DH's blood pressure is sky high

[Carbuncula]

DH is 50 and a bit overweight (as am I, we do try) but is otherwise a fit and active person - always on the go, very busy and physically strong.

He's so quite a tense angry person, has been as long as I've known him - when he's super tense he complains of headaches and a jittery sensation in his chest. He's been to the GP for it in the past, had some beta blockers but declared them useless and stopped taking them. He does drink alcohol - up to 6 units, 4 or 5 nights out of 7, but doesn't binge drink and doesn't smoke. Diet not great obviously but we walk a lot together.

I'd had a couple of slightly raised blood pressure readings recently so I invested in a UK approved home blood pressure monitor to keep track of it for a while. On a whim I laughingly suggested that we do his, as he's not had it measured by a doctor for about 10 years - the first reading was 205/120, which I assumed had to be an error! Left it 3 mins and did it again, it was 190/110.

I've been fairly cool about it with him and just suggested we try it in the morning when we've just woken up, when you should do it, but that reading is through the roof surely? He says he has a headache and I'm trying to keep him relaxed, but he's never really been able to - he doesn't sleep well either.

I don't want to scare him, he hates anything medical. I suggested if it's still high over the next few mornings I'll make him an appointment, and he has accepted that, but for certain he will scoff at any suggestion that it might be important.

Can a reading so crazily high be a one off?

It’s the number one risk factor for stroke, OP, even at his relatively young age. He’s lucky in a way that it’s been caught and he has a chance to do something about it. He doesn’t want to risk a stroke, trust me.

Looking at DP's betablockers, the one thing I note is that consuming alcohol pretty much cancels out the medication. So the drinking will be why they didn't 'do anything' for him.

Absolutely it can be a one off. I have to take medication for hypertension. You need to do a reading 3 times a day and only go by the second reading, so ignore the first one, do again and record that reading, 3 times daily for up to 2 weeks. Headaches are actually nothing to do with blood pressure. I suffer headaches but was told there's no correlation to blood pressure and headaches. Your husband is at risk of heart attack or stroke. He needs treatment ASAP. I'm am 39 and on the verge of a stroke

• was on the verge of a stroke ^^

My DH had blood pressure readings of around 230 over 110 without any symptoms. The doctor started him on medication and after about three months and quite a bit of tweaking of tablets it settled down. He has had a few changes to medication over the years but twenty-five years later and in his mid seventies he is absolutely fine.
Try not to worry too much, it will get sorted.

We've spoken about it, he is happy to see the GP in the morning

That's great, OP. I've been on medication for mine (which shot up in late pregnancy and didn't go down again) for 13 years. No side effects and no further issues.

@muldersspeedos

Why would you make an appointment without his knowledge and then expect him to attend? Don't infantilise him, he needs to take responsibility for his own health. If he doesn't see the need to see a GP then I'd leave him to it. He'll end up having a heart attack or a stroke with a BP like that. The amount of men we had in our cardiology ward like your husband was so frustrating. They'd ignored their body warning them for years that it was under too much pressure then acted all surprised when they ended up needing coronary catheterisation. And it's always their wives who end up running round after them worried sick about another heart attack or stroke. You can take a horse to water...

Well if you didn't love and care for them and wouldn't be devastated if something happened to them then your suggestion of leaving them to it would be fine. My DH ignores health issues. I therefore have to push any issues for him as I don't want him to get very ill or die. If either of those things happened the effect on me and our family would be devastating. So I nag him and he keeps an eye on his health. Ideally he'd do it himself but he doesn't.

Your husband should ut down on his salt intake (processed foods such as sausages, bacon, pies, not just actual salt), stop smoking if he smokes, cut down on the booze.

With those readings, he'll probably be asked by the GP to record his BP twice a day for a week, then be offered BP medication.

For the record, when I was on a ventilator for Covid (July), the hospital gave me the wrong medication (they've admitted it) and my BP went up to an unbelievable 340 top figure. I had a stroke (surprise surprise) but they said that it was die to Covid!

Thanks all for the latest comments, I appreciate those! I'm much reassured and DH has been very clear that he'll go to the doc very willingly. We just had a stroll round the village and discussed it in detail.

When I presented with a BP like this at a Gp surgery a blue light ambulance was sent for me, due to an imminent risk of stroke or heart attack if it couldn't be lowered.

Most of the time high BP has no other symptoms.

Mine was caused by covid.
But there are many reasons why Bp can be high, either temporarily or permanently. Physical health and diet can be a factor, but not always.

I now take two different strong BP tablets daily to keep it at a lower level.

Your dh really does need to be seen and checked over. A BP reading that high can be very dangerous,

Immaculatemisconception

Actually, you are quite wrong.
A Bp reading (and he has two of high can be a medial emergency. As I said - I had a cat 1 blue light ambulance called for me when I presented with a seriously high BP.

Please don't suggest the OP would be wasting hospital time. Your advise could be incredibly dangerous.

The other thing to consider is the machine the BP was taken on. Is it accurate? Was it working properly? When was it last calibrated? Are they using the correct size of cuff? A cuff that fits a woman's slim arm would be too small for most men. A cuff that is too small can give an incorrect high reading. Was the DH sitting quietly with the cuff correctly placed on his arm? Did he talk when his BP was taken? Did he have his legs crossed?

