Freaked Out About Blood Pressure

[tigerlily]

Hi all. It's been 10 months since my aortic valve replacement. Since last summer I've had bouts of breathing problems. In December, I went to my primary to see how a pulmonary function test had turned out. When I went in to see my doctor, my blood pressure was unusually high. 140 over 100. I wrote that off since I was nervous about the test results and I was also sick at the time. My blood pressure has always been low. 100 over 70 is typical. Today I was in a drugstore and decided to check my blood pressure again expecting it would be back to normal. It wasn't. It was 137 over 90. I checked it again tonight and it was 141 over a 100. What is going on? My blood pressure was fine last Summer when I was in Cardiac Rehab. I think it was fine in Oct. when I had my last Echo.

Until today, my concern was my breathing. In Dec., my doctor told me my pulmonary test indicated that I was mildly asmatic (I think she said that I had reactionary lungs) and prescribed albuterol. But I'm not sure that the inhaler helps when I have that constricted feeling. I'm wondering if these two problems could be related. I never had any breathing problems before surgery.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Has anyone else developed High Blood Pressure after their valve replacement? I was on a very low dose of beta blocker until Oct. and was given the OK to go off of it since I had never had HBP before and was having no other problems heart wise. I'm pretty freaked out tonight. I will be seeing my Cardio this tommorrow. Anything I should be sure to ask him about?

Sorry this is so long. I could use some reassurance. Thanks for your responses.

Shirley

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Did your PCP say anything about your BP?

Did you remind him/her about your history of low BP?

You may want to print out your post, or at least note the highs and lows, to show to your Cardiologist.

I'm glad you are getting it checked out.

Ask for more tests (an echocardiogram perhaps) if your Cardio doesn't give you a definitive answer.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[StretchL]

Hi, Shirley. Sorry you're having these issues. Hopefully the cardio will e able to give you some reassurance. Please post after your visit, yes?

 

[tobagotwo]

You need to mention it to you cariologist or your GP, if it seems to be staying at that level. An infection can raise BP like that sometimes. Kidney issues can as well, if you have any history of that. Your BP isn't damagingly bad, if it doesn't hang around too long. (Don't I just sound like a ray of sunshine?)

Have you been checked for pulmonary hypertension? If you have primary pulmonary hypertension, finding out early can help you get it under control quickly.

If possible, 1 would hope to get some thoughts as to why my blood pressure went up, rather than just getting a pill.

Best wishes,

 

[Susan BAV]

I was hypertensive preop and medicated for it. Postop, the high blood pressure disappeared. No more bp meds! I was so happy about that! Many months later, it came back. I'm medicated for it again. I think that two of my doctors said that it's common postop to have the hypertension disappear for awhile but they said it would come back. They were right in my case.

 

[Ross]

You might bring it up to your PCP and see if he'll run a BMP blood test to rule out something going on with your kidneys.

 

[Karlynn]

I also am wondering if you have some sort of bug or infection that you are battling, but not exhibiting apparent symptoms with. Keep us posted with what you find out.

 

[PJmomrunner]

I'm wondering if these two problems could be related.

Anytime a cardiac patient, particularly one with left-sided pumping issues, is diagnosed with asthma I hear a bell go off. You should run this diagnosis by your cardiologist and make sure any heart issues are ruled out whether or not the high BP is related.

 

[Mary]

I had a pulmonary function test run before my AVR to determine whether my SOB was related in anyway to a lung issue rather than my deteriorating valve. I also came back as "marginally" reactive, but I'm not using an inhaler.
I would question whether the albuterol is the cause of your increased BP. Drugs such as albuterol commonly increase your blood pressure, and that's something that needs to be kept track of when you're using the inhaler. In addition, if you are no longer using the beta blocker, it's possible that your BP has risen as a result.
Please let us know what your cardiologist attributes it to.

 

[tigerlily]

Had Cardio Appointment today

Had Cardio Appointment today

Thanks everyone for your input. It helped me a lot with my questions today. Unfortunitely, there was a mixup and I didn't get to speak with my Cardiologist, only the Physician Assistant who works in my Cardio's office. I didn't complain since they had worked me in. She did seem very competent although I would rather have seen my Cardio.

They did an EKG while I was there and it was perfect. My heart and lungs also sounded fine. They sent me to the lab to have blood work done and I will find out if I have a kidney problem or an infection going on that could account for the high BP. They also referred me to a Pulmonary Specialist whom I'll be seeing soon.

As far as why my BP has gone up I don't have any answers yet. I was asked if my breathing problems are related to exertion. They don't seem to be. I can feel like my breathing is somehow obstructed when just watching TV and exercising doesn't seem to make it worse. I don't seem to be retaining water either. So for now, these things are a mystery. The PA did say that coming off the Beta Blocker could have caused my BP to rise but upon reflection, I don't understand why because my BP wasn't high before my valve replacement. I wish I had asked the PA exactly why she didn't think I needed another echo. Maybe because I just had one in Oct. which was good and because of my answers to her questions.

Who knows, maybe I'm just getting old and everything is just breaking down.

If anyone has any further thoughts please let me know. I want you all to know how much this site means to me. I think it saved my life in ways I've never really shared yet. A story for the future perhaps.

Shirley

 

[hensylee]

"two of my doctors said that it's common postop to have the hypertension disappear for awhile but they said it would come back. They were right in my case."
__________________
I had a different major surgery about 3 yrs ago and my surgeon took me off bp med - my bp was fine. I checked it often when I got home - when I went to my primary, he put me back. It's controlled but about the same as pre-surgery. Normal, with meds.

I developed pneumonia in the hospital and was on albuterol in the hospital with this different surgery and it made me jumpy - as did the med they gave me at home. So I quit it.