Hello. I had the last episode Thursday night. All have started with stomach pain. If I get a headache with it I am on my way to full-blown. The pain is under my rib cage, upper stomach with pain in my back between my shoulder blades. HA is constant and very very bad. I feel like I have to vomit but done but the stess from trying makes my head feel like it is going to explode. The last two episodes I have had to urinate frequently and a lot - in the ER after they start the IV. This could be due to the meds they give me to bring down the BP. Last episode was after hernia surgery during recovery. Sudden fever and upper body rash. ER gives me pain and BP meds. Test said unusual urine. Suspected Kidney stones - rulled out. CAT scans and xrays taken of heart, stomach, kidneys -everything near and around there. Episodes 2/3 were one day apart and they admitted me after #3 for 2 days. Found nothing. So far I have been at a hospital within 15 min of first symptoms. I have been lucky. What if this happens again and I am far away? I have looked everywhere and I am not having much luck. Oh, also for episodes 2/3 and 5 I was in a stressful situation when they began. Also if I turn any part of my body any way it doesn't naturally go it cramps... arms, legs, toes, neck. I don't know if its related but its been hapening for a month and getting worse every day. Thank you in advance. You may save my life! I have an appt Mon. am for a stomach/colonoscopy - they are looking for an ulcer.

I'mnot quite able to grasp everything in your post - a little difficult to read.
From what I am able to comprehend it sounds like you are extremely stressed and it is manifesting it's self physically. In additional to all the examinations etc. you are going through it certainly sounds like you need to be on bp med and xanax to calm you down. You are definetly experiencing anxiety. That combined with the pain will raise your blood pressure in seconds tremendously. I hope you are seeing a regular doctor and not relying on er doctors only. You need to have a doctor that is YOUR own doctor seeing after you.

Good luck

Hi Barbara, Thanks for the quick reply. I didn't mention that these 5 episodes started in 19984 (one), 2 in 2003, 1 in 2006 and one last Thursday. They are very infrequent - normally my bp is at about 110/70. I am working with my GP and a Gastroenterologist. I think they feel if I take BP meds with 110/70 it will make it too low. I am generally not stressed but was having a discussion with my boyfriend on Thrusday and I was sad when the 2 happened in 2003. I am trying hard to stay calm. I am scared though. I'm doing yoga and meditation. I appreciate your advice - thank you so much.

I think you really need to see a cardiologist and get a full cardiac work-up.

Good luck!

It is not usually "episodes" of high blood pressure that cause major unfortunate events..... although, I agree that 210/110 is a cause for concern on the part of your doctor. BP high like this for 10 minutes is
usually not a problem, high like this for 10 months usually is.

It is usually untreated high BP over the course of years that is the cause of
major unfortunate events.

Ask your doctor about nitroglycerin tablets or a drug called clonidine.
Nitroglycerin placed under the tongue lowers BP within 5-10 minutes, it has a short-acting effect and can take your systolic BP down 30-40 points.

Clonidine is a quick-acting drug which can, if placed under your tongue, lower your BP quite significantly. It is, unfortunately, one of those drugs which has a low theraputic dosage and is difficult to manufacture in granular doses. You can, however, cut them in half pretty successfully or bite them in half as you take one. It will act over 20-30 minutes and will give you pretty good relief for 3-4 hours.

Neither of these drugs have to be taken habitually in order to get the effect.

Hi Barbara, Thanks for the quick reply. I didn't mention that these 5 episodes started in 19984 (one), 2 in 2003, 1 in 2006 and one last Thursday. They are very infrequent - normally my bp is at about 110/70. I am working with my GP and a Gastroenterologist. I think they feel if I take BP meds with 110/70 it will make it too low. I am generally not stressed but was having a discussion with my boyfriend on Thrusday and I was sad when the 2 happened in 2003. I am trying hard to stay calm. I am scared though. I'm doing yoga and meditation. I appreciate your advice - thank you so much.

I definitely know that extreme stress will up your blood pressure,once mine went up to 200\110 when I found out my 16 year old was pregnant.

Hi,
I agree with the other person to get yourself your own doctor or cardiologist and you should get checkups at least every 3 months in order to see if your pressure is high. You know, you may be having high blood pressure without these episodes as I did. That's why you need to make sure with a doctors close supervision over a period of time.

Unfortunately, I did not give this advice to myself. I was stressed with a stressful job and said I didn't have time to see a doctor. Result, I had a stroke when my pressure went to 210/132. Please don't let this happen to you.

I never had even one warning, such as episodes you experienced. Absolutely no symptoms until it was too late. Thank God I am doing well today, but couldn't return to work. It's 4 years now, I got alot of my physical functioning back. Thank God I didn't suffer memory, speech or facial problems. It affected my walking and arm functioning.

I don't mean to scare you, but get it regularly checked.

madfit

A seat of the pants diagnosis: it sounds like a kidney problem...perhaps an infection. (Pain in back, spiking BP, frequent urination, "unusual" urine, nausea.)

Keep them focused on your kidneys.

Have you had your gallbladder checked out? the symptoms of pain between your shoulders, the feeling of needing to vomit and not vomiting sound very much like gallbladder problems. I would almost be willing to bet that you need your gallbladder removed (unless, of course, it's already been removed). Even if it's been checked & nothing was found, I think I'd still push to have it removed. A good friend of mine had multiple ER visits & was told her gallbladder was fine only to eventually have it removed and the surgeon find it full of sludge & one huge gallstone. She's felt a lot better ever since. She, too, had "episodes". My aunt also had "episodes" and at THanksgiving we took her to the ER with pain between her shoulders and upper GI pain. She actually DID vomit on the way to the ER. They didn't even check her gallbladder because she presented with such high BP (190/90 at times), but her heart checked out fine - they even did a heart cath. AT any rate, a month later they've decided to remove her gallbladder because they found stone.
The 5 F's of gallbladder problems: Female, Forty to Fifty years old, Fertile, Fat, and Flatulent