Large variance in blood pressure readings

[Panther72]

I was recently told that I had high blood pressure (142/90) and to see my GP.  There, it was discovered that there are some large differences in my bp readings--between both arms (10-20 mmhg difference) and at different times of the day.  I am trying to find out what some of the causes of this could be.  
some information to help:
age: 29
height: 62"
weight: 160
female
right handed
unless otherwise noted, bp is from left arm

don't smoke, drink coffee, soda, alcohol or use drugs. have been on b/c, but was off for 4 weeks to see if that caused it (no difference).

had blood work drawn....my arm hurt for several hours after, and by about 6 pm have a nice bruise where blood was drawn (never had this problem before).

any information is appreciated.  Just looking to read about it at the moment.

some bp and pules checks:

day 1
3pm 118/68
4pm 135/93
5pm 175/102 p-105
6pm 112/73 p-77
7pm 144/87 p-97
10pm 111/91 p-62

day 2
7am 103/87
8am 154/114 p 81
930am 116/83 p 58
1130am 123/108 p 58
3pm 154/89 p91
5pm 153/93 p 97
10pm 144/97 p 75

day 3
6am 144/95 p91
7am 124/85 p81 (rt) 86/73 (lt)

[Cleveland Clinic]

Panther,

The main way there is a pressure differential between the 2 arms is mechanical, meaning there may be a flow limitation from a stenosis in one of the vessels prior to the branches of the arm with lower readings such as the aorta or subclavian arteries. A CT angiogram would help define if this were the case.

As far as your readings, I would be somewhat concerned that you have multiple high readings and would evaluate you for causes and consider treatment options for your hypertension.

good luck

[Panther72]

what causes would you evaluate for?

[hbp702]

BP and pulse going from low to high like that for no apparent reason - ask to be screened for a pheochromocytoma

[Carey01]

Panther,

I can get those all over the map BP readings, too.  Are you an anxious person or have a Type A personality?

[TheMick#7]

I have variations but yours are extraordinary.  Are you sure your machine is accurate and/or you're using it correctly?

[fablegirl]

hello every one.  i am new to the forum though i have been reading it for quite a while. my journey began january 12, 06
and i have not found any relief so far.  I went to lay down in bed and had been laying there a few minutes when all of a sudden i felt dizzy, and hot.  I sat up in bed and then my heart took off like crazy,. pounding like a drum trying to get out of my body.  i began shaking and woke my husband who took me to ER.  I was given and EKG and told all was well.  It keeps happening and I go see my regular doctor who does a full blood
workup to check for thyroid problems and blood sugar ect.  all
was fine.  Wore a holter monitor and had an echocardiogram and all was fine.  Still kept having these attacks and Doc put me on effexor.  This doubled my misery so off I went of the effexor
and was put on zoloft.  Basically did not respond well to zoloft either as this would cause tachycardia.  Went to see cardiologist who did EKG and Thallium stress test.  He said all
was fine.  My regular doctor thinks I am a hypochondriac and my
husband is just fed up.  I too am plagued with PAC"s  but I am not exactly sure what a PVC feels like.  I have no joy anymore.  Every day is one more day of wondering if the PAC's are gonna make me drop dead.  every day is another day of just literally coping hour by hour.  I have 2 boys whom I love dearly and feel such guilt for not being able to have more control of my life.  I really do not know where to turn any more with these issues and literally thought I was crazy until i
found this forum.  At least there is the comfort that I am not
the only one. I wonder if anyone has any advice ?  Feel like i
have lost 6 months already with this stuff and am so sick of living this way.  I keep thinking what if they have missed something...what if  what if what if.......I am 39 and hanging on by a thread

[joe h]

hi fablegirl. when you was wearing the holter, did you have an event with your heart.

[momto3girls]

Oh, honey, welcome to the club!  What a horrible journey to have to make isn't it?  I too am a mother to 3 little girls and have felt the same way you do.  Unexplained tachycardia, chest pain, pac's pvc's and dizziness.  Been going on 3 years now (:  I spent months worrying, anxious and frightened thinking any minute will be my last because I felt like something was horribly wrong.  I have had a good and thorough cardiac work-up...thyroid tests, echocardiograms, ekg's, stress tests, stress echo's and nuclear stress test not to mention numerous holter monitors and event recorders.  All say the same, nothing serious only tachycardia, pac's and pvc's.  

Sounds like you're still in phase 1.  That phase sucks!  It's the phase where you question your doctors, think they've missed something horrible, scared to go out alone or travel long distance with only your kids.  I spent along time letting this eat me up.  I couldn't enjoy my children, who needed me, or my husband or even life.  I felt exactly the same way you do now.  You're not alone (:  Every cardio doctor says the same thing, pac's and pvc's are totally benign if your heart is structurally normal.  Now, it's easy to hear but hard to believe.  It can ruin your life if you let it.  The hardest part is believing it for yourself, knowing that while these heart things feel so weird, they're not going to kill you.

