I know this is a huge thread bump, but I also recently started having BP issues, starting last December when my BP suddenly spiked to 183/112. I felt it too, since it caused me chest pain and I came close to passing out. I haven’t had any spikes that high since then, but I still had spikes periodically until January when I was prescribed propranolol (aka Inderal) 20mg to take twice a day (9:30am & 10:00pm). It was primarily given to me for the premature ventricular contractions (PVC’s) and sinus tachycardia (high heart rate) that I’ve been dealing with since 2013, but I was told that it would also help lower blood pressure. The propranolol seemed to do the trick.
Fast forward to March. The PVC’s came back with a vengeance and my BP started rising again, particularly the diastolic (bottom number). My cardiologist told me to take the propranolol 3 times a day instead of two. That worked until a week ago when, again, my diastolic BP started spiking into the 90’s again. Every time it goes up, I get nauseated, have minor chest pain, and get real short of breath. It gradually comes down on it’s own, at which point my symptoms slowly go away. I’m still on propranolol, since it keeps my heart rate from going through the roof.
Every chest x-ray and CT scan I’ve had has come back normal. The EKG’s I’ve had so far usually displays at least one or more of these readings: Incomplete Right Bundle Branch Block, Short QT Interval, Non-specific T-Wave Abnormality, or Right Ventricular Conduction Delay. Once in a while, it would read “Normal ECG”, but not often. The ER docs and my cardiologist have all said that my EKG’s were fine and that I wasn’t in dangerous territory. I did a 48-hour holter monitor in March and I was told that it didn’t pick up anything disturbing. My primary doctor had ordered me a 24-hour urine test to check for pheochromocytoma (adrenal gland tumor) back in January to see if that was causing by BP issue. The test came back normal. Urinalysis came back normal, most (I’ll explain in a second) of my blood work came back normal, including the troponin level and A1C. My last echocardiogram was in 2016, which was normal with 55% ejection fraction. I had a treadmill stress test last year, which was normal aside from the PVC’s I had during recovery.
I was recently referred to a pulmonologist for my shortness of breath to see if there was an issue with my lungs that could be causing my BP spikes. The doctor did a pulmonary function test, which came back normal. He did a blood IGE Respiratory Profile (allergies), which came back normal. He also did a blood panel for Hypersensitive Pneumonitis. Most of the readings came back normal except for Penicillium Chrysogenum, which was slightly above normal. I’ve always been allergic to penicillin, so that was no surprise. The other abnormal reading was Aspergillus Fumigatus. Normal is 46.0 and below. My reading was 57.5. Because of that reading, my doctor ordered a CT scan of my chest back in March, which came back normal. My next follow-up, as well as a repeat pulmonary function test, is in June. He prescribed me a Symbicort inhaler, but my primary doctor and my cardiologist both advised me not to take it since it could reverse the effects of the propranolol. Apparently, Symbicort is made up of two different medications and one of them (I forget which) counteracts beta blockers. My pulmonologist knew that I was on propranolol when he prescribed Symbicort, which was puzzling to me and my other two docs.
Right now, I’m thinking about seeing my primary doctor to see if there is a low dose BP medication I can take along with the propranolol to get my diastolic BP under control, which has been causing me big problems. I’ve cut down on sodium and I usually drink water, but nothing I do seems to have any effect. I weigh 200lbs, though hardly anybody looking at me would ever guess I weigh that much unless I told them.
