update

Hello to all of my wonderful friends on HW

Apologies that I haven't been online as often as I once was! I miss you guys!

I have started a new job that takes me away from London and sees me working long hours! I'm tired, but I think it's the hours rather than the LD!

Anyway, I had a hospital appt last Friday. I'm still waiting for my bloods back and will post them here when I find out.

However, something curious happened to me. I'm still taking 20mg propranolol b.d. following a variceal bleed in February, despite my latest upper endoscopy being clear. Normally, my blood pressure is fine - on the low side in fact but on this occasion it was sky high! I'd decided to drive to the hospital (which I never ordinarily do) and as I was going to park I got confused and ended up having to switch lanes. Little did I know that the people that were in the lane that I switched into had already been queuing and I had jumped the queue! The next thing I knew, a rather large and not particularly gentle (gentle)man had pulled open the car door and told me that unless I exited the hospital and went round the one-way system outside to rejoin the queue in the correct place, he was going to put me in the hospital via A&E. I tried to apologise and explain that I had an appointment but he was just getting angry and swearing etc. and so I closed and locked my door. Eventually he shouted at me that he was going to call the police to which I responded that I thought that it was a good idea, given that he had just threatened me. Anyway, he realised that at this point he wasn't going to win the argument and backed down. I probably should have rejoined the queue but it was honestly a genuine mistake and doing so would have made me late for the doctor. Anyway, this is the reason I think I had high blood pressure!

I didn't see my normal hepatologist, but another lady who looking at my blood pressure, pulse rate and reading my history told me that she wanted to triple my dose of propranolol. I'm really not sure about this as it makes me tired. I didn't really want to tell her that I thought that I knew best (particularly because I didn't know her) so now I am left trying to decide what to do.

Do you know if there are any effects associated with increasing the dose of propranolol? I mean, if it makes no difference I might as well just do it. With my new job, I sometimes forget to take medication anyway so perhaps the increased dose is a good idea.

As time goes on I'm finding that I forget that I am ill. Stupid, I realise, because I know that I am but I just don't feel ill or look ill and my illness doesn't currently affect my daily life. Needless to say, I haven't touched a drop of the demon nectar (apart from the two accidents with the pineapple and the fruit 'drink') and never intend to do so again. This has lulled me into a false sense of security - I very rarely feel ill (touch wood).

It is strange how this disease can be such a lurking monster.

Hi, NCL. Nice to see you back here. I have a different idea. Since low BP can be just as dangerous as high, I suggest that you take your BP at the same time for several successive days to see if it normalizes. As you said, it could have just been the incident that raised your BP. If it continues to be elevated, then double the med. I wouldn't triple it. See how the increased dosage works for you. If your BP normalizes over the days that you are measuring it, then stay at the dose you have been taking up to the point of the elevation.

Hugs,
Connie

MamaLama has that Brit lingo down cold.

Welcome back.. great to see you!!

Only thing I'd add is that it is probably worth seeing your GP in due course. In the long term managing your BP is a role that falls to him/her rather than your hep. In my experience they find that hospital doctors are rather quick to prescribe/increase doses whereas GPs take a longer term view usually wanting readings to be raised on 2 or 3 occasions before increasing doses gradually etc. Of course if the reason to increase the dose is liver related that is different.


Ann

Jamie

Could you email me. My e is published

From time to time we get a poster with a technical question you might know and I would like to be able to ask you to peek at a specific post in case you are not lurking that week.

Carol