Blood Pressure Problems

rebennett06 · August 2014

Let me start by saying:: I already have a call into my dr, I just want to hear your experiences in the meantime so I can stop freaking myself out waiting for them to call me back!

My bp is normally around 110/70..I have had 2 instances of it spiking "high" for me (130/80ish) and last week at my appointment my dr said that it was a good thing my bp was normal at that appointment otherwise she was going to induce.

Today, I have been feeling pretty crappy and have had super swollen fingers and feet (mine are swollen ALL THE TIME, so they are wayy worse than normal for me to notice) I had a nurse at work check my bp and it was 142/82...Obviously first thing I did was call the dr, but anyone have any suggestions in the mean time? Even just a "yeah thats totally normal stop freaking yourself out" would be fine!!!

MrsLaLaBug · August 2014

I could have written this post myself. My dr is currently monitoring my BP every other day for this very same reason. Just try to relax while you wait for that call back, but I'd def make sure they get you seen ASAP.

natalie559 · August 2014

My experience has been that my normal bp is 110/60 or so, a couple weeks ago went to 130-135/70-75 and has stayed in that range. My doc said they get concerned when bp nears 140/90 and that she is most concerned with the lower number. So I borrowed a bp monitor and have been taking readings at home, occasionally one reading might be a tad higher but hasn't been close to 90. I too have good swelling in my feet, calves and hands none in the face and no drastic changes from one day to another. Have you retaken yours since the reading you speak of?

rebennett06 · August 2014

natalie559 said:

My experience has been that my normal bp is 110/60 or so, a couple weeks ago went to 130-135/70-75 and has stayed in that range. My doc said they get concerned when bp nears 140/90 and that she is most concerned with the lower number. So I borrowed a bp monitor and have been taking readings at home, occasionally one reading might be a tad higher but hasn't been close to 90. I too have good swelling in my feet, calves and hands none in the face and no drastic changes from one day to another. Have you retaken yours since the reading you speak of?

yep just retook (is that a word?) it and it was 130/82. I have no clue what those numbers mean though!!

camichael84 · August 2014

rebennett06 said:

natalie559 said:

My experience has been that my normal bp is 110/60 or so, a couple weeks ago went to 130-135/70-75 and has stayed in that range. My doc said they get concerned when bp nears 140/90 and that she is most concerned with the lower number. So I borrowed a bp monitor and have been taking readings at home, occasionally one reading might be a tad higher but hasn't been close to 90. I too have good swelling in my feet, calves and hands none in the face and no drastic changes from one day to another. Have you retaken yours since the reading you speak of?

yep just retook (is that a word?) it and it was 130/82. I have no clue what those numbers mean though!!

"Normal" BP is 120/80 and under. You're considered pre-hypertensive above that and up to 140/90, and anything above that is hypertensive. My doctor would be happy with those numbers, but I have high BP that I'm on medicine for, so I'm sure my situation is much different than yours. I will say that they are more concerned, usually, with the bottom number over the top.

ETA: Good luck and I hope everything turns out okay! My OB has told me many times that it is normal for BP to go up towards the end. I understand your concern, though, especially with the swelling. Pre-E is nothing to mess around with.

conradraging · August 2014

This is exactly why I was in l&d last week. The major thing they will check for is protein in your urine (pre e). But if there is no protein, while your bp is high for you it's not THAT high (what they told me) so they will monitor it for a while, and see if it fluctuates or goes back down. Mine did, it kept going from normal (for me about 100/70) to about 140/85 and fluctuating in the middle. But they just monitored and sent me home, saying we jugs have to keep an eye on it and to call if I notice symptoms again. Sure enough my swelling went down and my bp went back to normal at my next appointment.

Good luck!

rebennett06 · August 2014

thanks guys for all the advice...i'm still waiting to hear back from the dr, i'm on my 5th water bottle of the day so I think I'm doing a pretty good job of staying hydrated, and its nice to know that it sounds like a few of you guys went through this too!!

nilvero · August 2014

Definitely try not to stress, because that will spike it back up. Drink lots of water and try to rest.

I have always hovered at about 124/89 but my last few appointments, when they take my blood pressure first thing it was high. It didn't drop after a second reading last week so they sent me to L&D. I was monitored for 40 minutes and they took my BP every ten. It went back down. They also checked for protein in my urine, which was negative, and did blood work that came back negative.

She might send you for more monitoring. Hopefully everything goes okay for you! Definitely try and relax!

slowmo · August 2014

I hope your doctor calls soon! Like everyone says, stay hydrated and rest. Your BP can vary quite a bit, and a couple isolated high readings may not be cause for alarm. You're really worried right now (understandable!), which will also affect your pressure. My BP has been fine throughout my pregnancy (100-120/70-80), but when I had a needle stick at work a few weeks ago and had to go to our hospital's ER, my BP was 142/92. No surprise considering how stressed I was! It hasn't been that high since.

