Blood pressure as high as 200/100 -- WTF?

[Anonymous]

I am very pregnant and my OB wants me to monitor my blood pressure daily, so I've been going to CVS to use their machine. Yesterday DH came with me and we were both shocked to see that his was 180/100. That was yesterday morning. He went back in the evening and it was 200/100.

He has been working out a ton, has lost a few pounds and could stand to lose about 20 more. We eat healthy breakfasts, and about 80% healthy dinners. His lunches are questionable at times during the work week but he's been fixing that too. He is a former smoker, quit a year ago and up until yesterday was chewing 1/2 size pieces of the lowest dose of Nicorette. I don't think he has had any since the blood pressure readings though. His alcohol consumption is not high, but he does have several beers over the weekend.

How accurate are those machines? It seemed to work fine for my reading.

We are both just freaked out. His lifestyle is NOT one that should cause a blood pressure level that high. He's going to get a doctor's appointment for as soon as possible. What gives? I guess sometimes it is just genetic, but those readings are insanely high.

Has this happened to anyone else?

[Anonymous]

There is no way to know how accurate that machine is unless you calibrate it with a known good one.

My home machine is fairly accurate relative to my doctor's when we compared in his office.

[Anonymous]

It's hard to tell how accurate they are, but it may be beneficial to buy a BP monitor for home. Those levels are scary though, and he should get checked out by a doctor...

[Anonymous]

Home machines are somewhat accurate, but my bp is usually much lower when a human takes it compared to a machine. He should go get checked out by his doctor.

The CVS machine seemed to match our home machine, for both DH and me.

[Anonymous]

OP here - we are also hoping the nurse won't mind taking it for him at my OB appt today. I am actually past due and could have this baby any day now which could interfere with whatever appt he makes.

Any recommendations for a home machine?

[Anonymous]

Before investing in a home machine I would have him go see his doctor. Has he had it checked there? Lots of people with undiagnosed high BP. And yes, you can be 'healthy' as in exercise and eating right, and still have high BP.
I would have him get to his doctor sooner rather than later.

[Anonymous]

Those readings are plausible. He needs to go to a dr. If it is so high he may neededicattion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Before investing in a home machine I would have him go see his doctor. Has he had it checked there? Lots of people with undiagnosed high BP. And yes, you can be 'healthy' as in exercise and eating right, and still have high BP.
I would have him get to his doctor sooner rather than later.

OP here - thanks. I agree that a doctor's visit is top priority. He may have already made an appt., I don't know.

He actually hasn't seen a doctor in 4 years, so we spent some time yesterday finding a primary care doc for him. When he had it checked four years ago it was borderline, but he was a smoker then.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes people have high blood pressure no matter how much they exercise, eat right, etc. Can be the case with black folks (of which I am one )

[Anonymous]

Diet, exercise, doesn't matter for some people -- like me. Essential hypertension happens even if you're doing everything right.

I would definitely advise getting a good home BP monitor. Like, right now. They're quite accurate. I have an Omron. In any case, he should make a GP appointment as soon as he can. Does your health insurance have a nurse's line? If accurate, his systolic is in the neighborhood of hypertensive crisis. Don't mess with that.

[Anonymous]

^^ me again. If it were me I would hie my butt to Target today and buy an Omron. Buy the arm kind, not the wrist kind. They're maybe $50-60, and it's not a waste of money because if he ever was borderline, you're going to want to keep track of this for the rest of his life. Please do it. And if the home readings are as high as the store readings, consider an urgent care clinic. They don't like chronic conditions, but will help you determine if it's an emergency.

Does he have headaches or blurred vision?

[Anonymous]

The monitors at pharmacies are hit or miss, but it wouldn't be surprising if your DH's BP is elevated, particularly since he was borderline a couple years ago. As is the case for lots of people, healthy habits aren't enough to counteract genetics. That's me. Haven't smoked since I was in school, eat healthy, exercise, etc. and am was borderline last time I checked. My dad went on BP meds in his mid-thirties and I'm just past that so I figure will be on meds by 40. Kinda depressing, but I've tried lots of different thing to lower it and am just glad I could stay off meds this long.

[Anonymous]

OP those BP levels are super high. Mine were consistently borderline-high like 140/90. Because of this and family history I now take medication. Genetics are about 40% part of it. I tried really hard to manage it through diet and exercise but with only minimal results. I'd take him to a CVS minute clinic today just to get a better reading. But he definitely needs to see a doctor immediately.

[Anonymous]

Does he take any OTC drugs for things like allergies? Some of those drugs can trigger spikes in people with regular or controlled blood pressure. If you Google the various OTC allergy drugs, each one has a different anecdote about someone experiencing problems that are not typical.

[Anonymous]

OP here - he is having trouble getting an appt before October. Does anyone have a recommendation for a primary care doctor in Alexandria or Arlington?