Very High Blood Pressure

This may or may not be Lyme related, I’m not really sure right now. I’m very scared and I know this forum is extremely helpful

I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme in 2007 and have been managing it well (I think) with an herbal protocol. I’ve been very healthy for the last 3 years with little to no Lyme symptoms remaining. I’m a 36-year-old female, normal weight, non-smoker, no drugs, and I don’t drink.

about a week ago I started having pain in my left flank area, near the kidneys, and in my lower abdomen. It wasn’t excruciating just a dull pain. The next day I had a slight fever. I decided to take my blood pressure when I felt my heart racing, and it was 170/110. My normal blood pressure is usually 120/80. I’ve had episodes of high blood pressure before but they were usually in high-pain situations.

I monitored my blood pressure at home over the next 24 hours and last night it got as high as 204/136. I then went to the ER. They didn’t give me anything for my blood pressure but said that I had a urinary tract infection and a possible kidney infection.

My ekg was normal and they said my blood was normal. My blood pressure is still high today.

Could a urinary tract infection or kidney infection cause my blood pressure to be this high? I’ve never had issues with blood pressure before and with a history of stroke in my family, I’m very worried.

rcfla1 said...
Could a urinary tract infection or kidney infection cause my blood pressure to be this high?

Disclaimer: I'm neither a Doctor, Nurse, nor any type of healthcare provider.

From what I've read, yes...both can cause high blood pressure. As to *how* high, that was less clear.

My advice:

1. Stay away from Googling symptoms for now

2. Realize that your understandable fear and anxiety will not help anything. See #1.

3. As HeartsinPain suggested, I would again seek medical attention, as appropriate:
a. If you feel the need is urgent, immediately go (or have someone take you) to the nearest Emergency Room
b. Alternately, if you feel comfortable doing so, see your primary care physician (if you have one) as soon as possible

4. Get a second opinion on both diagnoses

5. If applicable, request a referral to a Nephrologist

6. Since you were told you have a UTI, it would seem they tested your urine. If not, I would request it.

7. Keep reminding yourself of your young age, normal body weight, and healthy lifestyle habits. Contrast that with the many other people who, knowingly or otherwise, treat their body like a carnival ride and keep on ticking. My point being you have many factors going in your favor. This is a great thing and you should be proud of yourself.

8. As much as possible, if at all, do your best to try and keep calm. Close your eyes; take some long, slow deep breaths; and focus on your inhalation and exhalation -- preferably doing this in a quiet area without a lot of light or other stimuli. Listen to relaxing music -- check YouTube for Jonn Serrie, Liquid Mind, and others. Talk it out with a partner or friend. Go stay with someone for the night or have someone stay with you, if you live alone like me.

Please keep us updated! We care about you!

Sincerely,
The Dude

Dude is spot on.

Also They would not have released you if it was not considered under control but do get in to see a Nephrologist as soon as practical.

Yes your kidneys control your BP. And a infection can do this but also good to be sure you don’t have other cardiac issues. Good news is mainstream medical has mostly figured this out. Also BP meds are not like statins. Play it safe if your md recomrnds them.

ERs are setup to keep you alive. Not fix you. But if your not well still, dont wait and be sure to drive to the best hospital (er) in your area. They are not all the same.

Personally, I think that's a good decision, rcfla1.

If you happen to see this before going, be sure to remember that you're the patient/customer. They should be serving you and not be dismissive. It may not be a problem for you, but I've sometimes not spoken up for myself enough and sorta let them steamroll me.

Also, if you think you'd feel better staying there and being monitored, by all means tell them. It would probably be cheaper, albeit less comfortable and less peaceful, to remain in the ER than being admitted. But, you know what's best for you.

Wishing you well,
Dude

I have chronically high blood pressure, and I believe it is from a Lyme- adjacent untreated co-infection like Bartonella.

Meds do help somewhat, though I wonder if the underlying infection is not being addressed, so the HBP continues until I can get at the Bart or whatever (Babs, Tularemia..) is in my blood stream and cells taken care of.

I am prescribed Metoprolol 100mg, Hydrochlorothiazide and Losartan Potassium, (edit: and also Hydralazine) but like I said I also think there is some untreated vasculitis or the infection is within the vein or arterial walls...which is why the blood pressure stays high, even with meds, not to mention the hypercoagulation...

My readings are typically something like 160/100 with the bottom number usually at or above 100. The meds bring that bottom number down into the 90's...sometimes.

I'm in fairly good shape, eat well, non-smoker too.

The nurses always seem a little shocked when they see it.

I tell them doctors offices, the free county clinic environment, stress me out and also I use energy drinks to get work done. I say this mostly to placate them, because when I start to explain (about untreated chronic lyme and cos) they think I'm being factitious...

