[cbmare]

Dr. C, my boss, has a new BP monitor. He's in his 70s and is just now being put on BP meds. He checks his BP several times daily. I remarked yesterday that I didn't know mine. I was shocked when it read 168/99. I took it 3 times and it was in that area each time.

I had a dr. appt this morning to get my initial blood work and stuff done for this cholesterol study I'm beginning. I told them about it and they took it again 4 times. The highest was 123/76. The lowest ws 115/71.

Can BP fly around in that big of an area?

I think I'll use his machine and check mine again before I go home.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Ruthxxx]

You bet it can fly around for many different reasons. It could also be that his monitor needs calibration. I'd go by what the doctor's reading is and not obsess about it.

[freiamaya]

BP absolutely changes throughout the day, with stress, with what you have or haven't eaten, if you have just rushed down the hall, etc. Another issue to consider is the accuracy of the BP unit involved. Usually, before a diagnosis of high BP is reached, a person is assessed through wearing an automatic BP device from the hospital that measures you BP at timed intervals throughout the day for a few days. This is because some people actually experience something called "white coat syndrome", where the stress of seeing the doctor artificially RAISES ones BP. My dad has this. He saw his regular MD, who took his BP 3 times in the office, diagnosed High Blood Pressure and prescribed pills. Dad took them, and that afternoon passed out flat on his face because his BP was NOT high at all and the meds kicked his BP way, way down. The MD who diagnosed him was about 105 years old ("we've known Dr. X for 45 years now, and go to him for EVERYTHING even though he can't see so well anymore, dearie...") and wasn't aware of the protocol.
SO, IF you've seen your MD, and your MD has taken your BP and it is fine, stop messing with the machinery! The machinery is to indicate if you need to see your MD as it MAY indicate a problem. You have already seen your MD. I'd leave it at that!

[telemetrynurse]

Was this an automatic electronic bp monitor (where you just put on the cuff and press a button)? those things (especially the wrist ones) can be TOTALLY wrong! Although they are quicker and easier, I always prefer to check my patients the "old fashioned" way by listening with a stethoscope.

You were very smart to go promptly to your physician to be checked. I wouldn't worry excessively about the other reading but would continue to periodically monitor/check on reliable bp machines.

Good luck!

[cbmare]

Originally Posted by telemetrynurse

Was this an automatic electronic bp monitor (where you just put on the cuff and press a button)? those things (especially the wrist ones) can be TOTALLY wrong! Although they are quicker and easier, I always prefer to check my patients the "old fashioned" way by listening with a stethoscope.

You were very smart to go promptly to your physician to be checked. I wouldn't worry excessively about the other reading but would continue to periodically monitor/check on reliable bp machines.

Good luck!

Dr. C has never had a BP problem until recently. He got a little Omron arm cuff machine and let me try it. My appt was scheduled for the next morning anyway, so I decided to have them check it. Oddly enough, they used a machine that printed out the 4 readings. I go back at the end of the month to start the cholesterol study program. It will be checked again as well.

Now I'm worried about my Triglycerides - 293 and my glucose - 121. My trig was a bit high last year, but not this much. My glucose has never been high. Well, it was between the mid range and high, but in the middle of that, so I was told not to worry. I'm hoping that by watching my carbs and sugars for the next several weeks it will come down. Any suggestions short of giving up and beating down deaths door?

[willmakeit]

BP would never fluctuate from 115 to 168! I am quite sure that the boss's machine is unreliable. Is it caliberated? Also if its like trhe wrist/cuff band which reads BP in a minute or so by the push of a button... it probably gave awong reading. I had one of those earlier and it always gave readings atleast 30 units more than actual BP and I know people freaking out when they tried it in my house.

If you are still feeling like you need to confirm, I would say visit another doctor's office and re-check after 10 days.Also let your boss know and ask him to recheck his BP at a doctor's office.

your sugars arent terribly high so I guess exercise and diet will be enough. Eat fiber and whole foods. Cardio exercises are the best for both these conditions. cganhe from reg milk to fat free low carb soy milk (helps improve hdl and lower tgl).
try some relaxation techniques ateast once a day as stress can cause both: high sugar and TGL .

[cbmare]

I was drinking 2% chocolate milk (1 glass) each morning. I looked at the sugars and decided I'd look at soy again. The sugars weren't that different. I switched from soy back to reg. milk (2%) several months ago because of all the bad things I've heard about soy. Now I think I'll go to the Carb Options chocolate milk. Not as good, but drinkable.

As far as the monitor, Dr. C is my boss. He's been monitoring his on a little Omron monitor and offered to let me check mine. I'm not worried about my BP because my dr. appt the very next day showed it back where it has been for years.

I'm due for another round of blood and urine work at the end of this month and I think I'll just watch the carbs and sugars and keep riding my bike daily and see what happens. I finally got boobalah to get it down for me and I've been riding daily for a week now. Let's see what the end of the month brings.

Thank you so much for your input.