Bad Trade

[Pete]

Saw my PCP today for a routine checkup. My BP is well within normal limits, and I only have another 8 pounds to lose to reach my pre-GPA weight.

Before disease onset, I was taking three BP meds and staying around the upper limit of 130/80. After GPA onset, my BP got pretty low, like 70/40. He has gradually taken me off all the BP meds to see if it would go back up and stay normal. It was 122/68 this morning.

He joked that I've traded hypertension for GPA. I'd like to undo the trade!!!

[mishb]

I would gladly undo that trade as well Pete.

For years (before WG) my bp was very high and now it is normal.

Congratulations on a great report - I wish I only had 8 pounds to go to reach my pre-WG weight (try 8 kilo's)

[Alysia]

Hi pete & Michelle,
this can be the beginning of a new list:
"what have I earned from having WG":
my first point in that list is, of course:
membership in this forum.

[annekat]

My blood pressure hasn't changed, has always been on the high side of moderate and changes quite a bit from day to day or hour to hour. Well, right now it is 113/74, which I guess isn't too bad or especially good. It usually gets higher when I'm in the doctor's office, but I think it has gone down a little there in the last few months, but not in relation to having been dx'ed with GPA 2.5 years ago. Could someone explain to me why a person's blood pressure would go down with GPA?

[Dirty Don]

Could someone explain to me why a person's blood pressure would go down with GPA?

Drugs? Diets? A drive to be healthier?

[annekat]

Hmm.... I'd think with all the pred, anxiety about the disease, getting out of breath, getting overweight, being less active, etc., it would go up! I thought there might be a mysterious medical explanation for it going down.

[mishb]

I'm with Don.

I 'm pretty sure it is going down with our knowledge of foods to eat and trying to keep our health levels up and our day to day stress levels down.

For me, it was plaquenil.
Plaquenil is an anti-malaria drug that somehow managed to find it's way into the world of arthritis.
It was found to reduce arthritic pain, but it also has the added benefit of being good for the heart, for some reason.
I guess it also has the benefit of not getting killed by mosquito's

[Pete]

Drugs? Diets? A drive to be healthier?

Don, I agree for the most part. When I was in the throes of wegs, my BP got dangerously low. My PCP started taking me off BP meds one at a time until it was closer to normal. That's worked pretty well. As for diet and healthier lifestyle, I wholeheartedly agree with you.

btw, how's your golf game? Mine sucks, but I still enjoy spoiling nice walks.

[annekat]

Don, I agree for the most part. When I was in the throes of wegs, my BP got dangerously low. My PCP started taking me off BP meds one at a time until it was closer to normal. That's worked pretty well. As for diet and healthier lifestyle, I wholeheartedly agree with you.

btw, how's your golf game? Mine sucks, but I still enjoy spoiling nice walks.

I think that's what I was getting at with my question. I doubt if most people "in the throes of Wegs" are putting a lot of energy into embarking on a healthier lifestyle right away, as they are just trying to deal with the reality of having the disease. I was wondering why your blood pressure dropped dangerously low, what was the mechanism for that happening in a Wegs patient. I'm all for the healthy lifestyle aspect of lowering one's BP, but I think that would come later after a little recovery time. Although true that getting lots of rest would help, as many need to do when first being treated.

[Barbara N]

I just went back on pred over a month ago and I have already put on 10 kilos. They will probably be hard to get rid of and I'm not off the pred yet.Even with the pred my BP is normal for me around 90/70. It has only gone over 100 a few times. Alll my life my BP has been low.My biggest problem is the anemia that I get when I flare my RBC count went down to 5anmd my creatine is at 5 as well, so I need to bring those two things up.