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High-Risk Pregnancy
pre-e/PIH...headache/nausea question
Hi ladies, popping over this way again.
So quick backstory, I was induced with my first due to PIH/borderline pre-e. 3 weeks ago at my appointment, my bp jumped (normally 112/60ish, went to 128/83ish), which was a concern, but it also wasn't "technically" high. I also had +1 protein in my urine. Dr wanted me to monitor bp at home (stayed about where it was at appt), and of course call if I had any other symptoms. Last week at my appt, bp was again about the same, protein was just at trace levels. I was having more swelling, and a somewhat significant weight gain, so instructions were the same.
Last night before going to bed, I got one higher bp reading (136/89), but about 10 minutes later it was down to 125/83. I also had a pretty bad headache, but chalked it up to the fact that I was stressed/crying a bunch yesterday morning b/c my dad was having surgery. I didn't take any tylenol or anything.
Well, now it's 3am, I woke up with a horrific headache mainly centered on my left side, behind my eye to my ear, and am extremely nauseous. I've taken my bp 3x in 20 minutes, and it's been in the mid-120s/mid/high-80s range each time. I've taken tylenol now, and drank some milk in hopes of calming my head and my stomach. I feel like I'm probably "putting together" symptoms that have logical explainations, but still, I'm a bit worried.
If you've made it thru my novel, thanks. Any thoughts? I'm going to go lay on the couch and see if my head will stop throbbing, and maybe take my bp again in a bit.
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Re: pre-e/PIH...headache/nausea question
to both posters I would call in.
to the poster below the original.
If you have having epigastric pain that is a severe complication of pre-e and I doubt they wouldn't take that seriously. If you have pain in your upper right quadrant that is typically HELLP. I cant imagine you have pre-e but they haven't told you.
Those symptoms sound severe and any good doctor would have you in the hospital doing a 24 hr urine. Good luck to both of you
I agree both of you should call the doctor- especially to this poster. You need to make the doctor listen and take this seriously. You have all the symptoms of pre-e and HELLP can come on very quickly- as it did for me. I didn't want to complain about how I was feeling- that's my personality- and I paid a very high price for it. I won't scare you - everything ended up ok in the long run- but it took months for me to recover and I wish I had spoken up much earlier.
I spent 3 weeks in the hospital on bed rest during my 2nd pregnancy because of pre-e (after my horrible 1st pregnancy experience they took everything seriously). I had BP specialists visit daily and learned a lot about BP. I had my BP taken every 4 hours- in both arms- that is the proper way to do it. BP can range throughout the day and you want to know your particular pattern of when it is higher/lower and whether you have one arm that is continuously higher than the other. My doctor said they aren't worried if I get one particular high BP reading. It's the pattern or trend of it going up over a period of time that is most concerning. If I got a high reading, they would have me lie on my side and see if they could get it lower. Another thing is that they would NEVER use the digital BP monitor. You can make it go higher/lower very easily. They would only use the manually BP monitor. It was always lower than the digital.
Also, every time they came to take my BP, they asked a list of questions- headaches? Upper gastric pain? Blurred vision, etc. A few times I had headaches and it immediately got me a 24 hour urine test and/or blood tests (to test my kidney function and liver function- a problem with HELLP). It was always taken very seriously- even when it turned out that sometimes a headache is just a headaches (the air was very dry and I got dehydrated).
Bottom line is that your doctor should take these symptoms very seriously. Pre-e can go from mild to severe very quickly and it's much easier to head it off when it's taken seriously early on.
IUI- BFN IVF #1 -BFP! Allie is our 2nd IVF baby. Born at 36 1/2 weeks after pre-e again
To the first poster, it sounds like you have a migraine. The headache associated with pre-e is not actually from blood pressure, but from swelling in the eyes, brain, nerves, etc. associated with pre-eclampsia. Migraines are usually behind the eye and only on one side like you describe. However, you shouldn't make that call -- your doctor should. I am a migranieur, and when I was battling PIH/pre-e with my first, they saw me a lot in the office; everytime I got a headache. Which was a lot. But I never had "the" pre-eclampsia headache.
Also, to both posters, blood pressures are often known to get erratic when pre-e is starting. So they'll go up and down, up and down, and usually, eventually stay high. I'm home on rest myself because I've had some bad readings for me (130/90), but at other appointments, I'm OK. Earlier this week I had a reading of 122/98, which is very weird, but I've had the same, reliable monitor for both pregnancies now, so I know it's right and just an indication that my body is starting to fight something. And given my history, my doc isn't messing around. I've also had a baseline 24-hour urine and other labs so that if the bp continues to go up, we know what we're dealing with.
Just for reference... when I noticed my bp going up over 90 on the bottom number at home last week, and I got nauseous and threw up, I called the doc and they saw me right away. It turned out to be two unrelated things, but it was a warning sign not to be ignored. You absolutely do not mess around with pre-e.
Pre-e w/DD #1 -- now age four! GD and PIH w/DD#2 -- now age two! GD and unexplained third trimester bleeding with baby # 3 -- due Feb 27!