Hi friends,
I went to my doctor yesterday for a regular check up and my blood pressure was up. I'm on BP meds and feel perfectly fine but I must admit I've had a stressful and tiring week. I've posted on this sight before that I had experienced eye flashes/visual disturbances and many of you wrote of your experiences. I've seen 2 opthamologists and both reassured me that it just a posterior vitreous detachment and my eyes are fine ( I only had it in my left eye). I've had echo heart tests and scans and my heart is fine. But last night, and get a load of this upsetting news, my doctor says to me, well we don't know what caused the eye flash so we'll put it down as a mini stoke!!! I can't tell you how distress I was about what she said. I know I haven't had a stroke but being the anxious type, I've been worrying every since. Why would she say that without substantiation? There's absolutely no medical evidence to support what she said. Why do doctors say stuff off the cuff like that? Her words hung in air for ages and I was so upset. Why is it that when I start to feel good, some medical person tells me something bad. Don't they want me to be well and feel healthy in myself? I'm on BP meds and I don't think I'm at a high risk of a heart attack or stroke!!! I just feel so down since I saw my doc last night and I just needed to off load with you guys because I know you understand.
Love to all
Gabby

Gabby: Unbelievable. I can't comprehend why a doctor would say such a thing. I have flashes of light all the time in my eyes; they're occular migraines. My mother gets them even more frequently; she has a detached retina (which was repaired, but not successfully.)

If it's any consolation, I went to the doctor's today and my BP was 146/93. This morning my husband took it and it was 110/70. Just being around doctors makes my BP rise.

I think you should consider dumping this MD.

Hi Gabby,

I'm with Robin. Doctors are human and some fall into the creepy category. I can't imagine why a doctor would say such a worrisome thing without any substantiation! Outrageous!

I believe we all need to be militant consumers of health care. If one is no good, move on to another until you find one that you are compatible with.

Please try to quell your anxiety. There is no evidence for what this (alleged) practitioner said.

Please let us all know how you are doing.

Marcy

Hey Robin and Marcy,
Thanks for your responses. I really value your support. I feel fine healthwise but I can't seem to get what the MD said out of my mind. I live in a rural town and I'd have more luck getting a date with George Clooney than changing MDs. But hey, won't don't I give it a go? I might just get lucky and find an MD that doesn't scare the hell out of me! It's not too much to ask is it!
How are you both getting on? Touch base soon.
Gabby

Gabby - What an ordeal! I dont blame you for feeling anxious over a remark like this, I would be anxious too! But, anyway, ignore the doctor - I've found that a lot of them are useless.

PS. If you see George Clooney - send him over to me! Only dont tell my husband

Gabby,

I'm sorry your doctor scared you. I believe I would be telling her how that made you feel for sure. I get flashing light in my right eye constantly. I ran to the eye doctor and he said it was a migraine situation. I can understand your worry and fear. As for the bp, every time I go to the doctor now it's been high. I monitored it at home and it was normal...I was doing it every day for awhile. I guess I should get the cuff out again......

I'd also look for a new doctor....I have a NO TOLERANCE rule for myself now....if I'm not getting treated properly, I find someone else.

Hugs,
Karen

Please remember, you hired the doctor to make you feel good - not to slip in a horrible unsubstantiated diagnosis without actual proof (lab work might be a good start). My best "medical" visits are right here on power surge. If I have a symptom(s) and there is someone else with an identical symptoms(s), I quit worrying. After all, these women are my age, give or take a few years and if they are still alive (obviously - they are posting on the board) then the next thing I do is read how they cope with whatever it is they have. If they can do it; I can do it. Besides...there is one good thing from this - I dont' have to pay anyone's medical bills and get "free" advice. Granted...one has to be familiar with their own reactions and body language, but for the most part I choose to let others go to doctors, get a diagnosis and let me share it with them. May kill myself from someone's misprint, but then that his my choice and one of those choices is that I would be firing your doctor. What a horrible thing to say to someone already in a fragile state of mind. By the way, my eyes would kick in the strobe lights and would have a party, remembering not to invite me. Then a slight ache on top of the eyebrow and poof - lights were gone until the next time. Lasted about 15 minute or so minutes. Entire party scene lasted almost a year - hit a miss.

I feel so bad that your doctor said that to you. She has no feelings or cares one bit. I would try and find a new doctor but i know what you mean about finding one when you live in a rural town. We do too and our insurance only covers one clinic/hospital so we are really limited. It makes it hard when you don't like your doc.

