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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / July 2005Out of the doctor's and into the bar (almost on topic)
Went back to the doctor's yesterday pm for a blood pressure check: 2 or 3 weeks ago, my blood pressure recorded something like 152 over 119, and it has through out my life always been a couple of points below normal, so this was remarkable. So I was prescribed some tablets and yesterday, it was once more at the exactly normal again, 120 over something I think. Apparently I'm to stay on these blasted pills for the rest of my life. I pointed ou to the clinic nurse, that I was gulping down Scotch every evening and this should keep my arteries and capillaries and things good and wide and relaxed, but she countered this by pointing out that nicotine reduces their caliber. Couldn't argue with that. Also, she reminded me that a narrowing or hardening of the arteries is part of the ageing process. True enough I suppose. Asked about a referral to a specialist in arthritis, but she said my GP would be able to prescribe a couple of medicines for it as required. I think one she named was this embrell (sp) I've seen mentioned in here. I asked if my planned trip to Britain should be reconsidered in view of my (to me!) failing health but after a check on the heartbeat, chest and pulse, she opined it would be a marvelous idea. So, if my ct scan on th e 1st of August for my lungs gives a good result, I'll go for it, and get some fresh sea air into me. I was weighed and found to be 152 lbs, which is a gain of about 8 pounds. On leaving the place, I directed my mate, who had driven me there, to call in at the bar we patronize. There, I raised some unsympathetic guffaws from my fellow boozers with my mock-dismayed wails about imminent obesity, having to go to a weight watchers club, buy all new clothes at great expense, and the like. Someone suggested I take up jogging, at which I paled visibly and clutched the bar for support. Quite a jolly day in all, and I suppose not too bad a result from the health angle. I wish all present an equally good day..... -- Ian > Went back to the doctor's yesterday pm for a blood pressure check: 2 > or 3 weeks ago, my blood pressure recorded something like 152 over > 119, Holy crap batman! > and it has through out my life always been a couple of points > below normal, so this was remarkable. Remarkable isn't quite the word I'd use... > So I was prescribed some tablets and yesterday, it was once more at > the exactly normal again, 120 over something I think. Hopefully the something was less than 80 (IIRC) > Apparently I'm to stay on these blasted pills for the rest of my > life. What caused the spike? I think getting to the bottom of that should be the first priority! > I pointed ou to the clinic nurse, that I was gulping down Scotch > every evening and this should keep my arteries and capillaries and > things good and wide and relaxed, but she countered this by pointing > out that nicotine reduces their caliber. High blood pressure, combined with smoking, is a recipe for CVAs (strokes and similar). > Couldn't argue with that. > Also, she reminded me that a narrowing or hardening of the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > required. I think one she named was this embrell (sp) I've seen > mentioned in here. What kind of arthritis? And yes, if you have arthritis, you should be seeing a rheumatologist (at least at first, depending on the type and severity of the arthritis) who can then communicate with your GP. > I asked if my planned trip to Britain should be reconsidered in > view of my (to me!) failing health but after a check on the heartbeat, [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > -- > Ian  Signaturespammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor: http://www.abmdr.org.au/ http://www.marrow.org/ ..... > > or 3 weeks ago, my blood pressure recorded something like 152 over > > 119, > > Holy crap batman! Who you calling fat man? Oh,sorry,it was batman .... > > and it has through out my life always been a couple of points > > below normal, so this was remarkable. > > Remarkable isn't quite the word I'd use... British understatement! > > So I was prescribed some tablets and yesterday, it was once more at > > the exactly normal again, 120 over something I think. > > Hopefully the something was less than 80 (IIRC) I'll have to get genned up on these bp numbers. Haven't paid much attention to them before, as they were always boringly the same, i.e. around normal. > > Apparently I'm to stay on these blasted pills for the rest of my > > life. > > What caused the spike? I think getting to the bottom of that should be > the first priority! Yep, this is what is puzzling me: I'm well below the weight I should be for my height, 6 ft, and if as the nurse said, it is a result of ageing, I'd have expected the jump in the figures to have been a more gradual progression, not a sudden leap. > > I pointed ou to the clinic nurse, that I was gulping down Scotch > > every evening and this should keep my arteries and capillaries and [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > High blood pressure, combined with smoking, is a recipe for CVAs > (strokes and similar). Right, but I'd have thought more so in an overweight person? > > Couldn't argue with that. > > Also, she reminded me that a narrowing or hardening of the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > seeing a rheumatologist (at least at first, depending on the type and > severity of the arthritis) who can then communicate with your GP. I originally went in complaining of a slight pain in the side of the neck, and following x-rays of neck area and upper chest, was diagnosed as having arthritis of the spine, in the neck area. Certainly I would like to see a specialist, but so far, there's been no action from anyone at the doctor's office onthis. I may leave it until I get back from my vacationing september. at present it's a mild pain, nothing to what some in here are experiencing. SignatureIan >>What caused the spike? I think getting to the bottom of that should be >>the first priority! [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > ageing, I'd have expected the jump in the figures to have been a > more gradual progression, not a sudden leap. You need to see a doctor about this ASAP. The nurse is simply not qualified to evaluate and diagnose what's going on with your BP. You're right, a sudden leap is a very different animal than a gradual progression. >>>I pointed ou to the clinic nurse, that I was gulping down Scotch >>>every evening and this should keep my arteries and capillaries and [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Right, but I'd