Blood pressure changes- MS mimics

[CtResident]

Back in Dec. when I had the vertigo spell, I originally thought it was related to my low blood pressure. I have readings like 94/63 or 92/58 or 85/56 along that line. That's normal for me, I don't really worry about it.

I have a BP cuff here at home and was surprised that my BP was up. On this Vertigo day it read 119/72, pulse 62. Needless to say I was astonished. My father has bradycardia, low BP and a pacemaker, so I thought my vertigo was heart-related.

In speaking with my Mom, it was decided I should go to the walk-in clinic. My bp there was 128/?? (forgot the bottom #), which the nurse said was "fine". Is there a difference between the home cuffs and the ones at the dr's office?

(aside here: I'm beginning to hate the word "FINE"..........!!)

I told her that number might be normal for most folks but it was running high for me!

Then the dr. came in and did all the reflex stuff I've obsessed on and referred to and researched and yapped about. And tossed out the MS word which led me here.....

Anyway, he had the nurse check my bp while lying down, then while I sat up. There was a change of about 8 points in the bottom number, but he said while it looked interesting, usually it was a cause for concern if there was a 10 pt. difference.

I do get very woozy when I do a bathroom run overnight. I have to ease myself down into the bed and hold onto things while in the process.  I think I read positional changes are called BPPV but I don't believe I have that, no nausea, etc. The vertigo spell of Dec. only lasted about 3 hours.

Other than that, nothing else to worry about???

Why would my bp ratchet up like that? I do wish dr's and nurses would not classify me as fine relative to the population in general (an Okay on the bp), but find out what is normal for ME.

Suzanne

[CtResident]

I'll have the brain scans on Thursday, get the full followup on Feb. 7th.

The MS dr. is pretty much okay; I was just annoyed that he didn't read my timeline, just glance at it. :-(

My day is okay, the usual annoyances, but I am still moving around okay and still awake, LOL, so I will leave it at that.

I hope you are doing okay too. You've been inquisitive about me, I hope you too are not in a lot of pain. Are you dealing with Reynaud's as well?

Check this out to see if it will help you, it checks interactions of drugs. My Dad gave me one site but I don't remember which one it was, this looks along the same lines.



Suzanne

[AMO]

hi suzanne,

what i am getting is the static was just interference during the ekg, mayabe other machinery, or like when they tell people to turn their cellphone s off? things like that.
When they moved the machine  after , it sounds like the ekg was ok then.

it can be tough trying to treat these symptomss, especially with limited resources and thosee can tend to cause increase in another symptom.
What you could do that may help your docotrs, is do the daily log for a couple weeks. taking bp different time of day doing different things. and recording any symptoms or how you feeel.
then your next appt if they want to take a look at it then at least you have it.

Even though the tilt table test i have we had to stop becaue i could not stand ,so after a couple minutes they just said it was inconclusive. Luckly my doctors actually listen to me and had me keep logs so they are treating my OH .

thanks for your discrition of your hands. i hope they feel somewaht beetter with the med.
i have not been offered any meds for this, but will bring it up to my docs, but i am thinking it would be contadictive with my florenif. will see.

what have your brain scans shown?
and do you like the doctors you see?
i hope you are having a 'good ' day. takae care amo

[CtResident]

Clarification: dr. said the RX was generally prescribed to lower bp, but it was NOT for that reason for ME.

So, since I generally have low/normal bp, take them at night before bed.

Oh yeah, any idea on what "static" means on an EKG?

Thanks,
Suzanne

[CtResident]

Hi again! No, I'm not diagnosed yet. This MS topic only reared up as a result of that December appt. (12/24 to be exact, had to shelve it for Christmas Day!)

Okay, Reynaud's info. A few winters back, I'd be outside shoveling snow and my fingers got cold really fast. My fingertips were beat red and they hurt so bad I was crying and shaking them, rubbing them. So the next time it snowed and I shoveled, I wore two pair of gloves. No good, 10 minutes later I was in the house, again with crying and excrutiating pain.

Now, I do have kids, and a teenage son who could earn the $$ shoveling. But I like to go out there and commune with nature, and share the work with my boy, it doesn't faze me.

So at a checkup (2005) I mention this to my pcp and he gives me an RX for nifedipine tablets, minimum dose, cut them in half, use until about March or so. Did do that. It did seem to help.

