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?

Hope he attends on Friday OP. My BP was diagnosed by on going headaches.

Good luck.

@GreenLunchBox I'm 36 and it was picked up a year and a half ago
So under 40
I do think it should done as standard as it was in that particular appointment
This is still my opinion about it

[quote purpleme12]@GreenLunchBox I'm 36 and it was picked up a year and a half ago
So under 40
I do think it should done as standard as it was in that particular appointment
This is still my opinion about it[/quote]
I agree with you, but it is not possible

Every time I book someone in for a BP check or a blood test it is one or the other. You can't say 'while I am here can you just do this?'. The time is allocated already, and there are pretty fine margins.

Tbh HCA staff are more stressed than the doctors and other clinical staff. They see numerous patients a day. And they are on minimum wage.

i had high blood pressure i cut out all alcohol. it went down from 198/96 to 148/77. Not great but my point is that is without mediation. Also sleep pattern is very important. I am in bed before midnight. (yes i admit i am still logged on just now 2 mins to midnight) but generally much earlier and get full 8 hours.

My last thing is my diet which I did low carb/keto and fasting and lost 4 stone. Very pleased.

Maybe focus on the changes he can make himself rather than the appointments. It may help to manage his anxiety too.

p.s it is amazing how much you do not miss alcohol when you feel good about yoursdelf and see the changes you can make.

i soo don't miss the cost of alcohol

@beachtosunset

i had high blood pressure i cut out all alcohol. it went down from 198/96 to 148/77. Not great but my point is that is without mediation. Also sleep pattern is very important. I am in bed before midnight. (yes i admit i am still logged on just now 2 mins to midnight) but generally much earlier and get full 8 hours.

My last thing is my diet which I did low carb/keto and fasting and lost 4 stone. Very pleased.

Maybe focus on the changes he can make himself rather than the appointments. It may help to manage his anxiety too.

That's amazing! Well done, you

My BP is always high at the surgery. I take it at home very occasionally and always high at first reading but after 5 mins and relaxing it is absolutely fine . I take Losartan and bisoprolol…daily.

@GreenLunchBox thank you very much. I see i have typed mediation. I meant medication .

Speaking of which I have a forthcoming BP review: another 24hour BP monitor to wear in a few weeks time. I have managed to stave off having medication but the GP said we have to look at all factors when considering medication and she knows the family history so it is not just the readings they consider but lifestyle & family history.

It's lovely when they ask how many alcohol units (on a hospital form) and I can gleefully tick none.

p.s @Carbuncula i bet your DH will see his anxiety massively reduced when he cuts out alcohol. Game changer.

@GreenLunchBox oops sorry i have just read your posts. You are a GP/nurse aren't you?

So you would know all that without me jabbering on. oops.

Hi,

I just wanted to say that blood pressure also rises with stress, mine has previously gone up to about 170/110 just because I really struggle with having my blood pressure done.

When I calm down (it takes me a while) it can be between 118/68-120/70. I've had a lot of issues with doctors about this because of "white coat syndrome"

I would deffo suggest trying it when he is very calm, tell him to untense all of his muscles and get into a really relaxed state. After this if it's still high I would make an appointment.

I do believe you
But with mine I was the same, always nervous at doctors
I was absolutely convinced that my reading was high because I was just nervous cos of the doctors. Even though they said it's extremely high. Even after they'd taken it a couple of times and put me on 24 hours monitor and said I should go on tablets it was only after I'd stated taking the tablets that I realised they just have been right 🤣

Get him.to take the monitor with him to the appointment and they will check it against their own readings.

If its still over 200 they might send him in there and then.

When they rapidly bring down your blood pressure you can feel like absolute shit. It's not nice, I had one of my worst ever migraines having this done.

I have had BP of 260/180 and I felt totally fine. I have done irreversible damage to my eyes and therefore to every organ in my body. My eyes is the only place the Drs can see that damage.

purple if I routinely took everyone's BP properly in a consultation it would likely double the length of many consultations. Ten minutes isn't enough time anyway.
The waiting room would pile up, everyone would get further and further behind and in a nine hour day my half hour lunch would be out the window. Pity the poor patient who has the last appointment.
Or do we give everyone fifteen minute appointments to include a BP check. Great, then we'll see less patients each day and you'll wait two months to see me for your smear instead of one.
Great idea in theory, not so much in practice.
Home BP 's are more reliable anyway.

