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Posted 12/8/2011 12:37 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone!

   It has been awhile since I have been on here, but I've been having some issues lately, and the advice & caring comments that I have received on this forum in the past have been really helpful. Sooooo, I am here to vent, once again. :-)   First of all, I recently got married, (in May), and since then, lupus has been rearing its ugly head again. My poor husband is getting broken in really good! Lol! But thank God for him & my parents!!

   Anyway, I had to have 2 kidney biopsies in August. This is my second fight with lupus nephritis in the past 5 years. So of course my docs put me back on CellCept & prednisone. Well then the meds caused my blood pressure to skyrocket. After pretty much maxing out on several different bp meds, we finally got it down, (it was actually a little low for a few weeks), and now it is all of a sudden high again. This is so frustrating to me & I don't know what to do. I have been so depressed lately & I obsess over it. I know I am probably my own worst enemy, because my worrying & stressing don't help with the bp, but I don't know what else to do! I am at my wits end & on the verge of a breakdown. PLEASE, any advice is welcome, for the high blood pressure and/or the depression. I could really use some help.

Thank you!

 

Posted 12/8/2011 11:41 PM (GMT 0)
Have you tried meditation for the blood pressure?
Find a CD of relaxing music (something with ocean, rain, or water flowing sounds in the background). Then lay down in a quiet place, close your eyes, and picture yourself in a peaceful place. Thirty minutes a day should be enough, an hour is even better.
Posted 12/10/2011 1:18 PM (GMT 0)
I also have high blood pressure, but it's under control by taking meds. I used to take Prednisole and Cellcept. Now I am only on Cellcept. I know high dose of Pred may cause high blood pressure, but I am not sure about if Cellcept is also the cause. I think my high blood pressure is not caused by the meds. Try to relax and be stress free.
Posted 12/11/2011 4:10 AM (GMT 0)
Hey. Sorry to hear about more kidney issues, I really hate to hear this.

What is the dose of prednisone...That can cuase you BP to go up just from steriods. Also, is your bottom number rising?

Deffinatly worth letting your doctor know about. How is it now? Also maybe you could talk to your doc about starting something to help with your anxiety which will reduce stress levels!
Posted 12/12/2011 4:27 AM (GMT 0)
Hello DQueen, I was just diagnosed with Class VLupus Membranous Nephritis this past June and am now on Prednisone, CellCept as of today, Plaquenil, and they diagnosed Lisinepril for blood pressure.  I am not sure what meds they have tried but this one is working for me.  Curious to see what class of LN you have, it would be great to talk and compare notations if you have the same.  I am still getting adjusted to the medications and the side effects of each one.  It has been a rough few months for me as well.  Hope they get you situated. The meditation mentioned in the other post sounds like a great idea. Good Luck!
Posted 12/19/2011 11:36 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the advice everyone! I gave the meditation a shot & it did help to relax me a bit. To answer some of your questions:

I have tapered down from 60 mg of prednisone to 25 mg.

I am on Diovan & Coreg from my previous fight with this & congestive heart failure, and I am now also on hydralazine & doxazosin to try to stabilize my bp.

My bp is very irregular - it goes very low for part of the day and then starts going back up. It can range anywhere from 89/56 to 170/99 in the course of one day.

I have been working with my nephrologist on this over the phone & I see him in a few weeks again, so I'm hoping he can help!

Thanks again for your advice & concern!

Posted 12/19/2011 11:37 PM (GMT 0)
Also, I have tried anti-anxiety meds before, and they also raised my bp.
Posted 12/20/2011 4:06 AM (GMT 0)
Prednisone caused BP problems for me after about a year.  I took (and still am taking) lisinopril and maxide and eventually got it under control.  Pred affects vessels in some people and can cause much higher BP.  Just stick with it and it will come down over time. 

Can't help you with anxiety meds but you have to expect problems with lupus.  I have lupus, polymyositis and scleroderma and was quadriplegic and could not swallow in 2005 after almost dying.  Today, I have returned to a fairly normal life but I worry about nothing.  Whatever comes up....I will deal with it.  I have looked the monster in the eye and accepted that I have no control over it.  But I will not let the disease dominate my life.  Instead I will live it and deal with any problems that come up.  Given the extreme nature of my lupus and PM I should have lots to worry about but I have come to live in the moment and enjoy each day as best as I can.  As they say down under...no worries mate.

I know that it might sound cavalier but there are some things you can control and other things you cannot.  You have to understand the difference and act on those things you can.  Have you sought professional help to cope with your lupus?  When I entered a rehab hospital in 2006 that was part of the therapy for all patients...it does help.  Have you looked into any support groups in your area?  It helps to talk to others who are going through the same things and understand exactly what you are experiencing.  Check it out with www.lupus.org.

The last advice I can give you is that it is possible to live with lupus and have a good life.  But you have to accept what has happened and realize that you might have a new normal in your life.  Uncertainty is part of that new normal unfortunately.  People ask me if I am afraid that my diseases could attack again and I tell them I don't even think about it.  I am not in denial but I realize there is nothing I can do other than take care of myself, take any meds needed, and try the best I can to enjoy life even though not according to plan.

Hope you can find some peace in your life.

Bill

Posted 1/8/2012 1:20 AM (GMT 0)
Hi DQueen. I remember a certain lady who received a wedding bouquet right before I had gastric by-pass roux-n-y surgery. I'm currenting using my laptop while in the hospital and keep getting booted off. So quickly I'll say almost everyone finds the first couple of years very stressful even if they don't admit it. Throw lupus into the pot and it just makes things worse. Anyway, you might find a mental health therapist very usefull. You might also consider yoga which involves lots of meditation. If your husband doesn't want to help monitarily, maybe your mom can help pay.

Keep in mind that Bill always gives great advice. There's bound to something that will work.  Love Ya Sweetie. Donna 

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