Mother has a Dr. She once told me to take Mother to the emergency room if her blood pressure goes above ??? SYS and above 100 DIA. Taken today her SYS has been 172/118, yesterday 169/98, day before, 2 readings 180/83 and earlier that same day, 158/133. I called when it was 158/133 and the Dr. told me to check it in a few hours to see if it improved and if improved, to just continue with 10 mg Lisiniprol in the am and 20 mg Lisiniprol in the evening. Mothers diet is scrambled eggs in the am with white toast and olive oil w a little butter and jelly. Mother is at a facility where they do not have special diets. Their cooking is low in salt. Mom does not add salt. She skips bacon and hotdogs, and foods w nitrates. The food at the Senior Facility is not bad but includes a lot of gravy, french fries, white bread. Mom does not eat pork or ham. I make her healthier foods or we go out to eat when she does not like the menu. Mother enjoys the deserts here. I have held back from discouraging her from deserts as she is not diabetic. I have asked for the last results of her blood tests to be sent to me. Mother does not like to exercise but we go out to places she can walk into restaurants or we go to my home where she can walk up 1/2 flight of stairs. In her apartment, she walks about 24 feet each way to get to the bathroom. In any ones experience, how much Lisiniprol is given for high blood pressure. Is that the answer or is anything else given? Is it dangerous to take Mom out to the Dermatologists when her blood pressure is so high. What has been successful in your experience. We have an appointment for a second opinion coming up in 2 weeks. Mother only drinks 2 cups of water a day along with 6 oz orange juice and 3 cups of decaf with 2 oz of low fat milk or ensure.
I don’t know if I would get her up and out to any more specialists. I agree with many above - maintain your status quo. Taking her out of her home can open her up to respiratory infections or the flu.
You’ve been a great caregiver for your mother!
I have had high blood pressure and taken medication for many years.
I would check my B/P fairly regularly and one day it was ridiculously high so i began taking it like every half hour and it just got higher and higher till it was in the critical range so I went to the ER and they gave me some pills which I don't remember. Didn't do an EKG or anything. After a few hours it had dropped a bit but was still far too high. So the Dr said "You can go home and stop taking your blood pressure so often.
I agree with everyone else not to worry too much about it at 100. Don't be stupid about it but let her eat what she wants and be thankful she has a good appetite. At such an advanced age something is going to take her so try not to pile on the medications. A visit to a cardiologist would certainly be a good idea.
i understand why you are concerned because she and the cat are all you have but just try and keep her life as happy and comfortable as possible and if she wants to do something let her.
Sweet dreams you golden girls.
I tell everyone because my research has shown that 80% of Americans are magnesium deficient and that leads to a whole host of medical problems, I started taking it for migraines and it started working the 1st day, I sleep better and feel better overall. Look it up on Google, it still amazes me that it is such a huge problem and doctors never prescribe it, I guess sick people are big money, especially when it's chronic, which magnesium deficiencies do create chronic issues. My friend, who is a huge skeptic and nay sayer just fell out of her chair when she had to go to the ER and the 1st thing they did was put her on IV mag drip. She asked the nurse and was told that it is standard procedure to give mag drip in ER, hmmmm.
I pray that you have your loving mom with you as long as possible and that her son and nephew take a hike. I believe that if you have POA you can say no contact. I know I can refuse to let certain people have contact with my dad, no need to yet, but good to know I have the ability if it started impacting his life negatively.
God bless you golden girls!
I take my hubby's as he has anxiety issues and when he is having a panic attack, we kind of use that as a way to consciously lower his BP. 3 readings within an hour can be hugely different. I'll have my Drs nurse take my BP at the start of the visit, and the end. It's always back to normal by the time I've seen the dr.
NOW--of my mom was 100 and having these readings--I wouldn't bat an eye. But that's just me. Your mom has already lived a longer life that the "average" and you know it. Of course you should be in touch with the dr, but at 100, she's living on extra time! Bless her heart!!
When my grandmothers passed, both into their 90's, drs asked me what they died from. I believe the best answer was "being 95".
Daughterlu--you are doing amazing work and you enjoy your time with mom, what a great blessing to both of you. I would not stress out the numbers game too much.
I remember some of your previous posts. Your mom’s 100th bd party and the problems with the facility and your brother. And stress does cause high BP and of course brother is good at causing that. Look up loving kindness meditation and see if it is something you and your mom would enjoy. If you can do even 5 or 10 min of meditation daily you will be able to reduce the stress.
I had the same question as you about which dr to see for BP. I did try a cardiologist for my aunt. Her primary took her off of one of her pills (because of low potassium) and her BP went sky high.
I had already taken her to the ER and they prescribed a tablet that brought the BP down immediately and then it would go right back up. So I took her to a cardiologist she had seen before. He ran every test he could think of. Several days of testing. He ended up not being able to bring it under control. He had me checking the BP all day long and adjusting the meds. Then he said that there was a phenomenon where when one did something called “chasing” the BP that the constant checking makes it high. So he basically sent us home with no solution. I took her back to the dr who took her off the one bp med and asked him if he could put her back on it now that her potassium had returned to normal. He did and her bp settled down.
Your mom’s bp sounded good this morning. Some believe that as we age and our vessels stiffen and narrow that we actually need a stronger pressure to circulate the blood. I would be very cautious about adding another medication at 100. Try ground flaxseed on your mom’s food or in applesauce. This is supposed to lower bp and it’s a healthy food.
Take good care of yourself daughterlu and know that you are doing a good job.
I remember reading for many years the upper pressure reading should be in the 130's, but not long ago that was changed to 140's for seniors. Who knows, that could have changed back. Also, don't take your blood pressure right after climbing a flight of stairs, it has to be a "resting" blood pressure test.
