Sky high BP hand hold please

[BPdrama]

I've had 3 episodes of weird visual disturbance over the past 10 days. Took my BP this morning and is 191/121 so on my way to hospital when the taxi finally gets here. I feel ok, normally fit and healthy, don't smoke or drink, BMI 21, walk over 40 miles a week, cholesterol great, blood sugar great, no diabetes or other issues. I'm 47 and now very anxious. I'm autistic which probably doesn't help matters in terms of anxiety and a lone parent to my ds with a teen Dd too but she has a dad at least. I've been triaged by 999 and they said to get myself to A&E.
I've packed an overnight bag just incase with all the essentials but I'm hoping they will send me away with some medication and instructions to rest or similar. There's hypertension in my family but all much older than me. I'm the healthiest one out of all of us.
Posting for company really and a hand hold.

Hi, a few years go I went to the GP for a cough I couldn't shift. She said 'as you're a new patient I'll take your BP' and it was 185 over something. She signed me off, told me to rest and have me Amlopidine, Ramipril and aspirin and ordered immediate blood tests; which after a few months came up with a blood disorder (sill have no idea if that was causing the high BP).

I'm now down to normal levels but it was seriously scary and triggered an anxiety I still have. Please be reassured that if the GP has sent you to hospital they will thoroughly check you over, because not only are your levels scarily high, there are the other symptoms.

And tell them about the anxiety. It is a bitch of a condition that mimics all sorts of stuff (but you probably know that already) and they can allow for it or discount it.

Consider your hand held today.

Thank you and glad you're ok now. I've had a stressful week due to family stuff but to be honest that doesn't really change much week to week. I'm always stressed but just bounce from one drama to the next without much effect. Teenagers are great aren't they !!!
My brother had a stroke last year but he's very overweight and has a very stressful job plus rubbish diet. I'm the complete opposite but it scared me.
They are going to want to make sure it's come down before sending me back home aren't they 😩 last time I was in was for a dog bite and it was a lovely rest with great drugs. The food had vastly improved too since I was in about 15 years prior to that 🤣 luckily I have a wonderful friend and neighbour who is looking after ds after school. Dd can go to her dad's.
I downed 300mg aspirin as soon as I realised it was so high. My vision cleared after 15 mins but it is freaky and of course being anxious is not going to allow my BP to come down by itself! The vision things is like afterimages from bright light.

On my way now in the taxi. Trying to take slow deep calm breaths. I don't appear anxious and it's only my heart rate and tense expression that would give it away.

I had the vision thing years ago and hospital thought it might be a TIA. Turned out to be an ocular migraine - which oddly I'd never had before and never had since. They did discover a thyroid issue, though (thankfully pronounced benign after a biopsy).

Good that someone is looking after DCs. Easier said than done, but try not to worry.

Good luck, you’re doing the right thing x

Seconded, and you're going to the right place to be checked out.

I'm here now and feeling a bit sick and my headache is worse but I've got a cold and think it's sinus pain. I get it a lot.
Thanks for keeping me company x

So long as it’s coming down it’s ok, it doesn’t need to be normal. We had an issue recently and BP remained high but as it reduced managed to swerve hospital. It’s still elevated and no treatment yet, waiting for bloods. But like you, very fit, healthy weight etc but high stress.

Youre doing the right thing.

It's annoying not knowing what the reading is now without it being taken for me. I ha e no measure of it so not like pain or bleeding where it's an obvious thing. Why it's the silent killer of course!
I'm tired now. It's been a stressful week since Wednesday teatime.
I couldn't believe the number of ambulances outside or the amount of people in A&E. I used to work here and my abusive ex still works here so I dread having to come here for anything.

184/122 yikes.

Try to stay calm (easier said than done, I know). You are in hospital and they can deal with your blood pressure - it's very treatable.

It's scary but you're in the right place and they will do the relevant tests and checks. I'm 39 and have high bp which runs in the family, mine was "activated" by pregnancy though. I'm on medication now and they can't find anything underlying. It's definitely treatable!

You're in the right place, so try and relax as much as possible (easier said than done I know).

You may be in for a long wait so try to get an comfy as you can, with a bottle of water and a snack.

Hopefully they sort it quickly for you.

Try some box breathing OP.

Breathe in deeply and slowly for 4 seconds. Hold your breath for 4 seconds. Breathe out slowly for four seconds.

Repeat.

This will help calm you down and hopefully help reduce your blood pressure.

DH is currently experiencing high BP due to stress and he can get wildly different readings when he is anxious/stressed compared to when he has been sat upright calmly for 15 minutes.

On my way home and I'm to monitor for 7 days and see my GP with readings.

They think the visual disturbance is migraine. And the BP no idea but check twice a day for a week and see my GP with the readings. No red flags which is great.

That's good. You can sometimes get random spikes.

Sorry to hear you are unwell.
Please make an appt with your GP and ask them to arrange an echocardiogram, bloods and ECG asap.

And then book a further appt with the GP to review the 7 day BP readings.

Any meds they give should take effect within 3 days, so if your BP doesnt go down, ask your GP to review it.

And they should test for kidney function test after 14 days of medication to ensure the meds are not having any negative impact.

Try not to worry, if the GP does all the above, then you should get to the bottom of it.

Sorry to hear your unwell OP. Sending you a handhold and wishing you a speedy recovery. Please update us when you can, il be thinking of you. 💐

I'm home now. Thank you everyone x

I'm in exactly the same situation op, have they given you a text link to upload your BP to?

I've been doing this, my blood tests show nothing, but I have constant over 170 bp readings.

The only thing they've found with me is a possible connection to taking an SSRI. I don't drink or smoke, 1 coffee a day, eat healthy.

Have you been given medication?

No medication, just told to monitor fur a week then see GP but go back to A&E if any red flags. He says GPs don't like them starting BP meds.

@BPdrama that makes sense. Your GP will prescribe you medication if you need it I suppose. Glad you're feeling better!

I am worried about just walking round with a BP this high. I'm surprised I wasn't given an ECG and bloods. I didn't see a doctor though. It was an advanced nurse practitioner. I know they know their stuff. I'm just anxious about it. My breathing is calm and I'm just watching nice tv with ds but that inner amxiety is awful.