Tachycardia and High Blood Pressure at age 22

[mailforkristina]

Hi,
I'm 22 and have been experiencing high bp since age 20 (that I know of) and Tachycardia since age 21. I didn't develop high bp until have a surgery on my Left Kidney when I was 18. I am currently taking HCTZ 12.5 to control this. Sometime after I turned 21 I began to experience tachycardia that would wake me up at night (150-170 bpm). I was put on toporol xl 12.5 to help control this as well. I have not had a night episode since then.
Within the past year I began experiencing tachycardia when I would eat, walk around, get slightly stressed, everything. I felt out of breath and stressed constantly, and I'm a pretty laid back person. I started eliminating things out of my diet, hoping my symptoms were just caused by a food senstivity. I tried low salt-seemed to work a little, then I cut out all meat and it seemed to help a lot. Is there any reason that eating a vegetarian diet would help my tachycardia and make me feel less stressed? I also stopped drinking alcohol because it seemed to be related to my tachycardia as well.
This is weird, I know there is something wrong but no one can seem to figure out what. My other symptoms inclue Raynauds phenom., brittle nails, hip pain, anxiety, heart palpitations. I think I am fairly healthy, I'm not over weight (112lbs and 5'4), I get a fair amount of excerise.
They gave me a blood test for lupus- came back negative, check my thyroid several time, that was fine. I'm beginning to eat less and less because when I eat a lot I feel bad, which is making me lose more weight. I feel like there is a ball in my stomach that is pushing on my heart--sounds weird but that is the only way I can describe it. When I bend at the waist I experience heart palpitations.
If anyone has any thoughts, feel free to share them.

[mailforkristina]

Just a follow up to this question.
almost 5 years later I continue to have the same symptoms. I do feel much better now that I am very very careful to avoid SULFITES. I stopped the hctz and take 25 mg of toprol. Had a baby and did have some issues with my heart rate and blood pressure for a couple months after delivery. I think an allergy to sulfites explains quite a few of my issues, but not everything.

[ireneo]

I visit a board for Raynauds patients and one thing they stress is you should visit a rheumatologist. I'm happy to hear you don't have lupus but have you been checked for scleroderma? It may not just be one thing but a couple things causing all the symptoms. I do hope you get some answers soon. Take care.

[Konopka1955]

Hi,  
Sorry to hear about your feeling bad.   I think a good Internal Medicine Doctor could start the ball rolling.  Heart palpitations aren't usually serious.  But to be sure it is just palpitations you could request to have a 30 day holter heart monitor - its a small device - that I hooked onto my pant waist.  So when I got an 'event' (fast beat) - I would push a button on the device and it recorded the heart beat that I had just had (event)..   Then I would phone it into a office and they could look at it and see what type of heart beat it was.   You know you can describe it over and over - but until you can get it on the monitor - they would just be guessing.  A heart monitor is the best way to find out for sure.    

Now some doctors can 'read' an ekg and tell you what is happening - or they send your ekg to an Electrophysciologist - which is an expert in the electrical part of a heart.  They are great to have.  I call mine - my 'electrician'.   They know every beat imagineable and probably where it originates from in your heart.  Alot of beats are not a problem - but some are a problem and need a specialist who specializes in that area of the heart..  So the more knowledge you have of your diagnosis the better you can ask questions.
Best Wishes
Marilyn      

[Darcy Green Conaway, MD]

I would consider  a work-up for pheochromocytoma (tumor that secrets substances that increase blood pressure)--raynaud's can be associated with many things but i would certainly see a primary care physician. It sounds like you need a thorough physical examination and possibly further evaluation with a cardiologist. You may need further evaluation to determine what rhythm you are having when your heart rate is fast-- definitely get this evaluated asap.