Blood Pressure roller coaster

[jim king]

My blood pressure has been fine for months and the last few weeks started acting up again but worse than before.  Just got a machine yesterday to moniter my self and started keeping track.  I guess this is why both ears have a jet engine warming up in them.  Yesterday I started taking medicine again , maybe it will help.

May 11
Yesterday  late afternoon 172/112
6 Diltiazem  from 5:30 in the afternoon thru the night
8:00 AM 2 Diltiazem
Today  ---    1.00 PM    149 /  81              pulse  83
                  2:00 PM    156 / 84               pulse 80
                  2:14 PM    2 Diltiazem  60 mg each
                  3:20 PM     159 / 78               pulse 82
                  4:16 PM     150 / 78               pulse 82
                  5:10 PM     150 / 81               pulse 82
                  6:30 PM      170 / 94              pulse 80
                  6:40 PM       2 Diltiazem  60 mg each
                  7:30 PM       174 / 92             pulse  84  
                  8:00 PM       150 / 76              pulse  81
                  9:00 PM        130 / 75             pulse  80

                  10:50 PM      142 / 75             pulse  73
                  10:50 PM         1 Diltiazem  60 mg each
  May 13 -- 12:40 AM       136 /76               pulse  68
                    5:00  AM      130 / 67              pulse  72
                    7:30  AM      126 /  73             pulse  69
                    8:30  AM      131 / 78              pulse  73
                                        2 Diltiazem  60 mg each
                      8:30 AM        145 / 79            pulse  81
                      10:30 AM       173 / 88           pulse  80
                      11:30 AM       160 / 77           pulse  77
                      12:30  PM       180 / 94           pulse 85
                       1:30  PM         174 / 90          pulse 85
                       2 Diltiazem  60 mg each
                       1:40  PM       1 Diazapam
                       2:30  PM      150 / 80             pulse 77           



                 

[doctorb]

Jim
Were you on HBP meds before and just stopped?  How long have you been off the meds?

The machines are not necessarily accurate.  Do you get similar readings when you take your BP back to back?  Most people don't have such swings in their BP.  Your diastolic (lower / second number) is fine for most of the readings.  Your systolic is a little high on most.  Were you sitting for 5 -10 minutes before each reading or doing something active?  Lots of variables here.  If you haven't seen your doc lately it may be a good time to get an appointment.  You made need med adjustment.

[jim king]

Doctorb;

Yes I have had five strokes that I don´t remember and a heart attack that I didn´t know I had and when my wife was hurt I didnt know what medicine was what so I stopped it all the next morning.  After stopping the medicines I was fine for a few months.  This I think just started about a month ago.

The strokes were bad and put me out like a light but the heart attack I never new I had until they hooked me to the machine.  To bad the heart only says you have had one but does´t stamp a date on it.

I think I will just bump up the medicine a notch.

[Gary_C]

Jim, is there some reason why you will not go back and see your doctor? You know self medicating is not a good thing, even doctors are not supposed to do it.

[jim king]

My normal doctor is out of town until Sunday and I will go Monday if it doesn´t get better.  I think it is just a matter of monitering myself and getting the amount of medicine right.

[DanG]

I know this one-case study isn't much to go on, but my BP swung wildly like that in the weeks before I had my heart attack.  Something is causing it to swing, and I don't advise covering it up with medications.  Get thee to a Doc!

[beenthere]

Jim
Who is there to care for your wife if something debilitating happens to you? Will you need to return the the US then?
Just interested in your well being as well as hers.

Hope she is making some steady progress with her tragedy (and yours).

[jim king]

beenthere:
I seem to have it getting better.  It looks like it is just time to experiment with the dosage .  I put an update on the BP´s above and it is coming down but I am going to keep track for a few days every hour when I am awake.

If something happened to me her family would come and get her.  There are people here to take care of her until the family arrives.  If something happened to her I would stay here as it would be difficult to go back to all that civilization up there. 

A few years ago when I had the last stroke it was a beauty and the doctors told me I only had months to live if that.  They were wrong.  I said if I am going to die at least I am going to smoke again after stopping for several years and a bottle of rum now and then was in order.  So far so good.

My wife is slowly progressing but nobody knows if she can get back to normal.  I don´t think so.  I cannot leave her alone as she trys to cook and trys to go on the street etc..  Not easy but I have help.

[jim king]

I seem to have my blood pressure under control.  I have taken a series of medicines and finaly seem to have found a combination that keeps me stable.   I am now hanging around 145 / 65.

I finally ended up with 45 mg of Enalpril and 10 mg of Amlodipino three times a day.