Could you please explain blood pressure to me?

[Jean in Newcastle]

I have always had low blood pressure - in the 117/70 range. Nurses would always joke - "Are you alive?" and then take it again, while setting the meter for a much lower number. Then I got this virus and subsequently this pericarditis and my bp has shot up into the 162/92 range. I'm in this weird medical limbo right now because of the long Thanksgiving weekend and the fact that my Dr. only works 3 days a week. The ER Dr. gave me vague general directions to treat my pericarditis with high doses of anti-inflammatories and to monitor my bp to see that it doesn't get too high. Anti-inflammatories seem to keep my bp lower - when I get close to my next dose my bp shoots way up. But any exertion seems to do the same. I have an echocardiogram scheduled for Wed. and I'm trying to get a follow-up visit scheduled with the Dr. (which for some reason they didn't bother to set up. . .).

 

Ok - enough back ground! My dh told me to try and sit the same way each time I take my bp so it can be compared better. This morning I took my bp on first waking while still lying down - it was 115/72. I got up, walked slowly about 10 feet to the bathroom then came back. I was feeling a bit bad (chokey) so I took it again, this time sitting up in bed. It was 145/89. Even with the changes from lying down to sitting up and walking a few feet, really? I had to sit there quietly for 5 min. before taking it again, still sitting up in bed. It went down to 125/85.

 

So - am I taking my bp correctly? I want accurate data to give my Dr. I also want accurate data to help me monitor my own progress and dosing since at this point, no one else (other than dh:001_wub:) seems interested in doing this. Yesterday my bp fluctuated through the day from 117/75 to 162/92 and then one time 145/113 (that number had dh running into the bedroom to check on me - why?).

[kalanamak]

I have always had low blood pressure - in the 117/70 range. Nurses would always joke - "Are you alive?"

 

Even with the changes from lying down to sitting up and walking a few feet, really? I had to sit there quietly for 5 min. before taking it again, still sitting up in bed. It went down to 125/85.

 

.

 

1) I don't consider 117/70 alarming in any way. I was 95/65 until I was in my late 30s. My family faints easily, but doesn't have hypertension problems. I'm not sure why a nurse would say that, except to be conversational, or perhaps they are used to caring for people who run high.

 

2) Really? Yes. When we are lying down, our heart does not have to pump against gravity to get blood to our brains. When we stand up there is a circus of reactions, from constricting our blood vessels to increasing our cardiac output, all to get blood up to our precious brain, now against several feet of gravity. This is why when we check orthostatic blood pressures to check for dehydration, we have the person *stand* for 5 minutes to normalize the situation before re-checking. This, in the hands of the unwise and inexperienced, has led to some less than comical scenes, such as two med students holding up a PERSON WHO HAS FAINTED, trying to make the 5 minute mark before re-checking. (This wasn't me, but I heard the reaming that came later.)

 

HTH

Kay....home today hacking up green globs.

[Jean in Newcastle]

So Kay (or others) - what is the right way for me to do this so that I can get accurate data? Give me step by step instructions!

[Laurie4b]

Your highest bp of the day will be after you first get out of bed. Your body has to excrete large amounts of cortisol to move you from a sleeping/prone state to a waking/standing state.

 

Your bp will be different when lying down.

 

Take your bp while sitting with your arm on a table in front of you, but not a table that would put your arm above your heart level. Put the cuff on about an inch above your elbow. There should be directions on the bp monitor. It's important that a certain part of the cuff be right on top of the artery that runs down your arm. Do not talk or move while your bp is being taken.

 

Your bp will range around anyway during the day; it is not a static number--you are looking to see what general range it's in. It is higher if your bladder is full, right after you've exercised, etc. It begins to drop right before bedtime, etc. You can google bp fluctuations over the day and get an idea.

[kalanamak]

So Kay (or others) - what is the right way for me to do this so that I can get accurate data? Give me step by step instructions!

 

Sit for five minutes, use the same arm (and check both the first couple of times), have the arm relaxed and resting so that the upper arm is at the level of your heart.

