Q: After having low blood pressure all my life (112/60), overnight in October it went sky high to 159/90. Also my pulse which is normally around 73 to 74 went between 90 and 108. My legs, ankles and feet were also very swollen. My doctor put me on blood pressure medication which took away the leg and foot swelling but it has only been able to bring my pressure down to 128/80. And, it has not lowered the high pulse rate at all.
Now I have leg pain constantly and feel like I need a cane to get up and down from a sitting position with. I can’t use stairs at all and walking – my favorite form of exercise – has come to a stop. Because this came on overnight, there must be a cause, yet three doctors have told me they don’t know why this is going on. I feel the symptoms are being addressed, but not the cause. Can you help?
A: The rapid onset of paroxysmal hypertension may be the result of a sensitivity to sodium (salt), being on specific medications including diet pills or amphetamines, metabolic syndrome, obesity, leading a sedentary lifestyle, hypertension secondary to a renal cause, a tumor known as pheochromcytoma, the consumption of excessive alcohol, poor dietary choices, and still more. Primary hypertension can be controlled by medication, lifestyle changes such as exercise, and dietary modifications.
Sudden onset rises may also be associated with a condition referred to as secondary hypertension – a type of high blood pressure caused by specific medical conditions that may affect the heart, endocrine system, kidneys and arteries. The cause of secondary hypertension must be determined and treated before readings will lower. This leads to having your physician check you for underlying causes that may be contributory. There are several criteria that point to secondary hypertension that include medication that once worked to lower readings but no longer does; high blood pressure that fails to respond to medications for the purpose of lowering them; readings over 160 systolic or 100 diastolic; the occurrence of the disorder in individuals younger than 30 or older than 55; no family history of hypertension; and lastly, a normal weight for the individual in question.
There are often no specific signs or symptoms of hypertension to warn a person, despite the fact that readings may be dangerously high. That is why it is so important to have regular medical checkups that include the taking of vital signs. Some individuals may report having headaches, yet it may be difficult to determine if the onset of headaches or other symptoms are actually related to high blood pressure readings or to another cause.
The causes for lower extremity pain are many. The first things that come to mind include being overweight, taking specific medications that may increase a person’s risk for clot development, having arthritis of the spine, poor circulation, muscle cramps, arthritis, knee bursitis, or a herniated disc. I recommend you be seen by a top notch diagnostician in your area as quickly as possible who can review what testing has been done, rule out some of the disorders, and focus on those that remain. There is something internal causing this sub-acute onset of hypertension and lower extremity swelling. Perhaps an ultrasound, venography, and an MRI will be appropriate follow up so you can be without pain and enjoy walking once again.
