What to do about potential high blood pressure misdiagnosis?

Your commonsense was correct, and anyone prescribing a beta blocker medication on the basis of a single random reading is absurd.

By all means disregard his diagnosis and prescription, and there is absolutely no doubt that the meds. you are taking are the cause of your lethargy, and distress. BUT ... don't suddenly stop taking them. If you do, you may well get a "bounce" effect which is well accepted as a side effect and feel worse. You should wean yourself off them.

Just gradually take them in smaller doses, or at less frequent intervals, until after about two weeks you're off them. It will take some time for their complete effects to go, but gradually your pulse rate will recover to a normal level, and you'll feel all the better for it. I recommend you keep track of your resting pulse rate and see how right this is.

As regards Bill's posting,....... if only it were true! Two different doctors diagnosed my wife with both hypertension and hypo-tension within a week of each other, here in Chester, England, both based on single readings. One tried to treat her hypo-tension to "get her blood pressure up" and the other tried to put her on beta blockers "to get her blood pressure down".

Witch-doctors in the jungle could do better than that.

Referring to JB's answer (- and I quote directly from her lurid posting) :- "If your blood pressure reading remain higher than 115/75, then you need this medication",........ what can one really say?

Without appearing rude, or wishing to violate Yahoo Community Guidelines, what kind of "health care" is she 'providing', and who pays for tosh like this?

You have your own evidence, -what do you think?

Have you been to this doctor before and your readings were running high? They usually don't prescribe based on one high reading but, at 192 - the doctor probably though something needed to be done immediately, thus the prescription. Take the medications as prescribed, consider figuring out some way to monitor your blood pressure - first thing in the morning, while sitting on the side of the bed, before getting up to go to the bathroom, is your most accurate and will give you a reading that is considered your baseline (your lowest reading you can get). Write these down. For a few days, when taking any new medication, there are side effects and these usually go away within the first week of taking the medications. If your blood pressure reading remain higher than 115/75, then you need this medication. And, your doctor probably wants to see you again in X amount of time to see how well this medication is working. Take your blood pressure readings with you to your next appointment. And, lastly, you should go to WebMd.com and type in high blood pressure and read up on other methods that you can do to lower your blood pressure (diet, exercise daily and weight loss).

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Well you could have a stroke or heart attack if your Blood Pressure stays too high. I wonder if you got the numbers backwards was it 140/92 maybe? Check it daily - you can do it for free at Walmart or your local pharmacy they all have Blood pressure machines nowadays. If it stays high for a few weeks above 120/80 then you are probably hypertensive.

Avoid sodium (less then 1500 total a day) eat a low fat diet and lose weight if u need too. Then maybe you could talk to Doc about meds and if you really need them!

Good Luck.

Quite often there are no symptoms and you only know that your blood pressure is high when the doctor checks it, and it may read high then because of the "white coat syndrome". You can check it yourself at a pharmacy if they have the free machines. Take it once and record the results and then take it a short time again. If you are overweight, losing a few pounds will usually bring your pressure down. gere

A doctor usually doesn't diagnose high blood pressure after just one reading. You can buy a meter at any drug store to check your own blood pressure. Ask your doctor for advice.

You should read "The Blood Pressure Solution" (also available in electronic format, watch the video presentation here: http://www.fixbloodpressure.com/ ) It's a very comprehensive step-by-step book that walks you through the natural remedies of high blood pressure. It provides you with a lot of information on what foods to eat, how you can acquire and prepare these foods, how you can change your lifestyle for the better, how to eliminate the toxins from your body, how to reduce stress, how you can check your blood pressure level the correct way etc.

The book is amazing in that it not only lowers your blood pressure without the help of medications; it also aids you in having a life that is healthy, happier, and less stressful. This book chanced my life.