Yes high BP is dangerous, of course it is, but perhaps a proper reading taken at the GPs should be the first consideration.

That is heart attack territory he needs seeing asap! My dp is only in his 20s and had a heart attack this week and has just had 2 heart surgeries. His blood pressure was 170!

Did your DH go to the GPs @Carbuncula?

No. Took his BP this morning and it was no better, but he was getting in such a panic about being potentially hospitalised that I had to agree to back off a bit and hide the bastard monitor. I started getting panicky as well.

We went for a nice steady walk, talked it through, and he started to calm down when I agreed to wait for this spell of extreme anxiety to pass. He will go and get a proper check up, bloods and everything, and see the doctor about taking medication for his anxiety as well as his blood pressure.

In the meantime he is thinking happy thoughts and pottering around the house and garden doing the stuff he enjoys (he doesn't work, I do).

He needs to see the gp soon. High bp puts him at risk of stroke, heart problems, all sorts of nasty stuff and pottering around thinking nice thoughts isn't going to fix it.

Well yes, I'm aware of that, but he's an adult. I've already been criticised for "infantalising" him by so much as offering to make an appointment, so his sudden death is on him now. At least he's got life insurance.

I'll come back when he dies.

Perhaps start asking him what his favourite hymns are? Just so you’re prepared.

If he's suffering anxiety it's likely the gp will try him on propranolol, two birds and all that. I hope he attends soon. My dad started losing his vision due to high blood pressure, no bloody wonder with the amount of salt he drowns his food in.

It’s really good he is going to see the GP. He needs an Ecg and to be started on anti hypertensives straight away and get an urgent referral to cardiology if the GP decides he doesn’t need an A&E trip straight away.

I was diagnosed with similar readings when I was in my mid 20s and have been on a cocktail of drugs for it ever since. I’m now in my 60s. I’ve had a fair few 24 hr monitors on over the years when it’s gone a bit out of control and at the times I’ve had some of the highest readings (ones like your DHs) I’ve felt absolutely fine.

The most important thing is compliance when it comes to the drugs. They’re hard for many people to accept as initially the side effects can be a problem and when you have barely any or no symptoms from the high BP itself it can be hard to see the point. But it’s so important to make taking them a routine like brushing your teeth.

I wouldn’t have reached my 60s without firstly finding out my BP was so high and then taking the tablets for it without fail. If there are side effects that don’t settle down there are plenty other drugs to try and it can be a bit of trial and error to get ones that suit you. He’s lucky he’s found out it’s high because too often the first anyone knows about it is when they have a stroke or heart attack. Hope he soon gets the tests and medication he needs and his BP is under control quickly OP

I'm so sorry you're having to deal with your DH's reluctance to get help @Carbuncula, it must be a nightmare.

You've done all you can, it's up to him now.

Too high blood pressure can mess up your kidney's, heart etc. Mine went sky high 198/154 at one point. I am late 30s, slim (only 18.7 BMI) and decided with my GP to see if I can sort my BP with diet and exercise. I have now brought it down to an average of 117/75. I exercise most days doing cardio or pilates or weights. I also walk everywhere. I eat a lot more fruits and veggies. Cut back on unhealthy foods and meats. Started taking b12 and that helped a lot with keeping my BP stable....once I started taking that, it stopped jumping around....as sometimes I would still get random huge spikes up to 150/100 (this would happen maybe once every couple of weeks). Now my bp is stable and doing well. I monitor it 3 times a day. Drinking too many days in a row can bring it up ive noticed, as does drinking coffee daily...so I try to have coffee only a few times a week (trying to quit, but aint easy) and trying to cut back on drinking.

I had this last year in March 2020 just as covid started. I had gone to the nurse for my pill as usual kids in tow and she took my blood pressure and said it was really high. I said no shit sherlock the news is like doomsday is here and you keep eyeball my kids like I have brought 2 lepers into your surgery. She sent me home and told me to take my own readings and callback in 2 weeks. I bought a machine and did the readings and they were all just as high as your husbands with no symptoms at all. I called the doctor and he prescribed antenatal 50mg which I have taken for well over a year. I have now reduced to 25mg amd have lost over a stone in weight and had a diet overhaul. I am 44 and was at risk of a stroke and mine is just hereditary I think. I dont smoke or drink and my BMI was about 28. I have now got it down to 25. I still need to do more exercise. I had no symptoms then and dont feel any different now. I guess it's just more what's going on inside. If he is feeling anxious it's not going to go down regardless so he may as well get on to the doctors as once he is on the medication it will come down really quickly them he can take the time to think about things a bit more calmly.

Antenolol

If you have weight to lose, once you lose the weight the blood pressure could come down. There are many factors that cause an increase. Some people are more prone to it, but you can manage it with out taking pills. Some people need pills; but it is possible to manage it or wean off the pills as you lose weight; make lifestyle changes such as eating healthier, less caffeine and alcohol, exercise. The fastest way to lower blood pressure w out medication is a whole foods plant based diet.