Blood pressure 180/102

[pinkingshears]

I've been taking my BP at home for 5 days. 8am on empty stomach, 8pm sitting quietly. Twice each time. Varies a bit but Ave is 174/100. Pulse is around 60. Saw nurse today for B12 jab. Asked if she would check I was using my monitor properly which she kindly did. She then used her NHS monitor to check. Said I had headache but assume weather) Asked if sore chest (no 'pain' but dull ache in sternum area). Gave me a paper diary to fill out & appt for 2 weeks time.
There is a history of heart issues in family (told ggrandmother & grandmother both open heart surgery, aunt has pacemaker.
My son had suspected PeriMyocarditis last summer and had LVSD for a week so I've had a really stressful year. Last time I knew my bp was slightly low, but not checked for 5 years at least. Not sure what I'm asking, just feel a bit nervous.

That is high OP, try to relax and deep breathe a warm shower also reduces BP. Then you will be seen by doctor and hopefully they will sort you out.

Mine is being monitored as it has been around 160/95 so I would ask your GP.

The first thing they would do is try something like Amlopodine tablets.
Try not to worry - it won't help .

IOh, I'm defo trying not to worry (I'm NHS trained in CBT for healrh anxiety so I'm well aware anxiety can mimic symptoms & cause an unhelpful 'spiral'!). But 2 weeks could be a long time if my chest stays feeling like this. I'm not sure what A&E would do if anything. Would they check bloods & heart anyway?
I don't know. But I'm on my own with 2 teens (don't want to talk to them about it). So, here I am!

Amlodipine

If you go to A&E for chest pain they will check your heart and take bloods. Please don’t leave it if you are concerned.

You have teens...you're not menopausal perhaps, mine went high in peri.

They put me on candesartan, which seems to have helped.

@Orangesandlemons77 I'm 57.

The GP told me it does tend to rise after menopause and with age. Hope you get it sorted OK.

If you continue to get discomfort in your chest then you must go to AE .

You can ring 111 for Chest pain, they sent paramedics and an ambulance out to me I also had high BP, best to get checked out if needed. Best wishes

I've gone into A&E as I felt worse. BP was 194/104. They've done an ecg (clear) and a Troponin. That was 4. They're repeating it & doing a d-dimer ?

D-dimer might be to check for any clotting such as a pulmonary embolism.

Glad you are getting checked out. You're drinking enough water? When mine was high in A&E for some reason drinking water helped it, maybe I was dehydrated.

Yes plenty of water. It's been really high last 5 days I've been checking. Not sure why they're re-checking T but grateful for thoroughness.

I googled troponin and it is a marker for any heart damage, not sure what 4 is though, maybe they will check and let you know. Hope all goes Ok

There often seems to be some difference of opinion on what actually constitutes high blood pressure, but 170/100 is definitely high and treatable in its own right, my GP told me that anything over 180/110 is serious risk of heart attack and needs immediate treatment .

@Sadcafethey’ve not mentioned mine @194/104.i will ask before I go tho.

And that truly is the problem, the inconsistency between different medics, who do you believe

high BP may need fairly quick assessment, but doesn't always need urgent treatment (as you can occasionally do more harm than good rapidly dropping a chronically high BP).

The troponin's being repeated because a trend is often more important than a single figure. The number '4' doesn't mean much to anyone on here without knowing which test it is (there are different assays) but the real life HCPs will have all the info with which to interpret it.

So just told 2nd Troponin same as first & d-dimer 'ok'. I did ask if repeated high BP could cause headache & sore chest but Dr said 'could be many things'. Glad to know nothing major & took part in a clinical study and an HCP trained on me to do my cannula & took (lots!) of bloods so 'gave something back' too.
Thanks for listening x

That was good of you. Hope they get top the bottom of it and you can start on some treatment soon.

@Greybeardythanks. All I know is I was told '1-9 is normal & your bloods are 4'. I know the small hospital just 30m away measures differently as my Ds was ill last summer & we were told 'up to 50 is ok' (he was 2.5K, in LVSD & PeriMyocarditis: v. different situation)

@Sadcafeyes. My Ds had a difficult time last summer, with Cardiologists arguing around his bedside (since had 2 different opinions) Of course HCPs will have diff. opinions but as a patient it can be confusing. I'm aware that after that experience (we weren't sure whether to go in, turns out he was quite ill) I'm more likely to get chest pain checked out than I would have been before when I'd assumed all heart problems were movie-style 'cluching chest & crashing to floor'. A&E were quick & efficient today & its really put my mind at rest. I feel grateful to just have high blood pressure.

Thanks to all who've posted here x

It went up to 204/110 this am. Duty Dr saw my 4 day BP diary & called ahead to A&E & sent me in. I've had aspirin, GTN spray & oromorph (?) for chest pain. On telemetry. Cholesterol 8.9. See Cardiologist in morning.

Am glad that you are back at the hospital …hope you now get investigated thoroughly X