Hi all, I have taken my 7th injection of Tocilizumab and my blood pressure has gone up to 127/87. Have read that this treatment can raise BP. Has this happened to anyone else in this treatment and if so, do you have to stop the treatment?
Would appreciate any advice regarding g this. Many thanks!
It depends on your doc I suppose. I've had infusions where to control bp I've had tablets to lower it .
But other treatments I've had the bp raise is cause it affected by kidneys. So you could ask is it a side effect or us it causing physical problems. That often shows in you pre infusion u and e blood test.
Sometimes too its white coat syndrome, by the time I get to the hospital and park and get through entrance and mask and hand gel my bp is up.!
So I bought a machine to test it at home and at home it was normal levels. So I took those times and readings with me to the hospital. Now I try not to rush in, relax and dont talk when they take my bp! And it's been ok .
So maybe try testing at home first then chat and see if they think its concerning it going up each month .
Good luck!:
Thank you for this information and I have a machine at home and I will monitor my BP and keep an eye on it.
Hi there, remember that we are not Drs, if you are concerned by your BP you should ask for medical advice.
You do not say what your normal range of BP is ? How much has it increased ? A range of other factors would also affect treatment such as age / weight / family history and so on. ..and whether 127/87 is a one off reading only.
Generally speaking 127/87 is not so high and below the range where treatment is usually offered, the high side of 'normal', but not alarming.
I take antihypertensive medication as my BP is raised, probably due to the steroids I take, so 127/87 is pretty normal for me.
Your BP is worth keeping an eye on, particularly if it is creeping up with the medication, but any concerns ask your team.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. My BP has been on the slight lower side, usually about 107/74, so just seeing this increase after my 7th injection I was wondering it was the treatment as I know it can be a side effect
As Mmmr said but my GP made me keep a log for 7 days 3 times a day to get an average of my BP. Might be worth doing too
Thank you, I will monitor mine for a week and see how it goes
I agree with others that it’s a bit early to worry about stopping your treatment. Check it out, and see what happens first.
Mine went up to over 140/100 a year or so back and I was put on drugs to lower it. But I also made some (more) lifestyle changes and 6 months later was able to come off them. So there are things you can do yourself that might help.
Thanks for reply and I will definitely try cutting down on the salt etc. I will keep an eye on it and see how it goes
I am on Timoxibub and I have had trouble with blood pressure. But they put me on amlidipune tablets so I still inject once a week
Thanks for reply, I will keep an eye on blood pressure as I have read it can increase it. Do you mind me asking his high your BP was? Thank you
Take your Drs advice but please don't give up on this drug on just one reading unless the medics say so. This drug has been life changing for me but took 4 months to work
Thank you for your reply and yes, it has already helped me after being on it for 2 months so I would hate to have to stop it! I will keep an eye on my BP and hope it doesn’t go up further!
I have found over the last 3 years that tocilizumab actually dropped my blood pressure as well as my heart rate. When my inflammation was stupid high, I had a resting heart rate of 120. Since being on tocilizumab my resting HR is now 58. Back to what it was before I got sick.
That’s so encouraging to hear and I hope you continue to benefit from the injections. Thanks for reply!
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