Blood Pressure

marrianne

Just got back from the hospital 3 weeks in with the Leflunomide, not sure if its making much difference as yet .....but my b/p is climbing steaily its the bottom reading I think its not systolic not sure anyway its 139/99 ....I am a little worried a lot especialy at the weekends I cannot do much exersiseI am not over wieght I dont smoke I do drink wine cant and I dont add salt to my food if its the meds then really I cant see what I can do the nurse just said they will keep an eye on it and to try not to worry anyway hope you are all ok and enjoyed the Easter weekend Marrianne

dreamdaisy

I hope I've remembered this right! The systolic measure is the top figure and shows the heart under pressure, the diastolic is the bottom figure and shows the BP between heart beats. Mine rose thanks to medication (before I started humira it was the classic 120/80 but I think it went up as high as 190/120). BP meds have brought it under control and I am also trying to lose weight and exercise a little more in order to help it along a little futher. I never cook with salt and neither do I add it to meals. You are being monitored and that is a good thing, it's best to keep an eye on these matters. I wish you well. DD

marrianne

Thanks DD yours was high but its now controlled, so I shall put it to the back of my mind for now I am hospital weekly so as you say they will keep an eye on it ,Wish you well to Marrianne

stickywicket

The main thing is that they are monitoring it. If they were worried I don't think they'd have let you go so easily. You do sound to be doing all the right things and I don't think the odd glass of wine's going to do much harm. Of course what one needs to do is relax which is pretty tough in the circumstances. :roll:

marrianne

Thankyou Sticky ,Yes I mentioned the wine ,mainly at the weekend ,The nurse just said why not ? So thats good and the one thing I wont be buying is a blood/pressure thing I am in safe hands but I will look at my diet I am very much a crisp lover well all savory snacks which are loaded with salt so I will just make subtle changes and see how it goes,I hope you are feeling well at the moment to Marrianne

stickywicket

Well, you have good and bad news there, Marrianne. Yes, crisps etc are packed full of salt and salt is definitely a nono as far as BP is concerned. So, I guess you'll just have to drown your sorrows in wine :roll:

hileena111

Hi
I had a hospital appt a couple of weeks ago and before doing the procedure they checked BP which is usually fairly text book ...not quite the 120/80 anymore but whose is at my age
They said it was "sky high" and to get my practice nurse to check it when I went home.....It was probably just "white coat syndrome"
I went to the doc and she checked it and said its still very high. I want it checked by the nurse again, I want an ECG, I want bloods, and then I want another BP check and an appt with me.
I had it checked by the nurse the next day.....she said "I can hear 200 for a sec....its at least 199 {That is very high}.
I came back a week later for the ECG....normal thank goodness,and bloods, so next week have to have a final BP and see the GP and find out the result of the bloods.
The way I would look at it is that they are monitoring you so thats good.....BP can be high and not show many symptoms so at least we are being monitered.
Good Luck
Love
Hileena

marrianne

Hello everyone ,Just looking forwards to the G/National weekend ,I suspect that might send the b/p on the rise.Hileena and Delboy well at your highest readings they were certainly higher than my highest which at its worst was 180/90 :? my norm is 140/88 ..... still not sure maybe considered one to watch but I now am the proud owner of a stye on my lower eyelid its not red and shiny its a small white spot just inside my lower lid and it hurts like hell ,I am sure I have been very clean and have never had one before but there you go ..... So after a lovely 10 days in hospital and 3 weeks in my Leflunomide..I have hair loss ...terrible split nails moderate hypertension ,a stye a huge appitite ......I mean greedy here but I am sure it will all be worth it in the end thanks to you hope you are all not so bad at the moment Marrianne :)I dont mean thanks to you I have got all these ills ....oh you know what I mean

marrianne

delboy wrote:

Most importantly you still laugh about it

Definately ...lol lol lol Marrianne

stickywicket

I don't think styes are anything to do with cleanliness, marrianne. I always thought they were an indication that one was a bit run down. I'm told those on the inside of the eyelid are painful little sods.

