Hello all, paramedics just left about half hour ago and I need to ask a question. My blood pressure shot up to 203/134 at my last reading before the paramedics arrived. They took blood pressure and said it was 177/97 they saw I was very anxious and stressed out. Asked if I wanted to be taken to emergency room but said I would drive myself which I did but never got into the hospital as I went into afib and I had to go to a dark place to urinate ,not once but twice this happened and I had a lit5tle accident so I said the heck with it and came home, but couldn't make it in the house without urinating on myself. got cleaned up and took BP and it was 151/103. My question is this, does blood pressure escalate like it did with me before going into afib? I'm sorry for being so graphic but it is what happened. I might go to the emergency room later but not until this urge to urinate every 10 minutes stops. In afib my heart rate was 90. I was so stressed out it was unreal. When the paramedics came into the house they saw on my PC that I was looking at a blood pressure chart on the internet and they told me that those things tend to stress out people more than help. Thank You guys and have a Blessed Day.
afib and blood pressure: Hello all... - Atrial Fibrillati...
afib and blood pressure
Stress alone will mean your BP will rise and going into AF will mean that it becomes erratic. Might be worth looking at what you were doing just before all this kicked off.
The high BP is not good and you should see your doctor about that but don’t rely on the readings you take if you are in AF. Learn how to manage your BP. Do you take any meds at the moment?
Your HR of 90 would be considered normal but rates vary and are comparative. What is your normal resting rate in NSR?
Do everything you can to improve your health by addressing your stress, learning management techniques, watch your diet - restrict salt and no salty snacks, fried foods, cakes, biscuits etc, avoid alcohol and sodas and stop googling but go see your doctor to learn what they can help you to do something about it. Your health is in your own hands.
Have you been assessed for stroke risk and do you take anticoagulants? If not see your primary doctor as matter of urgency.
The urgent need to urinate is quite common in AF and a natural thing your body does when your heart muscle is stressed. Embarrassing, but common.
Hope that helps.
Hello CD, thank you for reply, yes I'm on apixaban, amiodarone, lisinopril, tamsulosin, finasteride, aspirin and a few more, I feel like I'm a walking pharmacy. I must admit, earlier during the day I had about 20 pieces of chocolate Halloween candy but that couldn't cause rapid heart rate could it? resting heart rate normally 50-55
Yes, chocolate (high caffeine content) and sugar are a perfect mix for elevating HR. OK if you exercise it off.
Asprin is not an anticoagulant so I would check with your doctor about that. Your tansulosin will exacerbate the frequent need to urinate but I’m guessing you have prostrate problems?
Unfortunately as we age we have to manage all of these conditions and the more conditions, the more meds with all of their side effects so always good to have a review with your pharmacist. I notice that here in the UK Pharmacists are being brought in more at consultations with specialists because of concerns over prescribing and interactions.
chocolate causes my heart and heart rate to go a bit beserk if I have more than - a Square or two . I think chocolate is a Stimulant and the Better quality and darker the chocolate the more stimulating it is. I'm not sure if I'm part dog as chocolate obviously Stimulates their hearts to the point of killing then if they eat much !! so sad Iy for me it's another pleasure wrecked by AFib _ the way it's going I might as well become a nun !! Then again I think they can eat chocolate and drink alcohol!!
I’m in Brisbane, Australia and my daughter is a paramedic/nurse. Says laying awake at night listening to your heartbeat and worrying can put you on afib. I’ve found that to be true myself. Less stress, more manageable afib???
absolutely.
thank you for saying what you did about the urination all this time I have felt like a big baby because I seem to have no control at times and have taken to wearing the underwear for it. Yes it is embarrassing even when no one else knows. I have also discovered that because of my back issue that could be causing it as well but I never knew that about a fib so thank you. My heart rate was 158 in the office yesterday but my blood pressure is 117/70. The doctor said if my blood pressure goes low to stop taking my meds for blood pressure I am on losartan but our afib meds can also affect blood pressure.
