Reddit mentions: The best blood pressure monitors

So I’m not going to speak to any of the financial side of things directly.

I had a kidney transplant 6 years ago. I don’t remember the exact amount I paid out of pocket for my transplant, but it was less than $1000 in Michigan. I had an employee health plan plus Medicare kicks in.

Something to think about right now is moving, if you don’t live near a hospital where he can have the transplant. The reason to move now is so you can get set up with a pcp that is in the same system as your nephrologist. This eliminates a lot of your husband potentially being the go between for his doctors. Also the hospital has a lot of resources, like support groups, that you can start to utilize. After transplant your husband will be seeing his nephrologist once a week for about 2 months, then every other for 4 months. It’s a lot of driving. There is a lot hat goes into moving. I am just bringing it up as something to think about.

Next I would look at the two types of dialysis. This is a big decision that you will more than likely have to make down the road. I had to make the decision rather quickly, I was on dialysis for 9 months, and there is a lot of information to digest.

Following that you want to get a good picture of his family medical history. Along the same lines get familiar with what they test for during blood draws and what it means. If he hasn’t started already, checking blood pressure daily is also a good thing to start. It’s easy to go to amazon and get a good one (Blood Pressure Monitor Cuff Kit by Balance, Digital BP Meter With Large Display, Upper Arm Cuff, Set also comes with Tubing and Device Bag (BP Monitor New) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N9I63PG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_OgiYAb4GGXCYD) this is the one I use. Water retention is another thing to keep an eye on.

Regular exercise and a good diet go a long way. Talk to a dietician.

Knowledge is power. I like to keep a list of questions that I think of for my next doctors appointment. Like I said earlier, learn to have at least a basic understanding of his labs. Both of you should know what medications he takes, and what they are for. Be an active participant in treatments.

This can be very challenging and overwhelming. Feel free to ask me questions need help.


Edit: words removed upon mod request.

I use Flux and I can't tell you what a difference it has made. As far as supplements, L-Theanine and Melatonin are favorites of mine. That said, these two items aren't nootropics and they're kind of expensive but I love them. http://www.amazon.com/RESPeRATE-Blood-Pressure-Lowering-Device/dp/B0007NOY3E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415029157&sr=8-1&keywords=resperate

http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Divine-Relaxing-Biofeedback-Software/dp/B000HKI21W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415029316&sr=8-1&keywords=wild+divine

I was seeing a psychologist for EEG neurofeedback and she recommended both of these products to me. I leased them from her and eventually bought them. Biofeedback is great for so many things, but it is excellent for helping me regulate my sleep. And I've had chronic, medication resistant, insomnia for years.

Edit: Also, in regards to melatonin, it's good to get sublingual. It will be more effective that way.

I have the same exact problem. I agree with everyone else who suggested buying an at home blood pressure kit. I got this one on Amazon and it’s great. It’s not a wrist cuff and it even came batteries. It wasn’t expensive and the device saves your readings which is helpful!

My doctor recommended I check my blood pressure every other week. (It’s currently under control with weight loss and a diuretic which is why he only recommends every other week) he recommended going to a pharmacy or grocery store to check my blood pressure but I even get nervous there. All I can think about is times in the past when I’ve gone there and it’s been high and it stresses me out.

So I ordered the at home one, and my routine is this: every time I go to take it, I make sure I’ve had a lot of water that day, haven’t eaten anything crazy high in sodium (well that’s the goal every day now!) and I’m taking it before I’ve had my coffee. I sit on my couch for about five minutes, chill and scroll on my phone on mindless stuff. Then after that, I do a quick, five minute meditation to clear my brain from stressing about my blood pressure. I sit with my arm on the arm of my couch, nice and relaxed, arm facing up and I have my blood pressure taken with calming music playing. Over the top? Yup 😆 but it works! It’s significantly higher at doctors offices, and my heart rate isn’t crazy high like it is when they’re taking it at the doctors. Good luck!

The pulse in your head (usually sounds like it's behind your eardrum) is likely related to elevated blood pressure. The fact that you are hearing your pulse in your head probably isn't serious on its own, although there are rare cerebrovascular (blood veins/arteries in your head) conditions that could have this effect -- this is unlikely though. However you should talk to your healthcare provider in detail about this for further assessment.

Exercise, diet and reducing alcohol all will definitely have an impact on both this problem and many preventable conditions that could occur in your future.

