[fbodgrl]

I'm wondering if anyone else has blood pressure issues.

My blood pressure has been all over the place for the last several months. Last week my primary care (family doctor) decided to put me on a water pill trying to get it stabilized.

I ended up in the ER (directed to go by my doctor) with my heart racing like it was going to jump out of my chest. My pulse at rest was 128 and my BP was 158/111. The hospital diagnosed low potassium 2.0. Some how in less than 5 days it dropped from over 5.0 to 2.0

She took me off the water pill and now I am on metroplol. Only 2 doses so far. I'm monitoring my BP and pulse at home. I'm having an ultrasound on my heart next week.

I'm wondering if this is common with RSD and what others experience has been getting it under control.

[Nanc]

Hey there! Sorry about what you are going through, like RSD is not enough! I do have high blood pressure and am on Coreg for it, it works pretty well. I think mine is a result of genetics, but it is definitely exacerbated by the RSD. The pain alone will cause blood pressure to rise quite a bit

Good luck!
Nanc

[tos8]

I think its more that its exaberated because of the pain. I have had high BP since I was an infant, and well now im 23, so since the age of 12 i was then considerd a chronic high BP paitent. And as for my HR being to high, again its because of the pain. Now what does interst me is the low potassium. Ive been hospitalized after 2 seizures (im epileptic) and I had low potassium and low mag, and they could never figure out why. They also found out i had hypothiroidism and again there was no sympthomes and they couldnt figure out i have it. So its all very intersting. This again is why I want to try IVIG because i do think that RSD is an immune disorder, or at the very least it attacks the immune system.

[catra121]

One of the things that your sympathetic nervous system controls is your blood pressure...and with RSD your sympathetic nervous system is all out of whack. I know that I had issues with blurry vision and dizziness and this was caused by sudden spikes and drops in my BP. Since I went to wearing clonidine patches these issues have resolved themselves and I only have issues when I get bad pain flares.

I also have had many issues with my heart rate being ridiculously high...and they have concluded that this is because of the pain. I'm in so much pain so often that it results in a fast heart rate. When the pain gets REALLY bad I tend to also get chest pains. They have completely checked me out and there's nothing else causing it...so it's just the high levels of pain.

[Djhasty]

Hi fbodgrl. I also have hi blood pressure. BUT, I had it long before my RSD was diagnosed. I expect mine is from weight and poor condition. What does happen now is sporadic highs and lows even though I am on lisinopril. No rhyme or reason. I hadn't made the connection to RSD. It is something to consider. Have you done any research on the topic yet?

[mrsD]

Originally Posted by Djhasty

Hi fbodgrl. I also have hi blood pressure. BUT, I had it long before my RSD was diagnosed. I expect mine is from weight and poor condition. What does happen now is sporadic highs and lows even though I am on lisinopril. No rhyme or reason. I hadn't made the connection to RSD. It is something to consider. Have you done any research on the topic yet?

Lisnopril? Do you know that this family of drugs can cause drug induced lupus? (ANA testing does not reveal this). I just got over a TERRIBLE reaction to this drug. My BP was sky high because of it! (caused a huge stress reaction which made my BP higher than ever). I was on 3 drugs to control BP and now I am on only one small dose of beta blocker! The ACE inhibitors cause an increase in a biogenic amine called bradykinin. This causes swelling, and pain, and redness of the affected areas. I had been on that drug for 10 yrs before this critical attack!

I strongly suggest anyone who is having major swings in BP and also taking an ACE inhibitor like lisinopril (or vasotec, altace, etc) to ask your doctor for a switch to another type of drug.
You might be shocked to see the changes!
Lisinopril is also not metabolized by the liver and is excreted in the urine whole. It inflamed my bladder and caused the most horrible pain imaginable. Once it was discontinued, this pain went away. It could be misdiagnosed as a bladder infection.

If a bradykinin reaction is severe enough it will affect your breathing and can lead to angioedema of the larynx and an emergency. Antihistamines and steroids do not change this and it is not a true "allergic" reaction.

http://www.uptodate.com/contents/ace...ced-angioedema

http://www.americannursetoday.com/article.aspx?id=7692

Some of the symptoms of RSD are similar to angioedema. So if you are on an ACE inhibitor, I strongly suggest you discuss a drug change with your doctor, to see if some of your symptoms resolve. Don't let this sneak up on you...like it did for me!