Ok the reason I am saying that I think it should be taken every time is because as stated above, it took less than a minute when she did mine
I still by my opinion. Other people might have different opinions but that's mine

Presume yours was ok. No issue then.
Many many peoples won't be, therefore problems created as above.
But if everyone was happy to wait longer for appointments due to extra appointment time needed for every patient, I'd happily check everyone's BP. Just be prepared for the backlog.

@cptartapp

Presume yours was ok. No issue then. Many many peoples won't be, therefore problems created as above. But if everyone was happy to wait longer for appointments due to extra appointment time needed for every patient, I'd happily check everyone's BP. Just be prepared for the backlog.

No it wasn't ok. That's my point in my posts above

My point still stands. If checked and rechecked correctly, it would lengthen appointment times.

Ok . I am just stating my opinion, as above.

I do think once people get to a certain age or if they have risk factors to high BP, they should be checking theirs regularly. A home monitor is not expensive and gives you peace of mind. Plus you can also see how lifestyle effects it.

I notice one thing that has really seemed to help is taking b12 spray....that helps keep my bp lower. Just had a reading of 112/69. I am also exercising and eating better.

I don't get this pandering around him- he's an adult who should be proactive about his health. All this not wanting to 'spook' hun etc is very strange

Been reading through all the comments, thanks for the discussion.

He is feeling much better today, less tense and he says he isn't having the "waves" of anxiety now. I have noticed that his eyes go a bit pink and red-rimmed when he's in a state of high tension/stress so that's not great for sure - but he looks tons better today, he actually said he had been actively trying to slow himself down and stop rushing around. His appointment on Friday is for a "Wellness Check" which includes a BP review, plus he can mention his anxiety to the nurse practitioner I believe. I guess they'll take some blood too, he's not worried about needles or pain really he just bristles at "being told what to do"!

Interestingly I suffer from chronic headache/migraine and I've take propranolol for 20 years, but my BP has crept up to 125/96 despite that.

I daren't take another reading for him (it's stopped working anyway) as he claims the sound of the cuff inflating fills him with horror! So he'll certainly have white coat syndrome on Friday.

We've been here before - a couple of years back he had an episode of feeling jittery, anxious, so tense his muscles ached, with red eyes and a tight chest. He admitted he didn't feel right and I thought he looked terrible, but just as I was about to insist he saw a doctor it eased up on its own. He is looking much better today but is quite happy to go to his appointment to talk about his anxiety attacks, so hopefully they'll pick up on the raging BP and give some treatment.

DH has had his appointment, and whilst his BP was certainly high, there was no flurry of major concern or activity, or suggestions of hospitalisation - just a prescription for citalopram for his anxiety, and one of the usual BP medications (haven't got it yet, it'll be one of the ones ending in "olol" no doubt).

Now we just have to get past any side effects that make him declare he's never taking them again. He's had citalopram before, many years ago, but they made his panic attacks worse so I don't think he even lasted a week. But he criticises other people for doing just that (abandoning treatment too soon), so hopefully this time he'll ride it out.

I imagine the worst he'll feel from the blood pressure meds is a bit weak and drowsy.

@Carbuncula

DH has had his appointment, and whilst his BP was certainly high, there was no flurry of major concern or activity, or suggestions of hospitalisation - just a prescription for citalopram for his anxiety, and one of the usual BP medications (haven't got it yet, it'll be one of the ones ending in "olol" no doubt).

Now we just have to get past any side effects that make him declare he's never taking them again. He's had citalopram before, many years ago, but they made his panic attacks worse so I don't think he even lasted a week. But he criticises other people for doing just that (abandoning treatment too soon), so hopefully this time he'll ride it out.

I imagine the worst he'll feel from the blood pressure meds is a bit weak and drowsy.

Did he tell you what the BP reading was today?

@Carbuncula

So glad to hear that it's turned out ok. You have spurred me on to mentioning my anxiety when I next see the GP, so thank you for that, and tell your DH thanks too.

Re: side effects from BP meds I'm on my fifth day of tablets now and all I've had is after the first tablet I had a twinge in one calf. I checked the leaflet, saw muscle cramps are common at first and nothing to worry about, and haven't felt it since. No weakness or drowsiness at all, just been stressed for a few days but I'm ok now.

I'm planning and making numerous lifestyle changes which TBH I know I should've made years ago. I'm also looking at the underlying reasons why I haven't made these changes already so I can change my ingrained thinking/attitude, so I'll stick to the new lifestyle. Making it a "project" gives me a feeling of control .

I hope your DH is soon feeling better.