When I had first come home from the hospital from surviving SCAD one of the first things I did was to go(ok so I sent my husband) to get me a BP cuff so I could monitor myself. I was constantly taking it back then to the point that I was obsessed almost. Every twitch was a sign of something bad. I never had high BP and still don't but I do take it quite a bit to calm myself down if I am getting anxious or upset over the way I am feeling. It does help some times. I probably use it most now to check when I am so dizzy from meds.
What I am wondering is does everyone else with heart disease constantly monitor your BP? I am asking because I read a lot of posts on here about different experiences or some one is not feeling well but I never see a notation that they took their blood pressure. It tends to be one the first things I do and I am sure many others do to and I was just wondering if it gives others a peace of mind like it does me when I am feeling nervous. Some times I do get myself so worked up I make it worse but then I do some breathing to relax then take it again and it is better.
I probably know the answer already but, I was just wondering......
Thanks
Martie
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Do you take your blood pressure
- By mmuff
- Posted August 13, 2009 at 10:28 pm · 11 replies
- In How heart disease has changed my life
- Shared with the public
Explore topics in this discussion:
Exercise Heart disease Heart failure Dizziness Hypertension Surgery Diovan Coreg Stress
11 replies
- Oldest first
- Newest first
- By grace5
- Posted August 14, 2009 at 4:50 am
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Hi Martie,
I have a B/P monitor mainly because I suffer from white coat syndrome, at the surgery my B/P goes through the roof, trust issues I guess! The medication I was put on lowered my B/P far too much, now I've sorted out the meds I can monitor myself. I was obsessive too in the early days, that monitor came out all the time, I had it on my wrist more often then my watch!
Nowadays it's mostly in the cupboard, I still check it once in a while and it comes out if I'm feeling light-headed or sleepy.
Lidia xx
- By vcastile
- Posted August 14, 2009 at 10:34 am
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I did and do the same thing! I am constantly taking my BP. My BP is very low... sometimes I feel I can't move, I'm so exhausted! I'll take my BP and it will be 68/45...or some other ungodly low number! I'm hoping for an improvement soon. I just had a CRT D device implanted so maybe this will help and also maybe some medicine tweaking!
I was told by my heart doctor to get the monitor and take it daily, plus weighing myself daily. So you are diffinitely not alone!
- By kardia
- Posted August 14, 2009 at 11:10 am
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Hi Martie,
Boy do I know that one...knew...I was the same way when I was on Coreg that lowered my blood pressure so much that I could not stand up. That was last winter. I would take my BP every half hour or just to see if I could walk to the kitchen withuot tilting over. The comparison I think I made was that I felt like the "fainting goats"....ha.
Ever see them?
Now, since I am on Amiodarone, and off any other meds, life is better, and I forget about the pressure problem.
But, I know it lurks in the darkness...
Sounds like med change? might be good to investigate?
Sorry you are going through this. Such a drag.
kardia
- By memaof8
- Posted August 15, 2009 at 1:03 pm
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Maybe we all go thru this at the beginning. I have had a problem with high BP as well as very labile BP, so I can go from very high to very low and "fainty"in th espace of a very short time. Since I also have paroxysmal a-fib, I'm never sure if the dizziness is a-fib or a drop in bp. My doc recommended I take my bp and meds on arising in the am, about 1-1/2 hrs later and when I take my pm meds. Also if I am symptomatic. He did a 24 hr bp test recently and the average was close to what I get on a "good day". A change in meds recently has made a great deal of improvement and stability in bp. Good luck!
- By sternum
- Posted August 16, 2009 at 7:39 pm
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Hi Marti :)
I'm another one who has her own bp monitor. Good thing to have around.
My dr also set me on a course of three times a day (morning, afternoon and bed time). In the morning my bp was as good as it gets; no stress yet. By mid afternoon the stress of the day was ingrained in everything and it was higher. By bed time it was a toss-up. I had either set the world aside until the next day or I was still worrying.
The reason for taking my bp was simply to find out what raised it and how consistant it was. Now I am on the right diet and medication and much of the stress is delt with in different ways. I'm lucky if I remember to take it once a month. But I feel better just knowing I can check it if I feel out of wac, without having make a doctor's appointment.
Hope this helps. Gloria
- By maureengraz
- Posted August 17, 2009 at 8:15 am
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When my husband was first put on Diovan which can lower your blood pressure substantially, we were constantly taking his blood pressure. His tends to run very low. Sometimes after taking this med his BP can go down to the 70's...the heart failure MD said not to worry as long as he has no symptoms(dizziness, etc)
the benefit of the drugs outweighs the fact that his BP drops so low....
Gradually we stopped obsessing about the numbers and really only take it if he gets dizzy, which is not very often......
- By mmuff
- Posted August 17, 2009 at 11:14 am
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Thanks to all of you who responded. I knew this was my new normal but I had not seen it mentioned so I was starting to wonder if it was just me. Thanks for letting me know I am not going crazy...at least not yet LOL!
This is such a comforting site I am so glad I found it!
HUGS
Martie
- By Queen_E
- Posted August 18, 2009 at 8:35 am
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I do check it when I am in the store - less often now than before.
Last week I felt odd and went to the CVS to check it - 124/58 or something. Pretty high at 124 for me. Drank water and went to bed; turned out I was getting a cold.
I do have a heart rate monitor for exercise, which is a fun gadget.
I have little kids, so a cool toy like a BP monitor would be on the high shelf all the time :-)
- By lonewolf7
- Posted August 18, 2009 at 2:05 pm
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I take my BP every day. However, my BP machine doesn't give accurate readings and it has freaked me out at times.
There have been times when I've been obsessed with taking it. Even though I use it, I don't think it can be a substitute for having it taken by a doctor.
- By Caz84
- Posted August 21, 2009 at 5:39 pm
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i have got a wraist B/P monitor is because have Svt (Supraventricular Tachycardia) and Pots (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) witch means that my blood pressure drops very low when standing i have blackouts when my blood pressure drops and then my HR gets fast.
i check it every mornings and at night.
i am noticeing that my blood pressure gos high and low now
take care
hugs
carol xx
- By SJ62
- Posted September 8, 2009 at 5:25 pm
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Hypertension is my heart health issue. I had been a frequent monitor of mine (7 times a day sometimes, lol), especially when it was good. I haven't been taking it myself for about 3 months now, VERY stressful summer and I stress so much about readings that I didn't see the sense in adding to it.
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