Is it appropriate for me to go see a Cardiologist?

My sincere advice is for you to see a Cardio and get an opinion

they will probably do all the tests nce again but its worth it to be safe and secure

wish you well

Hi Me914. Did you post a day or two ago as well? If you are the same person then I suspect you are becoming very stressed out about your whole situation.

Please strip things back to the barest of facts. A "normal" bp is in the range of 120/80. However my GP accepts a limit up to 150/90!! The important thing is to get it to settle within a suitable range, so if you bp is say, 134/85 ON AVERAGE then you have to accept that is right for YOU.

As I said in my previous post, you must try lifestyle changes. Ditch any over the counter stuff you may have been trying. Why would you take a laxative for 4 YEARS?!!! Your poor body must be desperately trying to function properly, no wonder your bp is all over the place!

Relax, eat proper food (no processed muck) walk daily, don't drink alcohol or coffee, don't take over the counter medications. Please give your body and internal organs a chance to operate normally with a little help from prescribed medicines which hopefully in time you can ditch or reduce. Good luck!

Hi Me914, Do you know that blood pressure is regulated by the kidneys, not the heart. It's a renal specialist that you need to see. I can highly recommend Dr. Francis Ballardie at Manchester but I'm not sure if he's still available.

Regards... Alex

Sounds like you are in America where unlike the UK you can probably self refer to a cardioloigist.

Are there any specialist hypertension clinics? I go to one here in the UK. Quoting the consultant there... Cardiologists are very clever people who do inticate things that I cannot do but they don't understand hypertension. You need a specialist like me for that!

When your blood pressure measured 135/92 at the doctor's office, was there any discussion about it then?  That is a blood pressure reading that is not atypical if you are stressed about the doctor's visit.  If it was discussed, what was said?  If not, it is past time to ask about that reading. 

Where did you get subsequent measurements?  Your own equipment, or ?  Blood pressure measurement procedure is exacting, and very few perform it correctly - not even medical professionals.  For an interesting and informative read, I suggest http://wellnessproposals.com/health-care/handouts/blood-pressure/adult-blood-pressure-manual.pdf And, maybe it will help you come to terms with your concerns.

Did your physician prescribe the medication you are taking for hypertension.  There is a good chance that you should not be splitting those pills, but not knowing what you are taking, or where they came from, you'd best speak to your physician about that practice.  Too, surely within two months having hair loss is more unusual than not, and that must be discussed.

You do understand that blood pressure fluctuates constantly.

Your physician will not be offended if you want to see a cardiologist, and that might calm you.  Just be sure that both the primary physician and the cardiologist are given the same information.

I couldn't agree more with Fisherman.  Your body must be a wreck from the constant laxatives and energy drinks. 

 

Trust me your doctor is not guessing at anything, it may take several months to arrive at a suitable combination of meds that works for you with minimal side effects; this is perfectly normal. Your BP is not especially high, and while it certainly needs to be monitored and controlled, your worrying about it is only going to make it worse. Further, your water tablet is supposed to make you pee a lot, it helps your body get rid of excess fluids preventing build up in your body tissues.

I suspect you are in a situation where you are taking your blood pressure several times a day and constantly stressing about it; unless your doctor has asked you to keep a diary, stop that now, it really does not help.

If you want to be proactive in controlling your bp, increase your levels of exercise, you do not have to go crazy, if you are ensure how much to do, speak to your gp. Going for regular walks, using an exercise bike half an hour every other day, going swimming can all help. Examine your diet, if you are overweight and sedentary this can have a large impact on your blood pressure; there are any number of useful resources online about healthy eating. Cut down your salt and caffeine intake salt in particular, if you smoke stop. You say you use energy drinks, get rid of them and don’t touch them again, the high levels of caffeine and taurine they contain will not only increase your blood pressure, in excessive quantities they have been known to increase anxiety, and produce other unpleasant side effects none of which will help you.

Most of all trust your gp to make the right choices for you; while your friends mean well, unless they have dedicated years of their lives learning medicine, take anything they have to say about your treatment with a pinch of salt.