BP and HR monitors

measuring pulse

by Tracey_E - 2020-12-19 20:56:19

I've found most bp monitors to be very accurate. Mine is omron. Are you starting with the cuff tight enough, positioned correctly, and doing it without a sleeve in the way? I've never had a problem with the bp monitor getting my heartrate.  My pulse oximeter is spot on every time but it only measures pulse and o2 saturation.

I feel you on the white coat sydrome! My doctor jokes about it. I've even taken an extra bp pill before an appointment and was still high. He has me keep logs at home and looks at that instead of what he measures in the office. Before that, he had me bring in my monitor and compare it to what he was measuring in the office to see if it was accurate because my readings were so far off from his.  It was perfect, it's white coat syndrome. 

Whatever you do, don't mess around with the meds. If they were prescribed, take them. We cannot afford high blood pressure and the damage it does. For a long time I resisted taking them every day when some days my numbers were good, took them as needed (with my gp's blessing), but my ep said he'd rather me take them and be on the low end sometimes than not take them and be on the high end sometimes. So now I take it every day. Dammit. 

Heart rate monitor

by AgentX86 - 2020-12-19 21:28:18

Being paced or not shouldn't affect Pulse-Ox or pressure style heart rate monitors. The exception is the montors in watches.  These often don't fit well, are in the wrong place, and are jostled around while moving.  A BP cuff should be pretty accurate unless you have an arrhythmia. 

You can't count your HR by palpating the carotid artery? I've never heard of someone not being able to feel their pulse in the neck.  You'll get the most accurate count here in any case.  Do NOT let anyone else do this to you.  It's fine for you to do it but it's dangerous for other untrained people to do it.

My BP is all over the place in the Dr's office.  It varies 30pts from time to time and doctor to doctor.  Since I got my pacemaker I don't worry about rate.  I know where it is. Unless you're having a significant numer of PVCs, or such, the resting heart rate shouldn't fall below a "safe" number.

Don't mess with your meds unless your doctors direct you to.  "Pill in the pocket" sort of instructions.

I’m using two BP cuffs same result

by Jgwin - 2020-12-20 11:49:34

I actually have an OMRON and a Withings. There are several times where they both error out and say my HR is to low to get a reading. My Pulse oximirer is all over the place. This makes no sense. I'm paced to not go below 60. Could you share the models you have? My BP has gotten so low that I've been advised not to take Metropolol if it's below 110. It just knocks me out. The Pacemaker is telling the doc that my resting HR is around 100 so they asked me to log it. They aren't really worried but said if it's preventing me from activity then we need to change meds. That's the problem because I simply can't tell what it is. I can't feel it in my neck or chest or wrist. I just can't. No real explanation other than that. I've tried and tried and tried but I can't. 
I haven't been told that I have an arrhythmia. I was just at the cardiologist in November. I was told that a lot of these devices cannot detect paced beats, but it's becoming very frustrating. 

detecting paced beats

by Tracey_E - 2020-12-20 14:31:02

Yes monitors can be grossly inaccurate with pacing, however the exceptions to that are usually bp machines and pulse oximeter. Usually it's the sports monitors that are inaccurate. Weird.

If your pacer said your resting rate is 100, then your resting rate is 100.

This is how I learned to count pulse on the arm in first aid class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZCPZUHgFks

Have you tried taking your own monitor to the doctor's office and having them use it? It's possible you are not placing the cuff correctly or starting it tight enough. If mine is too loose, it won't pump up and errors out. Also the cord has to be in just the right place. 

Thanks Tracey_E

by Jgwin - 2020-12-20 16:40:07

I appreciate the video. I have two monitors and they've been calculated. Cardiologist even says that stress is likely my biggest BP issue. I wish Medtronic would allow more access via the app to see your true HR. Seems like the BP cuff is right sometimes and then it's not. It's really off in the rare moments that I'm really calm. I've seen the oximeter be half of what it really probably is. I'm just so frustrated. My watch which I know can be wrong also is usually double what the BP monitor and oximeter say. It's just so frustrating. 

Some questions

by Gotrhythm - 2020-12-21 17:15:25

You said, "It either detects paced beats or doesn't  or doesn't detect paced beats."

 I'm not sure I understand why there's a problem re: monitor detecting paced beats. If my monitor couldn't detect paced beats, it would show a heart rate of 0--meaning I'm paced 100%.

But it seems to me that since HR for those of us with pacemakers always includes both paced and unpaced beats, the official HR is the total of the two. Which makes me wonder, how do you know it's displaying only paced or unpaced beats?

As far as knowing when the cuff is positioned correctly, Omron makes a wrist cuff that has a blue light which says when it's right and an amber light that says when your arm isn't in the right position. I have always found it agrees with the BP taken at the doctor's office. It also agrees with the HR displayed on my pulse oxymeter. The BP cuff is called Omron Intellisense. Costs a little more, but well worth it, IMHO.

Intellisense

by Jgwin - 2020-12-22 01:02:09

I actually have that model. My dr. Doesn't like it and says it's not recommended, but it has always worked in the past. I really can't explain what's going on. My oximeter doesn't seem to register but half my HR. It's like the BP monitors are not detecting it correctly either. Pacemaker is set at 60 so I know it can't be under that. When I spoke to Medtronic they did say it's common for oximeters and BP monitors to sometime have issues sensing the beat from the pacemaker. I honestly don't know. I had a full checkup just last month also. The whole thing is confusing.