High Blood Pressure after Rupture

[gafey]

I had a rupture in 01/06. Had my aneurism coiled and a shunt put in. My dr's have been trying to regulate and stablize my bloodpressure since my rupture.

I've been on about 6 different meds and each on I've had various reactions to none of which lowered my blood pressure. But the last one I was one I took for about a month, then was brought to the ER on halloween nite because I thought I was Having a stroke. They did CAT, blood work, EKG everything was fine. ER DR. gave me new meds that brought down my BP and was sent home.

It was a miracle, I felt NORMAL. No depression, no anxiety, and my BP has been way down since. I almost went on anti-dpression meds because I was feeling so badly due to the adverse effects of all the BP meds I was being put on.

To make a long story short, be careful! It was very difficult for my dr's to diagnose my aneurism, it was difficult to put me on the right BP meds. And the adverse effects I experienced, was being treated as separate symptoms not attributed to ONE.

Question your drs always and listen to your instincts. I was very lucky..this second time around.

Maria (gafey)

[joannef]

Hi Maria,
You were lucky. Glad to hear they finally found the right medication for you. Boy, you went thru a tough time, though. So sorry to hear about your ER visit on Halloween. And what a time to be there!

I, too, have had high bp since my rupture. For most of my life I had low blood pressure and it was only a few months before my rupture that I went to the doctor complaining of a pounding heart and they took my bp and said it was high. Then they took it again 10 mins later and it was low, so they said, hey, you don't have high blood pressure, you're just nervous (white-coat syndrome).

Well, then 4 months later, I ended up in the hospital with a ruptured brain aneurysm. Since then, I've had more consistently high blood pressure and had to go on medication for it (Toprol XL). My personal theory (and I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL) is that there must be some kind of undiagnosed syndrome in which blood pressure goes back and forth: very high spikes and then back to low or normal, so it would be extremely hard to diagnose. And during those spikes, the extreme high bp wears out your arteries. Anyway... it's just a theory, like I said.

[georgia]

Hi Joanne, glad to hear from you!
basilar annies sah/ along with the high blood pressure/
Mine is coming along, sometimes it drops very low like 90 over 50
Take care now
Georgia

[JulieNH]

Hi All,
I've been thinking about this thread.....Joannf, I think you're on to something!

I have always had very low blood pressure, at times alarmingly. I had my 1st follow up angiogram March 1st and everything was fine, although my blood pressure was low, until I stood up. Then I got dizzy and had to sit down. I waited a little while and then tried again. Again, dizzy, head rush, sat down, I could hear the blood rushing in my head. At this point I had the blood pressure cuff on and it was alarmingly low (60/30). They checked it again, same. I waited again, had some peanut butter and crackers, waited some more and then got up on the 3rd time and was OK. I thought my blood sugar was low, before the peanut butter. I mentioned it, so they took a blood test and my blood sugar was fine. I'm not diabetic, and so far, have never been. I just was confused by the drop in blood pressure.

I have had occurrences when I'm in bed, about to fall asleep, when suddenly I get that same head rush, and feel flushed, my heart pounding. I'm not yet in menopause, so it's not a hot flash, just all in my head. Joannef, I think you're right! I have wild swings in blood pressure, but never high. I wonder if they have a monitor I can wear for several days to monitor it. The head rush/heart pounding/flushed feeling doesn't happen very often, but its scary when it does! I wonder if there is some kind of syndrome common in patients with an aneurysm. I felt that head rush/heart pounding when I had my rupture. I had a rushing sound in my ears and then a popping sound, and then pain.

Did any of you ever have that feeling? Not just at the time of rupture, but any time?
JulieNH

[tink]

Hi Maria! You sure were lucky. I had high blood pressure before my aneurysm ruptured. I went to my PCP several times with high blood pressure and he told me I was fine because I didn't always run high. I have since found out that if I had been on BP medication, my annie probably would not have ruptured. I now take Diovan for my blood pressure and it works great for me. I was wondering what medication finally ended up working for you. I hope you are feeling better. Take care.

Lori

[HereinNY]

Hi everyone...great to hear from you Joanne...I miss you! Anyway. my blood pressure was always normal (sometimes borderline due more to weight). Since my rupture in "04 it tends to jump up pretty high (140/90 was the highest at a Dr. visit) but then when checked 15 min. later it is back down to normal. I know it is not "White coat Syndrome" as I am very comfortable with my doc. She can't figure it out. I am on Triemterene with HCTZ ( which first was prescribed for foot and ankle swelling after the DVT's I got while in the hospital) I later found out it is a high blood pressure medication. Soo...my doc can't figure out why it jumps around even while on this med. Joanne, I too think there is a link, but they haven't figured it out yet. Just like the claim that people with annies have no symptoms and headaches are not linked to brain aneurysms. I think the Specialists have a lot to learn from us! Anyway Maria I hope you find the right medication and you start to feel better. Nice to see familiar faces around here.

[gafey]

I am on Micardis and Clonodine now. The combination of both has brought my BP down to normal to low. All my dr's (from cardiology to nephrology) all say low blood pressure is best for my condition. I've tried beta blockers, and other meds, even diovan. Hope this will continue to work for me! It doesn't take much these days to give me high blood - even a bad day, my blood pressure can shoot up.

Maria (gafey)