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What Causes Profuse Sweating And Fatigue In A Hypertensive Person?
Question: My blood pressure is well controlled on medicine. The other night, I experienced an episode which is very similar to episodes of low blood sugar I occasionally experience - weak, sweating especially on back of neck, so tired and sick to stomach with eventual diarrhea. While my blood pressure machine is usually a few points different than when the Dr. takes it, some friends were sure I was experiencing severe high blood pressure surge my machine registered 188/75, 191/80 40 mins later, 175/86 45 mins later, 191/70 45 mins later, 175/72 45 mins later, and 175/69 1 1/2 hrs later when I finally got them to leave me alone and I went to sleep. Next morning it was 153/71 and now two days later is back to 118/76 which is normal for me on Rx. I am not sure I actually was experiencing a surge in bp but rather another low blood sugar low because they were holding my machine up in the air above my body as they took it each time by digging my arm out of the bed. My arm was neither level or near my heart height. I thought I remembered the machine had to sit flat on a table, level. So, the readings could have been incorrect. With symptoms of both bp and low blood sugar being similar I believe, could I have been actually been experiencing low blood sugar not a never-before surge in bp? Would low sugar cause bp to raise even if not to those extremes? Could the position of the arm and the machine being held in the air caused incorrect readings?
Brief Answer:
My answer as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
Regarding your concern, I would agree with you on the fact that the machine held in the air could cause incorrect readings of high blood pressure.
Anyway, these blood pressure values are really high and a spike in blood pressure value can not be excluded. Low fasting glucose can not be excluded either. But, you didn't try sugar during that moment. So, we can not judge about your fasting glucose values.
Did you eat or drink something during that episode? Did it help? Only in that case low fasting glucose could be possible.
Regarding low glucose and blood pressure, you should know that low fasting glucose activates the sympathetic nervous system, causing increased levels of cortisol and adrenaline, which cause a raise in blood pressure.
From the other hand, anxiety could also trigger this clinical situation.
Anyway, you should know that a single hypertensive episode is not indicative of uncontrolled high blood pressure. It can be explained by physical or emotional stress, caffeine intake or a salty meal.
I would just recommend you to closely monitor your blood pressure values in the next days (in sitting position after 10 minutes of total relax) and refer those values to your doctor.
A periodically scheduled follow up (every 6-12 months)by your GP with blood work (complete blood count, fasting glucose, kidney and liver function tests, blood electrolytes, thyroid hormone levels) is necessary to exclude other possible metabolic causes that may trigger this situation.
Hope to have been helpful to you!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
My answer as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
Regarding your concern, I would agree with you on the fact that the machine held in the air could cause incorrect readings of high blood pressure.
Anyway, these blood pressure values are really high and a spike in blood pressure value can not be excluded. Low fasting glucose can not be excluded either. But, you didn't try sugar during that moment. So, we can not judge about your fasting glucose values.
Did you eat or drink something during that episode? Did it help? Only in that case low fasting glucose could be possible.
Regarding low glucose and blood pressure, you should know that low fasting glucose activates the sympathetic nervous system, causing increased levels of cortisol and adrenaline, which cause a raise in blood pressure.
From the other hand, anxiety could also trigger this clinical situation.
Anyway, you should know that a single hypertensive episode is not indicative of uncontrolled high blood pressure. It can be explained by physical or emotional stress, caffeine intake or a salty meal.
I would just recommend you to closely monitor your blood pressure values in the next days (in sitting position after 10 minutes of total relax) and refer those values to your doctor.
A periodically scheduled follow up (every 6-12 months)by your GP with blood work (complete blood count, fasting glucose, kidney and liver function tests, blood electrolytes, thyroid hormone levels) is necessary to exclude other possible metabolic causes that may trigger this situation.
Hope to have been helpful to you!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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