Last year, meaning 2006, winter didn't seem to bother me, never got the RX for that winter. But yes, moderately sensitive to cold, would wear knit gloves while putting freezer items away, going up into the unheated attic, etc.

This winter, (2007) well, even in October, my fingers are back to the hyper-sensitivity to cold. Put on nifedipine again, no tablets to cut in half (unavailable now?) so I go on 10 mg. capsules. Frankly, I still am sensitive to cold with freezer items, etc. But at $65. out of pocket, I am not taking the up-to-30mg-as-needed. I just put on gloves and deal with it. I was told to take them at night since they are to lower blood pressure and since I am prone to dizziness, then that should help. I also get facial flushing and taking them at night spares me the embarrassment (I have minor rosacea). My dh and son say they can't see the difference in my facial color but I feel it quite vividly.

To answer your questions:
~NO blue or purple fingertips (just vivid read and spasms to die from!)

~YES cold and frozen does hurt, in less than 30 seconds

~YES deep ache, esp. the left hand, I figured it was arthritis, but tests are negative

~SOMETIMES on hands and feet always cold

~UNSURE on blanching and color coming back

~KINDA on med helping

That's one other part of the high-for-me bp question, I'm on nifedipine which lowers bp, why would that Vertigo appt. have my bp so relatively high?

Recently I saw a woman with really bad Reynauds, she had been holding a sign at a rally in the chilly fall air for ONE HOUR. She doesn't take meds and seemed unfazed by it. Her hands were yellowish and she was really working them for a good long while to get the blood going. I ached for her, offered to wrap them in a towel to help her but she declined. Amazing how she didn't complain or wince at all!

So, there is my novel-du-jour. Was that more than you bargained for? LOL

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it!

Suzanne

[AMO]

hi suzanne,

question... tell me somethign about your Raynauds if you will.
do your hands get blue/purplee finger tips?
does toughing something cold or frozen make them hurt?
do yoru hands just deepp ache ?
are your hands and feet always cold?
and when blanching (makinng a fist) and open your hand does it take time to get the color baack?
(sorry for so many)
does yoour med help?

it is good you can have your tests thursday. I take it you are not dx'd .
waitng is quite hard especially whne you only want to feeel better, or at least have a name to call your monster.
it is a astrange thing wanting a test to be positive, but at least then it is tangible to hold .

take care, amo

[CtResident]

Guess our posts are crossing right now. :-)

What would cause "static" on that read out? What was that all about?

The first printout was really long, the second one had few pages.

Thanks,
Suzanne

[CtResident]

When I was at the clinic, the dr. said "what do YOU think is wrong? Go ahead, don't hold back, tell me what you think this is." I said "my heart". He asked if I'd had chest pains and I said yes, short quick ones. He said no, then it wasn't a heart issue as they are longer and dull.

So then he did the reflex checkup . with some responses that were not good. He suggested my pcp refer me to a neuro to rule out MS or fibromyalgia. I went home and did a lot of research online while waiting the longest two weeks of my life for that pcp appt.! (I know how fortunate I am, please don't misunderstand; I know others wait for a very long time!)

That is when I wrote my timeline and detailed all of those wacky things that just came and went over the years. Now it all seems to make sense.... MS?????

I then specifically asked my pcp for a referral to a neuro group in this area that also has an MS component. He seemed hesitant, as his testing of my reflexes came back as......say it with me now....fine.

I did get in to the MS group last week  and was even fortunate to have my MRI (brain and cervical, with/without contrast) on the very same day!

I will have my EEG/VEP/BAER this Thursday.

Guess no flags are going up on the heart issue.

Suzanne

[AMO]

hey suzanne,

i should have said about the salt..... you may need to have MORE SALT. That will increase the fluid absorbtion in you anad may help keep your b.p. up

Are you 'officially' dx'd   yet?
(sorry i try to read and remember, but you know how that goes!! LOL)

I started florenif a few months aago, while it has not taken away this sdizziness i hoped it would, . Ii have come to grips that it is permant damage.

Even a little bit of alcohol will make my b.p. plummet. Wonderfif it is the effects of dyhydration that alchol has, or on vessels.

