I'm a 46yr old female that's been having fluctuating high blood pressure for the past few months. In the last few weeks I've been having pounding headaches, nausea, feeling my heartbeat so decided to check my blood pressure. Turns out it was 132/123, 125/119, 107/103, 125/119 etc. Generally I can 'feel' the high blood pressure, which the Dr's say I shouldn't be able to but I can. Also been feeling really wired. I have had a couple of 'episodes' where my head feels as though it will explode, then I feel anxiety/ panicky, then teary. Google (don't we love it) suggests pheochromocytoma but I know it's so rare it's unlikely. I've had a host of vague symptoms over the past few years but this blood pressure increase is new. I'm struggling with the headaches tbh.
So why the post? Anyone have an advice re what to ensure Dr's are checking in any blood tests (at the moment they seem to be focusing on Thyroid to the exclusion of everything else). Anyone experienced anything similar? Any advice to lower BP - I am a healthy weight, eat a predominantly plant based whole food diet (some cheese), I do pilates 4 times a week, don't smoke or drink.
Thanks
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Donought
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It’s a complicated one, little to offer in terms of diet & exercise as they are pretty good. The diastolic is a problem which means that your resting heart is struggling a bit but I can reassure you that I also ‘feel’ when my B/P is high. I feel dizzy and a general anxiousness, so you are not alone. I find in hot weather that my tolerance for the heat is very low now so I drink lots of water and try to stay out of sun as much as possible. I love to see the sun but it no longer likes me.
This is not an informative post but hopefully a reassuring one. I hope u find a solution soon.
Thanks for the reassurance that I'm not alone. And how strange that you also feel you're BP. Interesting you mention about the sun, I'm a complete sun worshipper bit have recently found myself enjoying the shade a little more. Perhaps this is why? Aren't our bodies strange!?
Hello Donought . I’ve been mulling over your post since I read it a couple of hours ago and have a few thoughts.
Thyroid - some thyroid issues are hard to diagnose, with some blood tests show as ‘normal’ when in fact there is a problem: which means that it’s good your docs are looking into this.
Plant based diet - are you getting enough protein?
Salt in your diet can raise your bp too. There’s salt in bread (though not that much).
I know it’s a bit early but: menopause?
When anyone says ‘headache’ my first thought is “drink more water”.
Ummm yes docs say that hypertension is invisible but I believe, as do you, that you may be able to feel it. Saying that, your Systolic readings are OK and if you start worrying about them, they will go up!!
Hi Donought. I can feel when my BP is up too. I feel that your systolic readings are good to be honest but can't help with the diastolic ones. The one thing I thought of asking is do you have neck problems. I do and I feel a lot of my high readings are due to my neck, as if I hold my head up properly before I take my readings, they are mostly fine but if I forget, they are more than likely to be high. Good luck with the thyroid investigation results. x
I do indeed have neck problems!! How strange.... I'll try sitting up properly tomorrow and see if it makes a difference. Interestingly, my blood pressure seems to be worse sitting at my kitchen table during Lockdown. And the headaches start at around the same time each day about an hour and a half after I've started work.
Is there any reason you know of regarding neck issues and high BP?
That's Spring. You know what? Sorted out my office and finally have a proper desk etc. Headaches have significantly improved and blood pressure still high but so pleased to have fewer headaches.
I have a condition only diagnosed last year called Hyperadrenergic Postural orthosatic Tachycardia Syndrome. Mine is severe due to many years of not knowing. There are many conditions that often get associated with blood pressure that have origins in some form of autonomic dysfunction, a dysautonomia. Generally your GP can see if you fit into this group with a basic active standing test, you can do this yourself at home.
BP should stay pretty stable when you stand still, as should HR, small increases or decreases initially followed by a normalising with a minute or so. If you have a dysautonomia your HR will rise over 30 beats and stay higher than your resting rate at 10 minutes and if your BP also rises, it can be the condition I have. If no significant HR rise but your BP rises, it could be orthostatic hypertension. I suggest you do a test on yourself having looked up active standing test. Certainly your other symptoms fit in. If so you have something to take to your GP who can refer you for tests and they will then rule out any structural or vascular problems and hopefully do autonomic testing.
