blood pressure

[Jason]

This may be easily answered by just telling me to stop checking so often, but thought I would ask anyway. I have an Omron HEM-650 wrist cuff blood pressure monitor, and have been checking my pressure and heart rate for the last 3-4 weeks. It has been fairly consistent with metoprolol and amiodorone, bouncing here and there with activity. Now, in the last few days, it seems to be jumping around a bit more. For instance, I checked just about 10 minutes ago and it was 142/87. Wait for a few minutes, and it is 106/60. The second of these is much more consistent with what I have been experiencing since the surgery and meds. This isn't the only time it seems to have spiked, with a few night ago going as high at 152/95. Again, waited a few minutes and it was down to 110/65 or so.

My question is if anyone else has experienced something like this, am I just checking too frequently, could the monitor be malfunctioning, might my body be becoming accustomed to the meds, should I call my doc, etc. Again, this seems to be something new as I have been checking blood pressure for 3-4 weeks and I haven't seen these spikes until the last few days. Also, my heart rate has stayed fairly consistent through all these changes. Let me know what you think.

 

[CATDOG]

I'm not a dr, but I believe the numbers you are getting when checking 10 min later show good recuperative ability. I think you should focus on that more so than the numbers when exercising or going about all you have to do in a day.
I'm assuming that the readings are not malfunctions, although I think my mom's wrist cuff is slightly less accurate / has more variation in consecutive readings than our digital arm cuff. However, I did not really pursue the issue extensively at the time of comparison, so this really is just a vague impression. (I'm also not sure how much multiple consecutive readings might alter results either.)

 

[Bryan B]

Jason,

My BP has been fluctuating quite a bit too and I am at the 7 week mark (tomorrow). I also have a wrist cuff monitor but also a traditional arm cuff. It is harder to get your wrist right at heart level and that is important to getting an accurate reading. Too low and you will get a false high reading...too high and you will get a false low reading. I use the wrist cuff for a quick reading as I have it sitting right next to my desk/computer, but I have more faith in the arm cuff. Also make sure that you take a resting BP reading...that is usually around 5 minutes if you haven't already been sitting relatively still.

I have been getting readings anywhere from 160/100 to 115/75...but I have noticed that my heart rate stays consistent at it's normal level with all readings that I take. At my cardio visit last Tuesday it was high yet he was not overly concerned. I told him about my heart pounding and how it pounds more when I am sitting or laying down (sitting when nurse took BP). He said that my heart was still remodeling so that was probably causing the pounding and there will be some fluctuation in my BP (but everything sounded great). He said to keep an eye on it and take it 3 times a day (and take it in both arms). He said if I don't see the (high) fluctuations reduce within a month or if I get some crazy high readings to call him and they will re-evaluate the situation. BTW I am on Metoprolol 50mg twice a day. This works great for my heart rate but doesn't do much for my BP. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up on a calcium channel blocker or ace inhibitor by my next appointment. I was being treated for high BP for 2 years before my surgery but it came on fairly suddenly so they thought it was being caused by my worsening condition. Unfortunately hypertension runs in my family so it could be a hereditary thing.

 

[Jason]

Thanks, Bryan and CATDOG. I appreciate the responses. Based on your discussion with the cardio Bryan, I will definitely bring this up next week at my appointment. I think I may get an arm cuff BP monitor as well, as I would rest better knowing the true reading. It may be that my pressures were high due to non-resting states, as I haven't been religious about resting for five minutes prior to checking. However, I haven't really done that all along, either, so not sure if that is the cause... In any case, I will definitely bring it up with him next week. Thanks again for the responses.

 

[Lionheart]

Jason,
There was some recent discussion about BP measuring recently on this thread titled: "Blood Pressure with Valve disease... Ok I need help explaining this" Link = http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?37929-Blood-Pressure-with-Valve-disease...-Ok-I-need-help-explaining-this
Especially see Duff Man's response and the link he provided to Univ. of Michigan Health System. They say that the wrist cuffs are unreliable and they only recommend upper arm monitors and you need to make sure the arm cuff fits because a cuff that is too small will give inaccurate (high) readings.
Best
John

 

[Duff Man]

what lionheart said - also, just know that blood pressure varies from second to second.

 

[Jason]

Okay, so update on this. For the past two days my blood pressure has been increasing, and staying higher than it has in the last 4 weeks. I don't recall what was going on with blood pressure before 4 weeks ago, as I didn't write it down. Anyway, the metoprolol has been pretty effective at keeping me in low to normal blood pressures, say 105-115/60-70 with the few spikes I mentioned above and some depressions of blood pressure down to 95/50 or so. For the last two days, however, it has been higher, ranging from 125/75 to 155/92. These are resting values. I didn't know if this was something to be concerned with or not, so called my cardiologist's office. His nurse and I talked, and she seemed to think it might just be anxiety, but she would send something to the cardio. He sent back to her and she called me to let me know that I should start my Lotrel again, which is a mix of amlodipine (10mg, calcium channel blocker) and benazeprel (20mg, ACE inhibitor). She told me to take one right now, and then gradually work it back to where it is a morning pill with all the rest.