(Also, just an FYI: The basic breakdown of the BP numbers is this: The top number [systolic pressure] measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart is beating. The bottom number [diastolic pressure] measures the pressure in your arteries between beats, when the heart is at rest.)

Hang in there!

niclaren · August 2014

My BP has steadily been rising over my past few appointments. My OB said he won't worry until the bottom number is above 90. Yesterday I was running late for my appointment and was frazzled (plus I have "white coat syndrome" and my BP is always higher at the doctor's office), and my BP was 151/91 which is the highest I've ever seen it. They rechecked 20 minutes later and I was down to 130/68 which they were happy with. My swelling has gotten worse also, but I haven't been losing any protein in my urine so the OB is happy for now. Just told me to rest, drink water, and keep my feet elevated. Hopefully Pre-E stays away these last couple of weeks! I would keep an eye on your BP, especially since you've seen sudden swelling. Rest, rest, rest!

AbbyLee621 · August 2014

Call your doctor. I'm on bedrest for this very reason. Mine stays around 135/85. If it hits 150/100 I have to call. I've had a couple of scary spikes, but lying down and drinking water helps. Don't talk while you take your BP either.

I don't have pre-e, but they are labeling it as pregnancy induced hypertension.

JanisBaby14 · August 2014

jwhipple05 said:
My BP spiked at 180/120!! Scared the hell out of me. The dr had me lay on my left side for a while and it dropped to 160/100. They put me on meds 3x a day. It now is at a steady 130/80. They are happy with that. I've always had low BP, so this is new to me as well. I have a scheduled c section at 39 weeks because LO is still breech. As long as my BP stays where it is, that's the plan. My dr pulled me from work and said to spend as much time on my left side as possible and very limited salt intake. Good luck! Keep us posted, your dr will do what's best for you and LO.

Mine was at 170/100 yesterday. It's been trending like this for weeks. I've had protein in my urine since week 29. Mild preclampsia since then and strict bedrest. My blood pressure is normally 115-118/60. So I feel the spikes.

All my OB has been doing is monitoring. It's two visits a week. Luckily LO is happy and healthy but not momma and I'm starting to feel it on my body. Hands and feet no longer swollen as I lay 85% of the day but now my face is swollen most of the time. I'm 34w4d and have induction date set for 37w sept 7 but after yesterday in L&D with blood pressures still in the high 150s and 160s over 90s I just wish we'd get a better plan. My labs are always fine. And urine sticks never show protein but my 24 hours are trending up when I get the spikes.

T&P for everyone else dealing with this too.

Texasgurly0313 · August 2014

My norm at the beginning of the pregnancy was 100s/60s, and the last few weeks, the bottom number has crept up to the 80s with a few spikes in the 90s. I haven't been swelling or anything, but my NST nurse is keeping an eye on the BP. The OBs and other nurses aren't to worried about it since I've been in the normal range (regardless of whether or not it's high for me).

amom2four · August 2014

Hopefully they will call you soon and all will be well. In the meantime, if possible, kick your feet up a little, lean back, close your eyes and try to relax. Read a magazine for 10-20 minutes and recheck bp at 10-15 minute intervals and record them. Although, I'm sure you're Already doing this. Good luck.

Ivorytower2 · August 2014

I had a random high reading last week and they tested for protein, but I didn't have any. They took BP ten minutes later and it was ok, but my doc said check it every few days and if it's above 140/90 to call in.

Since I have zero swelling and no protein, I don't think it's pre-e, but I'm wondering how they handle a standalone symptom of high BP in late pregnancy.

amom2four · August 2014

Ivorytower2 said:
I had a random high reading last week and they tested for protein, but I didn't have any. They took BP ten minutes later and it was ok, but my doc said check it every few days and if it's above 140/90 to call in.

Since I have zero swelling and no protein, I don't think it's pre-e, but I'm wondering how they handle a standalone symptom of high BP in late pregnancy.

If it's a one time high reading, they'll recheck. If it's normal, it could be from so many things they'll just watch at your next visit. I had that happen a few times last pregnancy and it was typically high at the beginning of the appt and normalized by the end and caused by running late or something like that. If it continues or you develop other symptoms of pre-e that's when more advanced screenings are used.

A single high reading can also be operator error, for lack of a better term. It can be either human or machine malfunction.

dal2aus · August 2014

A similar situation happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I was hypertensive pre-pregnancy, so I have a home BP monitor which I use almost every day. I also take Procardia. One day I had more foot swelling than usual that didn't go down overnight and my blood pressure was 140/some number. I called the OB and they told me to check in 4 hours and if it spiked to 160/100 to go to L&D. They also told me to try to relax since that can artificially spike your BP. I spent the entire day at home with my feet up, drinking lots of water, and eating watermelon and cucumber. My blood pressure went back down to normal and the next day the swelling was gone. My OB also ordered a 24 hour urine and bloodwork that all came back clear.

