When I was in the ER and had it, the doctors totally didn't care. They just kept taking it until it went down (guess that works just as well as any med). And a cardiologist years later who told me my blood pressure was high told me at the end of the appt. he'd give me a beta blocker through his receptionist. Five minutes later, the receptionist told me he refused to give me any meds for either that or tachycardia -- just because he didn't want to, no other reason. I know the theory but I walked out only imagining that in practice even daily high bp doesn't need to be treated if, if ... you're like me? unless you have a certain gleam in your eye? Yes, I had used the scary word dysautonomia and asked to be referred to a specialist after the appt. and was happy with the specialist that many months later. But even despite saying that word, I still thought I should have been allowed to try whatever that cardio was giving out that day to any of the rest of patients for high bp and tachycardia. (I had said I wanted to try something else but that I was very willing to try the beta blocker). I am perfectly conventional and look just like someone without any disease by the way -- I assume it was the bare mention of that word .... I look at what kJay wrote and just think, wow, that's so far off from conventional medical wisdom. But I've got to say, I've ended up having to come to around the same conclusion she has because I've been treated so terribly (and yes, the meds I have work well on a lot of symptoms but imperfectly on bp). I don't like it -- but what choice do I have? Mostly, most of the people on forums will advise going to the doctor just because we're supposed to be attuned to not knowing if perhaps someone has something else etc. -- but if my experience is typical, again, not by any choice I've made, I've ended up having to do things and think the way kJay suggested. I think I've seen a total of one stroke reported on this forum by the way, I think during a pregnancy (if someone has kept count and heard more reports, maybe chime in ...)