One thing about a fib is there is not much of a constant for us. I have never seen so many different things that people can have when we all have the same ailment. At least here we can comfort each other if nothing else thank you
Any stress for me and my BP goes sky high. It's crazy how our minds can do this. You should have seen mine the time I thought I'd had a stroke! The trick is to do your best to stay calm and take some deep breaths - they never fail to bring my BP down. Give it a go next time.
Jean
Thank You Jean I'll try that, it's amazing how you can feel like what is happening and get sooo stressed and anxious but the paramedics are so calm like it's no major thing. Here's to deep breathing.
You should check your BP twice every day and record lowest of three readings. Then if high BP is a trend show your doctor. I did that on advice of my GP and now taking extra BP meds which seems to help my AF. I wonder why you took your BP in the first place. Is it part of a regular regime? If your BP is normally much lower it might be a sign that AF is ‘coming on’ in your case. My BP goes up with stress and causes ectopics which then lead into AF. Also think whether you had eaten very salty food recently. Hope that helps.
I check my BP maybe a half a dozen times a day and am amazed at how nice and low it is but when it started climbing from 174 to 203 it really freaked me out and YES I haven't been watching what I eat lately although been a vegetarian for 60 years and know sodium content is very in plant based food. I need to cut back anyway the quantity of food I consume. Thank You for bringing me back to reality.
One thing I don’t know if people realize but I learned when I was a medic was that when you’re taking your BP do not take it more than twice on one arm because each time you pump it up it will raise your number. Just switch arms if you can or wait
Good point.
I forgot my BP meds on a trip. My BP soared and brought on my AFIB. Plus I was at a higher elevation.
consultant suggested that nlood pressure could be one of my wife's AF triggers do whilst her BP wasnot excessively high he got GP yo put her on BP meds. It did seem to lesson AF occurances. Ultra sweet things are also a suspected trigger do she tries to avoid them.
What you describe could be down to anxiety. This increases BP dramatically and brings on an urge to urinate (made worse in later life by an enlarged prostate).
If you think this might be an explanation, getting hold of any of the books by Dr Claire Weekes and following her excellent advice will help a great deal.
Your blood pressure should be taken twice daily only if you have a medical need to do that, otherwise it is potentially unhelpful.
Steve
I believe your right as I suffer from PTSD, (100%) disability rating from VA and living alone, no friends, no living relatives to talk to , it all on occasion comes tumbling down and then afib is right behind it. Thank You for your response .
I'm sorry to read that. Life takes its funny turns for us all, swerves, sometimes for many and brings hell our way on occasion, for a few. Fear lies behind a good del of what is felt, at times, at least for some. I envy the lucky ones who sail through life, blithely.
I don't know if you like poetry at all, but this is a lovely poem written by a lady who knew all about loneliness:
The Loneliness One dare not sound—
And would as soon surmise
As in its Grave go plumbing
To ascertain the size—
The Loneliness whose worst alarm
Is lest itself should see—
And perish from before itself
For just a scrutiny—
The Horror not to be surveyed—
But skirted in the Dark—
With Consciousness suspended—
And Being under Lock—
I fear me this—is Loneliness—
The Maker of the soul
Its Caverns and its Corridors
Illuminate—or seal—
Emily Dickinson
Steve
My experiences with afib is that my heart rate increases and blood pressure is lower than normal. Do talk to your doctor about your experience.
That is my experience too. My blood pressure goes very low when my heart rate goes very high.
This does sound stressful and scary. I think it's worse if these things happen and we're on our own, which it sounds like you might be. Just adds to the stress. All that adrenaline plus the increased need to pee being in AF anyway will have made this more acute for you. Doesn't mean it has to happen again. High BP and copious peeing are normal in an episode of AF. BP can also drop like a stone afterwards. So watch out for that and have something the original V8 juice to drink if your electrolytes need replacing. Check it's not additional flavouring or salt etc.Sounds like the 3 Ss got you that day - sugar, salt and stress! Look into the lifestyle factors as CDreamer suggests - you perhaps need a different way of taking care of yourself.
