Please diagnose me. Yeah internet diagnoses blah blah.

[Wiseoldminerva]

I know, I know.

Just a steer please so I can ask my medics with proper degrees…

53, on mirena and evoral patches of 75mg

Had private MOT via work in January and they identified slightly raised systolic BP but very very high HDL. (That’s the good one) Total cholesterol and ratio was fine. Normal CA125, everything else with the exception of calcium (slightly low) was normal. Normal iron study, normal creatinine etc.

About a stone overweight, otherwise fit and healthy.

And my blood pressure is suddenly ginormous. Highest has been 168/122 and I’m averaging around 145/100. Got a constant dull ache on left side below ribs, on a scale of 1-10 it’s about a 4. I have no notion where this has come from. I’m exhausted, I can hear whooshing in my ears, throbbing under my chin and I feel like I might be sick although I’ve only vomited once. Constant headache, like a tiredness one but it never goes.

WtF? Ideas welcome.

Anyone?

Health Anxiety.

What are your b12 and thyroid levels like? If normal id be inclined to agree with the pp.

B12 and thyroid both fine.

How is this health anxiety? Seriously I don’t understand!

Could be anxiety. The ear thing might be pulsatile tinnitus. What's your heart rate like?

Resting 75BPM

It the constantly high blood pressure that has concerned me. I’ve been told to measure morning and evening. It is consistently high when previously it was always on the low side, even when pregnant/finals etc

What about your iron or folate levels?

Any shortness of breath, or coughing?

Had full iron study done, all fine. Am under haematology for pernicious anaemia and have regular infusions so this is carefully monitored.

No cough. Defo more short of breath than previously, but I’m quite fit so I notice it more. Absolutely knackered. Could sleep pretty much all the time.

Okay. You have some very similar symptoms to me but don't freak out as your symptoms do cover a wide range of different things. It's just something to cross off your list really, but this is a side effect the medics are seeing because of the lovely covid.

Get them to do the blood test that checks whether you are susceptible to blood clots. If negative then you definitely don't have them. I had the above symptoms but the dull ache (that became sharp) was dismissed as a pulled muscle. Because I also had lupus they did that test and that's when they discovered my lungs were peppered with them. I had been gradually feeling worse over a year 😳

Yikes! That sounds rough.

I had a really rotten chest infection/flu thing after Christmas which was always negative for Covid but I do wonder whether this is an after effect somehow. The ache is lower than my lung.

Also they tested my clotting time/INR/APTT etc during my MOT. All normal.

Are they not looking at treating your blood pressure? My bil had similar readings and they just monitored it and he had a stroke. They’ve never found a cause, just said he has chronic hypertension 🤷🏻‍♀️

They’ve given me a prescription for 2.5mg ramipril which I think is the start dose and I have to go back in 2 weeks. It hasn’t made any difference so far. 4 days in.

I don’t know why it’s happened! No family history, no other factors, just out of the blue.

I diagnose....... getting older.

Could be heart related or carotid , I would ask the doctors, ramipril can cause headaches can't it? Did they mention the hrt at all.

What? I’m 53! Not 93!

Regarding the hypertension and chest pain : Have you had an ECG? Is the pain worse on exertion? Did the MOT include a physical examination eg listening to your heart and carotids in your neck?

It might be worth seeing an optician for retinal scan/photography to check for microvascular complications of hypertension.

Is your GP happy with the hypertension and with you continuing your oestrogen treatment. Have they recommended antihypertensive medication alongside ? Or any lifestyle changes?

Only in so far as looking at what I’m on, re HRT and it’s not huge doses. I had the headache before the ramipril.

That’s a good idea. I’ve noticed my sight has deteriorated, I’m reaching for my reading glasses much more but as I only had an eye test in October I haven’t had anyone else look in there.

Only meds mentioned are the ramipril. Don’t want to come off the HRT, not that this has been mentioned yet anyway.

Pain isn’t worse on exertion. Literally constant, but deeper than muscle.

Make sure you go back for the BP meds to be increased.

I’ve had a single channel ECG - no sign of AF.

Of course.

Anxiety doesn’t cause pain that’s 4 out of 10 so an ultrasound would be sensible to request for that, abdominal and pelvic. Do you have any bowel symptoms?Whooshing I get with my high bp. Check vitamin d also.