Very high blood pressure- how do I get this down quickly please?

[DoubleShotEspresso]

Bit of a shock today at a routine appointment where blood pressure was taken.
Then taken again
And again.
I've now agreed to a service they kindly offered to wear a 24 hour monitor but this will be in a few weeks.
Please hit me with your best ideas to bring this down- wasn't expecting this at all.
Thank-you

Haha, I didn't clock the username. Yes, caffeine puts your BP up.

That is high but not scarily so, when I went to the doctor I was told to go to the chemist get my prescription and ask the chemist for some water and take the medication immediately. I now need three different medications to keep it in check. My weight doesn't seem to affect it very much as it remains constant whatever my weight.

So even if you can't get it down without meds it's not a death sentence.

Stupid question - but does the blood pressure cuff at your doctor's fit you? If you are a size 18 then you may have a bigger arm and need a bigger cuff.

Actually I do drink an insane gallons of coffee

My neighbour was on 10 cups a day. Stopped due to high blood pressure. It's normal now. That's the first thing to try.

When mine was higher than that the GP put me on medication and told me to buy a home monitor and check it regularly and go back if it stayed high. She also sent me for blood tests (which uncovered another condition). Do not medicate yourself with aspirin unless the doctor prescribes it (mine does).

@catsonahottinroof · Today 21:15
You basically need to thin your blood
absolute rubbish!

At least no-one's recommended beetroot yet.

Low caffeine, low alcohol, low salt.
Lose weight, take moderate daily exercise
Healthy Mediterranean type diet

Forgot to say that I've had "quite a lot on" for last couple of years , stress levels can be high at times and I'm permanently sleep deprived... but function pretty well
for majority of time.

I wasn't worried about having jab no.

The cuff fitted fine thanks and had to be wrapped around the Velcro part as normal

Take the pills
If you're overweight, lose weight
walk every day
improve your diet; more veg and fish, less fat and meat
stop smoking
reduce intake of alcohol , salt, caffeine
if you're stressed, consider relaxation classes, yoga, meditation.

@MrsDanversGlidesAgain 😆

This is the sort of thing I was hoping for thanks 😊

Nurse of many, many years here. I invariably get massively high readings at gp or nurse appts (think over 200/100 every time). No idea why, you would think in my profession I’d be immune, but no.

I have my own omron bp monitor so I can check it myself at home at various times, and it’s always absolutely fine when I’m not in my gp surgery🤷‍♀️ They aren’t too expensive to buy.

I had the same today. Went for a smear, nurse asked if she could take my blood pressure, I told her sure but it’ll be high, it always is when I come to the doctors. Anyway she took it and sure enough it was exceptionally high, she took it again , it was a bit lower and she has now put me forward for a home testing monitor. She said if she had time she could keep taking it and it would probably get lower but she had more patients to see!

I’ve already done that a few years ago and BP was absolutely fine for the full week of monitoring it. She didn’t care she said she needed to refer me!

Do you mind if I ask how old you are, OP?

I had this aged 39, and now take meds to control it. Mine was very high at GP surgery due to white coat syndrome, but still slightly high at home. I know the shock of suddenly discovering this, but I feel so reassured now that I take my tablets and know my risk of stroke etc is reduced.

I only ask your age because I always feel like I'm the only person to have this problem at my age!

Nobody offered tablets yet but did mention them, but not a doctor though.

I don't drink alcohol really

I do eat loads of fresh fruit & veg and recently been buying less fish just due to costs... maybe that's something I'll look at as it's my preference anyways .

Smoking (only menthol but still 😌)and coffee are the only obvious thing that leapt to mind.
And stress- but that's kind of unavoidable for the foreseeable in terms of many demands on time and sanity, things are just like this there's little I can do to change things for now unfortunately.

Exercise is something I really struggle with tbh- time available is exceptionally limited- this isn't an excuse as such but I just don't find time in a day where it's possible as a routine. I do love a swim when I can though

That's reassuring thanks !

I'll try and get a monitor the one above looks great 👍🏻

Ive had problems with my blood pressure, but have I?

The 24 hour monitor didnt work on me and so I couldnt use it, it wouldnt give readings and didnt fit my arm properly

After toing and froing at the doctors and being seen by the nurse to get it measured, it showing really high even with medication I resorted to buying a monitor, a good quality one. The readings were all over teh place. The doctor compared it to his one and told me to throw it away and not do home readings.

I found it difficult to put the band on my arm but even when the doctor did it it was wildly different from his own measurement which he does without a digital reader and he and the nurse dont use the digital reader on me anyway.

@2pinkginsplease gosh really? How odd- this really has stopped me in my tracks a lot today and I'm very uncharacteristically panicked!

Immediately you can cut out caffeine, more walking, more sleep, less salty food eg bread

This was literally my exact situation a few weeks ago. Buy a blood pressure monitor OMRON brand is best as it is medically approved (Amazon brands are not reliable- avoid)
and walk 1 hour every day.
I done this and my blood pressure was back fine within a week.

Your lack of exercise is likely the problem.

This happened to me a couple of months ago, 230/120 with a very bad headache. I was sent straight to A&E by my GP.

Lots of tests and blood tests that showed nothing untoward - discharged with pills and referred to a couple of clinics. It is still above normal levels at home and on the pills - 160/100. I'm taking it 3 times a day and taking it with me to the GP every other week.

I'm being monitored closely by my GP who is fantastic. My diet is good, I am fairly fit and healthy. Full on job with lots of responsibility but I never feel stressed by it. I already swim, do yoga and meditate. Lifestyle fairly good.

I don't think you'll always find a reason OP (well they haven't found one for me yet). I am not sure you can do anything to 'bring it down quickly'.

The only thing I have stopped is drinking espresso in the morning, nothing else to cut out for me.

I have high blood pressure-today’s was 160/100 -in a medical setting. I had to buy a home monitor weeks ago and it averages at 145/85.

I am very slim
I go running three times a week and do HIIT exercise or yoga on the other days.
I am generally vegan and cook from
scratch.
I have never smoked.
I don’t drink alcohol or caffeine at all. No salt is added to food.
I do yoga.

I still have high blood pressure. High cholesterol too. There’s nothing much I can do in a personal capacity, really.

It won't be easy to give up smoking and majorly reduce caffiene and lose some weight, especially if you are going through stressful time, but this would certainly help reduce your blood pressure and overall improve your health. Even though you obviously want to get started right away, it's better to do this in a way you can stick to long term. Otherwise you might improve things for a while only to slip back into bad habits and end up in the same position a few months or years later.