That bag of Halloween candy has been put up until trick or treat time. When I bought it I knew this would happen but not raise my BP like it did. You're absolutely right about after afib heart drops dramatically that's why I stopped taking diltiazem when in afib, after I converted heart rate would go to 67/38 ? at rest. I told the Dr. I was stopping the PIP and he agreed. Thank You for your reply.
I feel for you as I am also 76 and have had quite a few incidents of very high blood pressure for no obvious reason, though mercifully not as high as yours. (My worst has been 190 over 110 and that didn't last for more than a few minutes). Anxiety is undoubtedly a factor, and my GP tells me to throw away by BP monitor as he claims it causes my surges in BP though I don't agree. It may well increase anxiety levels however.
You don't say what medication you are taking for your BP... but it sounds like you really should be taking something. Because of my permanent AF I take 80mg of Sotalol each day (in two doses) and generally this gives me good control of both AF and BP. I have also found that eating a lot of beets has also reduced my BP and making sure I am hydrated.
What is most important is not the peaks in BP (and are you sure that your monitor is accurate? they tend to have a lot of 'rogue' readings) but the overall BP when you are at rest and taken at set times in the day, such as after breakfast, before lunch, and early evening.
But obviously you should be discussing this with your cardiologist and your GP.
Hi oscarfox, I take lisininopril 20mg once daily I even thought about halving that as my blood pressure verges on hypotension. I finally realize the problem was eating so much Halloween chocolates and it all hit at once the high blood pressure and then afib. Thank GOD everything is back as has been in past. Thank You for your reply. The paramedic said to be concerned if high blood pressure remains over a span of time (couple of days or more) than if just isolated event's such as I had but if it remained high to seek medical attention asap.
In my case my BP tends to drop when an AFib episode comes on as heart rate increases and goes awol
I no longer live in the UK, but all of my family does, so naturally at one stage I was discussing with my sister the fashion there for telephone consultations, and of course I asked how the doctor takes your BP over the phone , she replied that you take it yourself. This rather surprised me as she uses digital monitors and never has them calibrated against the recognised 'gold standard', the mercury sphygmomanometer that is used in surgeries. My GP always uses one during my six monthly visits and checks my home devices against it. So I have to ask, is it just my sister's surgery that is rather lax about this, or do other surgeries insist that you go regularly, and have your BP taken with the 'Gold standard' device and have your home machine calibrated against it ?
If we had to take BP for phone consultation our dr would ask us to go to the pharmacy where the pharmacist will take your blood pressure and report to the Doc - or you can ring the surgery with the reading. Our surgery is going back to face to face from the end of this month - very pleased about that. though all of us with heart and lung problems and other chronic diseases that may cause problems have been able to ask for a face to face appointment - I have had 3 over the pandemic and also seen the cardiac nurses twice which would have been about normal.
I’ve always had my BP taken every time I go for a blood draw which is every 12 weeks. It’s always been taken by the nurse - right through COVID. If you have high BP you are asked to keep a BP journal taking it x3 every day - the average of 3 readings, taken after sitting calmly for 10 minutes. It’s the average and trends which are important.
We have had our digital machine calibrated with the surgery (Omicron) it was spot on.
Being a vegetarian is only healthy if you cook your meals from scratch using fresh and preferably organic ingredients. If you are relying on ready meals then your diet will be not be giving you the nutrition your body requires and probably too much salt. If you are going to eat chocolate at all then it should be the best quality you can find - dark chocolate with a high % of cocoa solids 75-80 +. Then because of high caffeine content a minimal amount of 2/3 squares in a day. I would suspect that the high heart rate was more likely caused by the sugar content of so much Halloween candy rather than the caffeine as it probably did not have a very high % of cocoa solids. You might be able to check this on the packet.
