Blood Pressure

Hello Peeps..

Well before my RNY, I was on blood pressure meds and I was taken off them before I went home from the hospital so I've been off meds since July 16, 2009.  Recently it seems my BP may be going up again.  I don't know if it's because I started working again, or have stress, etc.. but I'm a little bit nervous about it because I feel the "whooshing" in my arteries at my neck and hear my heart beat in my ear.. and feel uptight, emotional, crying, acting strange, heart racing and beating hard, etc.  It's all strange since I've been exercising a lot more lately too.    Since I'm far away from my normal doctor, I called him and he gave me a prescription to use only after I have checked my BP several times and see that it is consistantly higher.

So my question is.. Do any of you know of a good brand home blood pressure monitor with the "larger" cuff so it will read accurately with my bigger arms?

I was looking on Amazon but I don't know how to decide.. I thought I would ask if any of you could recommend one.   This morning I took half of a pill to see if it will make a difference in how I feel, so far not much change yet but it's only been 1.5 hours.

Thanks in advance!

Jackie

I've had bp issues for a long time.  I was able to find a bp machine at my insurance pharmacy that came with a large cuff for larger people.  I just asked my pharmacist and used his recommendation.  BTW, I was taken off of my high bp meds. Then at 8 months, I began having dizzy spells, and actually passed out twice at home. Not at times when I was upset or mad, just at any time.  Several months of testing finally indicated I low bp issues, after losing 100 pounds. A pacmaker solved my issue. But my cardiologist put me back on the same high bp meds I'd used for 15 years prior to surgery. DAVE

 Hi Jackie,

Funny you just posted this.

I have an Oregon Scientific Talking Blood Pressure Monitor.  It cuffs around the wrist and not the arm.  It is very accurate.  Believe it or not I bought it from the ABC Catalog.    LOL

My PCP cut my BP med to 1/2 tablet daily on Monday.  I am to return to the office next week to have my BP checked and if elevated, I go back on a full tablet.  That being said, I have done the 1/2 tablet every morning and have checked my BP every morning.  Of course I have the monitor set to talk out loud and it tells me that my BP is in the normal range.  Tonight however, I decided to check it again and my BP is slightly elevated.  I am hoping it is because I was at the office today for 6 hours and was very frustrated with some issues and people.  I will check again in the morning.

Check your local pharmacy in town and see if they sell them and if not, Amazon it is.  Wish I could remember what I paid for mine, but I have had it for a few years now and it really is pretty accurate.  The strap for the wrist is long enough and has velcro for an easy close.

Hugs girlfriend, and keep up your exercise program.  You are awesome.

I had the same issue. I was on 300mg of Labetalol prior to my surgery, after surgery I was weaned off it by about 5m post op. I was all good til I was 2y3m post op and it came back...with a vengence. I started out with pressures of 150-160/100 for 3 readings and while I was waiting for my next doc appt (a week prior) on Thanksgiving I felt pressure in my chest and just felt wrong. I got my BP checked at the ER I was working at and low and behold...it was 181/108...so back on meds I went. I started out at 20mg Lisinopril but after several episodes of orthostatic hypotension (where you get up and nearly pass out due to the drop in blood pressure) it was reduced to 10mg and I've stayed at that dose since then (minus a medication change with my last pregnancy). My doc chalks it up to genetics since I have no 'reason' for my hypertension.

As for the BP cuffs, ask your pharmacist which one has a larger arm cuff. As for the arm cuff vs the wrist...go for the arm. A MD at the hospital where I'm doing my clinical training at (I'm in nursing school) told me that he switched his mom from a wrist cuff to a arm cuff after doing back to back pressures and finding a significant difference. I'm not 100%...just what he had told me.

Good luck. Remember...just because we still need a low dose medication doesn't mean that surgery failed us in any way. At least now it's more easily controlled and far less severe than before at our heaviest weights.

Kristy