So mad I could chew nails.

One of the main reasons I had gastric bypass was to lower my blood pressure. HTN runs on both sides of my family. I have been taking bp meds since I was like 20 years old. Well I had gastric bypass 7.5 weeks ago. I have lost 50 lbs. I feel a lot better. But tonight I kept getting a little dizzy when I stood up. I decided to take my bp thinking it was low maybe. I took it an it was 150/100. I could punch a kitten I'm so mad right now. Which is not helping my bp at all. I'm just like.... Why the hell did I put myself through this **** when it's not freaking helping me at all?!?!?! I've lost 50 friggin pounds!!! This should not be happening. Granted I still weigh 241 lbs. and I have a vitamin d deficiency which can apparently play a role in htn. I'm just so frustrated and wanted to know if anyone else had experienced this. I started a new job as a RN this week. I have been working days so I know I over did it on caffeine this week (I had like 4 caffeinated beverages today). I had also been sobbing uncontrollably immediately prior to taking my bp. I know all of this is a factor. My doctor has had me on a clonidine patch for the last month since I can't take pills. I ran out last week and his office was closed for the holiday so i couldn't get a refill. I crushed up my prior bp pill and took it with a crushed Xanax for my anxiety because I could feel it setting in in my chest. Am i over reacting? Should I just give it time? 150/100 is a scary number for me. Not the highest it has ever been but the highest it's been in a while. This Xanax has started to kick in and I feel less angry. I just wanted to vent and to know if anyone else who has had high bp how long approximately it took to come down. Sorry for the bad language and aggression.

Breath in.... nice and slow.....now breath out..... nice and slow.  You are only 7.5 weeks out.  That is not much time at all.  Also, as you know, thin people have blood pressure issues as well.  I hope you had surgery for other reasons also.  When the family history is speckled with health issues, it makes it harder to NOT have the same issues regardless of what size you are.  You are on a journey to good health.  Give yourself time and a break. Go find something fun to do that will make you smile.

 

The only reason I had the surgery was to improve, and hopefully fix, my variety of health issues. Htn, arthritis, varying degrees of joint pain, etc. being thin was not the goal I had. I guess I just expected too much too soon. I had an uncle drop dead of a heart attack at 37. He was the picture of health too. My grandfather died of a hearth attack. All my grandmas on my moms side have died of an aneurysm. My mom has already had 3 Tia's. I just feel like I'm a time bomb.

When you are no longer MO your blood pressure will probably be normal too, mine is typically 100/60 now, last week it was 140/80 due to severe stress.  But I did want to comment about arthritis, I hoped mine would get better (hip, neck, back and now left elbow, as well as my hands) and it isn't, it's worse if anything, and no Nsaids.  And I have been at a normal bmi under 23 for years. Living in pain sucks.

I'm not seeing this until Saturday morning, and you're feeling better, or are in jail for kitten punching...hoping it is the former (which says a lot, since I am totally NOT a cat person :)  )

Ready for a reality check, one nurse to another (30+ yrs here)...Go back and read your post again--as if I had written it, instead of you...What would YOU say to ME?

You have taken B/P meds since you were 20. How do I know long that is? Your profile doesn't say

You "decided" to take your B/P. Have you NOT been monitoring it, while you on a Clonidine patch and having rapid weight loss?? D**n nurses!!!

You ran out of patches LAST WEEK...nobody told you the first week of July has a HOLIDAY in it,but yet, you appear to have access to a computer..and internet...c'mon, girl..OWNERSHIP OF ACTIONS..it's a biggie--for the rest of our journey-meaning the rest of our life...

FOUR caffeinated beverages??? WTH??? What did you drink to counteract that? You know that would be like giving a 7.5 week baby's guts 4 caffeinated beverages. I sometimes have 3-4, but I'm 11 YEARS out, and still do twice as much decaf/water as do the leaded stuff-my boy had to prove to me what it needed. Please learn from my mistakes...

One more question: At 7.5 weeks, why can you NOT take pills? What stage of food are you eating? A crushed Xanax raises my B/P just thinking about it...yuck

I know... I am horrible patient. Well I think nurses in general are horrible patients. Lol.

Ok hx time - I'm 27 and have been on bp meds off and on as rx by my doc since I was 20. For a majority of the time I took lisinopril wih hctz. I started having some adverse reactions to that so I was switched to diovan for a few months prior to my surgery.

I take my bp every 2 or 3 days or when I am feeling symptomatic. I know I should take it every day. The only reason I'm on a clonidine patch was because of the not being able to take pills thing. My surgeon says no pills until 8 weeks post op.

I should clarify my definition of last week. I meant like the last business week. The exact date was Tuesday the 2nd. I thought the dr office was only closed on the 4th but apparently he took the 3-5h off.

I can eat solids. I just have to chew them to a pulp.

I normally don't drink caffeine at all. Even before my surgery. I had a bad experience with it similar to this. But I figured since I had lost 50 lbs It would be ok. I know caffeine is a no no. I had drank a lot of water in the same day as well. I don't just drink caffeine.

I crushed one of my diovan (I think the dose was 37.5mg) and .75 mg Xanax last night and passed out. I have slept about 8 hours. I just took my bp and it is down to 130/90. Better but still not good in my book.

50 pounds in 7 weeks is awesome!  as the previous poster said---take a breath,take several nice deep breaths.  I did get off my bp med fairly quickly, but I was on a low dose of a fairly mild one. Clonidine is a fairly serious drug.  And you started a  new job as a NURSE this week.  I have been a nurse for 35 years, nursing is a tough profession these days. Give yourself some time and space.  Try checking your BP 1st thing in the am when you are rested and calm. Are you getting a little exercise?  If not take some nice relaxing walks. I also went cold turkey on caffeine preop, that dropped my bp AND my resting pulse. To be honest with you WLS can put our comorbidities into remission, or greatly improve them. BUT there are skinny people with HTN, Diabetes etc.  Look for improvement in your comorbidities, and do everything you can in addition to the weightloss to improve your health. Unfortunatly some weight loss centers give the impression to preops that all comorbidities will be cured.  I sure was given that impression, but that is what I dearly wanted to believe.

you are doing great

Anne

Thank you for your kind words.

Like I mentioned earlier I normally don't drink caffeine. It was from all this early morning and long day stuff that I have been. I have been in orientation this week so I haven't started on the floor yet. I guess I am just anxious about the whole thing. I'm terrified of brining a nurse lol.

My general care doc and my surgery doc basically said, your bp will go to normal levels after surgery, you won't need medication. So that's what I have been looking forward to. I guess that's part of my freak out.

Yes, you're overreacting.  Of course you want your blood pressure to come down.  But look.  You are still overweight, you have a vitamin D deficiency, you had a lot of caffeine, and you are all stressed out right now.  All those things can contribute to high blood pressure.

Surgery was only a couple months ago.  Give yourself some time.

How are you treating the vitamin D deficiency?  How much D3 are you taking?  Just so you know, most gastric bypass patients need AT LEAST 10,000 IU D3 a day to maintain a good level (which, according to the Linus Pauling Institute, is at least 80).

HIJACK...Hey, KELLY...Asking for "research question", since you can't give medical advice..lol..

How much daily D3 would be "too much", before it would be non-absorbed and wasted, by a RNY pt? A couple of months ago my level starting tanking a bit (54, from a previous 70 six months before), doc had me increase to D3 to 30,000 day. This was done by neuro during biannual migraine checkup. Insurance changed, so may not be going back to this neuro, and need to keep all my crap straight...

Mostly want to be sure I'm not wasting $$$$ I don't need to be flushing...ya know???