What's your BP Blood Pressure Readings Like?

[Skid Row Joe]

Or, do you know?
I've been taking mine 2Xdaily for 6-years now.

133/82 Morning
127/77 Bedtime

No meds

It's easier for me to control when not on-the-road, or at the doctor's where it's usually elevated!

[t walgamuth]

At rest before eating and drinking coffee about 108 over 60 with a heart rate of 60ish. After drinking some coffee and eating its higher.

[elchivito]

Usually 112 to 120 or so over 68-80. My resting pulse is about 60.
I get Dr's office HBP too.

[dynalow]

Before exercise yesterday 108/64; after 104/60.
What? Me worry?

[barry12345]

Originally Posted by dynalow

Before exercise yesterday 108/64; after 104/60.
What? Me worry?

All you posters so far sound very good to excellent blood pressure wise. Skid row yours is so relatively constant and normal why bother taking it twice a day? Tom as I know your age yours is probably much better than should be expected on average. Hopefully giving you a very long lifespan.

As for me I detected something was wrong while doing a roof. Anytime I got near an edge it bothered me. Even with a safety line. This was not normal for me so went and had my pressure checked amoungst other things.

Since that time medication has kept it bearable. Reciently after many years I have had to have the medication increased. I am not on heavy dosages yet. The doctor claims it is normal to require more medication as you go along though and apparently I did not till reciently. Same dosage kept me in line for twenty years pretty much.

For those not aware there are check valves built into the vascular system. If you ever hear or feel them working check your blood pressure. This is the way I estimate if my pressure is up or down.

In my case if I hear or feel one of them working I get myself checked out. I do not want to suffer a stroke if avoidable. After the last operation the surgeon suggested I go on 81 mg of asprin a day as well.

Elevated pressure goes with age usually to some extent. One forty over eighty is probably not that uncommon at my age for example. I do still hit lows of 130/70 at times.

Trying to keep your weight down and arteries unplugged is worth the effort in my opinion. Blood pressure medication has a negative side effect as it lowers the sex drive for many. Thankfully it did not impact mine in my fifties and sixties. Now I have reached the age that if I desired a new girl fiend I would probably have to frequent the retirement homes.

Probably blood pressure profiles are genetic somewhat in nature as well. My mother for example suffered it. My doctor will recheck me in another week to see how upping the dosage has done. The slight increase in dosage has helped substantially I can already feel. If it is enough we will see.

Part of my problem may be inadequate sleep. I get by on much less than I should probably have. My body has in general never wanted more than five hours a night usually. You cannot sleep if your body does not want you to. I go into deep sleep very fast awakening refreshed and ready to go. My transitions to both states are rapid.

This morning I feel I am sitting at about 140/75 with a heart rate of about sixty. Contrary to probable suspected opinion I can guesstimate it. Not with any particulary accuracy but there is no doubt I also know when it is higher than it should be for me.

There was a time when our doctor said that the wife and myself where the healthiest patients he had in general. Then over time all hell broke loose. My wife and myself seem to have abnormal high energy levels still and always have had them. She has moderate blood pressure issues as well. At this time we both have energy levels of the average fifty year olds. Actually many fifty year olds cannot do physically what we do. About the only times I am not busy is when at the keyboard on this site having a coffee or sleeping. In a strange way we all age differently. Some people are worn out much earlier than they should be. A simple matter of genetics I suspect. some things are just beyond our control.

I have one of those doctors that you may not reach a hundred years old with but you probably will feel like you did by the time he is finished with you. Originally our lawyer called me one day about thirty years ago. He told me this doctor was locating here and had a stellar reputation as a general doctor. He recommended we both get on his patient list before it filled up. Never regretted it so far. Either has the lawyer. Over time he has reciently become recognized as the best in his field by the other members of his profession province wide. His wife is a doctor as well. Their four boys are all gifted. None wanted to be doctors though and I feel this was a loss to society.

[t walgamuth]

I take the 81 mg aspirin every day too.

[barry12345]

Actually my doctor believes beyond a certain age all patients should probably take certain preventative measures from a drug perspective.

Even if there are no obvious issues they are needed. He is not a pill pusher either. Eighty one mg of aspirn daily seems to reduce the incidence of heart attacks and strokes signifigantly I think is the current belief..