And if you have HAE and don't know it...you are in serious trouble. I am going to have this evaluation done, as soon as I am fully recovered from this lisinopril reaction! My doctor suspects I have HAE based on my medical history.

http://www.haea.org/

Lisinopril therefore can have a double whammy... drug induced lupus + angioedema attacks!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18797894

[Djhasty]

MrsD, thank you for the info. No I didn't know. I've been on lisnopril for 8 years. It is about time I had it reevaluated anyway due to the hi and low swings. Haven't read all your links yet, but I'll finish 'em up tonight or tomorrow. It is all very interesting and concerning.

I do have RSD in my bladder too. I often get infections. The connection you mention between bladder infections and lisinopril concerns me for this reason.

As far as breathing, I was just diagnosed with restrictive lung disease. I'm on Advair until I can get in to see the Pulmonary Specialist.

I have a sister with MCTD (currently in remission). From what I read, it is a precursor to Lupus. I'm not sure there is any familial connection, but when you mention it in your post, it sent up another flag for me.

And, the swelling and HAE ...

Sorry about all your difficulties. Glad to hear that your BP is back under control with the one new medication without further complications. Hope you will be recovered soon from those complications. Also hoping for better days ahead for you. Thank you again.

[mrsD]

Please don't delay... your symptoms could be from excess bradykinin build up. There is a PD poster here that is a pharmacist and when he read about my problem, told me on a thread that he knew of 3 people in his practice who died from ACE inhibitor reactions. And my son's friend's dad ended up in the hospital when I had my reaction 2 months ago!
I had been on Lisinopril for 10 yrs, and 2 other ACE drugs before that!

My bladder thing was truly agony. Your clustering of symptoms may really be from the lisinopril. My doctor had me keep a blood pressure log (taken 3 times a day) for 2 months after this and it has been perfect since I stopped the lisinopril. That reaction was making my BP swing and go higher! I'd take my tablet at night and wake up 2-3 hours later with the most terrible pain in my bladder, and as the day went on, it would become less, then I'd take the next agony pill, and the cycle would begin again! I also had the abdominal pain too. The discolored skin I had on my arms, is finally fading now. I have about 10% of it still. It was due to the drug as well.
This whole reaction was very sneaky, and I attributed it to allergies and my arthritis. Boy, was I ever mistaken! And I am the first patient my doctor has seen with this...in her 40yr career!

I found a natural treatment for blocking bradykinin receptors. It is Bromelain from pineapples! This enzyme comes from the stems of the fruit not the sweet parts. When made into an enteric coated pill, it survives the stomach acid, and will be about 40% absorbed and get into the body, and act as an anti-inflammatory and blocker of the receptors for the excess bradykinin. I have found it very helpful. 2 tablets a day of 500mg. I could only find one source of it...LEF brand.
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Extension...ords=bromelain
The capsules or uncoated tablets will not work as well.

Originally Posted by Djhasty

MrsD, thank you for the info. No I didn't know. I've been on lisnopril for 8 years. It is about time I had it reevaluated anyway due to the hi and low swings. Haven't read all your links yet, but I'll finish 'em up tonight or tomorrow. It is all very interesting and concerning.

I do have RSD in my bladder too. I often get infections. The connection you mention between bladder infections and lisinopril concerns me for this reason.

As far as breathing, I was just diagnosed with restrictive lung disease. I'm on Advair until I can get in to see the Pulmonary Specialist.

I have a sister with MCTD (currently in remission). From what I read, it is a precursor to Lupus. I'm not sure there is any familial connection, but when you mention it in your post, it sent up another flag for me.

And, the swelling and HAE ...

Sorry about all your difficulties. Glad to hear that your BP is back under control with the one new medication without further complications. Hope you will be recovered soon from those complications. Also hoping for better days ahead for you. Thank you again.

[fbodgrl]

I had a cardiac ultrasound and received the results last week, Apparently is not properly releasing. It contracts and then does not fully release. My doctor said to not be overly concerned, but it can cause hardening around the heart leading to congestive heart failure. She said that would be years.

I am still on the same medication and my BP and pulse are still elevated, not as bad, but still in high range. We are giving it 2 more weeks. Then she may change or adjust.

I'm going to talk to my PMD next month regarding anxiety and stress possibly being the cause and if we can add an anxiety medicine to my daily medications.

I'm on a low fat, low sodium diet now. I'm a junk food junky and missing my sweets! I've ate more vegetables and fruit in the last few weeks than I've eaten in the last year... lol