Read the post by skippyheart on 5/09/06 about his step by step description.  It will help.  I wish you the best and want you to know you are not alone!  There are so many of us, many who've had these issues for 20+ years and are still around.  Best wishes and good luck to you!

[Panther72]

no, I'm not an anxious person.  I'm really not sure what a "type a" personality is, so you will have to forgive my ignorance on that subject, but could you fill me in please?

I'm pretty laid back about things, but not so laid back that I don't get anything done (does that make sense?).

As for being sure that my machine is right, well I suppose not, but the wide variance also happened at the dr. office.  they want me to wear a 24-hr monitor, but I can't wear it at work, and they won't do the monitoring over the weekend....so we are at some odds.

I'm still waiting for the labs to come back.  Once they do, that might help to point us in the right direction, or then again, it might put us back to square one.  I just like to read about things so that I have some information when the doc tells me what is going on.  

Thanks all for your help.  btw, what is pheochromocytoma

[Flycaster305]

My bp readings are also extremely varied, usually highest early in the day before I've taken my meds, lowest after I work out and hit the dry sauna and hot tub at the fitness enter in the late afternoon. I'm told by my Cardiologist that the average is more important than the peaks and valleys.  Also, I see a change in BP if I'm sitting, standing, crossing my legs, etc.  Just a thought.  I now take my BP standing and with the left arm as a constant.  
I'm celebrating this week, after a couple of heart attacks and numerous stents, I've seen my ejection fraction change from a low of 38% to my new reading at rest of 53%.  As explained to me, Coreg has the ability when combined with sensible regular exercise of re-vitalizing hincky heart tissue surrounding the dead tissue, and I'm feeling much better.  I'm a big believer in what I call Scoreboard!; the results speak for themselves, so I'm a big believer in Coreg and sensible exercise!

[fablegirl]

just wanted to say to you that your encouragement is priceless to me.  Read skippyheart's post and man, being in this phase does hurt..,I hope I make it through these steps quickly LOL...
I have been told by the ER, GP, and CARDIO that i have issues with anxiety.  Maybe that's true...But NEVER the anxiety to the
degree that it is now until all of this scary heart stuff.  I think that 's  the scariest part of all is hearing it's ANXIETY.
seems like a catchall phrase but its so hard when your heart is
racing or you feel those awful flutters I'm pretty sure are PAC"S.  I have been excercising almost every day just to prove to myself that i can do it without passing out.  I have never been overweight except during my pregnancies but during the last 6 months i have gone from 140 pounds to 127 from all of this stuff.  I got to a point where i was afraid to eat very
much for fear it would cause a heart attack..did anyone else
go through this fear?I am now eating several small meals a day.
but haven't gained any weight back...I am 5'7...The hardest part
are the nights...i DREAD nights because i know when i lay down my heart is gonna flutter..i put off going to bed until i am so
exhausted ...and even then it makes those flutters. EVERY time
this happens I think to myself this is not normal...something has got to be wrong with me.  I should be in bed right now
because I am getting up very early to drive to my parents who
live about 550 miles away.. I have been making this trip for
20 years but not since all of this stuff started so naturally
i am freaking out thinking please don't let any thing get any
crazier while i am away from home....my husband is not going because he has a business trip and he has sort of become like
a "SAFETY PERSON" if that makes sense..So I am going away from
home without my safety person and I am sure my PAC"S will be
going along for the ride...OH JOY lol...I will write some more
when i return and please know that your support and wisdom
matter to us new WEIRD HEART FLUTTER RAPID HEART BEAT PEOPLE.
take care momto 3 girls,


fablegirl

[momto3girls]

It's so funny reading your comments.  I felt just like that for so long!  I too used to dread going to bed too because it always caused flutters.  If you read through the acrhives you'll read lots of people who get lots of heart flutters when they lay down to sleep.  Particulary on their left side, something about your heart being closer to your chest wall so you feel them more.  

Good for you to keep exercising!  That is just what you need to do, it will help.  It proves to yourself that you aren't going to drop dead (:  You're lucky, to lose weight with all this going on.  For me, the opposite happens (:  I need to get myself back into my exercising routine.

By the way, I too am going out of town to visit my dad without my husband ):  I totally understand what you mean, your husband is like a safe-guard in case something happens with your heart.  This trip will be good for both of us then, to realize we can travel and be fine!  I wish you a safe trip and a palpitation free visit (:  Best wishes.

[Arabella]

Hello Fabelgirl I too have been like it since Nov 05. Started with ear infection. BP checked at 210/145 then monitored average worked 200/130 now down to 160/97 but varies through the day goes to 210/120 a few times drops to 58/40 asleep. I hve chest pain in left part of chest near armpit, down arm and fingers tingle have tachycardia just sitting pulse goes to 150/180 have had three bouts of over 200 a minute.  I get dizziness, try to walk and it is as if the floor is completely undulating, a few times a day then fainting was about 6 times a week now once or twice.  I had echo, nuclear, kidney scan no function test though as allergic to Iodine.  Next week I have a brain scan as now Dr thinks could be epilepsy.  I have had my driving licence suspended and work dont want me there in case I faint again. I also feel totally lost and confused my Dr at a loss I had not been for 4 years now am there nearly ever two weeks. It takes so much longer in the UK I waiting 4 mnths for exercise tolerance test and waited 7 months for MRI scan.  I see am to see Neurologist but 13 wks waiting list for him and then 4 weeks after that.  I am now completely fed up and terrified.  I have 3 children used to be working full time,  looking after husband as well, he has been brilliant over this.  My life has totally stopped. I have lost 42 lbs, which I needed to.

