vary so much on a daily basis - I don't think it could have been dangerously high or they wouldn't be leaving you a month - honestly - also if he had been worried about your heart he would have arranged an ecg.

You could get a monitor but if you're anxious just be mindful that you don't get a bit obsessed with checking it all the time - set yourself a limit like once a day.

I get terrible white coat syndrome and my BP shoots up whenever I'm at hospital. It soon comes down. Like someone said I would take the time to try and cut back on your salt, eat a bit healthier and do a bit more walking etc.

If the GP felt it was concerning they'd have sent you to the hospital for immediate testing, so please don't stress.

I've had high BP since I was in my early 20s. Keep your sodium intake low, avoid sugar and caffeine (this includes cola by the way! many people don't realise) OP I know you said you're not consuming these but may help other posters.

Are you on any medication? Beta blockers can reduce high BP. Thyroid issues can definitely affect BP.

For me the best "medication" is to have a good long brisk walk in the fresh air, or a good session at the gym. I'm totally giving myself the side eye saying that but it's the unfortunate truth. Also consider short meditation sessions, say 5 mins, with a phone app such as Calm.

Surely if he was really concerned he would have ensured I was seen urgently?

If he was really concerned he would have sent you to hospital (happened to me a few months ago). There are very clear guidelines on what the doctor should do at any particular level of elevated blood pressure, and I'm sure your GP is following them as it's something GPs deal with pretty much every day.

@ferntwist I'm on Lisinopril. Just one tablet a day is keeping my BP within normal range. Mostly. I check it every few days at home.

The consultant is pretty baffled. I'm a bit overweight but not obese. I eat fresh foods for most meals, love a salad and salt only really goes on chips in this house (we don't even own salt and pepper shakers for the table).
I'm fairly active but not much of an exerciser. Just walks and stuff. My heart is fine and my kidneys are too. If I was any less stressed I'd be in a coma.

It is very common for patients to have high BP when measured by the GP - it's known as "white coat effect". As someone has said, if it was dangerously high, the GP would have either sent you to hospital or whacked you on an antihypertensive medication. That's not to say you don't have elevated blood pressure - you will get more of an idea (as will your GP) once the monitor has been done.

The consultant is pretty baffled.

The very definition of essential hypertension is that it doesn't have an identifiable cause. This is the case for the great majority of patients with hypertension.

My elevated blood pressure was only spotted by chance and had reached well over 200/120 mmHg before it was detected and I was sent to hospital. I'm on three different drugs for it and have had kidney function, catecholamines, etc. measured. Now under control but still no identifiable cause. This is not at all unusual. Just have to wait & see whether one of the drugs can be safely withdrawn in a year or so, and maybe another a year after that.

If you can start to lose weight and increase your exercise these will both reduce your blood pressure.

If the GP thought you had seriously high BP, they would have most likely started you off on 2.5mg of Amlodopine on the spot with a follow up within a week or two to check it again. That's what I was told by a HCP is standard, at least at that time .

If they suspected dangerously high BP, they would have sent you straight to the hospital. My high BP was in this category at diagnosis and because of this I had an A & E doctor, two consultants, two GPs and two community nurses trying to badger me into allowing myself to be admitted to hospital because I kept refusing as hospitals terrify me.

They scared the shit out of me, had me thinking I was going to have a heart attack or stroke in the next thirty seconds. That didn't happen. I got put on 2.5mg Amlodipine. Had BP checked at the GP surgery within the week, upped to 5mg of Amlodipine. Got myself a cheap home BP monitor from Lloyd's (seventeen pounds), started taking it morning and night, recorded the results, GP was satisfied with this. Couple of weeks on, got my Amlodipine increased to 10mg and had Ramipril 2.5mg added in (that rapidly got bumped up to 10mg also).

I had all the blood tests and piss tests too, never heard bugger all about the results. I was made aware they had received them but they were not discussed with me so assume must not have been concerned.

Basically, they don't mess about if they think it's really bad.

I was late diagnosed and circulation damage had already happened. It sounds like they have caught it early with you, so be patient and try not to worry too much. It's easy to get carried away with the fear on this one though. My advice, leave Dr Google out of it until you have be told you have it for sure.

P.S As for the notion that weight loss, diet and exercise will definitely bring your BP down.

Not in my case it didn't.

I've lost six and a half stone since diagnosis and it has not made a blind bit of difference.

Cut salt to next to nothing...no difference...well, a fair bit worse actually.

Cut caffeine to next to nothing...no difference.

Cut sugar to nearly nothing...no difference.

Did a lot of exercise...no difference.

While I am not disputing these things may help a lot of people, I am saying some people's high BP is too bloody stubborn for it to make a difference.

My BP was high as a 7 stone sporty 17 year old.
It was still high as a overweight 30 year old who drank too much
It's still high as a normal weight, running, healthy diet 45 year old
There's no damage to my arteries,liver or kidney function.
Medics just go 'meh, whatever... it's you' and that's that!

Thanks all. How many of you have had an ambulatory by monitor? Everything I have read online about them says you have it on for 24 hours but my surgery is putting it on at 9am then I take it back at 4-5ish in the afternoon? So 6-7 hours?

BP not by

I had one for 24 hours. TBH your awake and moving hours are the only ones relevant as over night your BP drops to a steady state. The reading show average while awake and average while sleeping and the latter doesn't really count

Even though my BP at docs was 160/130 and not dropping my ambulatory one showed an average of 120/80. It couldn't have been more normal! White coat syndrome declared and everyone lived happily ever after!