Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopeless
Hi Hopeful,
There are numerous causes for elevated BP and many times the cause is unknown. AND, of course, BP changes constantly so it is good that you took a good sampling and monitored it.
I wonder why it is treated so differently by so many doctors. I mean that in a curiosity manner of wonderment. Maybe someone on NT can explain it to me. Why do some doctors start you out on a calcium channel blocker, others on an ace inhibitor, others on a beta blocker, others on an angiotensin, etc. Why do some begin pharmaceuticals at a systolic of 140 of above or a diastolic of 90 or above yet others wait until it is higher?
Do they really take into account the degree of pain the patient is experiencing at the time?
I am on several BP meds but whenever I go to my pain mgt. doc, it is very elevated. With my other docs, it is not. I thought about "white coat syndrome" but I am never nervous with my pain mgt. doc and like him a lot so I have dismissed the white coat syndrome. If that were the case, I would get an elevated pressure with my other docs, too, especially the ones that "could" make me nervous. I am guessing that I am just in more pain when I am at my pain mgt. doc's office and that is why my BP is higher there than in other docs offices.
My entire family and all my ancestors have / had high BP. My mother was treated for years with poor control and constant change of meds until they finally discovered that her renal arteries were blocked. (Her kidney function labs were always OK.) After surgery, she was off all BP meds for a while but her hypertension came back.
I think elevated BP is a little like neuropathies in the sense that the cause may never be known and all we can hope for is adequate treatment and control.
Just keep a good watch on your BP and keep monitoring it. Wishing you the best.
Hopeless
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Thanks Hopeless! I really don't know why each doctor uses different meds. Possibly they stick to the ones that they have had the most success with controlling their patients b/p as a whole. I think it is also due to what other medications the patient is taking.
My doctor told me he was starting with this because many of the others can cause a chronic cough.
As I have always had low b/p I did not know enough about the meds to question it. I use to be a cardiac care nurse but it was a while ago. I remember a lot about the procedures but not about the meds.
I can't say I would have started meds if my diastolic was only in the low 90's but
I do understand why it is done.
The diastolic pressure is the amount of pressure in your arteries while your heart is at rest. Another words it is the pressure on your arteries to get your blood back to your heart. It shouldn't have to work that hard. The systolic is the pressure your heart has to put out while it is beating. Again it is not good if the heart has to work to hard since the heart is a muscle and can grow.
It is best to keep it at a good level. I agree with you about the pain level changing the readings. That is why I monitored it for a while. It was high on high pain days and low pain days.
That is weird though that yours is always high at your pain doctor. I can't figure that out.
I do find it interesting that your mothers labs were always normal. How did they find the blocked renal arteries?
Thanks, hopeful