You did the right thing to call your doctor, but 140/90 is not necessarily a sign of immediate danger, it's just a threshold to indicate that you need further attention. Hopefully your BP goes back down or your tests come back negative. Stay hydrated and try to relax.

rebennett06 · August 2014

Well my FMLA paperwork that the dr filled out said I jad gestational hypertension (shes never come out and said this to me though) and I've had a couple high readings combined with feeling crappy so I think that's why she jumped to induction last week. ..although they still have not called me back today so I have no idea what to do now. .. anyone have suggestions? I've called a second time about an hour and a half ago

hpragolini · August 2014

Same thing happened last week to me. My normal is always 104/64 give it take 4 in either direction. When I went to appt on friday gained 10 lbs in 7 days due to swelling and bp was 136/86. Protein was fine at that visit. They did a NST which baby passed with flying colors. Told me to come back Monday to recheck bp and to watch out for vision changes and a bad headache that won't go away woth tylenol. Also said to really watch my salt intake and rest woth my feet up as much as possible to reduce the pitting edema.

By Monday my bp was down to 122/82 so they are happy and I am back to weekly appts

amom2four · August 2014

Keep calling them, or if you're close go over and have them take a reading.

nienot · August 2014

Ok, reading all this is making me a little more concerned about my one time high reading at my appt last Friday. It was 120/87 at beginning of our appt/class and normally I'm about 115/65-75. So, my midwife told me they would recheck at the end of class (2 hours later). They check two hours later and it's 110/70 but they still wanted to test my urine. She acted like she was doing it just to cover all bases and I likely had nothing to worry about. So, I'm standing there while she dips the strip and she's acting all non-chalant and then was like hmm, well you do have a little bit of protein in your urine. So, we'll monitor it and chart this. I figured it wasn't a big deal, because I didn't think a one time high reading would really matter than much. Guess I will have to hope this Friday at my appt things are normal.

Has anyone had protein in their urine but did have pre e?

Thanks for sharing all your helpful advice, ladies & @rebennett06‌ I hope all turns out ok for you and baby!

rebennett06 · August 2014

Well dr finally got back to me at 530 and sent me to labor and delivery. . Was there for about 3 hours. ..BP returned to normal and they ran every lab they could but everything looks great so now is rest until my appt tomorrow! Thanks for all the advice!

amom2four · August 2014

Good news! Stay calm.

saraeric · August 2014

@rebennett06 I had to go to L&D this evening too! BP was super high in drs office (160/110) at my appt this afternoon... but after monitoring it was in the 120s/70s and all my labs came back fine. Are you having to do the 24 hr urine catch? Hope you're appointment goes well tomorrow!

AnyMax · August 2014

I'm glad they sent you for monitoring to be safe, and that everything looked good. I hope your appointment goes well today.

@wpatx‌ Did she mention running some blood work or having you do a 24 hour urine catch?
The first time they found protein in my urine, my BP had been elevated for about three weeks, so they sent me to be monitored for about an hour, checked liver enzymes (which were fine), and sent me home with a jug to do the 24hr catch. That first 24hr came back only in the 120s.
A week later, I wasn't feeling well and BP was even higher, so they sent me back for more monitoring , blood work, and had me do another 24hr catch. Blood work was still good, but that 24hr catch came back in the 470s (they are watching for it to be over 300). So along with gestational hypertension and pitting edema, they made my pre-e diagnosis.

nienot · August 2014

@AnyMax‌ interesting. I don't remember her specifying exactly how they would recheck at my appointment tomorrow because I honestly thought it wasn't a big deal and didn't think twice about it when she mentioned it. Anxious for tomorrow, but I appreciate you sharing your experience and information. Thank you!

amy006 · August 2014

I've been dealing with the same thing this week. I had been getting great BP numbers up until Sunday, when I checked it and it read 160/105! I called the Dr and they had me go in. I had a trace of protein in my urine but nothing alarming, swelling wasn't out of the norm, no severe headache or vomiting, and the labs came back normal. So far, I've been diagnosed with hypertension but not preeclampsia. They did a nonstress test and baby is doing just fine. I have to see the Doctor twice a week though for monitoring and was taken out of work and put on bed rest. As long as I'm lying down, my BP is totally normal. As soon as I get up, it shoots way up...so it looks like a lot of Netflix is in my future!

RedBaramid · August 2014

I'm glad everything turned out just fine for you! Today I went in for a NST due to sudden weight gain and a high BP. The Doc told me she thought I was fine because so far all my UA's were coming back good but that she'd rather be safe than sorry since I was also reporting in with dizziness and had called in last week for seeing spots. I think the worst part of all of this is it stresses us out to think there may be something wrong and be unsure. Either way, I'm glad your doctor is keeping a solid eye on you and that you got sent in to get looked at.

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