Oh my gosh, the sodium/potassium in processed food is sky high. For years sig other had to watch his sodium intake. Now he found out he also should be watching the potassium amounts as apparently that is more of an issue then sodium. What's next?
Both sig other and I love pot pies, but all the well known brands have crazy high sodium levels. Finally I found a brand with mega low sodium levels by comparison, the company is Blake's, and their pot pies are pretty good :)
I agree with CM, call the doctor today and read her your results. 172 over 118 is quite worrisome.
"She once told me to take Mother to the emergency room if her blood pressure goes above ??? SYS and above 100 DIA. Taken today her SYS has been 172/118, yesterday 169/98, day before, 2 readings 180/83 and earlier that same day, 158/133. I called when it was 158/133 and the Dr. told me to check it in a few hours to see if it improved and if improved, to just continue with 10 mg Lisiniprol in the am and 20 mg Lisiniprol in the evening."
Well. Having improved the day before yesterday, your mother's diastolic reading is now back over 100. And the systolic, though also better than the day before yesterday, does seem to be trending upwards. Which we don't want.
I should put in another call reminding your mother's doctor of the instructions she herself gave you and asking if there is any reason why you *shouldn't* take your mother to the ER, then.
There may be very good reasons not to, I wouldn't know. But the instructions don't seem ambiguous, do they?
As mentioned above make sure the blood pressure cuff you use is calibrated correctly as well as that you are using the proper size cuff for the size of her arm.
Make sure you are taking the reading when she is relaxed, legs uncrossed and has not done any exercise ( walking or even bathing).
Try to be consistent with the time you take her BP as well.
A diastolic of 133 is very high. Per your doctor, retake her BP in about an hour and try not to make your mom nervous by telling her that her BP read high. Just tell her you want to recheck it for accuracy. Her anxiety will cause her BP to rise.
I would also add more water to her diet, she could be dehydrated and the body’s result would be to secrete a hormone that will raise her blood pressure to meet her body’s need for perfusion. She should drink at least 32- 48 oz per day. Her intake is nowhere near that. Dehydration can cause her kidney function test (creatinine) to have a false elevation as well.
I wouldn’t take her out if her BP was too high.
I might get a second opinion from a geriatric doctor. I might inquire about meds to help. From what I have heard, it's really very difficult to control hypertension with diet. So much has sodium. And sodium free is tasteless. It's quite daunting and for a senior. I would think that a senior would want to be relaxing and enjoying their days, not stressing over a stringent diet.
Why can't they control hers with meds? My mom takes her meds daily and it stays in a great range. And, she doesn't even avoid sodium. If she didn't take it, it would be quite high.
I hope you can find some answers to help your mom.
You might want to see if you can get this kind of arrangement with your mom's doc.
My mom's bp issues were caused by a combo of anxiety (treated with antianxiety meds) and heart issues (she had some structural issues that apparently caused her bp to go out of control with little we could do about it).
At 90, we were in a holding pattern, waiting for a stroke. There really wasn't anything we could do to prevent it; we held it off as long as possible.
You’ve listed all the solutions I’ve studied that can help. Exercise. Salt free food, hydration. You didnt mention elimination which is very important.
A plant based diet is what I’d like for my aunt to have but we haven’t tackled that one yet.
But I agree with FF’s dad. In your 90s you should be able to enjoy your food.
Most people with hypertension take three prescription meds. The reason given is that each do something different to lower the pressure. For instance my aunt (91) takes Lisinopril, metoprolol and amlodipine. One of them is a ER. She takes all in the morning. Her BP usually hangs around 126/76 until recently.
She has been having issues lately because she has to skip the metoprolol and replace it with a second amlodipine when her pulse falls below 60. The metoprolol causes the pulse to lower.
She’s been taking all three for years. And now that she can’t take the metoprolol everyday her bp is up around 138/80 -143/82. Still not too bad all things considered.
She eats entirely too much salt as she loves cheese.
She has therapy several times a week. OT and PT and although she uses a cane she gets around very well.
The BP meds are dehydrating. But she does drink a lot of decaf. Not too much water or juice. I wish she drank more.
But your mom’s bp is what I thought was stroke range and can also contribute to Congestive Heart Failure. I think I’d be asking for some help to get it lower. I don’t think her diet is likely to change enough to assist her soon.
About taking her out with the high bp. I just don’t know. On one hand you would be closer to the ER if something happened. On the other she would be exerting herself more.
My niece is going through this right now with her husband. He’s an avid bike rider. They are waiting for blood work from his last appt. They told him not to ride for now. Unless she has a bad problem with the dermatologist I might just reschedule.
Are your mom’s feet or ankles swollen? If they are have her elevate them when she sits. Probably good to do that swollen or not. It makes it easier for the blood to circulate back to her heart and it doesnt have to work so hard.
In his book How Not To Die, Dr M Greger says that high BP is an illness of choice because we cause it by our diet and lifestyle. That may be true but you and I are just trying to manage what we can. He is the one wanting us to eat a plant based died. Fruits and Veggies.
Good luck
I know my Mom went overboard with salt-free food for her and my Dad. Ever taste salt-free soup? Might as well be eating water with some veggies floating around in it. There were no salt shakers on the kitchen table. My Dad loved to eat, so once Dad moved into Independent Living facility, after my Mom had passed, his favorite times of the day were breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He was finally having food that he could actually taste. Ok, it might have shorten his life a tad, but he was really enjoying his meals. Dad was in his 90's.
Personally, I feel if someone lives to an old age and wants ice cream for breakfast, let them have it. They deserved it :)