BP Cuff-o-phobic!!!

[Marguerite53]

And I thought all of you claustrophobic MRI-ers were wussies! I called my cardio friday because I hadn't been able to calm down after an exchange with our homebuilder about unfinished warranty work (grrrr) and was feeling kinda punk, still, a day later. She wanted me to begin monitoring my blood pressure. So this morning, after dropping my daughter off early for her SAT II test, I swung by a local Walmart type store to see about getting a home device. Well the pharmacy area was closed, no one around. There was the little sit down BP machine. I've never used one. So I read the instructions, slipped my arm in, pushed the button and then the panic set in!!! It just kept getting tighter and tighter and wasn't stopping. Nothing was registering on the digital. NO ONE was even close by. I really started to feel panicky and like the thing was never going to let go of my arm!!! and there was no velcro, no moving it!!! Geez. That is the last time I'm going to stick my arm in one of those!! Needless to say, I don't think that the reading it gave me was particularly accurate for a "resting" bp!!

So, help me out here and please recommend some home bp measuring devices that have worked or not worked for you before I go shelling out $50 for the wrong thing!

Thank you!! The new wuss on the block.........Marguerite

 

[tobagotwo]

That wasn't a blood pressure machine. It is actually a new gimmick for spotting heart patients, based on the principle of the famous Roach Motel, with model upgrades inspired by the DCon Rodent Glue Traps.

There are many good home blood pressure testing units on the market today. I have two suggestions:

- My doctor said that the one brand that always calibrated properly to his sphygmomanometer was AND. Thus, I have an AND model UA767.

- Almost all home blood pressure testing units are manufactured in Asia (mostly China). For some reason, many of them contain arm cuffs that are too small to be accurately used on the large arms of many Americans. Before shopping for a BP machine, measure the circumference of your upper arm, at about the middle of your bicep. Bring the measurement with you in both inches and centimeters. The specifications of the unit will give the range of arm circumference measurements that it can accurately measure your blood pressure around.

Best wishes,

 

[Ross]

The one below is very similiar to the older Omron model I have and it was around $35 when I bought it 2 years ago.

http://www.omronhealthcare.com/enTouchCMS/app/viewDocument?docID=18&parntCatgId=24

 

[tobagotwo]

Try as I might, I can't find AND on the web as a manufacturer of blood pressure monitors. They must have been bought out. As such, I would suggest you go with Ross's unit, or one like it. Remember about the cuff size, though.

When I was wearing that 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor, I was trimming huge poison ivy vines in the woods, while balancing over a swampy area on a slippery log. That blasted thing started up just as I made an especially difficult reach, and it cranked up so high, it darn near cut my arm off. And it stayed that way for a minute or so, deciding if it was an accurate reading or not. Man, did that hurt.

Frequently, the angle at which your arm is in the cuff affects how the supermarket/Walmart/drugstore type treats you. If you're at an angle, it'll squeeze all the juice out of your arm, and then tell you it got an error.

Best wishes,

 

[Ross]

When those cuffs pump up, they should never exceed 200mmHg. There is an emergency stop button on those things also.

 

[Marguerite53]

Perfect! I can order one online.

Perfect! I can order one online.

Thank you both!

Bob, your humor was much appreciated! I was truly in a panic, frantically looking around for a razor within reach so as to dramatically slash myself free! I had already given up on moving it in search of a plug. Finally, of course, I stopped moving and it stopped cinching and, whew, it was done! I'm not a thin Lizzie so that may have been part of the sensation. I will measure and be sure I order an ample cuff.

Both yours and Ross's recommendations came up readily on a website. ( I Google) Ross's appears to be abit cheaper (though not as cheap as 2 years ago!!) so I'll compare and figure it out. Bob, the AND came up A&D and then Lifesource, FYI.

Thanks again! Marguerite

 

[Gemma]

Marge,
I went on holiday to Denmark with my family when I was about 7, my brother was 5. We were in some kind of aeronautical museum and they had a blood pressure machine (something to do with testing pilots' health I think) on a display. Of course, I could figure out how to get my brother's arm into the cuff and get it started but guess what happened then? I decided it wasn't secure enough and stuck the free end underneath his arm So it just kept getting tighter and tighter!!! Fortunately my dad came along and figured out how to stop it, but needless to say my brother has had a phobia of blood pressure machines ever since
Oh, Jim and my dad both have the model Bob mentioned - cost about 65 GBP including postage but it's a great monitor and easy to use. Also has quick-release velcro
Gemma.

 

[bvdr]

When I was in the hospital last January, I was on a blood pressure monitor a good portion of the time. Several times I took it off since it was just too tight even when not inflated. When I got home, sure enough, my entire arm was encircled with bruising. My grandson put his arm into one of those drug-store units and it scared him so bad he doesn't go anywhere near them now.

 

[tobagotwo]

In the hospital, there is always a guy who shows up at 2:00 in the morning to take your blood pressure. You know the one. He says, "I'm sorry, but we have to take these readings." Then he shoves in the oral thermometer, and pops on the finger-clamp heartbeat monitor, and starts cranking up that obnoxious bp machine. I guess they're afraid that if you get too much sleep, you might get better and leave the hospital sooner.

The guy I got one night was obviously not well trained. He put the cuff on my elbow and cranked it up. The result was something like 101/96. He remarked that it was an unusual reading. I woke up just enough to realize that when he left, alarms would go off, and people would be running in, jumping on my chest, and filling my IV with toxic chemicals, trying to resuscitate me.

"Hold it. You're not leaving with that reading." I showed him how the cuff had to be set up on the other arm. You have to wonder how accurate the rest of the readings were.

 

[Abbanabba]

I've got a great little unit which straps onto your wrist with velcro, so there's no fear of having your arm (or hand) fall off. They usually retail for around AU$250, but I managed to find a medical outlet on Ebay and got mine for AU$55 which included a 12 month warranty.

Cheers
Anna : )

 

[hensylee]

I have several Omrons (for various and sundry reasons - none of which is for leg, neck, wrist, toes, elbows, etc) and they have always been a good units. Had to replace the cuff, telephoned Omron (the # is on the unit), they had a replacement and I didn't have to buy an entire unit.