My mother's blood pressure all day was ranging from 200-216 on the top, 95-110 on the bottom. We called the Dr. and they said for her to take a half a pill more of one drug and a full pill of another in addition to what she had already taken. She was having numbness in her face and arm. We took her to the ER eventually when it wouldn't stay down. It would pop down to 160 or so on top and then bounce right back up. At the ER, it was 180 for awhile on top, then soared back up to about 200 on top 95 bottom. After about 5 hrs it stabilized at around 175/100 and they sent her home. But her color is bad and she says her body feels like a million ants are biting her. She is 80 yrs old Anyway they said 200 isn't that bad on top and it can be like that for a month or more before you really need to worry and follow up with her cardiologist next week... I frankly am scared she is headed for a stroke. Am I over reacting? What actually is a blood pressure level that is immediately life threatening?