Blood pressure - aortic aneurysm?

[Catie]

Hi. I know we're not supposed to let our BP go too high with an aneurysm. At what point is there cause for concern and possibly need for medication? Mine used to always be super low all my life till the last couple years. Today at CVS, I registered 129/70 and then 120/70, the highest ever for me. (I've also had a lowgrade headache most of the week. Could be anxiety/tension, I suppose.)

 

[DavesMom]

Hi Catie,

I have a 4.5 cm aneurysm and my cardio says she doesn't want my BP to go over 120/85 so yours looks pretty good. It could be tension/anxiety or even caffeine. My BP tends to skyrocket at work - one day I took it during my break and it was in the 180s. Yikes! Not good for the ol' aneurysm.

Hope this helps.

 

[skeptic49]

I have read (I forget where) some recommendations that call for strict BP control in patients with aneurysms with a max BP goal of 100/60. My own BP is in the pre-hypertension range, typically 130/80but my cardio has not put me on any BP meds yet.

Jim

 

[Maryka]

My BP is all over the place. I went on both beta blockers and regular BP meds as soon as my aneurysm was discovered. I had to get my own BP cuff (which I highly recommend to you). Even at home my BP will be all over the place but it is very much worse at the doctor's office unless they give me time to rest and chill out and then retake it. As a rule of thumb, however, when you have a known aneurysm, they want you to have a consistantly low BP. Please get that home BP reader and take your BP at lot. (Even take the reader to work...you will see others reading their BP at work if you watch for it.) Also, try to learn to relax as much as possible.

 

[skeptic49]

My BP is all over the place. I went on both beta blockers and regular BP meds as soon as my aneurysm was discovered. I had to get my own BP cuff (which I highly recommend to you). Even at home my BP will be all over the place but it is very much worse at the doctor's office unless they give me time to rest and chill out and then retake it. As a rule of thumb, however, when you have a known aneurysm, they want you to have a consistantly low BP. Please get that home BP reader and take your BP at lot. (Even take the reader to work...you will see others reading their BP at work if you watch for it.) Also, try to learn to relax as much as possible.

This is great advice. I too have a home BP cuff...mine is made by Omron, and I keep careful track of my BP. You can download a free Excel spreadsheet BP program (Google it) that lets you enter your readings and track them.

Jim

 

[Shobu]

For those with smartphones, there are a number of good apps out that will track inputted BP, HR, and graph it over time for you. The one I have on mine is "BP logs" from the Apple app store, and it has been faithfully storing and tracking my measurements for the last several months. I'm sure there are other ones out there that are just as good too.
Good luck!

--Dan

 

[Catie]

Wow, you guys are such a wonderful resource. Thanks so much for all your replies. That night I stepped into a Minute Clinic and had the PA do a free BP: 120/74, so I think I'll be ok if I get to walking more regularly and start dropping a little weight. Been a super-stressful time the last few months.

Yes...in the next few days I plan to pick up a monitor and start keeping closer watch. I did a little online research. Sounds like they're pretty accurate & inexpensive. Seems wise to start tracking it at this point.

Thanks a lot!