130/85 and 140/70 aren't terribly elevated, but it's best to get the measurement after you have been sitting down for several minutes (>10, preferably) without having exerted yourself prior (no running up 10 flights of steps) and without recent caffeine or nicotine use.

Do you take other medications? Some asthma medications and ADHD medications (among others) are notorious for causing elevated blood pressure.

I love the Mayo Clinic's database for patients on medical conditions -- it's always a reliable place to go for information. Try some of the lifestyle modifications they suggest here.

Maybe it's worth getting a home sphygmomanometer (don't worry, I can't pronounce it either), better known as a "blood pressure cuff/machine" from amazon or similar. Some are cheap, automatic and accurate. I've used this one with patients, before, but most reputable machines will work well -- check the user ratings to make sure people have found it accurate. Keep a record in the morning first thing and maybe when you get home at night -- same rules apply. Rest for 10 minutes and avoid caffeine, nicotine, alcohol. That log, along with info about your alcohol, caffeine and nicotine use (and any other medications taken) should be sufficient for your primary care provider to be able to counsel you on whether blood pressure medications are needed.

yeah, mine was the same - it's the only meds i've taken this pregnancy but it was the only way I could sleep. A bit of caffeine sometimes helped as well. Thankfully this stage only lasted 2-3 weeks for me, but it was rough. Oh, I also found that it was worse if I forgot to wear my nightguard (I'm a big teeth grinder..)

I bought this BP monitor: https://www.amazon.com/Omron-Wireless-BP786-Bluetooth-Connectivity/dp/B00KW4PO82/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1502896044&sr=8-2&keywords=omron+blood+pressure+monitor - I consistently register 140/90 @ my Dr's office, and like 105/70 at home so having the home monitor has been hugely helpful. I like this one because it syncs to your phone and I can show my dr the trends. Worth it for the peace of mind if you're worried about Pre-e (like I am!)

The one I've got (Omron BP 652) is supposed to be one of the more accurate ones. It's this one: http://www.amazon.com/Omron-Series-Wrist-Pressure-Monitor/dp/B004D9P1A8

Overall, I would recommend it... but you have to babysit it a bit to get an accurate reading. More on that in a second.

There is a reviewer on that Amazon page who claims that the proper way to use the cuff is to hold your wrist away from your chest, completely unsupported. As far as I can tell (from the manual and from watching some of Omron's promotional material demonstrating how to use the cuff), this is not true, and will in fact elevate a reading. (If you think about it, she's asking you to essentially perform isometric exercise, which would undoubtedly affect BP to some degree.)

Another thing about wrist cuffs: you have to be careful of the protruding wrist bone at the tip of your ulna (same side as your pinky). If you put the cuff over that part, it'll artificially lower the result. So in order to get the proper reading, you need to slide the entire cuff down about an inch.

Oh, one last thing: taking an accurate reading with a wrist cuff also depends on elevation relative to your heart. (the stat is that 1 inch higher than heart level is 8 mmhg lower [diastolic], while 1 inch lower than heart level is 8mmhg higher) Omron's cuff does an okay job of this, but it'll let you cheat a little if you're not paying attention. It gives you a blue light when you're supposedly in range, and an orange light when you're not. But be sure to check independently of that.

Oh, and be sure to check it against your doctor's arm cuff if possible. It's not unheard of for these things to be poorly calibrated straight from the factory.

I had borderline hypertension before my first pregnancy 2 years ago that my doctor had me check at home, so my monitor is actually pretty old. I ended up with pre e in my last pregnancy and they have me on meds this time, so I have been instructed to check it twice a day this pregnancy- luckily its been low. Unless you have a tendency toward high bp or pre e symptoms, I don't know that it is necessary to check at home- I always get tense when I check which of course makes it go up and makes me worry more. But if you do get a monitor, the OMRON brand is great- like I said, mine is probably 10 years old now and still works great (I had it calibrated at my doctor's office so I know it is accurate). They sell them at most pharmacies like CVS or Rite Aid or even Target or Walmart. Amazon has one similar to mine: Omron HEM 7120 Upper Arm Automatic Blood Pressure Home B P Monitor Bp Machine Hem 7120 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F38B3NW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_gZIAzb839PAT5

When I bought mine it was around $40 but it looks like they now sell them for less. Good luck!