I see   autonomic changes in my hhands/fingers too. never been dx'd Raynauds' they just say 'autonomic dysfunction'.  haha!
Also i have trouble sweating at times (remeebring now back as a kid/teen never ever sweated, i would just turn beat red). LAst summer after sitting10 minutes in the sun, felt funny because i started overheating without sweatin g.  And when i took my b.p. it had   droped 62/43, thankfullyall the sudden began sweating profusly, .

A trip to the e.r once had my b.p. 162/138...that was the highest i knew of.
My reading can be all over the place...i'm remebering  having drops of 51 systolic 16 dystolic and hr increase 39+, all just  for standing...now, will this happen for the docs  no! LOL

My docs have me keeep a little b.p. journal , we know how we forget when we see themLOL
I may help your docs too if you keep one?


Try not eat large meals, especially in the evening. That also can cause your b.p. to drop some.
My gastro system is kin da sluggish and seem s it can take 8+ hours sometimes to begine to empty  on my stomach  at night.

I think sL is good telling you can have a good cardio work up, to be certain your ticker is nont this cause. the full work-up can be alot of testing, but you want to tr y and see wher e this may be coming from. It may helep for you to have a holter, since this 'static' should up on the EKG.

I am really fortunate to have doctors listen to me even when tests are unfounding/inconclusive.
ekg, echo, holter, event monitor,  tilt table, all have been neg. yet this this are happening , just not when i am testiiing. I figure it is like the white coat syndromre:)

Let me know how you are feeling, take care amo

[sllowe]

Hi CtRes,

I would write some of these things down, and bring in w/you when you go to the clinic.  I hope they ref you to a Cardiologist, because sounds to me that would be a good step 1st before the Neuro.

AMO brings up some good things for you referencing triggers and BP.  I only recognize because my daughter has Vasovagal Syncope and was diagnosed by an Electrophysiologist (basically a cardiologist specializing in electrophysiology and pacing).

Take notes at to what happens and when, it will be helpful to the Drs to know, and it's easy to forget when your at the appt.  And, don't be afraid to push the buck a little bit if they only give you the EKG. . .push for a cardio workup and Echo if you can.  Tell them you are getting some pains in your chest, that oughta help. . .

I hope you feel better and find out what is going on soon,

be well,
sL

[CtResident]

Hi Amo,

No, not being followed by a cardio. I did have an EKG in the walk-in clinic in Dec. now that you mention it. (I keep forgetting stuff that happened that day, and it was over a month ago!)

My first reading I was told had "static" on the printout (?!)

My legs were shaking all over the place. My husband put my coat over me because he thought I was cold. I kept insisting, NO!! I'm not cold, this is my legs having spasms.

Then the nurse took the reading out to the dr., came back in and said there was the static thing and she had my husband help her wheel the machine over to another outlet. Then she had me tuck my arms under my side, maybe to help with the tremors?

Guess what they said it was? FINE. I asked her what was causing the tremors and she said she didn't know. They went away in less than 5 minutes and I never did ask the dr. about them.

As for salt and fluids: I am not good about drinking my water throughout the day, but do have a drink of water or 1% milk or weak tea with meals. Salt I think I'm okay on, don't use it.

As for meds, I am on nifedipine for Reynaud's in my fingertips.

But this bp and woozies at night happened before I even went on the meds this winter.

Good idea about taking the cuff to the dr. Tell you what, my husband's bp runs high on the home cuff, and if that cuff runs low, then he is higher than that and I'll have to help him work that out.  

Suzanne

[AMO]

hi suzanne,

i am sorry you have these porblems . I t is good you wenwt to have yourself checked on.


as far as cuffs being different, you can have you home cuff checked by takinng it to your doctors and having them do reading , theirs and compair yours.

are being followed by a cardio?
i am glad tyo hear you  take it slow to rise.
what about salt and fluids? medications?
please tak ei t easy, we don't want you falling and getting hurt.

i do have too have quiet a few autonimic problems, they can be difficult to treat and make you ffeel rather punk. my reading can dropp 30pts or more. but i am lucky my h.r.. is still compinsating, although can can go ointo tachycardia .
my scans so far show leasions, but also  signs of another disease that causes alot of the autonomic problems.
i know it can be tough trying to figure this all out, let alone living it daily
hang in there and take care, amo