Bradycardia & Hypotension

Posted by Laura on June 12, 1999 at 22:15:44
Our mother has been having nearly daily bouts of low blood pressure, accompanied by dizziness, weakness.  She is 68 years old and has had a very long history of High Blood Pressure for which she has always had medication prescribed.  She is 4 and 1/2 years post-stroke and since March of this year she has had these frequent bouts of low blood pressure.  The blood pressure meds were discontinued at that time.  Her pers. phys. is perplexed by this change and referred her for neurology consult because of her history of spinal stenosis and cord compressions and disk herniations.  She is 6 months post thoracic spinal surgery to decompress the spinal cord at T10-T11.  Her neurologist can find no correlation to substantiate this idea.
This past Sunday she had another episode of low blood pressure 73/37 when we took it at her home.  We took her to the emerg. room and it was still at 85/50 with a pulse rate of 50.  She was put on a monitor and her pulse rate continued to be very erratic, ranging from 27 to over 80.  She was admitted for further testing & evaluation.  She became very agitated at this and her pressure went up to >150/>90.  
She is on Tylenol #4 (1 tab every 4 hours - 8am 12pm 4pm & 8pm) for pain mgmt of the chronic spinal pain.  She is also on Prozac (chronic pain/depression), Dyazide & Ditropan (for leg edema), ASA (stroke prevention), Zanaflex(muscle spasticity from stroke residuals), and antioxidant supplement.  
During her 48 hour admission, she was in a monitored bed, had echocardiogram and orthostatic pressure test(tilt table).  No significant findingd or abnormalities, except for tilt table test on standing). She had no episodes of low blood pressure during her admission and only one episode of pulse rate at 50.
She is resistant to pacemaker therapy, especially without knowing what is causing the abnormal heart beat.
Are there any other modes of treatment to keep her blood pressure and pulse rate at normal levels?  We are very interested in any natural or dietary recommendations.
Thank you for any help you can offer.
Thank you.

Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - CRC on June 14, 1999 at 11:40:31
Dear Laura,
There are several things that can be done.  Liberilization of salt intake is one possible thing as are thigh high support stockings and elevating the head of the bed with bircks 8 inches.  I would discuss thiese things with her doctor.
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