Blood pressure medications?

I went to my OB today for a regular appointment and my blood pressure was 150/67. I'm a Certified Medical Assistant and check my blood pressure on a regular basis while I'm at home and also have co-workers check it for me. It is always in the 120s/60s or 70s.

However every single time I have been to the OB's office it runs at least 150/60. The bottom number is never high but the top number is sometimes as high as 168. I really feel like the reason it is high is because her nurse is someone I used to work with years ago and we did not get along. I always try to chill myself out before she calls me back but it's usually high.

She mentioned today putting me on BP meds, but I don't feel like its necessary because then won't it be too low during the times it's actually normal (when I'm not at her office)? I don't want to let her know my past with her nurse because it isn't affecting anything, she pretends to not know me and I pretend to not know her.

I have an appointment with the perinatologist tomorrow and she said she would let him make the call on whether or not to put me on medication for the high blood pressure. I'm hoping it will be normal since I won't be encountering that nurse while I'm there.

How should I proceed with this? I don't want to take any unnecessary medications.

 

I took Procardia for half my pregnancy with no side effects. I didn't take it for BP, but to try to ward off contractions. But I know it's a BP medication.

I'd take the peri's advice on this one.

 

I would record your readings at home everyday so you can show them a paper copy of what your bp is like in your own environment. I think that your BP is not high enough to be treated with meds. I had gestational hypertention with my first son and they wouldn't even contimplate putting me on BP meds until my bottom number was consistently over 100. I would voice your concerns about the meds to your peri as well as keep track of your BP's and show your peri those. I had to do two readings a day everyday and saw my peri once a week to keep track of my BP's before we went the med route. Best of luck

 

I took both meds that were for BP for contractions (off/on from weeks 20-32) and hypertension (entire pregnancy). My LOs had no side effects and both meds were OK'd by the neonatalogist and PERI.

I would check it at home, after 'walking' (as you would going to an appointment), sitting, and laying own. They can vary a lot from all these positions- but if it is raised when you after being active - it may need to be medicated or they may watch you. Some of it may also be positional of babies---my BP spiked a lot when I was laying all the way down since one of the babies 'sat' on blood vessels . Solved by sitting upright or propped up.

I would also possibly ask for another nurse to help you if you have conflicts with someone.

 

Thanks for the suggestions!

I have an appointment with the Peri today at 2. I'm going to discuss with him the situation and, who knows...maybe it won't even be elevated today since I'm going to a brand new office. To the PP who mentioned asking for a different nurse...there are only 2 nurses there. One for my OB and one for the other OB in the practice. I wish I could switch and not have to deal with this nurse, but it's not really a possibility.

If it's truly a need for me to take the medication, of course I will. But I just hate to take it knowing that my blood pressure does not run high except for when I am at my OB's office.

I'll update everyone after my appointment this afternoon!

 

So when we went to the Peri today my BP was a tiny bit elevated but really not considered "high". It was 138/78.

Peri said that it could be creeping up there and getting ready to skyrocket or it could be that the stress of going to see that other nurse and the excitement of getting to see the babies yesterday could be elevating it. He said no meds for now (thank goodness) and that we'd just keep an eye on it.

By the way, he let it slip that my doctor will be moving to a new office just down the hall from his practice as of March 1 so I'm hoping and praying that the nurse I've been having trouble with will not be coming with her. It will be nice to have both docs in the same building!