Perhaps you could consult your GP or a pharmacist with the aim of reducing the number of drugs you are taking and seeing what interactions they maight have. Polypharmacy in the elderly often leads to worse rather than better health outcomes. The excess urinating in afib is normal. The first attack I had I was taken to hospital in an ambulance and had to pee in the ambulance -embarrassing and difficult in the cramped space! I could not understand this as I had gone just before setting off. 10 mins later when we got to the hospital I was desperate again. It would have helped if somebody had told me this was normal in afib!
Thank You for your input. As mentioned the paramedics were not overly concerned about me driving myself to the hospital emergency room rather than an ambulance and I believe you are correct that the chocolate was the culprit which led to anxiety and stress. I did not remember that chocolate is made with caffeine and did not seem to care about high sugar content. Afib converted on it's own though to nsr after 24 hours and blood pressure back to normal 100/62 at rest 111/72 moving around. Needless to say no more chocolate and will be careful of my sodium intake. Thank you.
For what it’s worth, I think its easy to over obsess about BP levels which in turn can lead to high readings. Mine seems to be high in medical environments. The more we stress when in AFib raises BP and vice versa - we can’t win unless we address the stress levels. It’s a difficult one.
the peeing thing relates to some heart chemical released when your heart is under stress such as with AF. I normally get it to one extent or another, with it being worse the higher my heart rate is (often a resting pulse of 200bpm sometimes a bit less) or how irregular and clattery my rythm is. It can also give me a touch of diarohea if its really bad, but I think thats probably stress/shock when the AF hits me. You have my comiserations!
Thank you Goldfish7 for reply, but being a veteran in Viet Nam war? and decorated as well and an ex-boxer this peeing that is noticeable to others is Very Humbling and not much I can do about it. Also I read that the omron 7 bp machine was one of the more accurate and reliable monitors.
Sorry Im doing this in seperate parts Im obviously a bit dim today!! I wouldnt worry about your Blood Pressure when you are in AF most machines either cant give a reading or aare randomly very high or very low. Last time I was in hospital there was apparently only one 'special' blood pressure machine on the ward that could cope with very irregular AF readings. All of the other machines gave very unpredictable results or error readings. I think if you can get someone to do it the old fashioned manual way it works.
Yes, Omron seems to be a popular brand - I have one among my collection, but my faith is in the mercury ones my doctorand specialist uses, as I have the added disadvantage of having to use a wrist monitor as I have thin arms, and I find it awkward to get the upper arm cuff properly positioned, I know there is a trend against all things mercury including thermometers, amalgam fillings and fish !
It is normal to have lower BP when in Afib as the atrials do not pump blood into the ventricles. This lowers the ejection rate of the ventricles.
BP machines cannot be calibrated by you or the doctor.
Nowadays a dedicated instrument is connected to it to adjust software values.
There are no "zero and span" adjusting screws anymore.
It must be recalibrated by the manufacturer.
I have paroxysmal afib. When it has happened in the past yes, my BP went up. This can be due to your heart rate going up in general when you have an afib episode. And of course the stress of it. High BP can cause you to need to urinate. I would go to the dr. and share with him
Already done that Elsie but unfortunately in the United States the VA Hospitals are going to Socialized medical care and rather than have actual Drs. they are now all nurse practicioners who have to ask a Dr. for advice, go figure. Thank You for your input.
honey,I don't care if you pee all the way down the hallway, you need to go to the hospital..it's nothing they haven't seen and it may be a sign they will recognize..but you don't fool around with blood pressure being that high AND your body giving off other signals that it's starting to possibly shut down on you..blood pressure causes kidney failure, heart failure...lots of body functions go haywire..please go to the hospital..being embarrassed is one thing, being dead is another...you're playing games with your health.
That's interesting John, I've never thought about that.
Blood pressure 
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Diagnosed with AFIB 3 months ago & stressed out
