I have been watching this thread not knowing how to responde. I don't have anything to do with HBP but I just want to let you know that I hope everything will turn out ok for you. Sorry I can't give you any advice.

Hello Joe
You seem to have gotten some good advice here. I am also an Reg. Nurse.My specialty is cardiopulmonary and I have been in the biz for 16 years. First a single blood pressure by itself is not nearly as important as blood pressures over time. However the 205/180 falls within the parameters of a 'hypertensive crisis'. There are many causes however studies indicate that many who develop BP problems are genetically predisposed. This doesn't even have to mean that your family members have to have 'diagnosed hypertension'. Some people produce a lot of cholesterol [ your liver produces it and it can sometimes stay high even if you eat rabbit food-the fancy word is familial hypercholesterolemia or familial hyperlipidemia ]
The important thing is GO IN FOR A COMPLETE WORKUP ! Have your cholesterol and triglycerides checked if you haven't already done so.Next and most important is get on a medication a stay with it.There are beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE drugs, diuretics etc. If you take these and then stop, something called 'rebound hypertension' occurs. Which means your receptor cells are just getting used to the effects and then bam, that chemical effect is gone. Not good. May I ask your age? What were your previous blood pressures? Are there any kidney problems in your family? The reason I ask is that there is a kidney 'problem' called pheochromocytoma that can cause very high BP. If you think of your heart as a water pump and all your blood vessels as garden hoses in a closed system with a set amount of fluid it makes sense that the 'pressure' goes 'up' if a) the hose internal diameter gets smaller as in high cholesterol plugging the lining of those 'hoses' or those 'hoses' getting narrow all of a sudden because they vasoconstrict due to fear, stress, pain etc if the fluid in the system gets higher as in salt in the blood pulling fluid into the hoses, increasing the fluid volume ( hence low sodium diets ).Think about those pipes ( your blood vessels ) trying to accomodate that extra pressure. Thats why strokes occur. Think about the strain on the 'water pump-your heart trying to push blood into this system. Not good because like a motor it will eventually burn out. The good news is all this is very treatable with the appropriate meds and they are getting better with fewer side effects all the time.If you need more info in laymans terms please email me. I am also a clinical educator. Take a deep breath, try to relax.Fear will shoot up a BP quicker than anything. Take Care. We are here for you.

all i can say is good luck joe, RN2004 sounds like she knows what shes talking about (or at least i would hope so). and take it easy on the GUIs, maybe its the tension and excitement causing it? good luck.

wow i know where to go after i go into diabetic shock you people rock.

This really is a storehouse of knowledge.

joe, I also have never had problems with HPB (and I hope I never do by the sounds of it) but I hope and pray that everything works out well for you and like many people have said we are here for you and will support and help in any way we can.

Besides, I don't think I could expand on all the advice that's been given already.

Take care.

Thank you everyone for your positive responces. i go back to the doctor tomorrow. I hope it goes well.

Wow. My husband, a cop, (good exercise, lousy diet) was at work and his BP shot up like that. Heart palpitations (sp?) started, then came the chest pains. He had the good sense (for once) to come home and take something the doctor had given him for sleeping and that saved him. Slowed everything down. Turned out it was his thyroid. Wierd how one little thing can just screw up your whole system like that. He's still on the HBP meds, the heart palpitations are here for good, but at least they fixed the thyroid thing. Good luck and don't stop until you find the reason and get it fixed, if you don't it seems everything can go downhill. BTW, he was 38 when it happened.

Being a police officer can be stressful. Sometimes I wonder if my job is helping to cause my stress levels to go up?

I felt lousy yesterday, but I fel better today. I see the doc today.

I'm only 29 they tell me!!! In the hosptial, I was on the floor with 60 and 70 year olds. It felt wierd that I was on the 'cardiac aresst' floor... I forget what they called it.

Your job DEFINITELY causes your stress level to go up! Any type of security/enforcement career has such a high level of anticipation that your body is bound to react. That and the incredibly addicting and fun adrenaline bursts . At least with your being young you have a great chance of finding the reason and correcting it (along with your personal habits) before anything is unable to be corrected. Remember some of those 60-70 year olds are there because they didn't take care of themselves at your age!

I'm only 29 they tell me!!! In the hosptial, I was on the floor with 60 and 70 year olds. It felt wierd that I was on the 'cardiac aresst' floor... I forget what they called it.

Joe ... age is not a factor!
Look at Karma ... she might wield 'The Fist of Doom' but she is still only a kid (in Wombat years)compared to me!
And stressing yourself out like this only does you harm.

Your job DEFINITELY causes your stress level to go up! Any type of security/enforcement career has such a high level of anticipation that your body is bound to react.

Not always, I've never come across any members of my ADF unit with anything other than lower than average BP .... even under fire.
But stress and a bad diet, as well as an inherited genetic pre-disposition (you never know) are very real factors.

Even under fire? Yikes!, some calm guys! You're right though, most cops I know have the worst diets ever and some stressful situations at home. I don't even think I know of any that are normal, with proper diet and exercise routines. Maybe it's how you deal with the stress of the job??

Your lucky you didnt stroke. I glanced through the threads and may be repeticious here.

1) Find another doc.
2) If you can, measure your BP standing, sitting, laying etc and see what you get.
3) Find another doc
4) My BP sky rockets everytime I see a doc, maybe you have some anxity there?
5) Find another doc.
6) Consult the new doc regarding diet, excersize, stress control etc.
7) Find another doc.

Now if a firefighter LT says find another doc, do it! Boy, talk about a life of stress......

When I first became a nurse a few years ago, I started out working on the telemetry unit at our local hospital. Although we saw all kinds of patients, the emphasis was on cardiac care...people who'd had bypasses, pacemakers, valve replacements, etc., people who'd had heart attacks, etc. etc. The youngest post-coronary bypass (open heart surgery) patient I cared for was something like 37 or 38 years old. So it's very true that in many cases, age doesn't always matter. What does matter is a myriad of things, such as diet, stress, heredity, things like that.

I'll be very curious to hear what your doctor had to say today, since you'd mentioned earlier that while you were in the hospital, some of the doctors there were wondering about how your kidneys were functioning...that thought had crossed my mind too, since your kidneys are an important part of regulating blood pressure.

I hope all went well with your appointment today, and that you're feeling better.
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My op was at age 44 And we're talking superfit mountainbiker.

My doc was concerned when my BP reached 140/100

Have to take seven different tablets now