Blood Pressure Going Very High With Almost No Effort

[manasi12]

Thanks for that information NelliePledge, interesting.

Hi ryan31337, it was done at the Autonomic Unit at UCLH so they're the experts I think. I've had a previous ECG trace and it said 'normal variant of ECG which was sinus arrhythmia. I had a more recent heart check which showed only some mild and trace regurgitations which are apparently very common in the general population. I have rummaged around and now found my Autonomic Unit results (from Jan/2016), during 60 degree head up tilt:

1 min 113/64 93bpm
4 min 110/71 94bpm
7 min 115/69 91bpm
10 min 104/68 96 bpm

which do look OK.

Isometric exercise 120/73 & 74bpm before and 127/75 & 74bpm during
mental arithmetic 124/73 & 73bpm before and 128/74 & 78bpm during
cutaneous cold 121/67 & 74bpm before and 120/90 & 76bpm during (I couldn't tolerate this anywhere near how long I was supposed to, it was the hand in the bucket of icy water! I managed 30 seconds only)
hyperventilation 119/67 & 74bpm before and 111/72 (unknown bpm) during (I started to faint during this and had to stop at 20 seconds)
it says "respiratory sinus arrhythmia was present during deep breathing" (63-68bpm)
valsalva manoevre "was well performed" (can't remember what that was) and says BP profile was normal
said I had "minimal pooling in the feet only on head up tilt"
when they removed the cannula I had drop in BP and HR. Minimum HR and BP were 80/40 and 61bpm

Said I have no orthostatic hypotension, rise in HR for 20 seconds in hyperventilation, no evidence for PoTs or cardiovascular autonomic failure. So they said because of what happened when they removed the cannula it was suggestive of autonomic mediated syncope. But the 'diagnosis' was "tendency to autonomic mediated syncope" which isn't a firm diagnosis really and is unexplained.

Yes, they did give me the standard recommendations to take away, such as salt intake and all the usual!

Bearing in mind the above results, do you think I don't need further evaluation for PoTs? The testing was done at about 12.30pm-1pm BTW.

Were you fasting at that time ?

 

[Complex CFSer]

Wow more massively high readings! Makes mine seem almost paltry! Although I did look up what the definition of high was and it met it. Looks like I need to go and attempt something really energetic to see what happens. If only I could...

 

[ryan31337]

Although I did look up what the definition of high was and it met it. Looks like I need to go and attempt something really energetic to see what happens. If only I could...

Yeah, I'd read advice online saying >180/110 is 'go to hospital right now' sort of territory.

It is normal for BP to rise on exertion though, especially static stuff like weight lifting. Sitting on the couch exceeding 200/110 is less normal

 

[gregh286]

Wow more massively high readings! Makes mine seem almost paltry! Although I did look up what the definition of high was and it met it. Looks like I need to go and attempt something really energetic to see what happens. If only I could...

Wouldnt get too hung up on it. Mine at rest 130/80.
I showed the cardiologist the 250/100 and he says BP rises under exertion...wasnt worried. Heart function..echo...angio all good. The.problem was my light pedal exertion made my HR to 150....thats running at pace to a normal half fit person. It takes very little for our HR to move substantially higher.

Weighlifters have had BP measured at 430/180. Now thats scary.
As ryan says at rest is the critical one.

 

[gregh286]

Not supposed to go that high from merely standing though

Agreed marky. HR and BP increase way beyond normal under light exertion.
Always thought something awry in the NO cycle endothelium. Our arteries like a flat hose.

 

[Marky90]

Yeah it`s nothing dangerous if its normal at rest, which we do most of the time..^^

 

[ahimsa]

I showed the cardiologist the 250/100 and he says BP rises under exertion...wasn't worried.

I'm kind of surprised that 250/100 did not cause the doctor to worry! I hope they are right because I would be a bit concerned.

I wish I had something more concrete to add as far as testing or treatment. I'm one of those orthostatic intolerance patients with very low resting blood pressure (I have both NMH & POTS).

But I want to thank folks for sharing their test results - quite interesting to see all the different issues going on.

 

[gregh286]

I'm kind of surprised that 250/100 did not cause the doctor to worry! I hope they are right because I would be a bit concerned.

I wish I had something more concrete to add as far as testing or treatment. I'm one of those orthostatic intolerance patients with very low resting blood pressure (I have both NMH & POTS).

But I want to thank folks for sharing their test results - quite interesting to see all the different issues going on.

Yea i was.he wasnt. Says BP is an rest measurement and was fine at rest. There are no guidelines for BP scales under exercise.

BTW i was at my worst them im 80% recovered now. I did a VO2 max recently and i was.low normal.
BP only increased to 180/90 under extreme exercise.
So cfs has profound but totally reversible effects on cardiovascular system.

 

[E.man]

ME for 17yrs. Orthostatic Intolerance for years but then half a dozen years ago I didn't have it anymore and could stay standing up. Champion. Was at a 'Careful functioning' level generally.

Now I've suddenly got high BP and some other stuff going on. Other problems started with sore testes, gut cramps, painful ear. Since these were new and painful and possibly not ME at all I took myself off to hospital where the BP was 200/105. Funny how that one gets their attention.

I've now been back 3 times. The last time straight from almost passing out at the GP. So that's 3 times they can't find anything wrong to explain the new problems. Typical. So now I'm scarred it's a massive ME kickup cos it's screwed me up.

As well as that I got some skin sores which I've been getting from wheat products. They bring headaches and knock me out too.

Long term ME stuff + the new stuff with hi BP + wheat knock out. I cannot do 3 layers of fucked out body. It's seriously lay down and die time. The sores have run through so I can type here but I'm still stuffed.

Medical advise amounts to "Go away and get worse so we can find the problem". It won't do me any good dead.