Can I scream please?

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

... just back from my 'annual' asthma review where the nurse decided to collar me for my blood pressure as well. Apart from taking the pressure on my wrong arm (the one that always spasms when a BP collar is on it, and this is very painful), she decided to pick on my pulse being 109 bpm.... not too concerned that my BP was 143/78 (I'm hate having my BP done...)

She wasn't that impressed I couldn't care less that my pulse was 109bpm... I'm sitting there in full lycra, holding a cycling waterproof, lights, pump, helmet, water bottle having just battle in against the rather blustery wet conditions and she decides to pick on my pulse rate as an area of concern!

AHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

(oh and I need to re-learn how to take my inhalers because the NHS have changed the method they 'prefer' yet my severe asthma consultant is quite happy with how I take them and never mentioned the change to me on Monday when I spent the entire day (10am to 5pm) at his clinic...)

Can I have a smilie that goes running across the page screaming please?

Rant over, feeling better now, thank you and anyone out there cycling - those hailstones are really cold and wet at the moment and the wind is not helping much either!

 

[Maz]

Did you tell her of the mitigating circumstances which inflated your BP?

 

[Davidc]

I have similar issues when an unfamiliar nurse does my checkups. I have type 2 diabetes and had a heart attack some years ago - one problem inherited from each parent.

To go with this I have naturally low BP and a low resting heart rate. Like you I usually turn up in a cycling jacket and a few other bits which are a giveaway that I've ridden to the surgery.

Every so often one of them nearly has a fit at the BP and pulse readings. They don't seem to register that when exercise is stopped BP goes down, and that pulse rates are highly variable for some time after exercise. It's also a problem for some of them understanding that not everyone who's had heart problems &/or diabetes has high blood pressure, is overweight, and is unfit.

I totally sympathise with you.

 

[ScotiaLass]

She shouldn't have been concerned after seeing your BP was fine and it being obvious that you had been cycling!!!
Jeeze!!
And if your asthma meds are working well for you (and therefore your technique must also be good) then I don't see why you should change just because there's another more, 'in' technique!

<ex nurse rant over>

 

[fossyant]

Idiots sometimes. My BP was checked a few times on the day of my surgery, and it was a bit high (normally OK) but the Doctors had the sense that everyone's is a bit high prior to surgery ! Nerves.

 

[Fnaar]

BP and pulse are almost meaningless as an 'instant' measure of your health. They make no sense unless taken over time, taking into account any circumstances (exercise, fear, coffee intake, credit card statements etc etc)

 

[Kestevan]

Just had something similar in my last asthma revue.... I think they like to keep changing things round just so they have something to do.
At the end of the day just nod and smile.... smile and nod.

I do however find it "amusing" that the practice nurse handing out health advice is half my height, twice my weight and appears to be out of breath after walking round the desk to take my blood pressure......

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Did you tell her of the mitigating circumstances which inflated your BP?

yep - she finally conceeded that one. not sure we saw eye to eye on things though because her first words were, I assume your asthma is not a problem because you have stopped taking your (oral) steriods. What about the other 7 sets of meds to control my asthma? But also I had to stop taking them because I needed to have a test (repeat short synacthen test) done to see how well my adrenal glands are not working (I know they are not working very well - I have adreanal insufficiency caused by inhaled steriod use for my asthma), or that I have not slept through a single night without an asthma attack now since April of this year (one of the reasons I was refered to the severe asthma clinic in the first place)...

She shouldn't have been concerned after seeing your BP was fine and it being obvious that you had been cycling!!!
Jeeze!!
And if your asthma meds are working well for you (and therefore your technique must also be good) then I don't see why you should change just because there's another more, 'in' technique!

<ex nurse rant over>

I am more concerned that my peak flow was down to 490ml! (but I should really take into account that it was cold out this morning and I had not cycled long enough for my lungs to warm up properly (usually 30 mins in summer anything upto 60mins in colder weather.) My peak flow is usually around 550ml but after the summer I have just had, I guess it being down is understandable - though having just looked up 'what it should be' mine is still well above the average of 387ml

 

[simon the viking]

Slightly O/T I was on a running machine in a Gym a few months ago (I'm not a member of one... it was attached to a hotel we were in) and the machine flashed up "WARNING DANGEROUSLY HIGH HEART RATE" Perhaps wrongly I was quite impressed with myself.... So I dont want HRM on any cycle computer device I may buy in the future

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Slightly O/T I was on a running machine in a Gym a few months ago (I'm not a member of one... it was attached to a hotel we were in) and the machine flashed up "WARNING DANGEROUSLY HIGH HEART RATE" Perhaps wrongly I was quite impressed with myself.... So I dont want HRM on any cycle computer device I may buy in the future

Last time I was at the Dr's and they took my pulse - the comment was that I had a very low pulse rate. It was 56bpm, it had been 44bpm that morning when I had done my own BP measurement... I just can't win!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

[QUOTE 2768547, member: 259"]I have pretty bad "white coat hypertension", and in the end my doc got me to wear a sensor thing for a 24 hour period. Over that time it was compeletly normal and she doesn't bother me any more with taking my blood pressure every time I go there with a twisted ankle or something else completely unrelated.[/quote]
yep they have done that with me in the past. Ironically when I have been in hospital for ops, they have had to wake me up because my BP drops too low and earlier this year I passed out twice from my BP dropping too low! It is just at the dr's that it is an issue and is very arm specific as well (I have nerve issues in my bad arm which cause the spasms - this arm should not be used, but I'm only the patient, what do I know?)

 

[ufkacbln]

Just had something similar in my last asthma revue.........

An Asthma Revue

Sorry - but it is my sick mind that came up with an image of a line up of asthmatics wheezing at diffrent notes, and perfectly in tune to performa musica hall ditty

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

just back from a consultant's appointment at hospital - what a refreshing change. BP improved 119/75 pulse 76bpm, regretfully my weight has not improved though.... now going to be on hydrocortisone for the rest of my life, but should help me feel better in the long run and much safer than prednisolone for life.

 

[Saluki]

My Doctor is pretty sensible but we had a locum nurse in the other week as ours was ill.
She told me off about my BP (118/68) my resting pulse (62) and said that I hadn't ordered any asthma meds lately. She also pointed out that I am nearly 50 , I told her that I was aware of that because I know when I was born and that I am quite good at counting. The conversation went thus:
Her: Your BP is low
Me: I'm a cyclist
Her: Your resting pulse is not what I expected
Me: I'm a cyclist
Her: You haven't ordered asthma meds
Me: Cycling really helps
Her: You are dressed strangely
Me: Cylist
Her: You haven't got your bike with you now though
Me: No. Its locked up, very securely outside in the bike rack.
Her: You are a bit mad, aren't you?

My weight is shocking though. I prefer cake to cycling in the cold at the moment

 

[TheDoctor]

The last time I saw a medic, my BP was up a bit. I'd gone in to have a huge swelling (Fnarr!) on my scrotum (FNARR!) checked out...
The time before that, my BP was also up when the doc said I might have a detached retina!