What causes someone with low blood pressure to suddenly have high blood pressure?

I'm 25, female, normal BMI. I've always had low blood pressure (90/60). My blood pressure was taken several times in december and january, and it was around 90/55.

In March, I had my blood pressure taken twice and suddenly its 115/78 and 115/82 !!!

From december to the present my digestive problems (still not properly diagnosed) have gotten progressively worst and I've had to take Nexium. Could the sudden increase be related to whatever mysterious digestive issues I have, or possibly a side effect of nexium? I tried stopping the nexium for a few days and re-tested my blood pressure at the pharmacy, still 115/82, maybe it takes longer for nexium wear off, or maybe its not the cause.

How concerning is this??? I realise 115/82 is still "normal", but considering my whole life my normal blood pressure has been very low, I think the sudden change might be serious.

[erijon]

I wouldn't be concerned at all, your numbers are great and you need to remember that blood pressure is dynamic as it changes based on your body's need. If you are experiencing an illness, your BP will usually go up as your body normally has a higher demand for oxygen. Also, you really can not count on the drug store unit to be accurate as they are abused and not serviced on a regular basis. When I use the one at the drug store it is always 10 plus points higher so that's more likely the issue.

In any case, get your digestive issues resolved and see how your BP responds. Also, if you can afford a BP monitor, get one and take your BP once a day at home and track it for a few months and you'll know what your base line is.

Good luck!

Jon

[is_something_wrong]

Yes, blood pressure is VERY variable. Pain, stress, anxiety, even the expectation of an "abnormal" result may easily boost the blood pressure 30/20 mmHg or more. A friend of mine with a baseline blood pressure of 110/65 had his blood pressure measured in the emergency room after having a back injury with unbearable pain (11 on a scale from 1-10 as he said) and it was 218/115. He didn't get any blood pressure treatment. After surgery (when the pain went away), his blood pressure was 106/64.

Just as your heart rate can increase during stress (which is a natural response), your blood pressure can and will. It happens to everyone. You can't have a blood pressure of 90/60 if you have to run away from trouble. So, when you do something scary, the body wants to be prepared, and your blood pressure will be higher.

The important thing is that your baseline BP is normal. Of course, it's not healthy to be on constant alert every minute you are awake, so if you are constantly anxious, that should be treated (but not just because your blood pressure is elevated).

My baseline BP is 100/60. If I measure it in the doctor's office it's usually 120/70 or so. If I measure it because I believe it's high, I can easily see 140/80 or even higher, but it drops rapidly. I guess that's just one of the normal human responses.

[vienna_h]

Thanks for the responses. I have a health phobia, so my anxiety is ALWAYS sky high in hospitals and around doctors/nurses, and even in these cases my blood pressure is normally 90/60, I didn't feel more health anxiety than normal when it was recently taken at 115/80, nor did I feel anxious at the pharmacy, but I guess I've been more overall stressed out than normal these days so that might be a factor.

I also started taking a second medication for my digestive problems and had an allergic reaction (rash all over my body) so I'm not gonna rule out medication just yet, but since its still within normal ranges I won't worry too much about it.