Varying Blood Pressure

[KannikaP]

I take my BP every morning and evening with a good Omron device and put the results into an app on my phone in order to keep track of any changes.

Better than the District nurse coming round to do the Mrs' twice a year!

I know that one's morning BP is usually higher than the evening one.

However sometimes I can take it, get a reading, and repeat after 5 minutes, same position etc, and it can vary quite significantly. This morning for example I got 123/63, 113/67 and 119/66 all within 10 minutes.

Why does it vary so much, and which reading should I put in my app, the highest, lowest or the average?

Edited March 14, 2021 by metisdead
ALL CAPS removed from topic title.

[faraday]

Blood pressure changes all the time, as you have noted. 

However, the variations in your diastolic are minimal.

I would average the three results.

[foreverlomsak]

You're doing a lot better than me with your BP.

I would use the average also, but if your in the ball park of any of the three readings all the time, don't see that you need to keep checking so frequently.

[scubascuba3]

NHS UK says check every 5 years....surprising I know

[Olmate]

12 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

NHS UK says check every 5 years....surprising I know

I walk 2k to Fascino twice a week,it’s always 140/90

[cooked]

If you don't like the first reading you take, it is quite possible that your aggravation  (and it doesn't need much) causes your pressure to rise. I'm not a nervous person but whenever I go to the doctor or dentist, my pressure just goes way off limits. At home it's OK, I have to do it mornings first thing, taking 5 minutes to quieten down and relax. That knocks 10 mg thingies off my systolic generally. 

Anyway, I don't usually check every day or every week come to that, stopped my meds long ago and went Keto.

[toofarnorth]

I have given up checking my BP every day but I do take 2 Enaril along with 1 Amlopine every night before bed.   This was recomended by  2 others who were told back in the UK that this was the way to go.  Living over here I don't really trust doctors after getting  ' You could try this ' or ' Hmm, have you considered .............'.

[donnacha]

I find the Apple Watch very handy for keeping track of various things, including heart rate, irregular rhythm notification, electrocardiogram, blood oxygen, sleep monitoring etc. The slick design makes me inclined to actually use it in a way I was not inclined with various other devices I have used in the past, including a FitBit.

No blood pressure yet but I've heard the next model will include blood sugar monitoring, something I feel could be useful to everyone, not just diabetics.

The integration with their Fitness+ service (essentially workout videos that display the heart rate from your watch on the big screen while you exercise) is clever and motivating, one of the few things that has encouraged me to exercise more often than I otherwise would.

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by donnacha

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, Olmate said:

I walk 2k to Fascino twice a week,it’s always 140/90

I check mine if I'm not 100% plus take temperature if feel ill, it's good reasurance.  Usually my BP is mostly in the green ideal zone 100\60 but went hospital for an op last week and they checked and it was 140\60, today follow up back to 100\60ish. Shows how your body reacts to potentially stressful situations, probably for a good reason

[ignis]

Also check mine every day, since 2015 .. yes it goes up and down.. likewise my Blood Sugar

All my Dr is interest in is the monthly average. he looks closely at my spreadsheets every 100 day appointments..

Only big problem was after my Pneumonia Vaccine part 1... taken to Hospital unconscious, for 4 days, they told me my reading  was 45/22  .. otherwise between 135 - 165 over 70 - 80

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by ignis

[blackcab]

@Sheryl Is away from the forum for a few days. When she is back I am sure she will reassure you in your blood pressure readings.

[brewsterbudgen]

"This morning for example I got 123/63, 113/67 and 119/66 all within 10 minutes."

Are you concerned that it's too low?

[Moonlover]

42 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

"This morning for example I got 123/63, 113/67 and 119/66 all within 10 minutes."

Are you concerned that it's too low?

''Most doctors consider blood pressure too low only if it causes symptoms. Some experts define low blood pressure as readings lower than 90 mm Hg systolic or 60 mm Hg diastolic''. 

No problem for the O/P.

Overall, I'd say @KannikaP is doing just fine. I'm sure that there are plenty of TVF members that would be envious of the readings he's quoted. Variations are quite normal. Even thinking about blood pressure can cause it to change! ????

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by Moonlover

[KannikaP]

2 hours ago, Olmate said:

I walk 2k to Fascino twice a week,it’s always 140/90

I would stop going there if I were you!   LOL

[KannikaP]

56 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

"This morning for example I got 123/63, 113/67 and 119/66 all within 10 minutes."

Are you concerned that it's too low?

No, I am concerned that it can vary so much within 10 minutes, and yet someone mentioned that Amlodepine lowered his BP by 5 points.

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, toofarnorth said:

I have given up checking my BP every day but I do take 2 Enaril along with 1 Amlopine every night before bed. 

How do you know the meds are working then?

[Golden Triangle]

I stopped taking Amplodine a couple of weeks ago, I had been taking it ( one 5mg tablet morning and the same again before bed ) for over 8 years with no side effects, suddenly my lower legs & ankles/feet were really swelling up, I checked up on the drug and that is one of the most common side effects.

I now take Enaril, 5mg morning & night, the swelling has virtually disappeared, my readings also appear to be better, this morning - 139/64, BPM 77.

My night readings are usually good now, 130/68 ish with BPM 80 or thereabouts. All in all I'm happy with the change, I also go for a short walk 1.5 km every other day now, can't do much more as the old knees start to complain loudly ????

[billd766]

I am on Orfarin blood thinner tablets and ta 7.5 mg every night before going to bed.

I take my BP every day in the mornings and I do it 5 times in a row then take the middle one. If I have been out working, grass cutting etc I will do that, then go for a shower and eat my breakfast. When I finish breakfast about an hour after the first BP test I repeat it and again take the middle set of readings.

I log it on an XL spreadsheet. The first set of readings is labelled 'after work' and the second set is labelled at rest.

If I don't work before breakfast then I simply leave those slots blank and enter the second set at rest.

 

This morning my BP was 

systolic        132, 120, 122, 126, 101

diastolic     76, 73, 68, 70, 76

pulse      99, 98, 100. 97, 89    

I used the middle set of 122, 68, 100.

Edited March 14, 2021 by billd766
Added extra text

[Olmate]

2 hours ago, KannikaP said:

I would stop going there if I were you!   LOL

To hospital might be better????

[Sheryl]

Blood pressure naturally varies continuously. The readings you mention are all well within normal range.

 

That being so, there is no reason to take your BP twice a day (or even daily).

 

If you for some reason want to, then take it daily just once, pick a time and then do at the same time each day.

[Sheryl]

On 3/14/2021 at 12:34 PM, KannikaP said:

No, I am concerned that it can vary so much within 10 minutes,

BP varies within far less than 10 minutes. It is a constantly fluctuating number. This is normal.

[ChrisKC]

53 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

BP varies within far less than 10 minutes. It is a constantly fluctuating number. This is normal.

This is an interesting point. When taking one's blood pressure, as in my own experience of no health issues of any kind, sometimes I have measured twice within two or three minutes to find differences I didn't expect, using the same arm and/or a different arm. I would add that using a reliable device is recommended. Some smartwatches for example claim BP monitoring is a feature but...

[Mister Fixit]

On 3/14/2021 at 9:46 AM, scubascuba3 said:

NHS UK says check every 5 years....surprising I know

That's because much of the NHS so-called 'advice' is utter undiluted cr@p.