I was once on leflunomide for a short time. I'd no side effects but I did have a bad reaction to the flu jab which was why I was taken off it but it mightn't have been the lef.

marrianne

Thanks Sticky re the stye looking for reassurace I think all am getting from my partener at the moment ,He spotted the blessed thing with the aid of a magnifying glass .ok so yes its is very small but your right it does hurt like hell especial y when I close my eyes .... he is in one of his silly moods and has no sympathy ....just keeps making comments about dont touch his towel and unclean unclean yes I could cheerfully strangle him this morning but I will resist the temptation and ring up Boots / pharmacy for further advise . hope it wasnt the flue jab though because we really need them in the winter mths ,Havent had one of those yet but colds not so good on top of everything else ,Have a great weekend to Marrianne

julie47

Hi Marrianne

I am also having trouble with blood pressure :shock: although I have been on leflunomide for years and years with no problems before. :?

I am not over weight, dont cook with salt I am careful what I eat and I too can not exercise as I am in a wheel chair. :roll: any other suggestions

I am at the moment monitoring my bp. I go back on the 12 of may with readings from the week before for them to take an average. They are also going to do an ecg. Just got fingers crossed it isn't more tablets

Yesterdays blood pressure was 190/95 (but I had just been talking to mil on phone :shock: ) so I took it 10 mins later as I was a little worried. It came down to a more reasonable 172/87 (phew)

Hope your bp sorts its self out by the time you go back
Take care
Juliepf x

marrianne

Hi Jbut ulie Your b/p is consistantly high and hopefully they can sort it all out for you,I guess I am being over concerned its just anything new any change ... well we are all guilty of blameing our newest treatments.........Like you being monitored anyway back to the hospital on tuesday looking at a TKR ......but meantime stye has almost gone so maybe the leflunomide is not playing to much havoc with my immune system .I really struggle with exercise unkess in water but do try upper arms with the lightest weights less than a bag of sugar but right wrist is very painful so its not always possible the physio showed me exercises to do at home and no really but I cannot remember them all I think its doing them alone its not the same Julie I am glad about the leflunomide helping with not to many adverse affects ,Methotreate did not help me and caused a lot of problems so I DESPERATELY want this to work ,Hope all is well for you to and sometimes my o/h does cause me a lot of stress so we all have to watch out for how we cope day to day hope you have pain under control I believe that sends the b/p up hope your weekend has been good to Marrianne

marrianne

Hi Jbut ulie Your b/p is consistantly high and hopefully they can sort it all out for you,I guess I am being over concerned its just anything new any change ... well we are all guilty of blameing our newest treatments.........Like you being monitored anyway back to the hospital on tuesday looking at a TKR ......but meantime stye has almost gone so maybe the leflunomide is not playing to much havoc with my immune system .I really struggle with exercise unkess in water but do try upper arms with the lightest weights less than a bag of sugar but right wrist is very painful so its not always possible the physio showed me exercises to do at home and no really but I cannot remember them all I think its doing them alone its not the same Julie I am glad about the leflunomide helping with not to many adverse affects ,Methotreate did not help me and caused a lot of problems so I DESPERATELY want this to work ,Hope all is well for you to and sometimes my o/h does cause me a lot of stress so we all have to watch out for how we cope day to day hope you have pain under control I believe that sends the b/p up hope your weekend has been good to Marrianne

