My Ridiculous Blood Pressure

[Heiferly]

Last night we saw a really awful movie.  (Disaster Movie.  Aptly named.  A total cinematic disaster.)  I came home having chest pains and tightness, and decided maybe taking my blood pressure would reassure me that I didn't need a trip to the ED.  My BP monitor alerts for abnormal heart rhythms and brady/tachycardias, so I figured if it didn't find any of that I could stop worrying.  I should have just left well enough alone and ignored the pain entirely.  Instead, I took my blood pressure several times in succession and got (in a matter of only 3 minutes, mind you):

95/56 hr 77, 143/106 hr 115 w/ arrhythmia, 92/55 hr 79, 110/82 hr 108, 108/72 hr 91, 112/70 hr 93

My normal reading is around 90/55 with a heart rate of 60.  I have a history of tachycardia with flutter, but I usually don't have that feeling of chest pain and tightness with it.  Does anyone else get pain/tightness sensations when their heart rate or blood pressure isn't stable?  Should I have taken it more seriously and gone to the ED even though it isn't usually an emergency when that happens to me?  How would you know if you were having a heart attack?  Are we more susceptible to heart attacks?

Sorry, I probably seem like I'm freaking out.  I guess I just never watched on my blood pressure monitor *while* my numbers were flipping all over the place before, haha.

[Heiferly]

Thanks for the reassurances.  I think after a while you get so used to it being low, you know?  Normal starts to look high and anything higher than that starts to look insane!  I've never seen it over 180, so I guess no worries.  

I am finding that lying down really still for a while makes it calm down and stop flopping around, which lets ME calm down, hehe.

[brightbear]

I LOL when I read your post.  I've been thru the exact same thing.  Just called 991 at 2:30am last sat nite.  I was told later by my Dr that I do not need to worry about my B/P unless the top # exceeds 180.  The EMT's told me the same thing.   My normal B/P is ~ 105/60.  That nite it spiked  to 145/90, pulse 130.  This happens somewhat frequently.  Usually I remain calm and it passes.  I take a low dose of Zanax.  Sometimes, like this last time,  I freak out and my body responds.  It's all the adrenaline that gets released that keeps the #'s elevated.  And the fight or flight response of the nervous system redirects the blood flow away from extremities and limbs, which causes my other symptoms like tremors and numbness.  Learning how to breath properly has been extremely helpful to me.  I've been diagnosed with POTS and I have MVP.  I take salt tablets daily to keep my blood pressure up.

[rhonda1017]

Hi,

     I have chest pain, tightness, & pressure with my B/P and HR.  But, I have HyperAdrenergic POTS and my blood pressure goes extremely high.  My B/P has been as high as 232/168 and my HR 240.  My cardiologist said that, yes I have to worry about a heart attack when my numbers get that high.  I am at a high risk for heart or stroke.  I can usually bring mine down by laying down and not moving.  If that doesn't work than I head to the E.R. to be on the safe side.  That was his reccommendation.  I think it depends on where your numbers are and you should probably talk to your Cardiologist to get some guideline.   Mine told me to keep the top number below 180 and the bottom number below 100.  Anything above that could be dangerous and to take it seriously.  I hope this helps.  

Rhonda