Store Sit down BP monitors, need help! - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

yugokid · 01-02-2006, 05:36 PM

hi! first off im 23 with just frequent pvc's no underlining. I take varapamil 120mg everynight before bed. i do eat unhealthy, last 4 nights included, i dont drink beer or anything and i dont smoke. so heres my issue.

Tonight i went into a Target store with my GF and my friend, after about 10 min of walking around i stoped to play a handheld game in there electronics department and my head was tilted down for about 10min, when i finally lifted it and started walking, i felt dizzy for a min then it went away, other than that, i felt fine. i went over and sat down at the blood pressure monitor and waited 10 seconds and started the test, came out 144/94 with a hr of 110. i stoped and took another 2 min later, 140/89 100, 2 min later 135/94 110 then jumped to 155/98 2 min later, i then realized i was wearing a sweatshirt and a long sleeve and rolled them up and that they were tight around my arm so i relaxed my shirt took the sweatshirt off and took the BP over my longsleeve shirt.....125/77 hr 89 pulled my shirt back up and did it again and came out 136/83 110 then went under 130/84 96 hr.

My question is this, how reliable are those machines? did i wait too soon from sitting down to take it? did i take the tests too soon together? did the tight around my arm shirts cause this? Could my old very poor eating habits cause this? ie eating very little meals not full ones or eating unhealthy? I mean what can cause this high in a 23 y/o? (btw i am no longer active and have been just sitting around lately)
After i took it i got a little worried and i started to shake a little. my legs lately have been feeling weak cause they are bulky with muscle that i dont work on anymore. Im very anxous right now bout this.

BTW 2 days ago i was out and about getting things from 2 stores including my varapamil from a riteaid and the machine there after walking around read 126/76 with hr of 95 and i did not have a very tight shirt on that day either.

please help out with this one, im nervous

Lenin · 01-02-2006, 05:58 PM

The machiines aren't maintained properly, you're wearing too many clothes, and you are not comfortably relaxed...all good reasons to NEVER use these machines.

yugokid · 01-02-2006, 06:16 PM

yea i felt fine before i took it, my HR was elevated but the minute i sat in my car and got home, poof 82 bpm and i did roll up my shirt too, maybe my arm was blood restricted

edit, i went to get some milk and such from a rite aid and the lady there said the machine there was broken and was still giving me the same numbers from before, proving that the other machine was dumb. just gotta get that into my thick skull and feel better.
also can pvc's cause different readings? like i always have mine 10 per min and it always makes my heart beat harder to make up for the missed one (told that my pvc's are nothing to worry bout)
i think the anxioty from thinking i have super high BP makes my legs and arms feel weak, like restless leg or arm syndrom

pal7778 · 01-02-2006, 10:41 PM

Relax! Don't obsess over those machines. They aren't particularly accurate, although they can give you a rough "ballpark" figure if you bare your arm and aren't particularly anxious. But those pulse readings suggest you were a wreck.

yugokid · 01-02-2006, 11:22 PM

im relaxin, i took my meds and my mind is clearing. i was kinda stressed today but felt ok going out/ my arm was bare but i had two large shirts rolled up my arm. i kinda figured the machine was wacked cause the figures were up and down. with this meds im takin it should never be that high, so im not concerned. tho i have had a bad sodium diet for the past two weeks, i think i need to cut down big time, and start using my stationary bike for 10min a day.

whats the normal amount of sodium intake a day and whats a good diet for a 23 year old?