High diastolic blood pressure + tachycardia?

Steel Maiden · 24-06-2011, 12:24 AM

Been feeling unwell so asked a nurse to do my physical obs:

Blood pressure 126/101
Heart rate 100 bpm
Blood glucose 6.8 mmol/l

I would research this but I'm feeling too unwell to think.

- bad headache
- feeling "shaky"
- paraesthesias in hands and feet
- feeling hot and sweaty despite my window being open and the night being cold
- being wide awake despite meds and no caffeine for the past several days
- mild visual disturbance

Also I nearly collapsed today. Was clammy, sweaty, bad visual disturbances, extremely dizzy, nauseous and felt generally ill. I didn't get my physical obs done because the person who tended to me was the OT and I just wanted to go to my room and eat sugary foods.

I've been having a headache, on and off, for a week now.

Jetforce · 24-06-2011, 04:15 AM

Have you started new meds or something?
Is it that time of the month - that's if your female?
Ask them to do a postural BP - standing up if possible and sitting down and bring it up with the doctors, they'll make more sense of it compared to nurses. Plus if they used a automatic BP machine, they tend to be very inaccurate, and if you want a more accurate one, go the old fashion way (manually).

Steel Maiden · 24-06-2011, 08:37 AM

Ok thanks, will do. I haven't started any new meds. My blood sugar was 4.3 this morning which was before breakfast so normal.

fragile as glass · 24-06-2011, 07:13 PM

If your blood sugars drop below 4.0 get some sugar in you pronto.

Your original blood sugars were in the normal range.

Are you diabetic or do you have hypogylcemia? That could explain some things. Your blood pressure was slightly elevated as was your pulse. Not massively so but enough to maybe pop to your GP and get a MOT done.

effervescence · 25-06-2011, 12:49 AM

I would get checked for diabetes first off, based on symptoms more than the blood sugars.

Imperfect.Star · 25-06-2011, 01:32 AM

I don't think that what you are describing is likely to be related to blood sugar - especially if a fasting one was 4.3 and a random one 6.8 (the criteria for diabetes are random of >11 and I can't remember the exact fasting one but it's around >7 so you are waaaaaaaay normal.

Tbh the most likely thing is that you are a bit unwell (sorry, that sounds really stupid but what I mean is that there might not be a sinister cause, we all catch bugs/get run down every now and again). High pulse rate + feeling faint and clammy + headache sounds like a virus or something to me. I agree your diastolic BP was a bit high but without a second reading (preferably done manually) it doesn't mean a lot. As for visual disturbances - do they come with the headaches (? migraines) or are you on any meds which could cause them? I knoe SEs usually come on early but some could develop after you've been taking meds for a while.

Steel Maiden · 26-06-2011, 12:17 AM

Thanks all. I am aware my blood sugar was in the normal range as I memorised all the blood values in the back of my medical textbook. I was just being a worried hypochondriac somewhat. Just not sure as to why my diastolic was a bit high and my systolic normal. Because if it was stress my systolic would have been high too. Oh well.

I started my period yesterday eveing so it could have been the build-up towards my period.

The thing I'm mostly not sure about is why I get these dizziness/fainting attacks. Normally my BP is around 65 over 35 when I get these attacks, and they resolve with salt, glucose and rehydration. It's been happening about once a week or fortnight for a year now. It could be medication....it could be stress.......I am not sure. I am annoyed that I don't know why because I read medical textbooks in my spare time (and I am IP now so I have a LOT of spare time).

effervescence · 27-06-2011, 02:18 AM

From some of your other posts I am wondering if you are eating/drinking properly. A low BP like that and symptoms might be that you are constantly dehydrated with low sodium due to inadequate intake. You need to start eating and drinking better, ask someone who can help you.

Steel Maiden · 27-06-2011, 12:18 PM

When I first got admitted I wasn't eating or drinking well because of paranoia and general loss of appetite/motivation. But for the past week and a bit I have been eating and drinking well.

Yet today I had to eat jelly beans and drink lots of water in one go because I felt my consciousness fading. However I attribute this to heat.