Blood pressure and medical

[RSTurbo50]

I have a medical coming up shortly for a conductor role. I’m quite worried about my blood pressure as whenever I have it taken at a medical setting it goes through the roof.

what sort of reading would be deemed a failure?

 

[Ken H]

Can you take a set yourself at home while relaxed. Many people have a rise in BP at the doctors. Its known as 'white coat syndrome'
BP machines are available and cheap, and cost about £20
I avoid BP readings at the quack. I take a weeks readings with me. They seem to like that, as its a better indication of my health.

 

[TheGoldfish]

I have a medical coming up shortly for a conductor role. I’m quite worried about my blood pressure as whenever I have it taken at a medical setting it goes through the roof.

what sort of reading would be deemed a failure?

Mine was through the roof too on the day .. I was told to get a bp machine (got one off Amazon) and take readings at home over several days a keep a diary of them. They’re in touch with yr GP too so if there was concern they’d share it no doubt … in any case what I submitted back was accepted so no major dramas in the end

 

[RSTurbo50]

Yeah I do have one at home and my readings tend to be in the 140’s/90’s….

is it worth taking a diary with me into the medical to show my readings for a week before? Also what sort of reading would result in me failing the medical? The actual thought of the medical is actually now creating some anxiety which will naturally put my blood pressure up….

 

[Ken H]

Yeah I do have one at home and my readings tend to be in the 140’s/90’s….

is it worth taking a diary with me into the medical to show my readings for a week before? Also what sort of reading would result in me failing the medical? The actual thought of the medical is actually now creating some anxiety which will naturally put my blood pressure up….

consider recording pulse (it will be on the BP machine) and temperature. If you have a blood oxygen thing that goes on your finger (about £7) then thats another one to record.

 

[Danetime]

Honestly, if you feel more relaxed around your GP then book something called a welfare check. You can bring those results with you and a note from your GP regarding 'white coat syndrome'. If your BP is okay there then the OHP should be happy.

 

[E16 Cyclist]

I’ve passed train driver medicals with high blood pressure, what’s important to them is that it’s controlled. So if on the day it’s high and you’re not currently on medication for it they may refer you to your gp.

If that happens it’s nothing to worry about as it’s about getting it under control. So it would be very difficult to fail the medical for high blood pressure

 

[RSTurbo50]

I’ve passed train driver medicals with high blood pressure, what’s important to them is that it’s controlled. So if on the day it’s high and you’re not currently on medication for it they may refer you to your gp.

If that happens it’s nothing to worry about as it’s about getting it under control. So it would be very difficult to fail the medical for high blood pressure

If I fail it on the day due to the blood pressure readings being too high and I am referred to my GP, would they keep my place open until it got to a ‘better’ reading, for example if I’m out on medication?

 

[E16 Cyclist]

If I fail it on the day due to the blood pressure readings being too high and I am referred to my GP, would they keep my place open until it got to a ‘better’ reading, for example if I’m out on medication?

You could always be proactive and arrange a gp appointment if you think it’s an issue.

Like i said their concern is that if it’s high it’s controlled. So rather than fail you they’d just give you a shorter term medical like 3 months to get it under control. It would have to be dangerously high for you to fail so seriously i wouldn’t worry and wouldn’t cost you your place

 

[RSTurbo50]

You could always be proactive and arrange a gp appointment if you think it’s an issue.

Like i said their concern is that if it’s high it’s controlled. So rather than fail you they’d just give you a shorter term medical like 3 months to get it under control. It would have to be dangerously high for you to fail so seriously i wouldn’t worry and wouldn’t cost you your place

That’s really reassuring. I was worried that if it was very high on the day like 170/100 or something i would fail there and then..

I probably will need to start taking medication but always maybe need to exercise more. I’m 6 feet and about 13.8 stone so not massively overweight

 

[Efini92]

It depends on the doctor on the day, over the years I’ve had different ones tell me different figures they’d consider to be too high.
The important thing is, if it is high your doctor is trying to control it with medication.

 

[TheGoldfish]

If I fail it on the day due to the blood pressure readings being too high and I am referred to my GP, would they keep my place open until it got to a ‘better’ reading, for example if I’m out on medication?

Yes … you can’t be passed fit on the day regardless as they have to wait for the results of your drug screening to come back anyway.

 

[MostlyHarmless]

Yes … you can’t be passed fit on the day regardless as they have to wait for the results of your drug screening to come back anyway.

Not necessarily - they did the tests there and then and the results were immediate when I did my medical for GWR earlier this year. Obviously this might not be the case for all the TOCs

 

[Mattydo]

I’ve seen it said before and agree mostly they would pass a dead horse if mine was anything to go by. I turned in what would have been a failing BP in my previous job on the day (I’d jogged due to running late) and nothing was said about it.

On the other hand hypertension (really anything above 140/90 I believe), is something I’d have my doctor look into anyway. In most cases it’s gonna be, eat better, drink less booze, lose weight.

 

[Ken H]

I’ve seen it said before and agree mostly they would pass a dead horse if mine was anything to go by. I turned in what would have been a failing BP in my previous job on the day (I’d jogged due to running late) and nothing was said about it.

On the other hand hypertension (really anything above 140/90 I believe), is something I’d have my doctor look into anyway. In most cases it’s gonna be, eat better, drink less booze, lose weight.

and dont stress

 

[ArchangelA]

My advice is to keep off salt, booze, red meat, and anything that will raise your blood pressure. You could start drinking some beetroot juice to lower help your blood pressure too. I have one small glass per day.
I recently had medical for a signaller role and found my blood pressure to be higher than I normally get which prompted me to start eating better.

 

[Muse29]

My blood pressure was sky high at my medical (mainly because they took it right after giving me the Spanish inquisition regarding my health history) - they didn't fail me, just said to get another reading with my GP which I did and despite having white coat syndrome, it was much lower.

I'm not sure of the reliability of home testing kits. I got one and the readings were enough to convince my doctor to give me a 24 hour monitor which read my BP every 20 mins and it was completely normal.

The moral of the story is don't worry, even if it's high at the medical, you can get help from your GP.

 

[Ken H]

My blood pressure was sky high at my medical (mainly because they took it right after giving me the Spanish inquisition regarding my health history) - they didn't fail me, just said to get another reading with my GP which I did and despite having white coat syndrome, it was much lower.

I'm not sure of the reliability of home testing kits. I got one and the readings were enough to convince my doctor to give me a 24 hour monitor which read my BP every 20 mins and it was completely normal.

The moral of the story is don't worry, even if it's high at the medical, you can get help from your GP.

If you don't trust your home monitor. Get the nurse to do BP at the surgery with their kit and do your own on the other arm at the same time.

 

[ArchangelA]

My blood pressure was sky high at my medical (mainly because they took it right after giving me the Spanish inquisition regarding my health history) - they didn't fail me, just said to get another reading with my GP which I did and despite having white coat syndrome, it was much lower.

I'm not sure of the reliability of home testing kits. I got one and the readings were enough to convince my doctor to give me a 24 hour monitor which read my BP every 20 mins and it was completely normal.

The moral of the story is don't worry, even if it's high at the medical, you can get help from your GP.

I had same "inquisition" but the technician was very undertsanding and took four readings giving me lots of opportunity to calm myself in between tests (which works).