Greetings all.

I've been using the RespERate 5-6 times per week for 5 weeks, and I haven't noticed any difference in blood pressure. I decided to keep it after the 4 week return deadline in the hopes that it would just take a little longer to work for me.

It is relaxing and there is no strain at the final breathing rate of about 4.8 BPM. Synchronization and breath detection are good. But no difference in daily blood pressure. I'm taking my pressure before breakfast in the morning. Has anyone else taken longer to see a benefit, or does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks

myriad_one

Hmmm....you should have noticed a little difference. I would encourage you to give us a call to review your stats and ask a few user questions.
Call Monday-Friday 9:00am-5pm EST toll free 1-877-988-9388
Breathe Easy!
Marguerite (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

I would suggest that you consider taking your blood pressure at other times of the day. My observation is that blood pressure can be highly variable. Your blood pressure suppose to drop at night when you sleep, and then rise as you get up, drop during the day, and then rise in the evening. However, in my case, I haven't found any such nice pattern -- it varies a lot. It could be that you taking your blood pressure during the morning - wake-up burst. I understand that many folks have a spike in blood pressure in the first hour or so of getting up. (Could be one of the causes of those breakfast heart attacks and strokes too). BP might not be representative of your daily value.

Can I also suggest that you take a reading before your RESePERATE session, and then after your session, and then one hour later? If you getting a benefit, you should see some change in immediately following reading, and you should see some benefit a hour later.

Also, you have to consider what drugs you are on that might be impacting blood pressure and when you are taking them. If you on BP lowering drug, and this at the end of your dosage the body often kind of kicks back to higher BP.

ccc3, thanks for the suggestion on taking multiple blood pressure readings throughout the day. As well as before and after a session. I think that's a good idea. I agree it could be an issue with early morning high BP. BP drugs aren't the issue since I'm not taking any.

What's more confusing is, I brought my Omron arm blood pressure monitor into the doctor, to check if it's accurate. It read 10-20 units higher than the doctor (and nurse's) measurements. Which means the home BP monitor is totally inaccurate. We measured 3 times during a 1.5 hour visit and compared against the Dr's BP measurement. Even the Dr's measurements differed by about 10 units throughout my visit.

Which means to me:
1) a home blood pressure monitor is totally useless (or at least my Omron is).
2) BP is hard to measure accurately even by a Dr. if it can vary 10 units during one Dr. visit.

Which leaves me with, how the heck do I measure BP at home?

Any suggestions?

Thanks

-NK

I'm going to try coming to this forum often as I work to the same goal that you are working toward.

Many things can cause high blood pressure. I think I have led a life of 'stress' for 65 years and am now just coming to grips with the results - high blood pressure.

Check that you have healthy habits (no smoking, exercise, etc.) and I also have two adorable English Springer Spaniels which give me the greatest comfort at all hours of the day and night. I think battling this high blood pressure has to be an adjustment of every aspect of our lives to be sure we are not allowing 'frivolous' behaviors to rob us of peace, contentment and certain living that makes blood pressure stay at a normal level.

This is just my opinion, but from what I have read, much of how we live can affect our blood pressure. My question is, do you think that you are battling this problem on 'all fronts?' Let me know.

I'm wishing you good results over the next weeks to come,

Ken

Ken, thanks for the suggestions. Yes, I am working to reduce blood pressure and release stress through a holistic program including yoga, exercise, diet, meditation, my cat, type of work I do, mindfulness practice, spiritual practice, "no-work" days and more (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) The RespERate is just part of the program-- but it's part of the program that I'd like to get a benefit from.

To return to my query, does anyone have suggestions for accurately measuring blood pressure at home?

-NorthK

I am not here to sell you a BPM, but the one that we sell the most of is:OMRON Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor HEM-780. It's a bit more than the others but from our consumer feedback, this is the preferred one. It seems to have more accurate readings.
Also, we suggest taking 3 BP readings at 5 minute intervals. Disregard the first reading and average your 2nd & 3rd readings. It is said that your true blood pressure in between that 2nd & 3rd reading.
Finally, I always encourage people to stick with one monitor and take their readings at the same time of day.
Breathe Easy!
Marguerite (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

Thanks Marguerite, I'll check out that Omron model.

I heard or read that blood pressure readings should not be taken less than 30 min apart. Is this a myth or do you have a comment on that?

Thanks

NorthK

Hi-

I use the Reli On HEM 741 CREL which is made by Omron and sold by WalMart. It is very reasonably priced and was rated a "best buy" by Consumer Reports which is why I bought it. My doctor had me bring it in and she checked it against her monitor and it was completely reliable.

Cynthia

If your readings went up and down quite a lot within one session at your doctor's, then it follows that your monitor may be OK, after all you were not using it (I assume) simultaneously with the doctor's unit - and anyway, without some more thorough testing it would not be safe to assume that your home monitor was wrong and the doctor's was accurate.

Personally I agree with the advice to take three readings, discard the first and take the mean of the second and third. I also tend not to measure too frequently. I am one of the people that find the actual measurement worrying (I'm a bit 'white-coatish'!), so I try to keep lots of days when I don't measure, merely keep my lifestyle consistent with low bp (exercise, Resperate, good diet etc) That way I am not always thinking about bp readings but 'getting on with my life'.

Some people on this forum have questioned whether Resperate works at all. Like many I am using it as one element of my programme and so it is impossible to tell what, if anything, is having the effect. I continue with a multi-faceted approach and have found a particular book quite helpful. It is Overcoming High Blood Pressure by Dr Sarah Brewer, published by Duncan Baird.

Last point - I too am using Resperate far more than the 40 mins per week suggested as the minimum. I have a theory that for many people much more time is needed, but the marketing of the product would be less effective if from the start it was said that you might need to do, say, an hour a day!

Best wishes