Hi All,

I monitored my b/p for almost a week now. The results I have found made me call my GP for an appt. which I had this afternoon.

Kitt here is an example of how it depends on who takes the pressure. The medical assistant told me it was 110/70. "I said, it figures! It has been high all week and now it's normal!"
Well when the doctor took it he got 150/100. He did it with two different size cuffs and then requested I allow him to take it with the cuff she used. He wanted to be sure it was not broke. All three times 150/100.

I have to start Amlodipine 5 mgs. Has/does anyone take this?

He does seem to think that is the cause of my headaches. He also thought in the same direction I thought, I am going to have an ultrasound of my kidneys. I also have to have lab work done.

I went there with every intention of saying no meds. However, with the significant family history I have it occurred to me I was just being STUPID. Strokes and heart attacks all throughout my family. Whether I want to or not I'm taking the med until we get to the bottom of what is causing this.

If anyone had any others suggestions on testing please let me know.

Hopeful

Have you checked your thyroid numbers, you might be hyperthyroid from to much synthroid. High BP is a symptom.

Hi thanks for the idea. I did think of that I'm going to have blood work done tomorrow. I did have a thyroid work up recently though and it was normal.

Thanks again!

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

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

Hi Hopeful,

I just responded with a long story that was not really relevant and might cause some confusion to others that may read it so I deleted it. The renal blockages were discovered accidentally when investigating another problem. Bilateral renal artery bypass was performed. Knowing that uncontrolled hypertension can lead to renal failure and that part of the function of the kidneys is to regulate blood pressure caused me much concern when my mother's renal arteries were occluded

I think my elevated BP (with medication) only at my pain mgt. doc is because I am usually there when my pain is the worst. I guess it is the pain combined with the fact an assistant takes my pressure immediately after rushing me into the exam room before I can even get seated. My other docs personally take my BP after we have been talking for a bit, not upon rushing me into the room.

Whenever I get an elevated reading at the doc's office, I come home and check it to be sure it was a fluke and not a need to change or increase my BP meds.

As far as the different types of BP meds, I know that I was put on a beta blocker by my cardiologist because of my heart rate (tachycardia), not just my BP. I was already on other types of BP meds, the beta blocker was additional. I also know they consider the patient compliance factor especially with some men because of the side effects of some types of BP meds on them. I was just curious what factors determine which type of meds they prescribe for hypertension. I know some considerations but wonder about the other factors.

Sure hope you find the reason for your recent elevations. I don't need to tell you how important it is to control BP as you already know that and are taking all the right steps toward proper care of yourself. Sorry that your nursing background is now needed to care for yourself. Thanks for your postings.

Thanks Hopeless. Sometimes I'm happy I'm a nurse and sometimes not. In some cases too much knowledge is a problem.

It's crazy when I went into cardiac care my daughter developed a heart condition that lasted a few years. When it happened I knew what it was, what tests were needed and what medications should be taken. Thank goodness I took her to a good cardiologist and things were taken care of.

At that time I wondered if God put be in cardiac care so I could recognize the problem.

Hi Hopeful,

Yes, it could very well be the catalyst that put you in the place to have the knowledge you would need later for your daughter. They say HE (GOD) works in mysterious ways and I believe that.

I am so sorry that you have become your own patient. At least your background will help you understand some of the things docs say that many patients have go over their head. Of course, like you said, that, too, could be a detriment. Sometimes ignorance IS bliss.

With your knowledge, it can be both a help and a hindrance. So glad to have you here and helping all of us. Thanks so much for sharing your time with us.

Best wishes to you and hoping better health for you.

I have taken this at bedtime for a few years now and also take lisinopril in the morning. Like you, strokes and heart disease run in my family. Taking these meds is a small price to pay for controlling it. I was diagnosed with hypertension in my early 40s, a couple of years following a hysterectomy and my MS diagnosis. Stress can be a huge factor as well. Any sort of decongestant can elevate it greatly, as can coffee and anti-inflammatory pain pills.