Only dx w/ Lyme in March but have been dealing w/ symptoms for a couple of years. Prior to starting treatment, when Lyme flared I would be hypertensive. When the flare was over in 4ish weeks, hypertension would be gone. I had a horrible flare in Jan. w/ probably the worst hypertension/anxiety ever. Not sure which causes which. Now since starting treatment, I was fine at first but have a "simmering" flare. Not horrible but could be worse. I have been on metoprolol and my MD added clonidine 0.2 mg. prn to help control the hypertension when I feel I need it. I haven't taken it yet, just reading up on it. Clonidine supposedly has some effect on the CNS....has anyone taken this? Does it help or make you have bad side-effects? I read about so many w/ Lyme being hypotensive, yet I see a few on this board w/ hypertension...why?
Posted by momofnine (Member # 31637) on :
yes. about 6 years ago, I had a bad case of pneumonia and became hypertensive. It took me 3 years to get my blood pressure down but it has been very very good for years.
Now my BP is up and down. It has been as high as 185/105 and as low as 100/60. I have HCTZ that I take almost daily. It is a diuretic. That also might help a bit because I have swelling due to lyme. I have a small dose of lisinopril for when I need it.
I think part of mine depends on the reliationship I have with my doc and what they are or are not doing for me. the really really high BPs have been with my old doc who was doing nothing but sending me for expensive tests/ trying to get me to make referral appts because she didnt know what she was dealing with.