Blood pressure

I have had exceptionally high BP for years., if I had a reading of 136/71, I would be pleased!

The protocol is to take your BP twice a day for a week, same time, same arm, record the readings and hand into the surgery.

The readings are totalled and averaged out to give the BP reading, which the GP usually uses to decide about medication.
You can find record sheets online or just make your own.

136/71 and 140/90 high? Really? I would be thrilled with those. Mine has been as high as 220/110 and the GP seemed unconcerned. There are a few threads on GN about BP if

if you wanted to take a look.

We download a sheet for daily readings of our BP every day for seven days when asked to by our surgery nurse.
You could ring your surgery and make enquires but also check batteries in your blood pressure gauge.
The readings will have to be constantly high or low before your surgery will consider action based on the readings.
You may be making yourself anxious try to calm down before taking the readings.

I agree with Marydoll my husband would be overjoyed with a reading like that. His is often over 200.

I am just sitting here waiting for an ambulance to bring my husband home from hospital after 3 months!

Primrose, that is great news that your husband is coming home. It has been a dreadful time for you all. 💐

I am another, whose BP hovers around the 190/10 mark. Heart medication and three different BP medications and it remains unstable.

I have had exceptionally high BP for years., if I had a reading of 136/71, I would be pleased!

Me too!!

Thet reminded me to take my BP tablets. Thank you.

Me too ! I take Amlodipine 5mg daily. I am not obsessive about checking my BP….maybe once a month or when I remember

I had my BP Monitor measured against the Surgery’s to make sure they were the same. Then as MD quite rightly says, twice daily for seven days and submit the readings to the Surgery.

BP can vary widely, anxiety and stress over the readings won’t help and 136/71 isn’t ’quite high’ really.

I'm on Ramipril, was 5mg daily. My average reading from a week of readings was 145/79 so the GP has incteased the Ramipril to 7.5mg. The doctors at our surgery reckon everyone should have 120/80, which is unrealistic, surely? A person of 85 cannot expect to have the BP of a 20 year old.

My surgery supplies the blood pressure form for either four or seven days.Once they're written down,the two columns have to be totalled and then divided by eight or sixteen. The forms won't be looked at if the numbers haven't been averaged.Seems a bit harsh but we accept it.

Anything under 140 is fine.

The sheet the doctor gave me was 3 times a day for a week and taking it twice each time with a rest of several minutes between each reading. Also sit down quietly for several minutes before taking the first reading.

If most of the readings are below 140, then at the end of the week tear the sheet up and forget about checking you blood pressure for the next six months and then repeat.

Your blood pressure is going up and down all day. If you had walked briskly to the pharmacy and were worrying about something that will send your blood pressure right up.

What matters is your blood pressure taken when you are in a state of tranquillity.

I would be very happy with that reading.

Thanks everyone. DH has his diabetic check at the surgery today so I'll ask for a form. Also I want to add him to my NHS App but have to get permission from DH/surgery first so will do that too. There is always a problem with one of his blood tests at his check but that's for another day/thread!

I need to sit quietly with cuff in already on my arm, reading a quiet novel, no interruptions from anyone, for 10-15 minutes before my BP is down to below 140 over 100. I take max dose of Rimapril daily.

The pharmacy claim money from the NHS for these random BP checks. If you ar eunder a GP for treatment I suggest you decline the test next time.

I fell for this but now have my BP checked by the nurse...next time I will just politely decline...

Wow I would be thrilled to get that reading. I got a bit obsessive about taking my blood pressure a while ago and as soon as the cuff started to inflate I could feel my chest tightening and know it isn't worth bothering because it will be so high. In fact I couldn't even bring myself to do it for over a year and even paid to go to a hypnotherapist. I now find that the readings are okay first thing, but are high in the late afternoon, so I only take it in the morning now.

After a recent traumatic trip and a visit to A&E mine was around 200. My blood pressure was taken while I was traumatised, several times while I was there and wouldn't move. As soon as I got home it went down to 160. I would like to know if there are any side effects with medication and what sort of medications there are. I have heard about statins but don't really want to go down that road.

My DH had BP problems for many years. The surgery and the consultant used to take the reading once , wait 10 mins and then take it again sometimes in the same arm and sometimes in the other arm. Always the same procedure.

Justwidowed

My surgery supplies the blood pressure form for either four or seven days.Once they're written down,the two columns have to be totalled and then divided by eight or sixteen. The forms won't be looked at if the numbers haven't been averaged.Seems a bit harsh but we accept it.

Just widowed Why does it have to be eight or sixteen?
I'm not sure but I thought if you took 12 then you divided bÿ 12(?) I am taking readings at the moment. TIA

metoo! high readings! thanks for these numbers, it has eased my worries!

136/71 is really not high! Even 140 is not high!
If you get it too low with pills, and if you were then ill, a consultand told my brother, you have no reserves.
I believe many over 60s are over medicated.
Are you on the statin for good reasons - there are a few, or just because you are over 60? Perhaps read UK heart consultant Aseem Malhotre about statins!

As keepingquiet says this is just a money making scheme by the chemist. They pester my DH every time he goes in. Stick to your GPs advice. I’m on bp meds and would be thrilled with that reading.

Your blood pressure is NOT high. In fact, your blood pressure isn't too far off from what you would expect to find in a twenty to thirty year old, ie.120/70