Guest guest Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 At the age of 25 and following a routine medical at Teacher College in January 1977, a problem with blood pressure was discovered. I had no symptoms and not much idea what was going on. The nurse suggested a visit to the local Doctors that day would be expedient way of clearing this up. The Doctor, having taken my blood pressure, suggested that I go straight into hospital in order to run a few tests (over weekend) so I wouldn't put my studies at risk in the final year. Eight weeks later I was sent home! After a barrage of tests Conns Syndrome was found to be the cause of high blood pressure. A visit to an early version of the CT Scanner was arranged in order to locate a benign tumour on the adrenal gland (s). None could be seen. I was sent home on a course of spironalactone (the immediate effect besides lowering my blood pressure) was to zap me of most of my energy. On return to hospital in March 1977 I was operated on and one adrenal gland was removed and most of the other (hyperplasia). Recovery from surgery and a non-functioning adrenal gland meant that injections of Cortisone were given to stimulate the remnant gland into full operation. By March 1978 I was in a position where my cortisone treatments were slowly reduced and the spironalactone was reduced to 50mg. In May of that year I returned to hospital for further assessment. In June 1978 the consultant decided to wean me off spiro. Since all this transpired, my blood pressure for a number of years (certainly through the eighties) remained up and down and therefore I was put back on 50mg spiro and Hydralizine (which never really helped much in my opinion). I got my my blood pressure in much better control in the nineties when I was put on Analapril which was a fairly new drug if memory serves me – an ACE inhibitor. This brought everything under good control. My enlarged heart returned to `normal' and I generally felt good. By now of course I was back home and under a local consultant. One thing I was not told from the early days was that my ECG recording showed an abnormality. I wish I had been told this because following a bit of a problem with `palpitations' I was admitted to the local hospital and from my ECG they told me that I had had a heart attack – shock horrow!! When the rest of the blood tests came through this was proved not to be the case. They had based their diagnoses purely on the ECG read-out. Currently (now aged 56) my blood pressure during the day can reach 150 / 90 but more often than not at rest it kicks in at 130 / 80. The systolic seems to be the one that needs watching now. This variability has been checked out twice in the last 10 years through wearing a 24 hour monitor machine. The results of this show that my blood pressure is under fairly good control. It certainly doesn't hang-around at 150 / 160 systolic all day. In terms of what I have read on the board I do not have a handle on as much detail as others with PA have put up. My local GP regularly checks the electrolytes and kidneys. If there is anything else I should be doing please feel free to get in touch. Kabrna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Thanks for your " 's Story " and we should put it in our files. I trust you had low K to start with. The more info you can give us the better for others. I think you hold the record in our files for follow up; 1977 to 2008 makes it 31 years. Congrats. In 1977 most did not do AVS, except at Indiana where I was and may or may not have helped make decision on surgery. Did they ever recommend that you restrict salt and increase K in diet (this was before DASH) to test you BP response before surgery-likely not. Sounds like you are in UK? Where were you worked up? As you may have limited adrenal reserve I trust they have you carrying around some oral and injectable cortisone in case of an emergency? If not ask your Dr. again. I would recommend you do unless your adrenal have re-grown completely. Do you carry a card in you wallet with this info on it? With onset at an early age in a man we now always think of one of the familial forms of PA. Read my article on the evolution of PA and take it to your Drs. Ask all you first degree relatives about HTN and low K. Have you had a renin and aldo measured in last few years? This is new way to follow to see how things are going. On Jul 23, 2008, at 4:50 AM, paul_kabrna@... wrote: > At the age of 25 and following a routine medical at Teacher College > in January 1977, a problem with blood pressure was discovered. I had > no symptoms and not much idea what was going on. The nurse suggested > a visit to the local Doctors that day would be expedient way of > clearing this up. The Doctor, having taken my blood pressure, > suggested that I go straight into hospital in order to run a few > tests (over weekend) so I wouldn't put my studies at risk in the > final year. Eight weeks later I was sent home! > > After a barrage of tests Conns Syndrome was found to be the cause of > high blood pressure. A visit to an early version of the CT Scanner > was arranged in order to locate a benign tumour on the adrenal gland > (s). None could be seen. > > I was sent home on a course of spironalactone (the immediate effect > besides lowering my blood pressure) was to zap me of most of my > energy. On return to hospital in March 1977 I was operated on and one > adrenal gland was removed and most of the other (hyperplasia). > Recovery from surgery and a non-functioning adrenal gland meant that > injections of Cortisone were given to stimulate the remnant gland > into full operation. > > By March 1978 I was in a position where my cortisone treatments were > slowly reduced and the spironalactone was reduced to 50mg. In May of > that year I returned to hospital for further assessment. > > In June 1978 the consultant decided to wean me off spiro. > > Since all this transpired, my blood pressure for a number of years > (certainly through the eighties) remained up and down and therefore I > was put back on 50mg spiro and Hydralizine (which never really helped > much in my opinion). I got my my blood pressure in much better > control in the nineties when I was put on Analapril which was a > fairly new drug if memory serves me – an ACE inhibitor. This brought > everything under good control. My enlarged heart returned to `normal' > and I generally felt good. > > By now of course I was back home and under a local consultant. One > thing I was not told from the early days was that my ECG recording > showed an abnormality. I wish I had been told this because following > a bit of a problem with `palpitations' I was admitted to the local > hospital and from my ECG they told me that I had had a heart attack – > shock horrow!! When the rest of the blood tests came through this was > proved not to be the case. They had based their diagnoses purely on > the ECG read-out. > > Currently (now aged 56) my blood pressure during the day can reach > 150 / 90 but more often than not at rest it kicks in at 130 / 80. The > systolic seems to be the one that needs watching now. This > variability has been checked out twice in the last 10 years through > wearing a 24 hour monitor machine. The results of this show that my > blood pressure is under fairly good control. It certainly doesn't > hang-around at 150 / 160 systolic all day. > > In terms of what I have read on the board I do not have a handle on > as much detail as others with PA have put up. My local GP regularly > checks the electrolytes and kidneys. If there is anything else I > should be doing please feel free to get in touch. > > Kabrna > > > May your pressure be low! Clarence Grim BS, MS, MD High Blood Pressure Consulting Senior Consultant to Shared Care Research and Education Consulting, Inc. Clarence Grim BS, MS, MD High Blood Pressure Consulting Senior Consultant to Shared Care Research and Education Consulting, Inc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 10, 2008 Report Share Posted August 10, 2008 At last - someone else in the UK!!! I too have marvelled at the details of blood and other chemical bits of bodies that our overseas colleagues have - however I doubt that we will ever get that level on the glorious NHS so have decided that actually I'm better off without it, as it does seem to cause a lot more anxiety for others knowing it all than I seem to have in my happy british ignorance! In fact I only really worry about it when I have to renew travel insurance annually as it doesn't seem to feature on most insurance pre existing conditions lists. I was diagnosed in 2003,have a 12mm tumour on my left adrenal,BP used to be 180/110 consistently, now maxes at 140/90 and I have resisted surgery on the basis that the drugs work, I'm fine and it has no impact on my day to day life that I can tell. Oh and my endo agrees with me!! Hope to hear more from you Cx > > At the age of 25 and following a routine medical at Teacher College > in January 1977, a problem with blood pressure was discovered. I had > no symptoms and not much idea what was going on. The nurse suggested > a visit to the local Doctors that day would be expedient way of > clearing this up. The Doctor, having taken my blood pressure, > suggested that I go straight into hospital in order to run a few > tests (over weekend) so I wouldn't put my studies at risk in the > final year. Eight weeks later I was sent home! > > After a barrage of tests Conns Syndrome was found to be the cause of > high blood pressure. A visit to an early version of the CT Scanner > was arranged in order to locate a benign tumour on the adrenal gland > (s). None could be seen. > > I was sent home on a course of spironalactone (the immediate effect > besides lowering my blood pressure) was to zap me of most of my > energy. On return to hospital in March 1977 I was operated on and one > adrenal gland was removed and most of the other (hyperplasia). > Recovery from surgery and a non-functioning adrenal gland meant that > injections of Cortisone were given to stimulate the remnant gland > into full operation. > > By March 1978 I was in a position where my cortisone treatments were > slowly reduced and the spironalactone was reduced to 50mg. In May of > that year I returned to hospital for further assessment. > > In June 1978 the consultant decided to wean me off spiro. > > Since all this transpired, my blood pressure for a number of years > (certainly through the eighties) remained up and down and therefore I > was put back on 50mg spiro and Hydralizine (which never really helped > much in my opinion). I got my my blood pressure in much better > control in the nineties when I was put on Analapril which was a > fairly new drug if memory serves me – an ACE inhibitor. This brought > everything under good control. My enlarged heart returned to `normal' > and I generally felt good. > > By now of course I was back home and under a local consultant. One > thing I was not told from the early days was that my ECG recording > showed an abnormality. I wish I had been told this because following > a bit of a problem with `palpitations' I was admitted to the local > hospital and from my ECG they told me that I had had a heart attack – > shock horrow!! When the rest of the blood tests came through this was > proved not to be the case. They had based their diagnoses purely on > the ECG read-out. > > Currently (now aged 56) my blood pressure during the day can reach > 150 / 90 but more often than not at rest it kicks in at 130 / 80. The > systolic seems to be the one that needs watching now. This > variability has been checked out twice in the last 10 years through > wearing a 24 hour monitor machine. The results of this show that my > blood pressure is under fairly good control. It certainly doesn't > hang-around at 150 / 160 systolic all day. > > In terms of what I have read on the board I do not have a handle on > as much detail as others with PA have put up. My local GP regularly > checks the electrolytes and kidneys. If there is anything else I > should be doing please feel free to get in touch. > > Kabrna > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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