Want to be 99% sure you're healthy during a trip?

http://www.amazon.com/Omron-UltraSilent-Wrist-Pressure-Monitor/dp/B004D9P1A8

$45. Accuracy is very close to what doctors use. Sit down near a table or other flat surface, slip it on, press start, and it does all the work for you.

If your resting blood pressure and heart rate are reasonable (blood pressure below ~140/85, heart rate below 140), then you know you're fine and can carry on safely. Do it about 5 times on a normal sober day to know your usual levels.

It's normal for many drugs to raise blood pressure and heart rate though, so don't be too paranoid about it. You'd only have to really worry about it if blood pressure is starting to rise over 155/100 for more than a few minutes. If that happens and you start feeling very light-headed and unable to think, then you know it's time to get help.

Same goes for if it's less than 90/60, especially if your usual blood pressure is much higher.

This one is super highly rated. Lots of great features. Omron over all is great, if you want an upper arm cuff instead.

Doctors love to tell people to limit sodium. Even though "sodium has no role in the etiology of hypertension."

> How can one test for things like hyper responsivity to dietary sodium?

Keep track of sodium consumed (a diet tracking website like http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ or https://cronometer.com/ is extremely helpful here) and blood pressure. There are at least half a dozen apps and websites to track these values, or you could use a spreadsheet, or good old pen-and-paper. Is your blood pressure dramatically higher the day following a particularly heavy sodium consumption? If not, then you're not a hyper responder. For example, both my diastolic and systolic readings go up three to five points the day following an extremely salt-heavy day. I'm not a hyper responder.

IMHO, everyone with high blood pressure (aka hypertension) should have a home blood pressure monitoring unit and should keep track of their readings. They're quick and extremely easy to use (Can you operate Velcro? Can you press a button?), accurate, and fairly inexpensive. (Here's one that costs less than three months' worth of a generic brand blood pressure medication: https://www.amazon.com/Omron-Pressure-Monitor-Standard-BP710N/dp/B00KPQB2KG)

I knew about the heart rate sensor, but mind blown with the SpO2 sensor. I just wonder how accurate it is. The heart rate censor isn't very accurate.

Source: I wear an actual heart rate monitor

In most cases there is no bad effect. Your heart is not going to blow up. Yes stimulants increase your pulse and blood pressure. In most people the parasympathetic nervous system works to calm your down as well as the norepinephrine/adrenal shut off switch so you do not overload your heart. So as long as one of those two systems work fine you will be alright. Also as long as you have no structural problems with your heart.

That said you should be mindful of your heart rate. Getting a blood pressure monitor (they make very small ones like this) Amazon Link, or a pulse counter is an easy and simple thing to do to be aware of your heart rate. To my understanding all the android wear and upcoming apple watch have heart rate monitors but you need to double check. There are also old school watches that do this.

I bought one -- very handy as it syncs to Microsoft Health Vault.
I tried [this] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H43WOAK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to measure BP.. but it sucks ass.

Wanting to find a wifi capable one that does not suck -- would be nice to get a wifi ekg as well.

I have this little Omron 7 series wrist cuff. It’s very easy to use by yourself and I find it fast and accurate. Amazon has the best price I’ve seen.

Idk what that guy freakout out about lol but go to any pharmacy or online and they should have one of these there. make sure the cuff is appropriate size for your arm. Check at home freely and they are pretty darn accurate.

P.s. always take 3-4 readings. ignore the first one and average the last 3. thats your BP.

Errors while taking blood pressure are mostly because they are not set properly. It's easy to use a monitor. Have a look at some youtube tutorials and you should be good to go!

Most monitors have a error range of about 5 mm Hg.

I suggest getting a 20$ monitor as there's not much difference between the top end products. They mostly have features like app support, wireless etc not much important imo.

Have a look at this

Checking blood pressure at home is not a substitute to visiting a physician. But yeah, you could be more aware with it.

Stay Healthy!

Thanks a lot for your answer. Side question.

I've purchased this blood pressure meter and the results it's giving me vary a lot from reading to reading. Is that normal? (i've gotten a range like: 142-121 & 69-75)

This is the machine I have. Any recommendations for a better machine? My doc said mine was accurate except for the bottom number. She told me only pay attention to the top number when doing readings. Just curious if anyone else has run into the same issue with bp readings?

I appreciate the input, man!

> either the hand-held ones or the ones built into a floor scale

It was a combination of both, a previous model of this device here: Omron BF 511

> they're in no way reliable or accurate enough to give any meaningful day-to-day data.

