I never had high blood pressure before I had MG. Just wondering if this is typical?

Are you taking Mestinon? Mestinon can increase your blood pressure (though only standing and not supine, as I understand it--but there may be a connection).

Abby

I've been on Mestinon for about 2 years and my BP has not changed - if anything, it has gone down a little.

Before MG my BP was normal, now its high, though because of the prednisone...pretty much everything is linked to the prednisone they say.

Im not sure though, maybe its a mental association with having a disease in the first place which then raises the stress level?

Tony, How high is your BP?

Blood pressure is a complicated issue. It can have numerous causes, including a myasthenic crisis or simply weaker muscles. But it could be from drugs, heart or circulatory issues, kidney problems and a variety of other health issues, including endocrine.

What's your pulse like?

You can also have a higher blood pressure from being overhydrated. If that's the only factor, blood pressure goes up, pulse goes down. If you're underhydrated, blood pressure goes down, pulse goes up. I have personal experience with this due to diabetes insipidus (water, not sugar, diabetes where you lack enough antidiuretic hormone).

Your baroreceptors can get screwed up. I had a lot of fluid issues that went unchecked for years and they thought maybe mine had been damaged. So that's why I know about this aspect of it.

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/site..._pressure.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17284509

http://www.cvphysiology.com/Blood%20Pressure/BP012.htm

http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/283/2/R284.full

While this is about "shock," it explains in the last paragraph why BP can change from lying down to standing up.

http://www.unm.edu/~toolson/miscella...out_shock.html

I have not read the Mayo study that supposedly shows that Mestinon increases blood pressure while standing, assuming that it has an affect on baroreceptors. So I can't comment on that. I don't know if that is Mestinon's effect on muscles or the central nervous system or what. Again, it's a complicated little machine, the body.

I would highly recommend that you at least bring this issue up with your primary doctor. High blood pressure is not good, whatever the cause. It has a very bad effect on the brain, heart, kidney and tissues in general. Your doctor could at least check blood pressure in BOTH arms, which is very important. There might be an interarm blood pressure difference which could reveal a occluded artery somewhere. They could run an ECG, metabolic panel and simply take a look to see if you are having other problems.

Salt can increase blood pressure significantly, including hidden salt in things like cheese, pizza (cheese again), processed foods, etc.

One thing Mestinon has been shown to do is to help those who have ischemia.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15367503

http://www.springerlink.com/content/gnh846w0914481t5/

Sorry, I can't write a simple answer to this question. It may not be your MG or the Mestinon that is causing your BP to go up. Please see your primary doc to get checked out.

Annie

My BP is under control as a result of meds I take now.

In Dec. 2008, when dx with MG, I was started on mestinon and pred but before I could start IVIG's in February 2009 I had to get my BP under control. But it was ok through 2008.

My primary Dr. is responsable for getting BP under control and when I saw him last week my BP was 127/73

So I guess it could be the MG, the mestinon, the pred or something else.

I was just wondering if anybody saw thier BP rise at the onset of MG.

Thanks