Blood Pressure talk

Mine isn't really high anymore, but I test it probably 5 times a week, at random times during the day. I have a cuff with me at my office, so when I randomly think about it, I'll check it, and record the findings.

quote:

---

How high and what are you taking and doing to fix?

---

Varies. If I'm calm and relaxed, it's typically between 110-120/70-80. I've seen it as high as 150/95, but that's usually a sudden test when I'm feeling anxious about it. Subsequent retests while being still will drop.

Lifestyle changes over the last few years, but also on meds. I'm going to start only testing in the morning before coffee, and maybe once in the evening when I've been sitting and not eating for at least a half hour.

Yeah, I could lose some more weight. I do think I sleep well at night.

I love when the nurse brings you in after your rushing to the office, sick, stressed and she immediately takes your bp and asks why it's high

quote:

---

your BP is probably high at other times also

---

That's the thing though. It's the resting BP that we're supposed to be tracking and improving. How concerned should we be if BP is high after mowing the lawn, driving and walking to DR office, etc?

All the testing instructions say basically the same thing. No food, caffeine, smoking, or activity for 30 minutes prior to testing. No talking or moving during testing, etc.

quote:

---

Walking into the exam room from the waiting room shouldnt put you in the high range.

---

Getting there at 8:50 for a 9 am appt and sitting in the waiting room till 9:45 usually does the trick for me. I got shite to do and the doctors done slammed his calendar full so they can make as much money as possible.

quote:

---

Edit - I should add Cialis (tadalafil) is not a true BP medicine, its lowering effect is very small. The overall increase in blood flow is good for the body though. Pretty sure 777 talked about it before as a workout recovery.

---

I’m curious if taking an L Arginine supplement would do the same?

quote:

---

If it is sustained at this level you have high BP, if it spikes from nervousness to that and returns to the typical you are ok really.

---

It doesn't stay at that level, but it does stay a bit elevated once I get myself all worked up about it.

Doctor says I'm perfectly fine, so I'm going to try to stop worrying.

quote:

---

Doctor says I'm perfectly fine, so I'm going to try to stop worrying.

---

Listen to doc

Machines will report higher blood pressure than a nurse/doctor using the stethoscope. My BP gets tested weekly for something else by a nurse. I have had times I have checked it at home and it would spit out 140/85 and then hour later nurse does it the manual way and it is 115/75.

What happens 60 seconds before the nurse takes your BP? You stand up and walk to a room. You probably just got weighed, which doesn't make anyone happy. When the doctor comes in, you've probably been sitting in the same seat for three or four minutes since your first reading. Also, dehydration and alcohol use push your BP higher the day after (don't get life insurance work done the day after the Tigers or Saints play.) However, knowing that my BP can spike over 500 Systolic during max effort deadlifts makes me a hell of a lot less paranoid. LINK

I use an Omron device I bought from Sam's which has a great tracking app at least for iOS. It can be battery powered, which is convenient.