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What Causes Sudden Spike In BP, Cold Sensation Alongside Ribs, Nausea And Tiredness?
Question: I am writing on behalf of a family member who has experienced a sudden spike in her blood pressure. She is 62 years of age, XXXXXXX origin, vegetarian, does not smoke or drink and is in otherwise healthy condition. Her blood pressure reading yesterday soared to 198/100 and she was complaining of feeling cold alongside of her ribs . Her reading last week was 135/90. We brought her to the hospital and some tests were done. Her tests results which include bloodwork and general checkup did not show and problems with her kidneys, heart or anything else. She will have to revisit her general physician to get a urine test done. The emergency doctor prescribed her 12.5mg of Hydrocholr and 5mg of Rosuvastatin for cholesterol and sent her home. He was unable to give us any underlying cause as to why her bp spiked other than her age. Today she is feeling nauseated, tired, unwell and her bp has gone done to 165/98.
Something does not seem right and I want to be able to determine the underlying cause, how do I go about doing this? Thanks
Something does not seem right and I want to be able to determine the underlying cause, how do I go about doing this? Thanks
Brief Answer:
Control of the blood pressure
Detailed Answer:
Greetings. Thank you for your question and welcome to Health Care Magic. I understand your concern.
Well, it XXXXXXX that a proper control for blood pressure figures should be done. There are risk factors that, combined, can be related with the high bloos pressure. This is called essential hypertension (primary hypertension), does not have an underlying cause and represents 90% of all cases with hypertension, while secondary hypertension (hypertension from another disease in the organism) comprises the remaining 10% of cases and is found in significantly young ages. A spike in blood pressure figurea may happen because of various changes that happen in a day: physical activity, acute psychological stress or receiving bad news, consuming more than usual caffeine-containing beverages etc. I would recommend a better control of the blood pressure figures, which can be discussed on her next meeting with the doctor about the dosage and frequency of taking. However, besides hydrochlorthiazid, already installed in her therapy, I would also add a beta-blocker or a calcium channel blocker (verapamil or diltiazem. These safe and effective blood pressure-lowering agents, also have an effect on reducing the heart's workload. With the proper control of hypertension on its early stages, possibility for these spikes to happen decreases significantly.
I hope I have been of help. I am happy to help, if you have follow-up questions. Please rate the answer, if you do not.
Best regards,
Dr. Meriton
Control of the blood pressure
Detailed Answer:
Greetings. Thank you for your question and welcome to Health Care Magic. I understand your concern.
Well, it XXXXXXX that a proper control for blood pressure figures should be done. There are risk factors that, combined, can be related with the high bloos pressure. This is called essential hypertension (primary hypertension), does not have an underlying cause and represents 90% of all cases with hypertension, while secondary hypertension (hypertension from another disease in the organism) comprises the remaining 10% of cases and is found in significantly young ages. A spike in blood pressure figurea may happen because of various changes that happen in a day: physical activity, acute psychological stress or receiving bad news, consuming more than usual caffeine-containing beverages etc. I would recommend a better control of the blood pressure figures, which can be discussed on her next meeting with the doctor about the dosage and frequency of taking. However, besides hydrochlorthiazid, already installed in her therapy, I would also add a beta-blocker or a calcium channel blocker (verapamil or diltiazem. These safe and effective blood pressure-lowering agents, also have an effect on reducing the heart's workload. With the proper control of hypertension on its early stages, possibility for these spikes to happen decreases significantly.
I hope I have been of help. I am happy to help, if you have follow-up questions. Please rate the answer, if you do not.
Best regards,
Dr. Meriton
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Hello Dr Meriton,
Thanks for getting back.
Can her cholesterol be responsible for this? She was diagnosed with higher than normal cholesterol levels a year ago.
Also she mentioned she feels strain along the side of body, around the rib area, is this correlated to high bp?
Additionally, the nausea, general feeling of weakness, not wanting to eat, can this be attributed to the bp and cholesterol medication she is taking?
Thank you.
Thanks for getting back.
Can her cholesterol be responsible for this? She was diagnosed with higher than normal cholesterol levels a year ago.
Also she mentioned she feels strain along the side of body, around the rib area, is this correlated to high bp?
Additionally, the nausea, general feeling of weakness, not wanting to eat, can this be attributed to the bp and cholesterol medication she is taking?
Thank you.
Brief Answer:
Hello again
Detailed Answer:
Welcome back.
