Hi there, everyone...

Well, my BP went from bad to worse to downright weird. On Monday it was 239/150 HR 120 and steady with chest pains so I took a clonadine, it started lowering the BP but the chest pains did not change at all so at the advice of my Cardio I went to a new ER that had just opened under the assumption that since it was new it would not be busy. It wasn't and I went right back.

Without even an EKG the Dr took one look at me then went into a 20 minute lecture about being overweight with anxiety and needing a Psychiatrist. I asked my husband to hand me my shoes and left against Dr's advice. In the parking lot we called my Cardio and he directed me to go to a different ER connected to a Heart Center and said he was faxing some records there.

At the 2nd ER they take me right back and do a 12 lead EKG then place me on a monitor and take an x-ray and blood tests within 15 minutes of arriving. My BP on arriving there was 198/98... and it kept going down... and down... and down.

The cardiac enzyme tests came back normal... and my BP kept going down... at 120/60 I asked for them to check it on my other arm as well because I had not seen numbers like that in years and years, it made no sense. The ER doc started to think that I was making it all up and was getting ready to discharge me after running the cardiac enzymes one more time since I was still having chest pains when it happened... Vtach... 30 sec to a minutes worth. The alarm was going off, the screen was flashing and I was definately feeling it. And ... nothing. The alarms stopped after a few minutes... the screen stopped flashing a few minutes after that... then about 3 minutes later the nurse rips the curtain open and asks if I feel ok. (They had just noticed it... a full 5 minutes after the fact)

Suddenly I go from the fat hypochondriac to the woman with a major concern and they leave the curtain open so they can keep an eye on me as they work on admitting me. And my BP still goes lower.

I just got out at 3pm today after nuclear stress tests, echos, dopplars, EKG's, x-rays... they have no idea why I throw small bouts of Vtach but took me off the Verapamil and put me back on Torprol, doubled my Diovan to 320mg, took away the clonadine and HCTZ. My BP is now hovering in the 89/49 range with a HR of 50 and strict rules to not take ANY of my BP meds if it stays like this... the Dr's are confused... I went from chronic Hypertensive Crisis for months and stage 2 Hypertension for years to very low BP.

The Endocrinologist I am to see on Monday came on in to see me and is almost positive that there is a pheochromocytoma lurking in me and is more than positive that I have cushing's as well since I have every single physical trait of cushings... the only symptom I was missing of cushings was glucose intolerance... well, guess what was found during my hospital stay... yep, got that as well now.

So, this is my update... and there is a moral to what happened to me on monday and my hospital stay from monday until today...

If I had allowed the Dr at the first ER to intimidate me and convince me that I am just fat and anxious that Vtach would have never been seen on the monitor and I would not be on the long road but at least a ROAD to a diagnosis and understanding. In the past I would have just caved and let him railroad me, but I knew something was wrong and I went somewhere else straight from there. Do not let anyone tell you that you are just 'making it up'... you know your body and even a good thing, like the best BP readings of your life for no reason MEANS something. Be proactive and don't be afraid to fight for your right to be heard... sure, I might have been just fine had I gone home, but then again, Vtach can kill and I might have been dead wrong for not going somewhere else.

What an experience! But it sounds like some headway is being made at getting to your problems, and that BP drop sounds good...yes?

Glad you're back...your posts are very inspirational.

tamuprof45

Peny, Peny, Peny,

What a story!!! Some Dr's must go to the same med school that says when all else fails fall back on the pschi diagnosis!!! Like going to the ER is just what we want to do when nothing is good on TV.

Glad you had another ER to go to-I would have to drive 2 hrs to find another one. Are you allowed to drink increased fluid to keep your b/p up? Were you are Clonidine everyday-if so be careful with withdrawal symptoms. I had such a hard time getting off that drug.

I was thinking of you last night as I was looking up all the hypertension books available-900 just at one bookstore. there was one just about pheo.

When I was hyperthyroid & taking inderal for my increased b/p, I went to a clinic to get a Rx for another b/p med cause inderal had caused a thick red rash on my neck. Well, by the time I filled out their very detailed history form my b/p had zoomed up to 180/90? The nurse got such a horrible look on her face & ran to get the DR. I wasn't having any other symptoms. He took my b/p too & told me to get in my car & run to the ER. He said he works part-time in the ER & that I might have a stroke.

They frightened me so much that I turned my car around & went home & went to bed. I figured if I was in such a bad state then they should get me to the ER. I was worried that the other staff at the ER would try to take my b/p down too fast & cause a stroke.

Another time I went to another Dr. to change meds(b/p). I was so weak & had so much pain from the swollen thyroid that I had to lie down on the bench in the waiting room until the Dr.could see me. He, too spend the first 15 min lecturing me because I had failed to get all the tests when I had seen him for the first time 6 months ago. I had told him that I didn't have the money to have all those tests done but that I would get them later when my health insurance kicked in. I hadn't been sick at the time. I got a few essential tests done, however.

Finally, my husband had had enough & told him to please just give me a Rx for another b/p med so I could get back home & into bed.

Guess what I got in the mail the following Sat? A registered letter from that Dr. firing me as a patient. I'm sure he didn't put the reg. letter I wrote him on his wall although it was polite.

Even when we are at our sickest it seems we still have to be ready to stand up for ourselves!!!

You'll be in our hearts & prayers. Hope you'll be able to make progress now that Cushings is a possible diagnosis.

Take care & stay out of Er's :) Fam

Best to you... :)

Hi Peny, :)

I am glad you had the option of going to another ER. It sounds as if you are very close to getting your diagnosis. I know how long you've waited to find out what you have and how agonizing the wait can be. You will be so relieved to know for sure!
Your cardio workup revealed no cardiovascular or ischemic disease - that's a lot to be happy about! :) Another cause of tachycardia can be an electrolyte imbalance. I am sure your electrolytes were tested also. Some antiarrhythmic drugs can have that same effect on heart rate and make it really fast. I had fast heart rate on a max dose of my calcium channel blocker and a high dose (50mg) of Hctz - upwards of 110bpm resting. Tachycardia is one of the possible side effects of these drugs. That's why you were told to discontinue Verapamil.
Most doctors will not prescribe a beta blocker to patients with a low heart rate (50bpm or less), unless there's a dire need for this medication. As told, do not take this medication at all until your blood pressure stabilizes. When it does, watch its effects on your blood pressure - it causes bradychardia if the dosage is too high. Your blood pressure fluctuations are troublesome, to say the least!

Good luck with your upcoming appointment! :)

flowergirl