Which is why I consider not one single measurement but rather the monthly trend. Nonetheless, the margin of error would be even bigger with fewer measurements.

> Secondly, there's no way you actually gained 2 kg (4 pounds) of muscle mass in a month. That's roughly double what anyone can achieve naturally (more realistic is <0.5 kg/month).

I agree. But since your estimate lies just within the confidence band of 1 σ, it would be no surprise to me if the growth would be around that. Time and more measurements will tell.

> The reality is you're probably gaining both proportionally as your weight goes up.

Probably. This hypothesis is entirely congruent with the data I currently have about myself. And this is precisely why a cut is scheduled for after Christmas.

> Also as an aside, you should be labelling your axes as muscle (kg) instead of muscle/kg. You see why the latter can be confusing.

No, I should not if I want to abide by the conventions of the Bureau International des Poids ed Mesures. Probably should have written it as mᵐᵘˢᶜˡᵉ/kg and respectively mᶠᵃᵗ/kg, though.

Just ordered this> Omron HEM-7130: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B00FNM0X5M/

Thanks. :)

Wrist cuffs are typically less accurate than upper arm cuffs because it is measuring a smaller artery. I'd recommend getting a reliable home BP monitor, like this one, so you can measure your BP without the doctor's office anxiety. It really gave me peace of mind!

Could you pick up or encourage the caaregiver to pick up something like this? http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Check-Wrist-Pressure-Monitor/dp/B002YKDTNY

I see. I just bought an electronic BP cuff. It reads pretty much exactly the same as the BP cuff on the monitor.

Here is the one I use. I recommend it.

The arm cuff ones are much more reliable than the wrist cuff ones. They are also more expensive. I have this one, it works well and stores your readings so you can track more easily. My doctor recommended the Omron brand, FWIW.

Runkeeper and a Google Docs spreadsheet. Using this to monitor heart rate and BP.

This is the one I got. I love it. It syncs via bluetooth to your phone and does 3 measurements with time in between to get a more accurate reading.

If you have an option, go for the upper arm cuff. It's more accurate.

I highly recommend getting your own little BP/ heart rate monitoring device and doing a poor man's tilt table test, particularly in the morning (but be careful to sit down before you possibly pass out, preferably have someone there to take measurements).

https://www.amazon.com/Choice-Basic-Blood-Pressure-Monitor/dp/B07G3P5C1M

If you like Omron, it looks like they make models that pair with your phone via bluetooth:

https://www.amazon.com/Omron-Wireless-Pressure-Bluetooth-Connectivity/dp/B00KW4PO82/ref=pd_lpo_121_bs_t_2

What I started with: Stethoscope, sphygmomanometer or a sphygmomanometer for the lazy, pulse oximeter, reflex hammer, tuning fork, a pen light, notebook, Maxwell, pocket medicine, clipboard, 48 pens (of which I somehow only have 2 left), and finally a pack of decoy pens to hand out to people that need to "borrow" a pen but never give back.


Seriously where do all of my pens go??? It turns out half them went into my gf's bag x(.

What I was given or picked up along the way: scalpel, needle drivers, tweezers, scissors, various types of vicryl, bandages, gauze, alcohol wipes, surgical lube (that I took from the hospital when no one was looking ;) ), and a pocket CPR mask. I took a bunch of normal saline and IV kits as well but they don't fit in the bag.

I use this

https://www.amazon.com/iHealth-Wireless-Bluetooth-Compatible-Automatic/dp/B01C5QS1T8?ref_=ast_sto_dp

Idk how low it goes but I'm usually at 90/65

It's pretty loud though, people will look over if you use it in class

It connects to an app on your phone via Bluetooth and will upload your readings and show trends

This would be a nifty thing to have.Since my heart attacks I have to check my bp often, something I have been going to the walgreens to do. I haven't checked in a week because of a broken down truck and foolish pride heh. Might help me stay out of the hospital which would be life changing.

This is the one I use

https://www.amazon.com/Omron-Wireless-Bluetooth-Pressure-Monitor/dp/B00KW4PO82?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00KW4PO82

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I spent a lot of time researching various different brands and models and this seemed to be a good choice and I recently found out that the local medical university uses the same model.