[Rachel's mom]

Hi Ladies,...I can certainly relate to both of your scenarios...I have been plagued with skipping beats for years and years...starting when i was 19...i have learned to live with them and don't think much of them anymore...they mostly come around the time of my cycle. But starting in January of this year i have had a NEW arrythmia pop up which I am struggling with understanding...and that is a racing heart for about 2-4 minutes...it has happened every month mostly during my period but has happened a couple of times without my period...it happens in the middle of the night and the last 2 times it happened when i went from lying down to standing up...my heart just feels like it has a misfire and just takes off unprovoked...it is a steady rhythm and actually was caught on a 24 hr monitor as sinus rythym but it got up to 160 bpm...what is that???  Have you ever or anyone had this??  I had an echo done last week which was normal, ekg normal and a stress test is scheduled for this friday which i know will be normal as i do work out...they are also putting me on a 4 week monitor which i am SO unhappy about as I am going on a 3 week vacation and they want me to wear it on vacation...I counted down the hours till i could remove the 24 hour monitor how do i get thru 4 weeks???  They also caught the arrythmia the night i wore the monitor (pure luck) so I dont understand while i have to wear it again but i will....Ok love to hear if anyone else has had this experience...thanks for listening...Judianne

[momto3girls]

Hi,

Yes, I too am plagued by some form of tachycardia.  Most of it happens at night too, while I'm sleeping.  Mine would go into the 180's.  Just like you, mine was caught on a holter monitor and they said oh, it's just sinus tachycardia.  Well, that really doesn't help me out a whole lot!  I do have a family history of SVT (supra-ventricular tachycardia) but my current cardio doctor feels I don't have it.  Who knows.  I am thoroughly frustrated because when I get the tachycardia, I feel so jittery and shaky.  I'm on a beta blocker so I don't go into the 180's anymore but still I have break through tachycardia in the 140's.  I understand your frustration about wearing a monitor for 4 weeks.  I did as well and I couldn't wait to rip that thing off!  This past time, I only wore it a week because I had all the symptoms while wearing it for only 1 week.  Thank God!  BTW, if your skin gets really irritated by the leads, the nurse told me to apply NuSkin, some kind of lotion you can get at a drugstore.  For me, the leads left the worst rash.  How lovely, huh?  Also, I know I've read about a disorder called P.O.T.S. which means there's a bp change and racing heart-rate when you go from sitting to standing.  Just a thought (:  Good luck to you!

[AMSR]

I would  tald to your cardiologist about having an echo done to check for structural abnormalities of the aorta.  Specifically, coarctation of the aorta.  If unrepaired (usually done as a child, but often clinically silent due to good collateral blood flow), it can lead to high BP and other serious complications.  It is known to cause significant hg differentials between arms and legs, and even between the arms themselves.  Its easy to check for too, like 10 minutes with an echo.  It will also rule out pretty much all other structural problems with your heart as well.  Good thing is, most problems like these can be fixed with surgery.  I had my coarch repaired when I was 10, and I am doing great!

[foodie]

I just turned 51 and since three months ago the rollercoaster began with the high bps. As a high school teacher this is so tough when you are on at the sound of the bell. I love to teach and I take wahtever breath I can and teach my class.  I thought it was my profession but now I am off in the summer and I have been in the er 3X with readings of 182/116, 196/109, 157/98. I was doing great for about 2 weeks after the overnight hospital stay where I was given all possible tests (all proved negative)given diovan 80mgs first with 12.5HCT then without HCT. NOw I live at 165/100 +/-. I get dizzy, headaechy, and have chest pain. Dr. tells me to lay down and take lopazoloem .5mgs. This helps to calm me a bit. I was also prescribed Paxil 12.5 mgs. I weigh 106 and was excersising 5 times a week and ate moderately but enjoyed a glass of wine in the eve with dinner. Now I just walk 1/2 hour at night with my husband and drink water. It is exasperating! I see my cardio this week again. When I go back to school I cant just lay down and take a chill pill. My gp thinks it is my A personality/obsessive compulsive behaviour that causes my anxiety....How do I stop?
Good to know that like my cardiologist says...just breath. Any other ideas?

[Acts]

A few years ago I had heart beats and symptoms like yours. Could not get diagnosis. Finally, discovered I was hyperventilating. Used the paper bag thing for a while. Learned to identify the symptoms and controlled my breathing. Changed my diet a little--less sugar, more exercise, -- have not hyperventilated in years.