[KidsHappen]

Your normal BP seems normal to me. Mine used to be 80/60 before I started having all my problems. I did occasionally faint because it dropped too low. Now it runs about 140/90 unless of course I am under a lot of stress of having a lot of pain at which point it can shoot up to 180-190/120-130. It can also change drastically within minutes for no apparently reason. I don't even bother trying to take it at home because I never get consistant results. Even my nurse gets a much higher reading than my dr. so he always has to take it again when he comes in the room. They really are looking at the general trend though not each individual reading unless of course you have a serious spike which can be dangerous. Whenever I spike like that, the meds always come out before they even figure out exactly what is causing the pain. Other than that, I really don't have any better understanding than you. I try not to worry about it, probably because I am so busy worried about the pain.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm happy with my normal low blood pressure.

 

The reason I'm even fiddling with the whole bp thing is because it is specifically caused by the inflammation in my body right now. So it is an indicator of how well the anti-inflammatories are working for me. Also whenever it gets over 145 (top number) I get all chokey in my throat, I get a weird "entire head" kind of head ache and chest pain.

 

Thank you for the instructions. That will help me monitor this thing better.

[cjbeach]

I think you're taking it correctly. I think you're seeing an elevation because your body is working hard, it's under stress right now with the pericarditis.

When is your appointment again? The comment you made about the choking feeling is giving me the vibe that you may have some fluid build-up.

Are you on an antibiotic as well for it?

What a roller coaster this has been for you Jean. I'm sorry it's been so rough and pray you find some relief soon. I'm with your dh on this Jean, pericarditis is serious business. Sending many, many get well wishes from Florida.

You must be exhausted. Please continue to take it easy.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I think you're taking it correctly. I think you're seeing an elevation because your body is working hard, it's under stress right now with the pericarditis.

When is your appointment again? The comment you made about the choking feeling is giving me the vibe that you may have some fluid build-up.

Are you on an antibiotic as well for it?

What a roller coaster this has been for you Jean. I'm sorry it's been so rough and pray you find some relief soon. I'm with your dh on this Jean, pericarditis is serious business. Sending many, many get well wishes from Florida.

You must be exhausted. Please continue to take it easy.

 

Thank you, Kathy. I think after 3 days we've finally figured out the dosing and the staggering of the anti-inflammatories right. My bp has been normal all day! I called the Drs. office and they tried to give me a Drs. appointment for a week and a half out! My "mommy's voice" came to the fore and I explained to them that I am having to manage my pericarditis with no medical support (the ER was great but they can't give good instructions on non-emergent things like that) and that was medical negligence for me to not be under a Drs. supervision. They got me an appointment for tomorrow morning. My dh is insisting on driving me and coming to the appointment. I have no antibiotics at this time but I don't know if it is viral or bacterial pericarditis.

 

Yes, I'm exhausted. I bent down to pat the cat and almost ended up on the floor due to dizziness. The kids put me to bed and I slept for 2 hours this afternoon.

[dancer67]

The best way to take your blood pressure is at the same time every day. And in the same position.

 

Sit for 5 minutes.

 

You take it once, and throw out that number. Wait another 2 minutes, take it again. Wait another two minutes, take it again. Then average those two together. That is your actual BP.

 

Make sure your arm is at heart level. It can give you false numbers if your arm is just slightly off.

 

Don't take your BP lying down. That will give you a false reading.

 

Your numbers are slightly high, but not life threatning. Most of it sounds like it is do to your medications, and being sick.

 

Feel better:grouphug:

[Jean in Newcastle]

The best way to take your blood pressure is at the same time every day. And in the same position.

 

Sit for 5 minutes.

 

You take it once, and throw out that number. Wait another 2 minutes, take it again. Wait another two minutes, take it again. Then average those two together. That is your actual BP.

 

Make sure your arm is at heart level. It can give you false numbers if your arm is just slightly off.

 

Don't take your BP lying down. That will give you a false reading.

 

Your numbers are slightly high, but not life threatning. Most of it sounds like it is do to your medications, and being sick.

 

Feel better:grouphug:

 

Thanks, Dancer. You're right that the numbers aren't life threatening. But the numbers are one of the things that alerted the doctors and me to the inflammation that was getting worse and worse. Initially I was sent to the ER because my airway was closing up. Then I was put on steroids but the steroids weren't doing anything about the inflammation so it (and my bp numbers) were getting worse every day. That gave me cardiac symptoms which sent me to the ER. . . Now we're getting a handle on it but it's been rough going.

[Parrothead]

Make sure you don't cross your legs or hold your breath. And don't stress yourself out about it. You can develop "white coat syndrome."

[Jean in Newcastle]

Make sure you don't cross your legs or hold your breath. And don't stress yourself out about it. You can develop "white coat syndrome."

