Aa
An introduction.
Hello to all! I am just joining this community thanks in a large part to Tonyad as I didn't know this forum was here.
I have not been diagnosed to have this kind of problem yet as I have been concentrating on my other medical problems that include a probable MS dx. For years my doctors have been trying to get my BP under control without much luck. The best they have been able to get it to is a stage 1 hypertension without me getting very light headed at times. . But the more I have learned about Autonomic Dysfuction the more it seems like that may be the problem.
I have had my BP and pulse go from 134/74 100 to 178/94 61 in a matter of a few minutes. I have alos had a lot of vertigo lately. And I was also Dx with Mitral valve prolapse recently. I also suspect the shortness of breath I have been experiencing lately might also be becasue of this as it seems to happen mostly when I get over heated by the day ( 90 outside temp) or warm inside temps ( over 75).
I have had MS symptoms since 1989 but it was not until I got a new PCP in 2007 that any doctor ever brought up the prospect of MS as the cause of my health problems.
Dennis
I have not been diagnosed to have this kind of problem yet as I have been concentrating on my other medical problems that include a probable MS dx. For years my doctors have been trying to get my BP under control without much luck. The best they have been able to get it to is a stage 1 hypertension without me getting very light headed at times. . But the more I have learned about Autonomic Dysfuction the more it seems like that may be the problem.
I have had my BP and pulse go from 134/74 100 to 178/94 61 in a matter of a few minutes. I have alos had a lot of vertigo lately. And I was also Dx with Mitral valve prolapse recently. I also suspect the shortness of breath I have been experiencing lately might also be becasue of this as it seems to happen mostly when I get over heated by the day ( 90 outside temp) or warm inside temps ( over 75).
I have had MS symptoms since 1989 but it was not until I got a new PCP in 2007 that any doctor ever brought up the prospect of MS as the cause of my health problems.
Dennis
Wow, losing that much weight makes it sounds like maybe you had some water retention problem going on? What a blessing your BP seems to have settled down!
In the long run I guess it didn't go too good. After examining my BP reading she stated that at least 50% were good readings. and then she did some adjustments to my meds that included 1 more BP med.
The new BP med was a water pill but after only a few days I had to stop taking it because I had lost 13 pounds in just 3 days and was probably getting dehydrated. I say that because the next day I was doing some work outside and when I came back inside I took my BP and got an irregular heart beat indication on my BP monitor. After resting for a while longer and drinking some ice teas my BP had gone down to 115/60 and my pulse came down from 115 to 99. Today it is sitting at my normal BP of 138/78 nice and steady as it has been since the first. What ever had been making my BP go all over the place seems to have stopped at least for now.
Dennis
The new BP med was a water pill but after only a few days I had to stop taking it because I had lost 13 pounds in just 3 days and was probably getting dehydrated. I say that because the next day I was doing some work outside and when I came back inside I took my BP and got an irregular heart beat indication on my BP monitor. After resting for a while longer and drinking some ice teas my BP had gone down to 115/60 and my pulse came down from 115 to 99. Today it is sitting at my normal BP of 138/78 nice and steady as it has been since the first. What ever had been making my BP go all over the place seems to have stopped at least for now.
Dennis
I have a feeling that the labetalol will be a no go for me. When I looked it up it said that it contradicted for those with asthma and I have COPD. I have a feeling also that the same culprit for my BP and breathing will be at issue for the vertigo.
My balance issue mostly stem from having numb legs and feet. My neuro said that I am relying on my vision for most of my balance, and having vision problems sure doesn't help that either. Just a change of lighting, like walking side a store, can have me falling all over the place. Sure am glad I have a cane. :)
Thanks again for all the info. I have an appointment with some of my doctors at the VA on Tuesday and you can be sure I'll be bringing up a lot of what you have told me.
Dennis
My balance issue mostly stem from having numb legs and feet. My neuro said that I am relying on my vision for most of my balance, and having vision problems sure doesn't help that either. Just a change of lighting, like walking side a store, can have me falling all over the place. Sure am glad I have a cane. :)
Thanks again for all the info. I have an appointment with some of my doctors at the VA on Tuesday and you can be sure I'll be bringing up a lot of what you have told me.
Dennis
C1 supports the head and C2 is the second of the top two cervical vertebrae in your neck. I don't recall everything this one chiropractor told me about, but if there was pinching going on there, it could cause a host of things, including migraine headaches. But with your description- perhaps you had the problem around C3, there being 7 cervical vertebrae?
A loved one in my family has balance problems and has done quite a bit of study on it. A variety of things can affect your balance, from vestibular problems, to neck problems, to hearing deficits. I hope you can get your vertigo and balance issues sorted out!