Anyone else on metoprolol, calcium channel blocker, and ACE inhibitor? I trust the doc more than me on medical knowledge, but it does seem a bit sudden of a change. After thinking about it, the nurse may have been right that it is anxiety, I suppose. I am a bit concerned with adding this suddenly, although I already took the pill and I was the one that called with the concern. I am hoping it isn't just me causing anxiety on myself and raising my blood pressure.

 

[Michelle D]

This is just my experience, I did obessesively check my blood pressure and heart rate, it seemed between one and two months after my surgery I did seem to have more dramatic spikes and dips in my blood pressure. It is usually very low and never got high enough to worry about. It seems like it began when I starting being more physically actively, I told my husband it felt like a car that hasn't been driven in a while, it was kind of sketchy feeling (I can feel when my blood pressure goes up and down). I switched to Atenolol and off the metoprolol and it seemed to even out.

 

[Eva]

Jason,

Anxiety, salt, processed food, stress, lack of sleep and even caffeine (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/blood-pressure/AN00792) may cause elevation in BP.

My BP fluctuated a lot after my surgery. I even got "error" messages with no readings! So, for peace of mind and before buying a new one, I took my machine with me to my cardio's office. The readings of my machine and my cardio's were very close.

Since BP changes from one second to another and as recommended by doctors, it is best to take BP at the same time every day, after the same activity as on the day before or after resting for the same duration of time.

Good luck.

 

[Jason]

Jason,

Anxiety, salt, processed food, stress, lack of sleep and even caffeine (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/blood-pressure/AN00792) may cause elevation in BP.

My BP fluctuated a lot after my surgery. I even got "error" messages with no readings! So, for peace of mind and before buying a new one, I took my machine with me to my cardio's office. The readings of my machine and my cardio's were very close.

Since BP changes from one second to another and as recommended by doctors, it is best to take BP at the same time every day, after the same activity as on the day before or after resting for the same duration of time.

Good luck.

Thanks, Eva. I do believe I have been checking my BP too often, and obsessing about it. That being said, I have been checking it upon waking and just before dinner each night, as the sheet from U of M recommends. (among many other times through the day!) At those comparable times, my BP has been higher than recommended over the last week or so. At first I attributed it to the fact that my metoprolol was less active, out of my system, etc., as I take it at 7:30 AM and PM which is just after checking BP both times. Since I have been checking much more than just these two times a day, I know that it has been higher for the last two days in particular, although those may be invalid for many reasons. I need to just stop checking so often and trust in the meds and docs. Thanks again for the replies.

 

[Eva]

............ Since I have been checking much more than just these two times a day, I know that it has been higher for the last two days in particular, although those may be invalid for many reasons. I need to just stop checking so often and trust in the meds and docs. Thanks again for the replies.

Jason,

Metropolol is a generic medication and in many cases the strength *may* differ from one manufacturer/supplier to another!

I am wondering if you started a new prescription recently which could be manufactured by a different drug company. Pharmacies change suppliers often and may not always inform the patients. If so, check the new bottle's manufacturer against the older one's if you still have it, or call the pharmacy and ask them.

Just my two-cents thoughts. I personally do not respond well to generic medication.

 

[malibu82]

hi jason!

i just wanted to add that my doctor told me that you have to get a new blood pressure monitor every 6 months or they stop reading correctly! i had the same tester that you have, the omron one.

my numbers were all weird and when i bought a new one, back to normal!

so maybe try that?

 

[dick0236]

hi jason!

i just wanted to add that my doctor told me that you have to get a new blood pressure monitor every 6 months or they stop reading correctly! i had the same tester that you have, the omron one.

???, not sure I would agree with this. I have used an Omron #HEM-712KR for several years. The readings are still very close to my PCP and Cardio readings. I would suggest contacting Omron, www.omronhealthcare.com before throwin out my unit and spending $$$.

 

[Jason]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. I have backed off on how often I check blood pressure (when I first wake up and right before dinner) and those two points seem to be fairly consistent. I am not going to check any more often than this, which will probably be good for my mental health as well as my marriage! My wife was starting to wonder how many sets of batteries I was going to go through!

 

[timmyup7]

Best wishes Jason

 

[timmyup7]

Best wishes Jason