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Posted 5/18/2006 5:49 AM (GMT -8)
Hello everyone! New here...I'm actually posting on behalf of my father who is internet illiterate! I wasn't sure which forum this belonged in so please move if I was wrong.

6 months ago my father passed out in the shower...and so began the medical journey...it was discovered that his blood pressure is out of control...climbs really high (around 200 or so over 120-130) then drops all of a sudden (120 over 90 on average)...all day and night it does this up and down and he's now really ill. His symptoms other then the hypertension are headaches, nausea, flushed face, sweating, dizziness and weakness. He's been to a cardiologist and a neurologist but they cannot locate what the problem may be. He's on every blood pressure med out there and they do nothing, he just gets worse. They thought it might be a rare tumor in the adrenal gland but a specialilst (who was a total jerk) said that he highly doubts that. Any suggestions on places to look or information on obtaining a diagnosis would be greatly appreciated...we're running on borrowed time at this point and I'm afraid it's going to take something like a stroke before the doctor's really try to work to find a diagnosis.

I myself have a chronic illness so I know how hard it is to navigate the world of medicine but it's a lot different when you're watching someone you love get ill. Thanks!

Posted 5/18/2006 11:13 AM (GMT -8)
Hi Secondchance,  I wanted to welcome you to healing well forum.  I am sorry about your father.  I know it is frustrating when there is a medical problem going on and you cant get physicians to listen or pay attention to what is happening.  I have a similar problem with my blood pressure and it going up and down.  But mine mostly is low and I take two different meds to keep it within a normal range however, when I lay down it sky rockets.  I have been diagnosed with an Autonomic Dysfunction called Multiple System Atrophy or MSA for short.  There are different types of Autonomic Disorders that are extremely difficult to diagnose....I don't know if this is what the problem is but, you can Google it and read up on the different types and see if something doesn't hit home for you.  I truly hope that you find some answers soon, please keep us updated..Take care ~ Elisha

Posted 5/30/2006 3:25 PM (GMT -8)
Hello...Im so sorry about your father..like Alisha said..go on www.google.com and look under her suggestion also look up hypertension,,,heart desease...diabetes...also check to see if there are any over the counter meds that are targeting his symptoms alot of pharmacist call the one he gets his meds from and ask wether its Tylenol or cold therapy or arthritis meds..anything check them all out...keep a journal of his symptoms when and what he was doing at the time..the foods hes eating..get him on a low cholesterol diet..watch his caffeine intake go caffeine free if possible..eat lots of fruits and vegies..stay away from Red meats..give him fish it has omega 3 fatty acids realy good for you..eat foods high in potasium...watch if he pees often and what kind of stool he has colour ,firmness or lack of...keep the journal and report back to the doctor..get a blood pressure cuff and take it a couple of times a day and journal it...if you don't live with him get some help from friends and family till you figure this thing out...have his potasium and liver and kidneys and blood glucose taken tell your doc you want these tests done..its all a blood test..I hope this helps...good luck to both of you and god bless you for helping those you love....Therese
Posted 5/31/2006 4:20 AM (GMT -8)
I have a lot to keep me busy these days...my grandfather just had open heart surgery this past Friday and my dad had an angiogram the same day! Never a dull moment in my family.

 

Ok, he is already keeping a journal and taking Omega 3 pills. His urination is normal as well as bowel movements. His cholesterol is borderline but not high. His diet is horrible which is what I'm pushing him to change now but blood sugars, etc are within normal levels. He already monitors his blood pressure all day since the doctors visits have started. He's had every test you can name and all of the blood work you can think of. They thought they had it figured out when some test showed a possible crimp in his renal artery so they went in to do an angiogram but apparently there was no blockage so the test was wrong. He's on every blood pressure medication out there at the highest dosages but they make no difference, it still progressively gets worse. The doctors have been at this for 6 months and are stumped by what could be causing this so I'm contacting various hospitals around the country looking for specialists that may have some idea as to what is going on. Any referrals would be great!!

Posted 5/31/2006 9:10 AM (GMT -8)
I'm sorry secondchance that he isnt getting any better.  If his physicians dont know what is going on with him there is no way that anyone here is going to be able to say one way or the other either.  We are not physicians just ordinary people who share like experiences.  Please do keep us updated on how he is doing...Take care.
Posted 5/31/2006 12:08 PM (GMT -8)
I apologize, I was only hoping people who have experienced problems like this would know of somewhere I could get further information...I didn't mean to make it seem like I was asking for a diagnosis.
Posted 5/31/2006 2:13 PM (GMT -8)
There is no need for an apology at all.  It is just hard to recommend some place for someone to be treated or even to be directed if the physicians are having difficulty in this area.  I know my diagnosis of MSA was kind of a stumper for a short period of time.  You always have the Mayo Clinic you can go to or basically any kind of research hospital.  I went to Vanderbilt University in Tenn. they have neurologists that specialize in autonomic disorders and blood pressure problems. Generally these type of places are difficult to get into unless the primary doc can get your foot in the door and push an appointment through.   Good luck.
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