You said you were on three different BP medications. Labetalol is a type of BP medication that my doctor at that time preferred I be on in case I had pheochromocytoma and also wanted me to make sure there was some on hand for the surgery I was to be having. Evidently, it's supposed to be a better choice of BP medicine if you have that type of tumor. Since you are indicating none of the three meds you are taking are keeping your BP under control, besides getting tested for the tumor, maybe you would like to do some looking into labetalol?
A loved one in my family has balance problems and has done quite a bit of study on it. A variety of things can affect your balance, from vestibular problems, to neck problems, to hearing deficits. I hope you can get your vertigo and balance issues sorted out!
You said you were on three different BP medications. Labetalol is a type of BP medication that my doctor at that time preferred I be on in case I had pheochromocytoma and also wanted me to make sure there was some on hand for the surgery I was to be having. Evidently, it's supposed to be a better choice of BP medicine if you have that type of tumor. Since you are indicating none of the three meds you are taking are keeping your BP under control, besides getting tested for the tumor, maybe you would like to do some looking into labetalol?
My neuro didn't say where it was located and I have no idea about one C or another. My Nuero just pointed to the area on my MRI. It seemed to be about 3/4 inch in length and just a little bit above the middle of my neck.
I haven't been on any medications yet as I am just starting my quest for answers in this area. But there is definitely something going on to be causing my breathing problems, irratic BP and pulse, and also bladder and bowel problems. And those are just the problems that I think might be related to AD.
My other problems include vertigo, balance issues, walking problems that include drop foot, numb legs and right arm, cognitive problems such as memory and concentration, IBS, cramping in legs, electrical shocks in back legs and feet. These I beleive are probably MS but as yet have not gotten a Dx on that front thoough one Neuro did note in my records that he beleives I have RRMS that has progressed to SPMS.
Dennis
I haven't been on any medications yet as I am just starting my quest for answers in this area. But there is definitely something going on to be causing my breathing problems, irratic BP and pulse, and also bladder and bowel problems. And those are just the problems that I think might be related to AD.
My other problems include vertigo, balance issues, walking problems that include drop foot, numb legs and right arm, cognitive problems such as memory and concentration, IBS, cramping in legs, electrical shocks in back legs and feet. These I beleive are probably MS but as yet have not gotten a Dx on that front thoough one Neuro did note in my records that he beleives I have RRMS that has progressed to SPMS.
Dennis
Wow, if it happens to be your C 1 C2 area that narrows that much, it seems to me that could cause a heap of trouble! I know that's a particularly vital area to the body. Is that the section?
When a doctor I had wondered if I had pheochromocytoma, the drug of his choice for me was labetalol. Is that one you've tried?
When a doctor I had wondered if I had pheochromocytoma, the drug of his choice for me was labetalol. Is that one you've tried?
Thanks for the info!
After reading about PAF and pheochromocytoma I would bet anything that the second one is more likely in my case. as far as the spikes in my BP and pulse rates. I am currently on 3 different BP meds and if you look at my other post about my BP ( opinons on BP reading) that I posted earlier today you can see that my BP is stay high despite the meds for the most part. What I read about pheochromocytoma is that when BP meds don't work that the test for that is indicated.
Just sitting in a chair to take my BP and pulse I have seen my pulse go as low as 42 and as high as 100. I usually take 3 reading to try to make my reading more accurate and within those 3 reading my pulse can vary from 59 to 76. The BP will only vary by about 2 or 3 points during those same readings.
I did have an MRI done a few months ago on which my Neuro pointed out an area in my neck that my spinal cord narrows by 50%. I suspect that some of this is a result of that.
Dennis
After reading about PAF and pheochromocytoma I would bet anything that the second one is more likely in my case. as far as the spikes in my BP and pulse rates. I am currently on 3 different BP meds and if you look at my other post about my BP ( opinons on BP reading) that I posted earlier today you can see that my BP is stay high despite the meds for the most part. What I read about pheochromocytoma is that when BP meds don't work that the test for that is indicated.
Just sitting in a chair to take my BP and pulse I have seen my pulse go as low as 42 and as high as 100. I usually take 3 reading to try to make my reading more accurate and within those 3 reading my pulse can vary from 59 to 76. The BP will only vary by about 2 or 3 points during those same readings.
I did have an MRI done a few months ago on which my Neuro pointed out an area in my neck that my spinal cord narrows by 50%. I suspect that some of this is a result of that.