 

:lol: I'll make sure I'm relaxed about it!

[lisabelle]

One more thing: Nowadays in the doctor's office they tend to do your blood pressure over your sleeves. It has been my experience (based on winter v. summer readings) that my blood pressure is reads 15-20 points higher with sleeves. I don't know why they think it doesn't make a difference! If I were checking at home, I'd definitely do bare arm.

[dancer67]

Thanks, Dancer. You're right that the numbers aren't life threatening. But the numbers are one of the things that alerted the doctors and me to the inflammation that was getting worse and worse. Initially I was sent to the ER because my airway was closing up. Then I was put on steroids but the steroids weren't doing anything about the inflammation so it (and my bp numbers) were getting worse every day. That gave me cardiac symptoms which sent me to the ER. . . Now we're getting a handle on it but it's been rough going.

 

Gosh, Jean. I have been reading your posts and I really hope you are going to be on the road to recovery soon.

 

That must have been so scary for you.

 

You are in my prayers:grouphug::grouphug:

[cjbeach]

Thank you, Kathy. I think after 3 days we've finally figured out the dosing and the staggering of the anti-inflammatories right. My bp has been normal all day! I called the Drs. office and they tried to give me a Drs. appointment for a week and a half out! My "mommy's voice" came to the fore and I explained to them that I am having to manage my pericarditis with no medical support (the ER was great but they can't give good instructions on non-emergent things like that) and that was medical negligence for me to not be under a Drs. supervision. They got me an appointment for tomorrow morning. My dh is insisting on driving me and coming to the appointment. I have no antibiotics at this time but I don't know if it is viral or bacterial pericarditis.

 

Yes, I'm exhausted. I bent down to pat the cat and almost ended up on the floor due to dizziness. The kids put me to bed and I slept for 2 hours this afternoon.

Sleep on, rest on, Jean. Your body will give the cues it needs. But YAY on 2 counts: Bp and appointment! Mommy voices are wonderful!

Please, please update tomorrow. I'll keep you in my prayers.

I'm with your dh on allowing him to drive you. :) What a good hubby. Sometimes it helps just to have the second set of ears in there as well.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Sleep on, rest on, Jean. Your body will give the cues it needs. But YAY on 2 counts: Bp and appointment! Mommy voices are wonderful!

Please, please update tomorrow. I'll keep you in my prayers.

I'm with your dh on allowing him to drive you. :) What a good hubby. Sometimes it helps just to have the second set of ears in there as well.

 

Thanks, Kathy. I talked to a pharmacist tonight and she gave me some tips on dosages for the anti-inflammatories. But she was concerned that if I stay on these high doses that I'm going to kill my stomach. So we'll have to address that tomorrow. I do not want to exchange one problem for another.

[Lawana]

Your highest bp of the day will be after you first get out of bed. Your body has to excrete large amounts of cortisol to move you from a sleeping/prone state to a waking/standing state.

 

That's not true for me at all. My bp is usually lowest in the morning. E.g. 105/75 when I first get up, and often lasting until mid morning, vs. 135/85 in the afternoon.

[Jean in Newcastle]

That's not true for me at all. My bp is usually lowest in the morning. E.g. 105/75 when I first get up, and often lasting until mid morning, vs. 135/85 in the afternoon.

 

I did chuckle a little bit at this. I have an adrenal problem and have no cortisol in the mornings. But I wasn't sure if this was normal or not for most people.

[Nestof3]

1) I don't consider 117/70 alarming in any way. I was 95/65 until I was in my late 30s. My family faints easily, but doesn't have hypertension problems. I'm not sure why a nurse would say that, except to be conversational, or perhaps they are used to caring for people who run high.

 

 

 

Yes, mine has always been about 94/60. My mom, who is 70, still has a blood pressure the same.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yes, mine has always been about 94/60. My mom, who is 70, still has a blood pressure the same.

 

To clarify, I didn't see this number as alarming either. I was just saying the nurses would joke about it because they always started to look for my bp higher up.

[AuntieM]

To clarify, I didn't see this number as alarming either. I was just saying the nurses would joke about it because they always started to look for my bp higher up.

 

Mine runs low too, Jean, and on the rare occasions when it's high *for me* and I mention it to the nurse, they say, oh no, that's a great pressure reading.

Yeah, but, it's high *for me*....