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Pharmacies and large superstores like Walmart will have them. Here is an Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Omron-Pressure-Monitor-Reading-Memory/dp/B004D9P1A8/ref=zg_bs_3777151_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9E693YYA44R7DS4D2TFQ

29th June
Yum Instant Noodles Chicken 60g (Pack of 30)

29th June
Dr Pepper Cherry 355 ml (Pack of 12)

29th June
Walkers Pickled Onion 32.5 g (Pack of 48)

2nd July
Assassin's Creed 3 (Xbox 360)

3rd July
Titanfall (Xbox 360)

6th July
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (Xbox360)

12th July
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Xbox 360)

24th July
Omron M2 Basic Blood Pressure Monitor

31st July
Forza Raspberry Ketone 2:2:1 - Maximum Strength Diet Pills with Pure Raspberry Ketones - Pot of 90 Capsules
CANCELLED

31st July
Dr Pepper Cherry 355 ml (Pack of 12)
CANCELLED

31st July
Walkers Pickled Onion 32.5 g (Pack of 48)
CANCELLED

1st August
The Little Book Of Confidence

1st August
Old World Journal (Magnetic Closure) (Notebook, Diary) (Full Size Foldover Journals)

1st August
Suma Organic Oats Porridge 10 kg

1st August
Slazenger Mens Classic Trainers Sports Authentic Shoes Pumps

1st August
New Mens Nike Grey Retro Logo Gym Sports Tee T-Shirt Vintage Top Size S M L XL

1st August
Slazenger Mens OH Tracksuit Bottoms Trousers Pants Menswear

1st August
iGadgitz Reflective Anti-Slip Black Sports Jogging Gym Armband for Samsung Galaxy S4 SIV MINI I9190 I9195 With Key Slot

1st August
Good Food: Low-calorie Recipes (Good Food Series)

Depends on your age?

You can effectively screen yourself quite cheap.

Buy a blood pressure monitor - A&D UA-611 Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JQ7SZLO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_9JXQzbHGQE1W0

Scales to work out your bmi and Google thrivia to get blood and cholesterol tests . Shoot me a pm of you want a money off code.

All the above will give a good idea of where your health is.

If it's good then save your premiums instead of buying a policy. Seeing a consultant privately is cheap, even MRI is cheap, anything major won't be but if it's serious tje NHS will cover it and fast track you anyway.

I use the one by Withings because it stores the values in an app so you can reference them in the future.

https://www.amazon.com/Withings-Wireless-Pressure-Monitor-Android/dp/B00H43WOAK/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1493089465&sr=8-1&keywords=withings+blood+pressure+cuff

I have this one and it seems very well built and reliable:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Omron-Basic-Upper-Pressure-Monitor/dp/B003CYK6FA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342785268&sr=8-1

If you aren't a small child, then you'll need the large arm cuff too, the medium one is tiny.

Get yourself one of these, or similar.

Monitor that shit every morning before you take your coffee or gear or whatever.

Your BP can, most definitely, affect your vision if it gets too high. And if it is affecting your vision, it's way too high and you need to see a doc.

Go and give blood today.

Does it need to be anything fancy? Or is this one fine?

Anyone here used a electronic BP cuff and can verify its accuracy? I was looking at this one on amazon and thinking of buying it in conjuction with a manual one also.

https://www.amazon.com/Omron-BP742N-Pressure-Monitor-Standard/dp/B00KPQB2NS/ref=pd_ybh_a_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=1PQ0AX6GQNZB0X6HJ2W8

Greetings,

I have been using this analyser over the course of my weight loss plan. Even when adhering to the guidelines set by the manufacturer (3 hours after a meal or exercise etc.) and measuring myself at the same time each day, the BF measurement is inconsistent. May I ask, would you be using BIA and would your results be more consistent?

yep my doctor uses this one in his office, which kind of surprised me at first tbh https://www.amazon.ca/Omron-Upper-Blood-Pressure-Monitor/dp/B00KPQB2KG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1504616037&sr=8-2&keywords=omron+blood+pressure+monitor

I recently bought a home blood pressure machine (this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KW4PO82/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and have been taking my blood pressure first thing every morning. Additionally, i have been keeping a recovery log (i.e. intangible aspects of lifting such as rate of fatigue, motivation levels, quality of sleep, etc.). Its been interesting to see fatigue from a quantifiable perspective. When I see spikes in blood pressure and resting heart rate and look at how i felt lifting that day, they are strongly correlated. I find it useflul to know if you have a monster day coming up, you can gauge how fatigued your body is from the BP/Heart Rate for that morning.

