Trying to stay out of ER - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

mama8 · 12-31-2005, 04:52 PM

Don't you know that the world shuts down between Christmas and New Years?! No one is supposed to get sick, apparently.

A short background - I did have to go to ER on Christmas Eve due to myoclonic spasms (OT on this board). They discovered that my electrolytes were dangerously low and I ended up spending four days in the hospital. While I was in there they changed my Hyzaar to Cozaar, so as to take me off the 25mg of HCTZ in Hyzaar. Since I had been on it two years, they didn't think it could be contributing to the very low sodium level, but they took me off of it, just in case.

Fast forward to this week. My BP started going up (180/120), although I never thought the diuretic had any effect on it at all. After all, it was only 25mg that they took away. I called my GP, knowing that they were going to shut down for the weekend, and he told me to take a second Adalat in the morning. That worked the first day, but today it has not helped.

I asked him at what point I should go to ER, in case this is from more electrolyte problems. He said if I could not get it under 150/100. Sigh... It is staying at 160+/100 right now and I DON'T want to go. Any suggestions?

I am on every bp med classification except for diuretic, having that only recently taken away, as I mentioned (Adalat, Cozaar, Metoprolol, Lisinopril). I am only 44 years old, diabetic, hypothyroid, etc.

Of course, on top of that, there has been some chest discomfort, too. Every other time I have had my heart checked out, it has checked out fine, so I hesitate to put much weight on that, though. Plus, it is not what I would call pain - just discomfort - and it comes and goes.

Help me out guys! Tell me I am doing the right thing by riding this out! I experienced the frustrations of being in the hospital during the holidays this past week and just want to hang on until the world starts spinning again on Tuesday.

Blessings
Ramona

pal7778 · 12-31-2005, 07:08 PM

Nobody can make this judgment for you. But please get to the doctor for a thorough
check up first thing Tues morning. If you bp gets consistently over 180 systolic, then
you pretty much have to go.

Uff-Da! · 01-01-2006, 12:54 AM

It sounds as though you'll be heading for the doctor's office on Tuesday if you don't need to go to the ER sooner. If you think your stress about your BP is raising it further, you might do some deep breathing exercises to try to bring it down a bit, possibly helping you to hold off until Tuesday. Sit quietly. Close your eyes. Take a deep, slow breath as you count slowly to six. Exhale completely as you slowly count to eight. Rest to a count of two. Repeat. (Depending on how fast or slow you count you might make it 4-6-2 instead. But try to slow your breathing.) Try doing that for 15 minutes and see if it brings your BP down any.

Lenin · 01-01-2006, 07:24 AM

mama,

If you spiked that much from removal of HCTZ, you are probably a salt sensitive hypertensive. We NEED a diuretic for control.
Are you certain the myoclonics were caused by low sodium, or from something else; you're not an epileptic are you?

Is it possible you were taking the thiazide AND restricting salt...that could be a problem and shouldn't be done by anyone.

A couple thoughts: after discontinuing thiazide there is a rebound that I find to be about 4 or 5 days when both BP and water retention (weight gain) soar. The body eventually restores some semblance of balance.
Don't judge the effect of a diuretic solely on urination. After the initial diuresis, daily use can STILL have a large effect on the BP of salt sensitives by KEEPING the water in and water out in balance. Also, with time there is an effect on arteriole relaxation.

Have you considered Lasix, a loop diuretic. I think it is supposed to be less apt to drive sodium too low. I'm trying it now.

Anyhoo, give it a week to determine the REAL efect of the thiazide removal.

lane413 · 01-01-2006, 01:20 PM

I am diabetic and so is my mother. She has thyroid problems and diabetes. As a diabetic, a bp that spikes for no reason can be serious. My mom was taking lisinooril, toprol xl, verapamil and hctz. I think Lenin is right about not restricting salt, my mom's nurse practioner told her to restrict salt and she did for four yrs. However, my mom became very ill and kept going to the ER. Finally one day she had a heart attack.

I know you don't want to go to the ER, but for goodness sake at least consider it. I almost lost my mom bcuz she had chest discomfort and kept saying she was ok and didn't want to go to the ER on a weekend. ARE THE ANY URGENT CARE CLINICS OPENED IN YOUR AREA? Diabetes alone is serious, but add hbp and it could be dangerous. My mom no longer takes hctz bcuz it raised her cholesterol and glucose. Also beta blockers can masked low glucose readings, she experienced that as well. All im saying is be careful and take care.

Another concerned diabetic..