have thought more so in an overweight person? Not at all! It's a common myth. If the person is morbidly obese then they'll be at higher risk for a lot of things, but being normal or under weight gives you no protection from CVA if you smoke and have high blood pressure. >>What kind of arthritis? And yes, if you have arthritis, you should be >>seeing a rheumatologist (at least at first, depending on the type and [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > present it's a mild pain, nothing to what some in here are > experiencing. Where in the neck? You may have arthritis there, but in a different part of the neck you have the thyroid gland, and this is involved in blood pressure regulation! You REALLY need to see a specialist. Taking the pills to keep the sudden increase in blood pressure down may allow an underlying disease process to advance. Also, arthritis in spine is nothing to play with and can increase in severity rapidly if nerves become involved. Ari Signaturespammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo I'm going to die rather sooner than I'd like. I tried to protect my neighbours from crime, and became the victim of it. Complications in hospital following this resulted in a serious illness. I now need a bone marrow transplant. Many people around the world are waiting for a marrow transplant, too. Please volunteer to be a marrow donor: http://www.abmdr.org.au/ http://www.marrow.org/ wow, I would like to see 152 again. sigh You are very funny Ian. And make me laugh. ;) Duckie > Went back to the doctor's yesterday pm for a blood pressure check: 2 > or 3 weeks ago, my blood pressure recorded something like 152 over [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > -- > Ian Signature_('> (_<_) _ _('< -quack (_<_) _ __('< *QUACK!* <_{__) _('< "|,,|_" (_<_) _('< "AFLAC!" (_<_) > wow, I would like to see 152 again. sigh > You are very funny Ian. And make me laugh. ;) > Duckie Yes,,,, he is. My kind of humor and way of looking at life but this can be serious and as time goes by,,,, things could change for the worst but for now,,,, pass me a drink with ice this time. :-) Harv none@nobody.net wrote: > > wow, I would like to see 152 again. sigh > > You are very funny Ian. And make me laugh. ;) [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > for now,,,, pass me a drink with ice this time. :-) > Harv Eat drink and be merry, etc, what! I'll pass on the eating bit, though. actually, in real life, I have one of these long, lean lugubrious melancholy faces that make people wonder if one is suffering from acute depression or something. So, when I come out unsmilingly with some outrageous statement, they sometimes think I'm in deadly earnest! SignatureIan > So, when I come out unsmilingly with some outrageous statement, they > sometimes > think I'm in deadly earnest! Been there,,,, done that several times. When your blood pressure stays over 140 or so,,,, its time to change things,,, ways,,,, and the last thing is to take medication for it because some of them are from now on if you start them. Harv And the bottom figure should be below 80. Gwen > > So, when I come out unsmilingly with some outrageous statement, they > > sometimes [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > start them. > Harv maroldcXXnospam@comcast.net wrote: > wow, I would like to see 152 again. sigh What exactly are the numbers for bp? I never paid any attention to this before as my figures were always on the low side. The nurse would recite them and i'd say , is that OK, and she would say it's just below normal. So, what is the scale and what is considered too high? > You are very funny Ian. And make me laugh. ;) > Duckie Good! I'd prefer to get a giggle or even a smile than cause alarm and despondency among the masses! > > Went back to the doctor's yesterday pm for a blood pressure check: 2 > > or 3 weeks ago, my blood pressure recorded something like 152 over [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > > -- > > Ian SignatureIan >What exactly are the numbers for bp? I never paid any attention to >this before as my figures were always on the low side. >The nurse would recite them and i'd say , is that OK, and she would >say it's just below normal. >So, what is the scale and what is considered too high? Numbers vary from person to person. It used to be that 120/80 was considered normal. The number to watch is the lower one, diastolic pressure, that is when the arteries are relaxed. Over 90 you need to keep an eye on that one. The higher number, the systolic, is when the heart beats and pumps the blood. If it gets up to 160 and more that is a signal too. The BP changes from one reading to another. It is different in sitting, standing and lying position. If you walk down the hall and have a pressure taken immediately, it can be higher than if you sat quietly for a few minutes. What is really important is a trend over time. If your pressure gradually increases, that is not a good sign, although as people age the BP does tend to rise slightly. The old tale of 100 plus your age being your normal is NOT true. What is normal for you may not be normal for me. Not a bad idea to keep a record of your BP from time to time, but don't obsess about it. It is not necessary to check it every day, but if you have a monitor of your own you might want to check it every couple of weeks, then if it is stable, once a month or so. Just keep in mind that activity, your mood, weight, all kinds of things, can affect it. I am certain that the bride and groom on their wedding day would have much higher BPs than at other times. :-) Oh, did you just want a short answer? That'll teach you. :-) --- Joan rofl I was talking about your weight. I did go back and reread your note and both the high BP number and your weight was the same... My doctor doesn't want the top number above 140 and the bottom above 90 -- and I am talking BP now. I don't take my bp medication every day as it just lowers it too much [80/40]. So I take my pressure every other day or so and take a pill when the pressure of either gets above the 'bad' number for me. BTW, your description of your face sounds like my great grandfather whose name was Lewis Mullican. Tall scotsman, long of face who married a lovely very short Moravian lady who was as round as she was tall. My great-grandmother's gene's were mighty strong and most of us are short, stocky and long lived. Now my 6'4" brother has the great-grandfather's build. Duckie > maroldcXXnospam@comcast.net wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 53 lines] >>>-- >>>Ian Signature_('> (_<_) _ _('< -quack (_<_) _ __('< *QUACK!* <_{__) _('< "|,,|_" (_<_) _('< "AFLAC!" (_<_) |
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