The cholesterol levels and high blood pressure levels, indeed are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease, but cholesterol levels do not cause high blood pressure spikes. As I mentioned above, this is essential hypertension. I would recommend, as stated in my first answer, the addition of another drug to the therapy which helps prevent and suppress these spikes, which usually go without harm, but sometimes can be dangerous and pose the organism to a threat. I think that rosuvastatin, given to lower the cholesterol levels, suffices. And, since all the blood work and other tests came back normal, I do not see a reason for other symptoms. Additionally, if she did not lose at least 10% of her total weight in a month or two, I do not see a reason to worry about. I recommend that she should take the food that she liked most, in her entire life. Maybe this could make a difference between not having appetite and not wanting to eat certain food. Statins can cause liver damage, indeed, but only in low percentages and, to be XXXXXXX rosuvastatin has the mos favourable side effect profile among all the statins. My opinion is, as I said and based on all the information you provided about tests, that these may be accompanying symptoms of fear and anxiety to "What is happening to me?". The main goal now, is to control the blood pressure figures and cholesterol levels, and I think we are on the right path.
I hope this helps. Wish her a good health.
Best regards,
Dr. Meriton
Hello again
Detailed Answer:
Welcome back.
The cholesterol levels and high blood pressure levels, indeed are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease, but cholesterol levels do not cause high blood pressure spikes. As I mentioned above, this is essential hypertension. I would recommend, as stated in my first answer, the addition of another drug to the therapy which helps prevent and suppress these spikes, which usually go without harm, but sometimes can be dangerous and pose the organism to a threat. I think that rosuvastatin, given to lower the cholesterol levels, suffices. And, since all the blood work and other tests came back normal, I do not see a reason for other symptoms. Additionally, if she did not lose at least 10% of her total weight in a month or two, I do not see a reason to worry about. I recommend that she should take the food that she liked most, in her entire life. Maybe this could make a difference between not having appetite and not wanting to eat certain food. Statins can cause liver damage, indeed, but only in low percentages and, to be XXXXXXX rosuvastatin has the mos favourable side effect profile among all the statins. My opinion is, as I said and based on all the information you provided about tests, that these may be accompanying symptoms of fear and anxiety to "What is happening to me?". The main goal now, is to control the blood pressure figures and cholesterol levels, and I think we are on the right path.
I hope this helps. Wish her a good health.
Best regards,
Dr. Meriton
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Thanks for your reply.
Something seems to be amiss here, as simplified as case as I can make, it just does not seem normal for someone's bp to jump from 135 to 198. Her bp has been hovering around this high mark for the last 3 days.
Altogether we will be bringing her to a clinic that specializes in hypertension.
The main goal is NOT to simple assume that this is the result of simple genetics or environmental factors but to dig until there is no more digging left to do. This is my mom.
Thanks for your time.
Something seems to be amiss here, as simplified as case as I can make, it just does not seem normal for someone's bp to jump from 135 to 198. Her bp has been hovering around this high mark for the last 3 days.
Altogether we will be bringing her to a clinic that specializes in hypertension.
The main goal is NOT to simple assume that this is the result of simple genetics or environmental factors but to dig until there is no more digging left to do. This is my mom.
Thanks for your time.
Brief Answer:
Hi again.
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
I understand your concern. Both my parents are diagnosed with primary (essential) hypertension. Carefully treated and controlled by myself. I tried to be careful in my answers, as I am with all my patients, in everyday practice. Hypertension is a condition, which, when kept under 140/90 mmHg, is inhibited in generating secondary problems to it. Also, therapy should be installed carefully. One cannot start on three or four drugs immediately, to treat those figures. As I mentioned, there are strictly physiological issues, which can trigger high blood pressure spikes. That is why I suggested the addition the second drug, detailly explained why. With this, the hope is that those spikes will not happen again. My opinion is that all the additional help sought, especially for medical reasons, is always helpful.
I wish your mom a good health. I hope I have been of help.
Regards,
Dr. Meriton
Hi again.
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
I understand your concern. Both my parents are diagnosed with primary (essential) hypertension. Carefully treated and controlled by myself. I tried to be careful in my answers, as I am with all my patients, in everyday practice. Hypertension is a condition, which, when kept under 140/90 mmHg, is inhibited in generating secondary problems to it. Also, therapy should be installed carefully. One cannot start on three or four drugs immediately, to treat those figures. As I mentioned, there are strictly physiological issues, which can trigger high blood pressure spikes. That is why I suggested the addition the second drug, detailly explained why. With this, the hope is that those spikes will not happen again. My opinion is that all the additional help sought, especially for medical reasons, is always helpful.
I wish your mom a good health. I hope I have been of help.
Regards,
Dr. Meriton
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
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