Blood Pressure Help

[BloodPressureHell]

Hi, I'm getting very muddled trying to work out blood pressure readings as I don't really understand them.

Google says I should be 120/80, Drs say 135/85 - so which would be more normal in a middle aged woman?

I'm also wondering how much leeway there is, ie is ten points either side okay (110-130/70-90) or just a couple of points (118-122/78-82)? I'm no way near tbh as my readings are more 150/92

My next questions are regarding medications. I'm on my third one and I'm having horrendous side effects after only taking 2 doses so I'm wondering if this is normal and I need to push through for a couple of weeks or just stop? It's difficult to speak to my GP so can't ask them.

Amlopidine - crippling stomach pains, incontinence, tinnitus, headaches
Ramipril - can't take, have lupus
Doxazosin - after 2 tablets I have horrendous vertigo, tinnitus, vice like headaches

TIA!

In the 70s.

There’s a thing on the nhs website you can punch your numbers in that plots it on a graph with zones so you can judge if that helps?

NHS online says below 120/80 is healthy.
Focusing on a one off reading is pointless as it varies throughout the day/week.

If you plug your figures in here you get more of an idea.
https://developer.api.nhs.uk/widgets/your-blood-pressure
This page gives more info about different groups
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/

Its UP TO 120/80 eg 115/75 etc

https://www.nhs.uk/health-assessment-tools/check-your-blood-pressure-reading

😱

Thanks everyone. I think I'm screwed 😂 Got to laugh, otherwise I will cry.
I did that nhs link and I'm consistently in the high so I'll keep trying to get a GP appointment and hopefully find a medication that doesn't give horrendous side effects.

Buy a basic BP monitor from chemist or Boots, around £30 and record daily for some weeks then your doctor might be able to better manage your BP, Also try taking medication at bedtime.

Record morning & night for a week.
Make sure you are well hydrated, feet positioned on the floor & take reading on Left arm with it raised to around heart level (leaning on table or something) sit for around 5 mins before taking BP.
GP will ask you to monitor for a week usually prior to appointment re BP.

Have you any health reasons for high BP, age, obesity, high cholesterol etc, making some lifestyle changes can help as well.

Are you taking the readings X3 and then recording the lowest reading? Disregard the first reading every time. Sit still for a good 5 mins before taking it.

I had a hellish time trying to find a BP med that worked for me, in the end I was put on 2 low doses of different meds which have worked a treat. Losartan and Lercapenadine (I think!) the latter had no side effects what so ever when I started it. I recently read on here it's quite an expensive drug which might be why my GP gave it as a last option 🙄

One more thing, I didn't realise that your body needs to get used to new tablets , quite often if you can ride through the side effects they calm down. It took ages to get used to it for me, it was hellish but my BP is well controlled now.

First of all, don't panic. You have realised that you might have high blood pressure and you are doing things to monitor it and sort out some help. This is essential, and please keep going. I think by now you have a blood pressure monitor. Check your blood pressure when you get up, and again in the evening for two weeks, and simply record what the result is, do no more.. I would take the best of two/three readings. Make an appointment with your doctor for 2 weeks hence, and show them your results (take your monitor in as they sometimes calibrate it), and mention any tablets you were on (inc. good or bad iro side effects) and talk the situation through, don't bother trying to google, it will just be confusing, and does not take account of your age, your weight or your lifestyle. They may do a 24 hour blood pressure test, and they may do other tests (kidney and liver function etc.) but all perfectly do-able. After that you will know where you are. There are definitely life-style changes that can be made to lower blood pressure (lower weight, don't eat salt, exercise being the first three, then alcohol, smoking, getting enough sleep, not stressing, probably next) but these things are not the be-all-and-end-all). Being on tablets is not NECESSARILY the answer, but if you must, then you really must !, and it takes a while to find the right ones out there to suit you. If it helps, my blood pressure "journey" started 10 years ago when I was 45. I went for a works wellness session, and it was recorded at 150/100, and I was advised to contact my doctor, and also get a monitor. I got one that afternoon, and was alarmed to see it go up and up. By 9pm it was 220/175 (horribly high) and I went into hospital. I felt perfectly fine, they gave me something to bring it down, and I was out the next morning. I was immediately put on Amlodipine, Ramipril and Bendroflumiziade, then had months of investigation. I was moved off Amlodipine within weeks as it made my legs swell up, and put on Losartan instead. Sometimes my BP could be 100/60, sometimes 170/110, no rhyme or reason to it, I was dizzy at times with Low BP. After long investigations I have had a diagnosis of "unexplained random blood pressure". I am now on Losartan, Doxasozin, Indapamide and Bisoprorol daily. Only the Bisoprolol gave any side effects (heart flutters) stopped after a couple of weeks. Sorry it is such a long story, and I didn't mean to make it about me, but three things stuck out throughout all of my treatment

1. Stop the salt and lose weight, both knack your BP, go lo-salt if you must, but all doctors will tell you to learn to live without it
2. they might tell you it is not hereditary / genetic. I do not personally believe this (all four grandparents dead before 60 years old of blood pressure related issues)
3. Don't accept drugs that do not suit you. There are plenty of alternatives, they give you the popular (cheaper ones) it is finding the right one for you, it can be a lifetime med, so it needs to be right.

I hope you get it down, to not worry anymore, and I hope you get the best treatment. xx

VofR is indeed the Voice of Reason here 🙂

I hated BP meds and fish oil gave me rampant diarrhoea. I offered, instead, to:
eat more sardines (god's health food, imo);
switch to medium-strength coffee (I drink it all day);
lose a bit of weight (5kg down, aiming for another 5).

Mine was around 150/90 when I started, similar to yours, OP. Last couple of weeks have been more like 120/70.

I also promised to smoke a lot less - failed miserably on that, so I hope the BP stays reasonable!

Normal range for bp apparently is between 120/60 -140/80. Turns out my bp isnt actually that high. I get white coat syndrome.

Eating lots of of veg containing nitrates helps. Nitrates are converted into nitric oxide which helps the arteries/vessels open up which is basically what the meds do.
A lot of it stress related so deep breathing is very helpful. I find doing the bp monitoring helpful because it made me conscious of the need to unwind and not get stressed.

Apologies, I didn't realise there were more posts.

I finally managed to see a GP and was prescribed another. I have never felt so ill since starting to take blood pressure tablets and that's saying a lot considering how bad my health generally is.

Been on Losartan potassium, low dose, for a couple of weeks now and the crippling headaches have not gone away and my head/brain function/confusion is starting to worry me, as are my readings. They have steadily risen despite being on meds and following everyone's advice here on when/where to take them. I've also realised my breathing is atrocious so I think the meds are affecting it too (had to take asthma ventolin 3 times this week, about to take 4th).

The last three days my reading are approximately 156/103. I've decided I'm stopping Losartin tonight, I can't continue like this.

I felt the same when I started them, I was so ill. Go back to the GP first thing Monday.