fluctuating BP

[jjbeck]

HI all. I take my BP daily and record it but, I have noticed it fluctuates thoughtout the day. I now check AM, noon, and night.
In this case, do you record all three or just the highest?
If your BP is not high consistantly throughtout the day, are you still considered to be hypertensive?
Thanks
Jen

[lisa d.]

I have less experience than many who post here, but here is my input. I check my bp anywhere from 4 times a day to lots more depending on what it's doing and how I'm feeling. I log them all to keep a good overall picture of what's going on. It's typical to have fluctuations throughout the day with readings commonly being higher in the afternoons. According to my dr, fluctuations into higher readings are expected and acceptable as long as the bp comes back down later. What he's got me looking for is readings to go into the 150's/100's and stay there.

Others will likely have better info for you, but that's my take on it anyway. Good luck.
-Lisa
36w1d

[jjbeck]

Thanks. Yes, mine are higher during the afternoon. They are still higher than normal though for me even in the morning.

[akemt]

Jen,

Here's my two cents...
Fluctuating bp tends to happen in the beginning from my experience. I think it's called "Labile?" That is not to say that it doesn't do damage. My BP for the first ?4-6 weeks after I was diagnosed would range anywhere from normal to almost 160/100 but never stayed high. Actually, it was always fluctuating, the range simply changed the farther along I got...instead of fluctuating from 110/70 to 160/100 it would range more from 140/85-160/110 and then the range just kept gradually shrinking. These are complete bedrest bp's too. My doctor had me taking 3-4 a day. Morning noon-ish and night, plus one upright bp (just sit up and take it then lay back down and take it again 5 minutes later to see how it changed, etc) though I was comfortable with this care (atleast mostly) I now would have done upright bp's. THough my bp wasn't at all consistant and was fluctuating when I was originally diagnosed, I already had oligo. So anyway, yes, I think you would still be considered hypertensive. And, I recorded all of my blood pressures, not just the high ones. That way we could better see how it was changing.

Catherine (22)
DH Britton (27)
Emma Margaret (03/02/03) 37 weeks from PIH & oligo

[jjbeck]

Thanks Catherine. I will record all now.

[kimb]

I recorded all of mine and let the dr look at them - mine tended to be highest in the morning. In the hospital they found that I had sleep apnea - and that contributed to the high morning readings as my body wasn't getting the rest it needed.

[laura]

Yup, Catherine, you're totally right. One of the symptoms of preeclampsia/pregnancy hypertension is labile blood pressures. charting labile pressures is a great idea, so you can get an overall idea of what makes things worse. Salt was mine!

And KimB... wow, I had read about the link between sleep disturbances and BP, but wow, I didn't realize the link was that clear cut! Wow!

Laura-28
DH Jack-30
Allie 5-13-98 (35 weeks-pre-e)
Baby Camille 4-17-03 (36 weeks- htn and oligo)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/c/camilleandallie/