Getting my blood pressure read hurts me tremendously. I’m usually left with bands of broken capillaries on my arms. I do not have fibromyalgia and I always read normal values for my BP.
I suppose some may argue I’m not in pain enough, but to me it is extreme.
During a anxiety attack blood pressure can shoot to 220ish over 130. During heavy lifting it can shoot to 400/200. So yeah any kind of stress or activity can shoot it up.
Mine jumps about 60/40 during a panic attack.
thank you all for posting. I was thinking maybe its’ just me. I had some serious weight loss and my upper arm is very floppy on both sides - while I’m still fat. Those BP cuffs are just torture to me. I use a wrist cuff at home and had to teach a nurse how to take a reading on my forearm instead of my upper arm. I’ve had nurses insist i had to be done on my upper arm and I just rip the damn thing off. Now my son goes with me to the doctors office and he reminds them not to place a cuff on my upper arm because he knows the pain I’m going to be in. When I had surgery done to replace both my knees, they put me on one of those automatic cuffs in the recovery room and even when half sedated I fought with the damn nurses to yank it off - from the wall to deflate it before I could get it off… ruining their cuff. The nurse tried to put it back on me, but I had no choice but to begin screaming and upsetting everybody, demanded my son be brought in…they got him very quikly and he told them the doctor had written very clearly “no upper arm BP monitoring” on the orders. My home wrist machine averages 130-135/70-74, I have atrial fib in July 2014 and a stroke in December 2014. it’s very important for me to keep a close watch on my BP. I refuse to allow any BP cuff on my upper arm at all because it fucking hurts so badly (I’m considering a tatoo for both DNR - do not resusistate and one for NO BP CUFF on arm. When I was of normal weight when younger I have had any pain with the cuff being put on!
Blood pressure cuffs come in different sizes. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for too small a cuff to be used, and this can be painful. When done properly, it is not painful or only briefly uncomfortable (when at maximal pressure). If you are bigger, the cuff should be as well.
I lost my shit at the cancer center. It hurt way too much. It usually hurts a lot, this was more. It kept going up and a little down, the up and a little down, my hand started tingling. Enough, I started screaming, I screamed more, then I screamed "take it off take it off. She said just a little more. Finally I screamed NO! take it off NOW!
She told me my BP. I said I’m surprised it isn’t more, that was a 12!
I’m done. No more. You want to take my BP? Explain to me how you are making it not hurt this time.
Yep. My doctor’s office used the small cuff on me once and my blood pressure was higher than expected. The medical assistant switched to a larger cuff and it dropped - literally- 12 points. After that she always remembered to use the larger cuff. But it’s still painful.
Yes! It is fibro. I have had it for 13 years and before it didn’t hurt to take my blood pressure but after I started hurting by just pushing on my skin. I found my blood pressure being taken on my upper arm or forearm was excruciating. I even yelled out. I can hardly stand it. My blood pressure is always high when they take it. I can do it on my wrist and it’s fine. I also have pain when pushing or compressing in on my legs, ankles, arms, hips, torso and even my scalp. Fibro is no joke! I have several autoimmune diseases along with multiple other problems after I fell and got hurt at work 15 years ago. After all the stress and surgeries I had to have I got fibro & multiple other problems. Just wiping my skin with alcohol before they give me a shot hurts worse than shot! 
Yes, my mother has trouble with pain from automatic blood pressure cuffs, and it elevates her reading substantially. She is thin and frail, and has very fragile skin. The automatic cuff tightens too quickly, and gets to tight, and causes her extreme pain.
If her doctor (or any careful, gentle medical professional) tightens the cuff by hand, it’s just uncomfortable, rather than painful. And she gets normal (or much lower) readings.
I have this problem too and so does my mother and my sister. I just stumbled on a very probable reason. Its called Lipedema and 1 in 5 women have this fat disease. you can read more about it at:
The nodules in the abnormal fat in the upper arm and the lower half of the body are what is painful. If the fat feels heavy and has peal like beads or beanbag feel to it when you feel deep in it then that is most likely what you have too. It is treatable and its not with a diet or exercise. its is with cavitation and lymphatic drainage massage. Look it up and find relief. I am doing the best I can to let other know.
That is my exact reaction! I recently found a link to lipedema and I now believe this fat disorder is why my arms hurt when pressure is applied. 17 million women have this disease and it’s not obesity… Diet and Exercise will not have any effect on this abnormal fat. Do your research and then find a vascular specialist as they have to study lipedema as part of their specialty to help you get diagnosed.