Isolated Diastolic Hypotension and High Pulse Pressure

  

Hello All,

For the past few days, I have been quite ill again with very odd blood pressure readings and in between exceptionally low readings especially the diastolic (lower number). I have had symptoms of severe weakness with pressure on my head, slight headache, dizziness, brain fog, unable to speak at times and arrhythmia. I am much worse standing or moving around.

My blood pressure is normally 90/60 at rest but does crazy things when I stand up or exert myself. The other evening I suddenly felt really weird; nauseous and dizzy just sitting in my recliner. I took my B/P and it was 143/32 with arrhythmia. My research into blood pressure readings with "above" normal systolic (top...above 120...normal=120-90) and a "normal or below" normal diastolic (bottom...less than 60...normal=80-60), led me to the discovery that it is called "isolated diastolic hypotension," which is a form of low blood pressure. So 143/32 is a classic reading for “isolated diastolic hypotension”.

It can be caused by:

"Usually it is due to dehydration and electrolyte deficiencies in young adults. Rarely, it is due to leaky aortic valves. Sometimes it is due to certain hormone deficiencies or anemia. You should see your doctor for lab tests and to see if you have leaky valve (murmur on exam) and if further evaluation with echocardiogram is needed."

https://www.healthtap.com/topics/isolated-diastolic-hypotension

So once again I find another oddity not in the literature that can happen to those of us with Periodic Paralysis..."isolated diastolic hypotension". One cause of this condition is “pulse pressure” (low or high potassium which can affect the other electrolytes) and another cause is dehydration. It would seem that we have found another way to recognize shifting potassium.

Besides "isolated diastolic hypotension," I had a large spread between the systolic and diastolic number. Subtracting one from the other, the spread is 111 points. That spread is called the “pulse pressure.” Normal pulse pressure is 40 to 75. At 111, my pulse pressure was high, an indication of high blood pressure.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-06-22/health/fl-jjps-pressure-0623-20100622_1_blood-pressure-blood-loss-diastolic

Research indicates:

”Thus, many older patients can have both a high systolic and a low diastolic blood pressure. This condition is known as high pulse pressure. The heightened difference between diastolic and systolic blood pressure is associated with a higher risk of stroke than an elevation of either systolic or diastolic blood pressure alone. Unfortunately, nothing can be done to raise diastolic pressure that does not also raise systolic blood pressure.”

So I can conclude that my blood pressure readings indicated I probably had "isolated diastolic hypotension" with a high "pulse pressure." Because I had low and high blood pressure, I was not sure if I had high or low potassium levels. Using my potassium reader I discovered I had high potassium. Because low blood pressure usually indicates high potassium levels and high blood pressure usually indicates low potassium levels, it would be difficult to know without using a potassium reader.

Knowing I had high potassium helped me to know what to do to treat it. I ate something with some sugar and since I also may have been dehydrated, as suggested in the information I gathered, I increased my liquid intake. I felt better for a little while, but am still struggling. I may add some magnesium supplement back into my diet.

This is the trial and error that I walk, as do others with Periodic Paralysis, that fine line I call "the tightrope."

 
I also must realize that at my age and with these symptoms, this oddity in my blood pressure may be the cause of the two TIAs (small strokes) I have had in recent months and it may be there is nothing I can do about it since I cannot take any medications and even if I could, any that I would take to lower or higher it would be harmful by making my blood pressure even higher or lower.

I have included some good links with information about the above issues:

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/AboutHighBloodPressure/Understanding-Blood-Pressure-Readings_UCM_301764_Article.jsp

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21947466?holding=palvhlib_fft

http://www.uab.edu/news/latest/item/1681-low-diastolic-blood-pressure-linked-to-higher-risk-of-heart-failure?tmpl=component&print=1

http://www.healthcentral.com/high-blood-pressure/c/58370/110775/pulse/

Until later…