Puschinka

Marianne - to my knowledge a sty has NOTHING to do with cleanliness but like coldsores they are part of the herpes virus and quite often they are causes by stress and being rundown. My partner swears by lightly rubbing a 1 or 2 pence coin over it whenever he gets a sty on his eye, aparently there's something in the copper that helps get rid of it.
But I'm sure there must be some proper medicine or ointment to help.
This is just my personal knowledge/info/tip.... obviously I'm not a medical expert, but I've never heard that a sty is caused by uncleanliness.
Hope you feel better soon and get rid of the pesky thing.x

marrianne

Hi Pushchinka.Thanks for help re Stye ,I think you are right its definately been caused by stress and I have been a little run down ,also the stay in hospital was brilliant apart from treatment physio etc you do get a lot of rest early nights etc ..Home its lovely to be back but once again the jobs the cooking the pets and before you realise its back to the old routine that caused the flare that put me in hospital .Appointment tomorrow so will write down questions etc and I know some of these strange treatments do work re copper on stye thank goodness its all but gone I will remember it bit hopefully I wont get another ,Hope your not so bad at the start of a new week Marrianne

Puschinka

Hope you get answers to your questions at your appointment tomorrow, Marianne and glad to hear the stye is going away.
I've not had a great start to the week no - but I see my GP tomorrow and have a little list of questions too.
Not done much at all today, been too tired, several nights of no more than 3 hours sleep are taking their toll...and the awful pains in my shins that I wrote about in a seperate post last night, well - this afternoon I suddenly felt them in my thighs, just as painful.
And I missed Benidorm last night too, doh!!!

marrianne

Hi Pushchinka,Yes missed Benedorm to : 8) 8) grr but but never mind did mannage to sleep right through until 6/am ..... I am so sorry your not sleeping well at the moment ,I would normally have to take the trippy stuff but yesterday I got to hospital at 9/30 ........... home at 4/30 ....long day 8) some good some bad ........hydro lovely got knee to bend a little however tempory it was lovely ..... b/p back to normal .... bloods ok ...... still slight aniemia . consultant .........late but did mannage chats with some lovely people in the same boat .... consultant hurried and a bit brusque didnt want to discuss other option s it was more or less knee replacement take it or leave it :shock: :shock: ........ never mind on the waiting list but maybe it will improve with time and I might not really need it /..............yes head in sand but hope is good .Pushchinka I hope your g/p appointment went well and he answerd your questions and these extra pains will get better and you can get more rest to I I am going to catch up around the forum some definately lots of people to relate wonder if we could get together at night chatting sometimes does the trick hope your feeling better owards the weekend Marrianne

stickywicket

marrianne wrote:

wonder if we could get together at night chatting sometimes does the trick

There is a thread on Chit Chat 'Night Owls and Early Birds' for those who want a natter when others are likely to be asleep.

Puschinka

Hi Marianne, yes that would be nice.
Good news that yor BP is okay again, I've always had very low blood pressure all my life, bit too low sometimes and I get dizzy if I stand up too quickly ( not something Im able to do anymore these days,lol :? )
I posted a new thread last night re the outcome of my GP appnnmnt yesterday, if you get round to reading it... he thinks I may have Fibromyalgia. :roll:
Take care and chat soon. x

marrianne

Hi I Puschinka, Yes I just read re the g/p appointment I am so sorry the fibro..... on top of the knees which I know can drive you demented with pain,lack of sleep is really awful the pain is always so much worse ................but light at the end of a dark tunel ....you know what you have you will know how to get on top of the pain eventually my oteo knee is shot so I know the pain is relentless at the moment though I am finding the amytripiline 10 mg s so helpfull for sleep and I seem to cope better I am trying an ointment on my knee called capsaicin it is only available on prescription it is a pain duller but it takes about 4 weeks to kick in so waiting at the moment to see if it can help on the tube it sayscephalon also thanks to Sticky re ............night owls definately worth a look in I am definately in for the day its stopped raining here but a trip round the garden see what o/h got up to yesterday seems a few flowers missing but he has done his best with the weeding and its certainly looking better I shall miss the dafodils though not sure if we have anything else waiting last year I just couldnt be botherd but now I am determined to fight back please be positive you sound it and you sound very strong thanks for your support for my worries b/p etc definately hopeing and sure you will have a good weekend Marrianne