Dennis
If your shortness of breath comes with a slowing heart rate, you may want to get your heart function checked out to see you strong your beat is. And shortness of breath with laying down- have they ruled out CHF? See PM for more info. It does sound like bizarre happenings and I'm thinking you might get tested to see if you are having PAF (pure autonomic failure).
Also, with the spikes of blood pressure while resting and wild pulse fluctuations, you might want to ask the doctor for a fasting plasma free metanephrines (the inactive metabolites of adrenaline and noradrenaline, also known as epinephrine and norepinephrine) testing to rule out pheochromocytoma, a rare tumor usually found on an adrenal gland that can emit high levels of catecholamine, affecting heart rate and blood pressure... they can also have silent periods, where catecholamines are normal. You'd want to do it close to having a lot of episodes like that and hopefully when you haven't taken tylenol for 72 hours, as I believe it can interfere with assaying the levels. Plasma free metanephrines is supposed to be the best lab test out there for detecting pheochromocytoma.
Also, with the spikes of blood pressure while resting and wild pulse fluctuations, you might want to ask the doctor for a fasting plasma free metanephrines (the inactive metabolites of adrenaline and noradrenaline, also known as epinephrine and norepinephrine) testing to rule out pheochromocytoma, a rare tumor usually found on an adrenal gland that can emit high levels of catecholamine, affecting heart rate and blood pressure... they can also have silent periods, where catecholamines are normal. You'd want to do it close to having a lot of episodes like that and hopefully when you haven't taken tylenol for 72 hours, as I believe it can interfere with assaying the levels. Plasma free metanephrines is supposed to be the best lab test out there for detecting pheochromocytoma.
The vertigo attacks are a recent development so I have had no testing done. Sure I have had vertigo in the past but it was alway just momentry episodes. These have been more like several attacks every day lasting anywhere between 10 minutes and an hour. They also don't seem to be position depedent as I have had them while sitting at my computer and while lying down in bed. But most of the time it does happen while standing and I am in a hot environment.
I have been taking my BP at various times today and it is flucuating wildly over realitiveity short time spans.. My heart rate has also been doing the same thing. The most interesting thing has been that if I eat something cold ( ice cream) my BP comes down and my heart rate goes up. My BP has varied from 168/84 to 116/80 with my pulse going betwen 59 and 71. All of these are resting readings.
I have not checked my heart rate while experiencing shortness of breath. But given that when I eat something cold it goes up I suspect with heat it goes down. In addition to heat making me become short of breath I think there is also a positional thing going on as well. Almost every night when I go to bed when I first lay down I will be short of breath for a while. I also usually have pulpations during these episodes. I also tend to get out of breath when eating something hot and also if I bend over ( like while getting dressed).
Dennis
I have been taking my BP at various times today and it is flucuating wildly over realitiveity short time spans.. My heart rate has also been doing the same thing. The most interesting thing has been that if I eat something cold ( ice cream) my BP comes down and my heart rate goes up. My BP has varied from 168/84 to 116/80 with my pulse going betwen 59 and 71. All of these are resting readings.
I have not checked my heart rate while experiencing shortness of breath. But given that when I eat something cold it goes up I suspect with heat it goes down. In addition to heat making me become short of breath I think there is also a positional thing going on as well. Almost every night when I go to bed when I first lay down I will be short of breath for a while. I also usually have pulpations during these episodes. I also tend to get out of breath when eating something hot and also if I bend over ( like while getting dressed).
Dennis
Welcome!! I was just now about to give you a more extended post, but I feel a bout of heat intolerance coming on and realize I need to lie down ... I must not have my AC on high enough. :-/ I'll be back soon to give you a proper welcome, but at any rate--glad you're here and can't wait to get to know you better!
-Heiferly.
-Heiferly.
Regarding the vertigo- have you ever had vestibular testing by an ENT specialist? They have gotten more sophisticated in recent years- you should read up what they do on a VNG!
With the shortness of breath w/heat- does your heart rate speed up with the heat? Because that's a shortness of breath source for me- rapid heart rate!
With the shortness of breath w/heat- does your heart rate speed up with the heat? Because that's a shortness of breath source for me- rapid heart rate!
Yeah! So glad you found us :) You will find that there are so many wonderfully knowlegable (sp) people on hear with so much info to share.
Please check out the Health Pages as they have so much information in them as well. it also may be helpful for you to just take some time and go through both old and new posts. You may find something in there that catches your eye.
The way you gave an example of your B/P and Pulse, certainly shows some sx of something AD going on. i know of an Awesome Electrophysiologist here too :) He is the one who finally got the right AD dx for me as I had one that did not fit my sx....so cardio sent me to a different one and BAAAMM! Got the dx we both thought it was.
Glad your here.
~Tonya
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