Anyway, I hear what Dude and donjr and Mark F say about emergency rooms, they are there to keep you alive not treat you or give you a full comprehensive diagnosis or plan for your ongoing infections.

I have had disappointing and expensive ER visits. One, they misunderstood "air hunger" as "asthma attack".
They gave me emergency inhalers (Proventil) which is ok because I get wheezy at night sometimes, especially during Spring and Summer and after certain foods;

But the "air hunger" to a trained eye or ear (read: LLMD) is a tbd-co-infection thing that most wouldn't understand.

When your cells' mitochondria are being robbed and infiltrated by infections (see Bart, Babs, Lyme and cos) that's air hunger. I can feel this, just like I can feel vascular pain and hyper-coagulation. I believe it is a tbd-coinfection that is gumming up the works, going to work on my inner vessels, vein walls what have you...

You can imagine that certain tick-born co-infections are tiny and intercellular and do damage to vessels and nerves...I think I have read from multiple top LLMDs that these are worse because they are so small, and malarial/parasitic in nature...

I mean, I understand it, you would think most medically trained professionals would understand it too. But again so frustrating this bug complex.

Anyway, it seems the medical opinion is that "you must take your prescribed medication to control your hypertension.." see the meds above for commonly prescribed HBP Rx's... I take them on and off,

but this ignores the underlying problem/issue which is the blood-intercellular parasite-infection complex or whatever Babs and Bart and friends are ++...

so frustrating..anyway I can relate, the hbp meds are like a temporary band-aid for this when you need more help than that...

The flank and kidney pain, it sounds like an opportunistic overgrowth (made worse and with the extreme hypertension) due to the already immune-compromised state of lyme n cos...

probably yes it's yet another complication from tbd's,

again and lastly, I hope you find some relief soon...maybe if you pop a few pills like Hydralazine, Metoprolol, Hydrochlorothiazide and Losartan it may subside ... (I am not a doctor, and I am in a similar predicament anyway taking the palliative hbp meds may buy you some time to figure the other things out without jeopardizing your health further...)

Post Edited (borrelioburgdorferii) : 7/30/2019 6:05:38 AM (GMT-6)

Mark F said...
Question did they give you anything to bring it down?

Has it normalized?

Yes please let us know. I hope you can bring it down. And sorry for my mini-novella there...

Hi, rcfla1:

I'm very glad to hear the doctors were able to lower your blood pressure. I hope it gets even closer to "normal" and remains so.

Also, I'm sorry to hear about your recent loss of medical insurance. Knowing how expensive ER visits are, I hope your hospital doesn't send you a bill that will cause your blood pressure to rise again!

Early last year, I quit my job. I sucked it up and paid for the expensive COBRA insurance for 16 months. Even with insurance, of course, not everything was covered. Following each ER visit, I would receive a balance bill.

Eventually, after feeling like the hospitals had bled me and the insurance company for enough money, I called the number on the latest balance bill and told them I was out of work and couldn't pay. The person told me the hospital had a foundation for cases of financial hardship and they mailed me an application. In the interim, they placed my account on hold. I completed the paperwork, returned it, and, thankfully, I was approved. The full balance wasn't wiped-out, but approximately 95% or 97% was forgiven.

In another instance, I went to see my primary care physician. When I got the bill for that visit, I did the same thing -- I called their billing office, explained I was out of work, and that I didn't have the money. The person was empathetic and offered me a cash discount that amounted to 62% off the bill. Even then, she was willing to set up an interest-free payment plan for the remaining balance -- with payments as low as $5 per month.

Recently, I received a bill from LabCorp for co-insurance and one lab test that my [now former] insurance provider refused to pay. Agan, I called and explained my situation. They mailed me forms, I completed and returned them, and I'm currently awaiting their decision. Without even completing the paperwork, though, I was offered a 20% discount, right at the beginning of my call to them. If my application is approved, I'll likely receive an even higher discount, though the percentage is determined on a case-by-case basis.

My obvious point, of course, is to ask for help when needed. It may feel uncomfortable to do so, but organizations would rather receive some money, versus no money. I'd like to think they're being humanitarians, but, largely, I'm sure it's simply a matter of minimizing loss.

You can also search Google for phrases similar to the following:

https://www.google.com/search?q=financial+assistance+programs+for+medical+bills
https://www.google.com/search?q=help+with+medical+bills+for+uninsured

Anyway, these are just some ideas that I hope may prove useful. Assuming, of course, that you've not already considered and/or implemented some of them.

Best of luck and health,

Dude

_

Post Edited (The Dude Abides) : 7/31/2019 12:46:16 AM (GMT-6)

They should have given you something to lower it. Kidney issues can definitely cause it there are so many factors. As well as medications, you need to review any treatments you are doing with a doctor who can address the high bp.