Need your input before I call my cardiologist and spend thousands of dollars again!! pre-advanced lyme disease had 7 tests done to find out why chest pain, s.o.b.,rt. and lt. arm bp totally different and adrenal dumping bloodwork off the charts. We ruled out aortic tear and tumors of adrenal and pituitary. Now I noted BP goes up to 176/86 p-92 down to 112/68 p-62 within 1 hr. at at times. Severe headaches then I think BP high...find it super low. STRANGE!!! Is this normal with lymes??? Use to be for 48yrs. a steady 112/70 highest 120/76. Lately high than low..checked BP monitor with docs it's correct. HELP.Hope it's a Lyme normality...HAH!thanks!kim
Posted by david1097 (Member # 3662) on :
You should take a look at burrascano's notes and specifically, the references to cardiac manifestations and neurally mediated hypotension. There is also of course the classis Lyme sign of AV block, but that would reduce the p to 1/2 normal, not by 1/3 as you have seen.
Bottom line is yes, it can happen. Also, the pitutitary seems to be a favorate target of Lyme, causing all sorts of abnormalities that would drive an endocronologist crazy.
Interestingly, you can see changes in the relative MRI signal intensity as the damn disease progresses, at least that was the case for me. I had/have done quite a few MRI's and pre-post severe symtoms, you can see changes in the pituitary and thalamus, but you have to look at the complete sequence to really see the difference. Definately not your "blinding light" type of lesion that most are used to.
With lyme treatment you will likley see the cardiac stuff come and go. It did for me, but now it has not happened in a long time except during a sever symptom flare, ussually from a new drug regime. With high order AV block, IV ceftriaxone is the standard treatment... period (as far as I can see)
Studies in dogs has shown that the bacteria actually wraps its self around muscle fibers in the heart... not a very comforting thought.
Hope that helps.
PS. a good cardiologist SHOULD know about the effect of Lyme since that is one of the things that has been discussed alot and it does appear in the CME programs as well as having appeared in "case of the week" from several on line journals.
Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :
"Blood vessels also dilate in response to low pH (Orlando Regional Healthcare, 2004)."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_perfusion_pressure
"So when your blood vessels dilate, your blood pressure can hit some dizzying new lows."
TNF alpha is acidic - it's a protein. Protective in many ways, but too much = harmful (esp. to eyes).
Research headaches with relationship to blood vessels.
Posted by ConnieMc (Member # 191) on :
Hey, this issue is fresh in my mind, as I was to have surgery this morn and the plugged was pulled due to hypertension.
My BP fluctuates wildly. Most of the time, it is 100/60 to 120/80. But in times of stress, it shoots up. I saw a cardiologist who diagnosed an autonomic nervous system dysfunction. When I am under severe stress, my BP gets out of control. I had a complete cardiac workup 6 months ago and it said my heart is in great shape. I just have a trigger-happy autonomic nervous system. Due to LYME.
The surgeon refused to call my cardiologist to check things out, and told me it didn't matter as they would not do surgery with it that high. However, the cardiologist told me when I called him that is is actually dangerous for me to be pumped up with BP meds to lower it to a tolerable level before surgery, as when they put me under, it will crash, and actually be more dangerous.
The cardiologist is faxing a letter to explain all this to the surgeon. But who knows what will happen.
Perhaps I will have them pump me up with sedatives instead, so I will not be so stressed. I have never had surgery before, and seem to have a bit of a phobia about it.
Just an example of how these types of problems can cause havoc. This is very typical in neuro Lyme. My symptoms are mostly neuro, and this is just one of them.
Posted by groovy2 (Member # 6304) on :
Hi Kim
I have no idea about the terms and such you are using but-- I have lyme and babs and my BP was all over the place-- Now after starting treatment for Babs my BP has Totally Stoped its wild swings and has gone to Normal --Jay--
Posted by nan (Member # 63) on :
I was told by an LLMD that cardiologists were actually suggesting lyme disease to patients with heart and bp problems. Not all of them, mind you...but these symptoms are so common with lyme that savvy cardiologists are catching on and sharing the information with their colleagues.
Maybe you can teach your a thing or two, Kim!
Posted by iceskater (Member # 8655) on :
I thought that I read somewhere that it can effect calcium channel conduction and BP. I think babs can do the same thing. I know in felines, it can cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and heart block. My 11 yr old cat has this condition. I always took him on my patio, and wonder if tic toc got him, too. ( matty has had heart problems 9 yrs)
Posted by WildCondor (Member # 434) on :
Please check out the links on Neurally Mediated Hypotension, Lyme can cause inflammation of the vagus nerve and cause the wild BP fluctuations!!
![[confused]](graemlins/confused.gif)
( matty has had heart problems 9 yrs)