I also do not think the issue of we have a longer average lifespan than Americans is totally real. It tires me to see that statistic repeated over and over.

If you are not uncomforatable in approaching the medical system in the states. Money to allow you to do so easily and not the reason for going later than one should.

Statistically those people that do go with earlier indicators of need should equal or exceed our mortality average.

A doctor is essentially a body mechanic. No or delayed access for a variety of reasons of course will tweak the statistics. I try to keep an open mind in this area.

Our system eliminates this component totally as a consideration but at the same time to keep it affordable for all does require some downsides at the same time. So each system is almost definatly a tradeoff. There is no utopia.

A good example here is our pets. Vets charge very high locally today in general. This in all probability inhibits some people taking them in to some extent as early as they should go.

If I did not have the three hundred to spare or whatever I suspect the pet would not go. Or at least not until it was unavoidable. I kind of consider this type of thing just one form of human nature and a reality.

One thing up here in Canada is almost becoming an absolute. Quietly anything related to health will be taken care of. For example many people cannot afford say an additional eight hundred a month for drugs on release from hospital after a heart attack.

Below a certain income level they will be provided free to the person. This does not mean a welfare type of income either.
a person making a hundred grand a year may still not have the room for the additional costs if pre commited financially. This practice makes economic sense as re admissions will be far less. I suspect this component alone is making a substantial reduction of health care costs.

This did not offend me when I was asked just before the wives release from hospital after her serious heart attack. Could we afford the drug costs? If not they will be provided free. There was no talk of income level at that discussion.

We at that time had a blue cross drug plan with a five dollar co pay per prescription. So I felt no help was required. Our income could have coped with the additional cost anyways without a drug plan. We would have paid it out of pocket as a matter of ethics. We could afford to being the basis. At twenty eight hunded a month I would have felt otherwise.

Now at the same time the same drug mix cost 2.800 per month in the states. One has to ask themselves why this is? Since then drug costs have gone up. So if an average American individual cannot handle it what do they do? This is another area in my opinion that is tweaking the mortality statistics signifigantly.

My logic being anyone can experience a heart attack. The aftermath should not tear apart the benefits of all you have worked for prior to the event. If you like people in general as I do. It hurts me to see this type of thing occur. How they would feel is beyond the scope of my understanding. Other than there is nothing good about it. Actually it is enough alone to get a person in that situations blood pressure up.

[sloride]

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

Or, do you know?
I've been taking mine 2Xdaily for 6-years now.

133/82 Morning
127/77 Bedtime

No meds

It's easier for me to control when not on-the-road, or at the doctor's where it's usually elevated!

Mine is around that from April 16th through say the next April 1 st. with 20mg Benazapril.

[spdrun]

Originally Posted by barry12345

One thing up here in Canada is almost becoming an absolute. Quietly anything related to health will be taken care of. For example many people cannot afford say an additional eight hundred a month for drugs on release from hospital after a heart attack.

Below a certain income level they will be provided free to the person. This does not mean a welfare type of income either.
a person making a hundred grand a year may still not have the room for the additional costs if pre commited financially. This practice makes economic sense as re admissions will be far less.

Right. But something as logical as this will never happen in the US because zOMG death panels and zOMG the undeserving poor. Lunacy.

[barry12345]

Originally Posted by sloride

Mine is around that from April 16th through say the next April 1 st. with 20mg Benazapril.

Depending on the individual I have wondered if a light tranquilizer might be better for those that spike periodically when seriously stressed. That's if those periods are unavoidable and one knows they are going to occur.

At least medicine has moved past the practice of severing nerves along the backbone in the belief it reduced high blood pressure. Personally I suspect medicine may be on the verge of massive change not that far ahead hopefully. The pace of improvement has been staggering in my lifetime alone.

I really do not think what we have today in either system is economically sustainable without major further developments. . Now if they are commercially capitalized on beyond their worth could be crippling. I suspect this might be attempted.

For example hep C is curable by drugs now. The current cost disqualifies almost everyone from access to those drugs. Eighty nine thousand a treatment was the cost I saw. One has to ask themselves where this price comes from.