My BP goes up all the time when I go to the doctors. It is called white coat. I never used to be worried about getting my BP taken at the doctors but a nurse scared me one time. My BP was up because I taken Relpax for a migraine and she was running around like I was going to die any minute (it was 150/90) Thank goodness my doctor wasn't to concerned and retook it and it was a little lower 136/82. He said to just monitor it at home and I do now. My BP usually runs at home anywhere from 124/72 to 90/60. But the nurse scared me enough to always worry about it when I go to the doctors. I decided just recently I am going to have my doctor take it now and not the nurse. If they don't like it, that is their problem. I am paying them for goodness sake and they can do what I say for certain things.

Take care and keep coming on to Power surge. It will help calm you. It always does me.

Mopsy

I think there are a lot of nurses who are not well trained on how to take blood pressure. I had the EXACT same experience you did. This nurse fumbled around, fidgeted with the cuff, talking the whole time and then said something about my BP being high. That alarmed me as that was the very first time I had every had a high reading. In fact, mine had always been low. (However, I realize now that things change in peri.) Anyway, from the way she was acting I thot I was gonna keel over any minute. I told her I had to go to the br and she said to go, CALM DOWN (yeah right) and then come back and she would take it again. Of course I calmed down thinking my next step would be my last .

The doc came in, took it again and it had gone down considerably. I monitored it for a couple of months and it was fine. But, I have to say that I have an intense dislike of doc offices and BP cuffs now and my readings are always very high there.

I wonder how *they* came up with the standards of what's high/what's acceptable? It used to bee 100 plus the patient's age. No more. And, it was lowered a few years ago even more, so now thousands more ppl fit into the category of needing BP medication.

Oh, as far as the flashing lights....if those are mini-strokes, I've had dozens of them.

Oh, and a date with George Clooney would cure all ills....(BTW, I saw him on a talk show once and he's a major hypochodriac. He'd fit right in with us, wouldn't he?)

I am wondering if the pharmaceutical companies had something to do with lowering the number to get more people on meds so they can get richer. I won't go on any meds unless my numbers stay high all the time not just once in a while.

Oh a date with George Clooney would be fun.

Hi, guess I'm the new girl!

I can understand all that Gabby, really I can. I taught aerobics for 25 years but weirdly with peri-meno my blood pressure started to rise. However I do have white-coat syndrome, and having explained that to the doc. he ignored what I said and wanted to put me on meds. I explained what I did for a living and he said it could be putting me at risk, meaning that if I was teaching aerobics with high BP it could lead to a stroke. I tried to argue that the exercise was keeping my BP down but the anxiety in between was causing my BP to rise cos of menopause! Trouble is, as in your case Gabby, what he said scared me to death so I gave up my classes as I started having nightmares about reading the headline AEROBIC INSTRUCTOR DROPS DEAD TEACHING HER CLASS in the local paper! Needless to say I am now suffering from bone, muscle and menopause crap that maybe I wouldn't have if I had continued. I changed doctors too and my present one just says I am low risk. I keep walking 2/3 miles most days to keep fit but am scared to attend classes anymore, as I have anxiety and panic attacks with any pain I have anywhere in my body. Regards to all Rosy.

I have a terrible aversion to Drs all because of this BP business! I can relate to all of what you are saying!

My story (short version) 41 yrs of age (2002) didnt know peri exsisted. Started getting crazy, scary symptoms. Caused HBP with the anxiety. Full panic. Dr doesnt help me lower BP and just tells me that I am going to have a stroke. the dr was useless and just created more anxiety. next dr helps with anxiety and bp (paxil and avapro)
But wants to give me EKG every visit. Now mind you, the EKGs are fine. She just gives me a blank look like she expects me to die any second. I think it helps pay for her lake house.

DH went to see her today for chest congestion/cold. I had anxiety just at the thought of him going. (his bp sits at 100/60) at dr today it was 110//80 on Robitussuin.

I take natural supplements now for bp and anxiety. They help too and I dont have to see a stupid Dr.

What you describe seems very much to be ocular migraines. I have had them off and on for years - they are scary but if you have had all the tests like I have - you just learn that it is a weird form of migraine. My recommendation, coming from a rural person and an anxious one, is to not dwell on it - seriously. I had a bad episode recently - went and got my eyes all check (several hundred of dollars) only to confirm - yep, ocular migraines. I have had 3 different diagnosis of the same thing. I think peri makes them worse - kinda like a typical migraines - but if you have been checked and nothing shows - I seriously would simply go on and try to forget them. I am not downplaying strokes - but I do know that ocular migraines will drive you crazy if you let them.

I have found the resting the eyes for a few days helps. I am a avid reader plus I work on the computer 5 days a week - not to mention my personal weekend time of computer use. Such use of the eyes further strains things. The last bout I had - I simply rested my eyes from detail work and within a week, most of the flashes went away - I say most - now it is a bothersome thing but I simply tune it out from my sanity.

I hope this helps - I do suggest you research ocular migraines and even research images - you will be amazed at some of the pictures that are very accurate on this condition.

GOOD LUCK!