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I am spitting feathers today...FURTHER UPDATE

Had further appointment this morning. BP has risen from 128/67 to 134/70. Questioned him over how it could rise if I've lost over 4 stone, exercise and eat healthily. Asked him about under-active thyroid raising BP but he didn't know but I know it does. Have requested another blood test for thyroid including T3, hope that the power that be will agree to the T3 test, they don't always allow it.
 
@carol43 have you got your own BP monitor? They aren't very expensive in the grand scheme of things, and will show you what your BP is at any time of day in any circumstances. One test at the surgery doesn't tell you very much at all. My own BP is generally under 120/70, most of the time, but sometimes I am in the 130's for no obvious reason other than I need the loo, or have recently eaten. White coat syndrome also plays a part.
 
BP seems to go and down like a yoyo. Perhaps it's the cold weather. If they treated the under-active thyroid properly it would solve a lot of peoples problems but our NHS pays far too much money for T3 therapy when other countries pay a pittance.
 
carol43 said:
BP seems to go and down like a yoyo. Perhaps it's the cold weather. If they treated the under-active thyroid properly it would solve a lot of peoples problems but our NHS pays far too much money for T3 therapy when other countries pay a pittance.
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That's exactly what it is.... Cold contracts and heat dilates... It is normal and expected for BP to be lower during warmer months and higher in winter.
 
It is also correct that when our bodies are busy digesting food our BP can be higher as our blood is rushing about doing things, similarly during and after exercise - even walking up the stairs. I know mine fluctuates a lot, even within 5 or 10 minutes. I don't test mine regularly, but when I do, I do 5 or 6 tests in a day, including 2 consecutive ones if it is reading higher than normal. Then I average all the readings over a few days. I also had an episode of what was thought to be sudden drops in BP so had one of those 24 hour monitors attached. The fluctuations on that were noticeable and could be attributed to what I was doing just beforehand. (It turned out not to be BP related, but postural vertigo)

EDIT. Just looked back at my 24 hour stats - it varied from a high of 138/73 to a low of 103/57
 
Bluetit1802 said:
It is also correct that when our bodies are busy digesting food our BP can be higher as our blood is rushing about doing things, similarly during and after exercise - even walking up the stairs. I know mine fluctuates a lot, even within 5 or 10 minutes. I don't test mine regularly, but when I do, I do 5 or 6 tests in a day, including 2 consecutive ones if it is reading higher than normal. Then I average all the readings over a few days. I also had an episode of what was thought to be sudden drops in BP so had one of those 24 hour monitors attached. The fluctuations on that were noticeable and could be attributed to what I was doing just beforehand. (It turned out not to be BP related, but postural vertigo)

EDIT. Just looked back at my 24 hour stats - it varied from a high of 138/73 to a low of 103/57
Click to expand...

I had a 24 hour BP test years ago when they were looking for kidney issues that didn't exist (protein in urine that they now realise most teens have cause we're growing but it shows in diabetics cause its our **** that gets looked at). My levels went up and down during the day. Stress or anger at a station, such as hoping a test may prove a point, can impact the result. My GP and Endo know I have anxiety so I get tested multiple times with them noting how anxious I seem to try judge the more accurate result.

Cold, heat, moods, all impacted me before my thyroid gave up. I'm not saying it isn't a factor but I just think a lot of stock can be put in BP for diabetics when people forget we are tested in high stress situations when anyone's heart would go a bit faster.
 
I think most pharmacists will offer a meds checkup if you ask. I have not tried this service myself but I believe it is a general NHS thing. Mind you they use the BNF which is also openly available online, and I personally found some things out where the BNF gave poor advice. Had a major bustup with one pharmacist who almost refused to supply me, even though the changes had been approved by my GP and were written into a revised scrip. It went against the 'Bible' so pharmacist felt it was more than her jobsworth to change it.

I won that battle and the war goes on. Personally I use Drugs,com, and Medscape for my contraindications. Also the FDA warnings cover things that the USA is implementing which NICE choose to ignore Sometimes there are scientific papers published that cover research that give advance warnings of problems, such as recently with statins and the -gliptins meds,
 
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