/r/fasting/comments/5m3rgf/log_6_week_fast/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N9I63PG

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032TNPOE

https://www.amazon.com/Omron-Upper-Pressure-Monitor-Standard/dp/B00KPQB2NS/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1524835242&sr=8-5&keywords=omron+blood+pressure+large+cuff

My BP has been high at doctors appointments, and I've learned it is just me being there. My OB did tell me to take a baby Aspirin every day as a precaution since it is not super high. I did purchase my own BP monitor from Amazon this one and it saves the last 100 readings. I have never had protein in my urine but they do have it on my chart to monitor this and my BP closely.

Omron BP742N 5 Series Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPQB2NS/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_BQvUub1EWZ5BG

Get a blood pressure monitor, like this (http://www.amazon.com/Omron-BP742N-Upper-Pressure-Monitor/dp/B00KPQB2NS/ref=sr_1_4/189-4956941-8393361?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1427432283&sr=1-4).

I used to have the same symptoms and beyond only weighting 210 lbs, almost the same physical work and high streess (but in México).

Checked for my blood pressure and after one week of two times a day measuring, kidney ultrasound and heart ecograph, the doctor Dx as "high blood pressure", give me a daily pill Rx (Olmesartan ).

I have now two months without symptoms, my daily life is much better, no headaches, no wear out feeling after hard work day, not exausted, my sleep hours and quality have improved.

(english if not my first language, in case you fail to notice)

Maybe your blood pressure is low, this is a known side effect from minoxidil use. To make sure your blood pressure is below average you should buy one of these https://www.amazon.com/Omron-BP742N-Pressure-Monitor-Standard/dp/B00KPQB2NS/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_121_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=15CQBRYKSXKCMEEZSTRQ

You take your blood pressure measurements on a standalone unit like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Omron-Pressure-Monitor-Standard-BP710N/dp/B00KPQB2KG/

The App has you enter your systolic and diastolic pressures from the standalone unit. Once that is done, the app will start spitting out pressures instead of just % changes.

Don't do it folks. Buy a proper blood pressure monitor that wraps around your bicep.

These optical meters are going to be inaccurate. Even the wrist blood pressure monitors are highly inaccurate and aren't recommended by cardiologists, let alone the ones that use optics. This is why it's being advertised as an "ongoing study", and not a feature. Don't use "beta" products to monitor your health.

Congrats on -10 lbs!

Don't be scared, that will just heighten your anxiety which will raise your blood pressure right before you test it. Look, it is whatever it is! It's not something you like or dislike. It's not your judge, it's just a condition. If you've got high BP, you have it whether you measure it or not or whether you know it or not. Not knowing is not preventing it. Hope will not affect it.

http://www.amazon.com/Omron-Wrist-Blood-Pressure-Monitor/dp/B004D9P1A8/

This is what we bought. I suggest you test it frequently until you get over your fears of seeing it. It's just data. Knowing your BP and getting used to testing it can only help you. Do it when you're just sitting there calmly for a while, pull it out and test. Keep a pad nearby and write down your results. Ultimately, you'll want to test once a week or so. Being calm about it when it's tested is going to improve the readout. If you still get anxious during a BP test in the doctor's office (resulting in a high false reading), you can show your calm home results to the doctor for comparison.

My spouse was on meds for BP. He was and is a ritual exerciser. He lost about 15 lbs. and was able to cut the dose in half.

I was not a ritual exerciser. I had a very high BMI, much higher than the spouse, but was only on the edge of needing BP meds. I've lost a lot of weight and my BP is even lower and no longer borderline.

We both walk for exercise now. 3-4 times a week, for 30+ minutes usually. Nothing much.

A home blood pressure cuff like this one which is highly rated will allow you to check it at home.

As far as warnings go, since high blood pressure is largely symptomless it gets a little tricky. One thing I've personally noticed is that my ears will periodically get that high pitched ring that cuts out sound for a second when my pressure is high. That's not to say it would happen to you.

One way to tell with nearly 100% accuracy is to check the visual status of your vasoconstriction, and see how your heart is beating. If your hands are cold and purple, and your heart is beating at a relatively normal pace, but each beat SLAMS then your blood pressure is high. Not necessarily dangerously so, but definitely high.

Stims with a nasty reputation for vasoconstriction (like the seductive but malevolent Alpha-PVP) are risky. PVP was the reason for my 170.