Its all a bit hit and miss. In the PoTS and Dysautonomia groups many more people who have had Covid-19 are unfortunately being diagnosed, along with underlying autoinflammatory conditions, exact type yet to be determined. But many things can trigger autonomic dysfunction.
Thanks for the reply. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis but pleased that you now have one. I suspect it must have been incredibly frustrating not knowing what was wrong but knowing something was. At least that's how I feel. My symptoms also seem to come and go, which is frustrating and I think the Drs think I'm making it all up.
I'll look into the standing test etc and give it a go. More info for the GP and as you say may help guide things. There's most definitely an adrenal component to all this. I did wonder about pheochromocytoma as it fits with a couple of high blood pressure/ headache/ anxiety episodes I've had. Just frustrating that my symptoms are so vague.
How strange that covid seems to be causing POTS.
I'll give the standing test a go and let you know.
Can't thank you enough for the info about POTS. My goodness it was like reading about myself, including the associated syndromes which it seems I have. I have always had low blood pressure (regularly passed out as a teenager after standing up), have the joint hypermobility syndrome (I was a reasonably high level gymnast when younger probably because I was so bendy), been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, ECG came back with Sinus Tachy. Interesting to see the potential similarities with pheochromocytoma on the POTS website as I defo had a couple of pheo 'episodes'.
I did a couple of active standing tests - first one BP down to 131/41 so I did it again and it was 68/41, second one BP rose to 131/95. My pulse is faster sitting down, 110bmp! I think I'm some sort of medical anomaly! Got an appointment with the GP tomorrow so we'll see how that pans out.
Cheers.
I have two thoughts on this: 1) Could these symptoms be related to your body attempting to regulate its temperature during the recent heatwave? and 2) are these symptoms possibly related to menopause? Both questions might be discussed with your GP should you choose to do so. Good luck!
Maybe but not sure. This is the only time I've ever done the standing test. One of my symptoms is low basal temp (96.5-97.5) frequently I can head down to 94.1! I love the heat and never normal struggle but menopause may definitely be an issue. Only 46 but have had one and off night sweats, and now hot flushes, since 2018. Strangely though I've just discovered they come on when I bend forward ( think spitting out toothpaste etc) and I can stop them by lying on my back!! Very strange.
Had a GP appointment Friday but they didn't call so will be chasing them up tomorrow. Took my BP just once today....144/118 pulse 101. I was sitting down!
Sorry late reply yes the hostpital does it u could do a poor man standing test were take your bp sat then u take it stood up see how diffo readings pulse bp is hope that helps
U could mabye ask for it in doctors so goes on file .I try taking pictures so could go on file doctor was quiet snooty about it but other was helpful so if one doctor ignores u keep fighting on see other
Great idea re pictures etc. I created an Excel spreadsheet of symptoms (been keeping it since 2014) and Dr I spoke to today seemed to find it useful. It's so frustrating when you see a different GP each time. She sounded more open to finding a cause rather than just treating a symptom so I'm slightly optimistic. Appreciate the advice and I'll keep fighting.
It's rubbish isn't it. Hope you can keep fighting and trying to get to the bottom of it. I'm going to try a functional medicine GP as a last resort. Maybe worth a go? Good luck with it all and hope you find the answers.
Hi - Just thought I'd post an update. Had an appointment with the cardiologist today and was diagnosed as PoTS plus hypertension. Trying to work my head around that one. They're testing to see if a Pheo is causing the high blood pressure. Seems I'm accumulating diagnoses after years of trying to get one I now have about 5
Very similar to mine but my blood pressure gets higher. Just got off of beta blocker. Horrible drug.Anxiety and hereditary are my main factors. Also lost weight and eating better. But no always goes up when anxious.Usually happens at night. Also some beds seem to trigger anxiety as well.
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but so pleased to have fewer headaches. 
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