Question onBP medication

Hi, just wondering how did you stop taking your BP meds? My surgeon told me to stop them since I came out of the hospital. I stopped amlodipine right away but I was a little reluctant to stop diovan so I continued to take it for a few more days til My BP reading was 95/65 so I stopped. Lately my readings range from 117/71 to 125/85 on my machine. Today I checked with my mom's machine and it read 130/90 and it freaked me out! I don't get to see my cardio til mid March. And when I saw my PCP last week it read 127/86 and they said it's fine.  Somehow I would feel more confident if my cardiologist would look into it since I don't know if stopping them abruptly is ok.  How did you all do it?

Thanks to all of you on this board :) you have been an inspiration and a great source of information.  Your willingness to help all of us newbies is greatly appreciated.

I'm not your doctor!  But, I can make a few comments

Generally speaking, it is ok to simply stop Diovan, it does not need to be tapered. 

Your mom's blood pressure machine might be inaccurate.  Many are!  

Even if your mom's BP machine is accurate, a bp of 130/90 isn't worrisome high for most people.  I'm not saying that it is a perfect number (and obviously I don't know what your doctor's personal blood pressure target is for you) but for most people this is a number that you can hit on an occasion without worry especially since your other home numbers look terrific.  

You do have the option CALL your cardiologist's office now and give them your home blood pressure numbers.  This is would be a quite appropriate phone call given the entire cir****tances.  Let them help you!  The very least they will do is provide reassurance!

For me, I stopped one bp med within a couple weeks of surgery.  The way I handled this is that I messaged my home numbers into my pcp and said that I thought it was time to drop one of my meds.  She agreed.   I'm haven't been as diligent about checking my home bp's just lately.  But, I suspect that the other bp med will be dropped soon at 3 month follow up.  

And, one last thing, you can drive your BP up by worrying about your BP.  Call your cardiologist to get some peace of mind 

~Shel

Thanks Shel, I had called my cardio and they left me a message a while ago requesting me to fax them a record of my readings.  I'm gonna do that tomorrow.  You know, I hadn't given it much thought till I check my BP with the other machine and suddenly the "worrier" in me kicked in and I went into panick mode thinking "what if my machine has been wrong all this time and I'm thinking everything is ok? 

Thanks you made me feel better :)

What Shel said.

My PCP said I had "white coat syndrome"  My home number were good on my machine and bad at any doc.  She had me take my BP on mine before going in-great.  At the doc's they took my BP and than watched me take my bp on my machine-both high.  The machine was with in one point of theirs.  So she just has me take it before I go in.

I was on lisinopril, I checked my bp twice a day for several years. Always ran like 180 over 90 on average.

My doc told me that when my systolic started averaging 120 or 125, to stop.

About two months ago now. My bp averages 125 over 78 with NO meds now. Is that cool or what?

My afib has even eased up quite a bit. Nowhere near as many episodes and are much less severe than before surgery.

This journey truly is getting better by the day.

I love my sleeve!

Rod

I wish my various physicians would reduce my medicines without an office visit. But they have been reducing steadily so I am happy for that.

Barry

Thanks guys you've all been very helpful! I'm not gonna worry too much til I see my Doc.