Blood pressure fluctuations - advice please?

Any advice on which reasonably priced at home monitor to buy?

We are on our 2nd Omron and have found them to be reliable. About £30, I think, on the long river company.

White coat syndrome plays a part but also I've found GP's can take bp and then 5 mins later do it again and get completely different results. Even taking measurement in different arm means a different result sometimes.

Even my readings at home are high the first couple of times, I really don’t like that machine, but then settle for the rest of the week before I email them in.

A BP normally goes up and down during the daytime depending on what you are doing.
I use an Omron upper arm machine because it seems to be what many surgeries use. I don’t think the wrist types are as reliable.

I bought mine from our local chain of pharmacies, Lloyd’s, and cost about £29 I think. I always take three readings and record the average. Reducing your salt intake to the absolute minimum will greatly help to lower the rate.

My blood pressure goes up and down - I have a monitor at home and once had to do a weeks testing for the doctor. Well- every day it went up and down constantly- I felt no different- the doctor made no comment- so now I hardly ever use it!!

Sometimes if you are not well it can go higher than normal- I know mine does.

Chronic pain is also responsible for raising BP.

Mine fluctuates much more and in shorter spaces of time than that. That's with the BP monitors that GPs and hospitals use.

At home I check my blood pressure properly. Place feet flat on the floor. Put on cuff. Sit quietly about the length of time for a song to play through. Press activation button.

At the doctor's office they bring me in, immediately sit me down and take my blood pressure. Of course it's going to be higher!!

May have been white coat syndrome! As soon as Dr mentioned blood pressure it shot up there and then. Sure you will get a good reading next time.

I take my BP at home every few weeks, and send the results in to the surgery every few months. I even give myself 'white coat syndrome'! The only way I can bring it down is to sit comfortably with the cuff on, preferably with the sun on my face, until I find myself almost dropping off to sleep. I then press the 'go' button to take it by surprise! It then usually reads about 125/70, yet when I first sit down it is 150+.

I've always had low blood pressure, which suddenly got higher. The Doctor said it might be white coat syndrome, where just being at the dr's makes it raise. But to be sure he put me on the 24 hour monitor, apart from being a bit uncomfortable in bed it was ok. My bood pressure fluctuated within the 24 hours, went up to 180/ 90 and down to 127/ 68 over, up and down all within the 24 hours. Although higher than it's been all my life now it's still within normal limits. I would suggest you accept what the doctor has offered and go for the 24 hour monitor, hopefully it'll put your mind at rest.

The BP readings between sitting and standing can vary a fair bit. Don't panic over it, that will only make it worse.

I bought my BP monitor from Amazon. Practice nurse advised taking it the same time every day … she also said it was important to empty my bladder and sit quietly for 15 mins before taking a reading.

I have a watch that records my blood pressure, temperature, respirations, pulse, oxygen sats, sleep and steps every few minutes and sends it to my watch (part of a trial) which is really handy as just the tightening to above my pain threshold sends my BP up instantly. This way I can just give the GP (in those days when you could actually see one!) a screenshot of the graph for the past 24 hours and one of the averages for the week. HRT review sorted!

Help. I have been asked to record mine and write down the lowest so if I have 160 over 80 and 149 over 90 which is lowest top or bottom? Please

The NHS do not recommend wrist monitors, except in certain circumstances, if you do use one you should tell the doc that the measurements are wrist neasurements as often they are different tonines taken at the upper arm
For a list of recommended ones
bihsoc.org/bp-monitors/for-home-use/
www.nhs.uk/conditions/blood-pressure-test/?msclkid=f11b6f24d10b11ec907c74e39cd32924

Glenfinnan

I bought my BP monitor from Amazon. Practice nurse advised taking it the same time every day … she also said it was important to empty my bladder and sit quietly for 15 mins before taking a reading.

Don't forget that the cuff should be level with your heart. Otherwise, the reading will be too low or too high.

georgiejg

Help. I have been asked to record mine and write down the lowest so if I have 160 over 80 and 149 over 90 which is lowest top or bottom? Please

I think they are more interested in the top figure, so I would record the 149/90.

Hi

Several things

-Wrists monitors always under record blood pressure
-BP generally increases at the doctors appointment (white coat syndrome)
-the top figure (systolic/pressure when heart is pumping) can increase with stress, hot weather, when you are thirsty)
-bottom figure (diastolic/pressure when hear relaxed) tends to stay constant
- some medications can increase blood pressure
-BP often creeps up with age because it blood vessels are less flexible so don’t resist the pressure so well.

You would never diagnose high BP on a single event so it is good practice to send someone home for 24 hour monitoring in a place where they are relaxed.

Some people need medication but other things can help like increasing fluids, reducing salt, losing excess weight etc. the British Heart Foundation have lots of useful advise on their webpage.

Heavier people need larger blood pressure cuffs. Smaller ones can lead to the blood pressure being recorded as higher than it really it.

The cheap blood pressure monitors are useful to have at home but use one for the arm and not the wrist or finger. You don’t need to spend more than £15.

Most pharmacies will check your BP for free

Please don’t worry. It’s probably nothing and is probably easily treatable

I use BP machines at home. My BP surges up and down between systolic 130 and systolic 188. My doctor said to take an extra Ramipril if it went over 180, which I have done several times.
My diastolic BP is always too high, hardly fluctuates ,and for this my doctor doubled my regular dose of Ramipril.

I sit down and rest as much as I can, and avoid sudden changes of posture. I try to avoid anxiety !

Thank you. Ordered the Omron x2 from Amazon. Arrived this morning.

I'm not a medical person but was advised that caffine can effect readings/efficasy of many drugs. Try using decaff tea/coffee or don't take readings within 2 hours of drinking