That type of ongoing senario may not be tolerable by any government. At this time there are medacines that are just unaffordable out there. Someone has to have a look at the true costs of development and production costs at some time for them to reach the public. I do not deny the aspect of making a buck within certain paremeters.

Unbelievable gouging if that is the case in such an important area is another issue to me. Just because it can be done is not a valid reason to allow it. If persisting much longer other types of suppliers may adopt a similar approach to supplying their needed products and services.

[Skid Row Joe]

Originally Posted by barry12345

All you posters so far sound very good to excellent blood pressure wise. Skid row yours is so relatively constant and normal why bother taking it twice a day?

To stay on top of it. I don't like surprises down the road, when I could have tweaked my lifestyle earlier.

6-years ago @ the doctor's office routine check up, it was 151/92, then after 1/2 an hour, it had lowered to 143/89. The doctor advised me to buy a BP unit from Walmart, Walgreens, or CVS. Then bring the unit to his office to corroborate with their commercial unit's readings.

Well, I never did the corroborating, but I did immediately buy a self-checking unit. Been using it ever since.

The other week on a routine check up with the doctor, BP was 168/84 - I had my unit with me, and took it myself one minute later - it matched their commercial BP unit exactly. Showed doctor my log for one month - and he attributed the office readings as 'white lab coat' nervousness - he's got that right, I don't like going to the MD.

I have perhaps 10 to 15 or so dental doctor's visits too a year at Baylor College of Dentistry. They take your BP reading every time you come. Yesterday it was 143/83 - which isn't bad I suppose for a drilling session I was about to encounter in the dentist's chair.

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

I take the 81 mg aspirin every day too.

Me too. Doctor got me on this regimen 11 years ago. The aspirin is great to take at bedtime. It puts you into a deeper sleep more quickly too - according to another doctor friend of mine.

[jake12tech]

I'm 5'9". Health issues hit me harder on the ass than the paddles the sisters used to hit you with at catholic school. I was about 40 pounds overweight, and needless to say 140/88 didn't help my heart issue. Got off blood pressure medication now.

[John Galt]

118/77 no meds

[barry12345]

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

To stay on top of it. I don't like surprises down the road, when I could have tweaked my lifestyle earlier.

6-years ago @ the doctor's office routine check up, it was 151/92, then after 1/2 an hour, it had lowered to 143/89. The doctor advised me to buy a BP unit from Walmart, Walgreens, or CVS. Then bring the unit to his office to corroborate with their commercial unit's readings.

Well, I never did the corroborating, but I did immediately buy a self-checking unit. Been using it ever since.

The other week on a routine check up with the doctor, BP was 168/84 - I had my unit with me, and took it myself one minute later - it matched their commercial BP unit exactly. Showed doctor my log for one month - and he attributed the office readings as 'white lab coat' nervousness - he's got that right, I don't like going to the MD.

I have perhaps 10 to 15 or so dental doctor's visits too a year at Baylor College of Dentistry. They take your BP reading every time you come. Yesterday it was 143/83 - which isn't bad I suppose for a drilling session I was about to encounter in the dentist's chair.


Me too. Doctor got me on this regimen 11 years ago. The aspirin is great to take at bedtime. It puts you into a deeper sleep mopre quickly too - according to another doctor friend of mine.

Now I understand your habitual use of a cuff at home. . The white coat effect as you mention has a valid point. I do not particularily experience that to the best of my knowledge.

What I do experience by semi relaxing while waiting to see the doctor in his waiting room is a gradual decline I believe. The same occurs when use a drug store type of unit. If I sit down the first reading will always be higher than when I wait a few minutes and do it again. Usually about ten points lower.

I have no issue going to sleep but it was important you mentioned that taking the 81mg of aspirin just prior to engaging sleep may be helpful to others. I just pop mine with the morning pills.

I also think all members are aware that most drug store machines do your left arm. The proper way is to do your right arm.

I guess everyone should periodically check their blood pressure or have a doctor do it as it apparently can creep up over time with no symptoms I understand. At least once a year for the fortunate totally normal guys. Much of these issues are somewhat age dependent. Not totally of course but the risk factor of developing high blood pressure does escalate with it.

[ILUVMILS]

124/77 sitting on exam table last month. No meds. BMI 26.5 @ ideal weight. Mid fifties