I am 82 and my GP says my BP is far too high (179/90). Can anyone tell me whether it is necessary to have a blood test before treatment can be prescribed. I am a needle/blood phobic and in a state of pnic about this. MY GP has refused treatment unless I have a blood test.
Hi, How awful for you. The fear of needles must be a dreadful thing to cope with, but of course blood tests can either rule out or confirm any possible causes of your high blood pressure. You could try and lower it yourself by ditching high fat foods, no "fast foods" etc and limit alcohol. Lose weight if weight is an issue. No smoking. Introduce a brisk 30 minute walk into your daily routine. Eat beetroot and garlic whenever possible. Use Virgin Olive Oil for cooking and on salads.
Your bp isn't disastrously high, so simple lifestyle changes could help and you can always self monitor at home ( Tesco sell a good cheap monitor which would be ideal)
Good luck.
Was this a one off reading or have you had a series of highs. One offs mean nothing as just having it taken can put it up.
I would presume he needs to check kidney and liver function to decide which meds to treat you with
Don't worry it takes two seconds and don't look and ask for the area to be frozen with spray
This is my seconf attempt at sending my thanks to you all for your helpful comments. The BP reading is an average over 24 hours of hourly checks. I do need to make some lifestyle changes, this I can investigate and make a start on right now. I did not know it is possible to have the area frozen before a blood test so will ask the nurse if she can do this for me. Thank you for all the help.
That is high for a 24 hour reading. I get highs of 210/110 but my 24 hour average is not usually more than 150/75.
Ask if they can use a butterfly needle. They are much thinner and you would hardly feel it go in.
Hi Derek, I haven't heard of a butterfly needle so thank you for tellng me. I feel happer now I know what to ask the nurse to do to help me have this blood test. Glad I found this site, it's good to know that others can help from their own experience.
When moderated:
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5993888_butterfly-needle_.html
Heck, misconceptions, I have always found the butterfly ones to be painless.
They use spray for children and hair thin needles, I had 17 files taken the other day, so glad that I'm not hemaphobic LOL my son used to be and my partner but partner ok now and son has no choice as goes all over the world , I suffer with spheksophobia
That's a very posh name for someone who fears wasps. Is there a treatment for it? I'm glad to know there are ways I can be helped to overcome my phobia. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
17 beats my 14 the other week
I was a bit shocked and so was the phlebotomist she went and questioned the consultant, all tests normal as usual except gamma gt buttthat'd a different ball game.
Yea real snazzy name but reason I have it it's because I had a reaction once and now I'm scared of being stung again
No wonder you feel that way. My sister had a wasp sting once and she really suffered. By the way, I've been trying to figure out how to prononce it but haven't managed it yet. Can you help?
I'm still fainting at the thought of 17 tests. You must be very brave. What is gamma gt butthat'd ?
LOL it was only one blood test as such but it filled 17 files so they could do seventeen individual tests.
Gamma gt is part of liver function test and usually means you drink a lot, I'm a near enough tea totaller so they need to know why mine was high, my cholesterol was extremely high as well and that's going down now so having another test and hope it's gone down.
Sorry for stealing your thread, back to you
You will be fine, were your head phones to distract you
I'm glad you "stole my thread" it has helped enormously to know that you, and many others, cope with these things and accept them as normal. It is helping me to overcome my fears and be pragmatic about the tests I need. It isn't the end of the world and I will get better at coping with it.
One of mine is a genetic test for hereditary motor sensory neuropathy that takes three months to get the result for. I questioned it as no one in the last two generations has has that type of problem and I'm sure that it would have shown up many moons ago if I had it.
I asked my GP today about those that were back and he said all normal. That must be the miracle of the week if my blood glucose, HbA1C and cholesterol have reverted to normal. I had my annual fasting blood tests yesterday and will have my T2 Diabetic session with the practice nurse next week.
I once sat on a wasp. At first I thought that my wife had left a pin or needle on the chair.