 

Hope you feel better soon and that Tuesday goes by quickly and restfully for you, and that you get a great, informative echocardiogram on Wednesday so the doc can see exactly what's going on.

[Liz CA]

As far as why your dh came in to check on you when you reported a 145/higher than 100? is perhaps he was worried about a high diastolic pressure.

 

The first number is the systolic pressure (pressure blood exerts on vessels during heart beat), the second number is diastolic pressure (pressure in your blood vessels between heart beats). A fairly high diastolic pressure number is often worrying docs more than a higher systolic number. This is how my doc explained it in laymen terms. My usual BP is always around 115-125/70-75.

Yours seems fine. I don't know though how the pericarditis influences BP.

 

Hope this makes any sense to you.

[Peela]

DH always had low blood pressure but then in his 50s it has started going past normal into high. Apparently that is fairly normal/common for low blood pressure people. The same for my mother- always low, then went high as she got older. Both are overweight.

I wouldn't mind a bit of higher blood pressure. At 80/60 on a good day, sometimes it's hard to do much.

It sounds pretty normal that your bp is fluctuating. Probably just tkaign readings at the same time each day, sitting in the same place in the same position, would give you a useful average.

[Nestof3]

I remember once when I had strep. They took my blood pressure and it was 115 or so over something. They said, "normal." I had to let them know it wasn't normal. I was concerned about it, and the nurse said that sickness can elevate blood pressure.

 

On the other hand, when I was having SVTs, the doctors put me on a beta blocker just until the cardiac ablation. I started losing it mentally -- crying all the time, not having any clarity, feeling very confused. It turns out, I shouldn't have been put on that beta blocker because it made my blood pressure dive way too low.

 

I also remember being fluid-deprived, and they had a hard time getting blood out of me because my blood pressure was so low. So fluid intake can affect blood pressure as well.

 

Unfortunately, that is the extent of my understanding of BP. ;)

 

To clarify, I didn't see this number as alarming either. I was just saying the nurses would joke about it because they always started to look for my bp higher up.

[Jean in Newcastle]

DH always had low blood pressure but then in his 50s it has started going past normal into high. Apparently that is fairly normal/common for low blood pressure people. The same for my mother- always low, then went high as she got older. Both are overweight.

I wouldn't mind a bit of higher blood pressure. At 80/60 on a good day, sometimes it's hard to do much.

It sounds pretty normal that your bp is fluctuating. Probably just tkaign readings at the same time each day, sitting in the same place in the same position, would give you a useful average.

 

Yes, but that happens over time. My bp went from low normal to high overnight with this virus. Fluctuating bp is also normal. But mine will jump 30 (points?) in an hour. So there is no question that this is a function of rampaging inflammation:) I go to the Dr. in a little over an hour. I talked to a pharmacist last night who was concerned what the high doses of anti-inflammatories might be doing to my stomach. But since I wasn't responding at all to the steroids but was getting worse while on them, I'm not sure what other options I would have. It will be interesting to see what he says.

[Unicorn.]

117/70 is a good bp! Yes stress and illness make it go up- that quick. I will add one thing, vitamin C can help lower your bp, so while you are keeping yourself hydrated- drink a glass or two of OJ during the day!

[Laurie4b]

That's not true for me at all. My bp is usually lowest in the morning. E.g. 105/75 when I first get up, and often lasting until mid morning, vs. 135/85 in the afternoon.

 

That is what my doctor told me and I also found it when I googled. My doctor specifically said, "Do NOT take your bp when you first get up--it will be sky high" and the reason why. It goes down pretty quickly after rising, I never take mine until after breakfast for this reason. This is also one of the reasons that heart attacks are most common in the mornings.http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1825044,00.html

[cjbeach]

Checking in Jean....

 

Hope you had a good appointment and have some answers this morning :)

 

-Kathy

[Jean in Newcastle]

Checking in Jean....

 

Hope you had a good appointment and have some answers this morning :)

 

-Kathy

 

Thanks. I did go to the Dr. this morning. He didn't really say anything different than what the ER doc said- basically stick with the anti-inflammatories at high doses around the clock since that is working. I go again very early tomorrow morning for the echocardiogram. He's pretty sure that it is just pericarditis but wants to make sure some other things aren't going on since I'm having some abnormal symptoms. He said they'll call with the echo results. He also had me set up another appointment in 1 month because my liver enzymes are elevated and have been for the last year. He doesn't want to explore that though until these other acute symptoms are taken care of.