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Those of that had pre eclampsia/moderately-severely high bp, help - long, sorry

19 replies

Foggymist · 01/05/2015 12:00

I really need advice, words of comfort, and the experience of those who have been through this. I'm being treated like a medical mystery that might explode here :( This will be long, sorry.

So my little boy is nearly 4 weeks old, after being born at 36+6 by emcs due to pre eclampsia. At my 36 week appt my bp which had been creeping up (but nothing major, normal bp before pregnancy) was 110/90, I had protein in my urine and swelling, so I was admitted. I was put on labetalol to bring it down and really it did nothing. At 36+6 my bp spiked to around 170-180/110, and they made the decision to deliver him. I spent 24 hours in special care after he was born on a drip to bring my bp down. Within that time the protein went to trace, and within 4-5 days my massive swelling went way down. However, my bp stayed high, on average ranging between 135-160/95-110 so I was kept in. Long story short eventually after much crying and begging I was allowed to go home, because the stress of sitting there for 2 weeks worrying and not sleeping was not helping my bp at all. Within 12 hours of being let home my bp went down a good bit. I was on 300 x 3 labetalol and 20mg Adalat. After a week my bp had come down enough that he took me off the labetalol, and I lost nearly 2 stone in fluid since delivery (7lbs away from my original weight by the time he was 2 weeks old). My Adalat prescription ran out and I was 2 days without until they replaced my prescription, my bp went even more into normal range, 70-80 in the mornings, but still 90-100 at night. I went back on the Adalat and it went back up every afternoon/evening :(

All I keep hearing from midwives and consultant is my bp should've gone down by now. But then the phn and another mother who has a different gp and almost identical situation have said the average time that many women are on labetalol afterwards to bring bp down is 6-10 weeks. The phn says she sees women on it that long all the time, but all hospital staff thought I was incredibly unusual in this? And I came off it after 2 weeks, yet I'm still being treated as if I'm the most severe case ever? I'm gutted that in the last few days it seems to be up again, but I'm getting very little sleep (obviously), which I know affects it, but I'm back to being made to feel like it's my fault it's still high.

So my question (finally you say) is, has anyone else had a similar experience to me, in terms of the bp numbers and the time frame? Is it really that unusual to have bp trouble nearly 4 weeks after? I'm devastated really at the thoughts that my first baby may be my last by the way the professionals are suggesting that this is very serious and unheard of :(

Thank you to anyone who managed to read this far.

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Number3cometome · 05/05/2015 11:14

Yep, nearly 13 years on and still on meds.

Have seen cardiologists, had tests and monitors. Just one of those things.

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holmessweetholmes · 05/05/2015 10:54

I'm still on bp meds 6 years later. Mine was high late in my first pregnancy, then went back to normal after. The same thing happened in my second pregnancy, but it didn't go down. Stayed high for months, even with meds. Eventually settled down (hopefully helped by the exercise and healthy eating I was doing), and is now normal and I'm on the lowest dose of meds you can take.

The doctors never said it was particularly unusual. They just said that probably I would have got high bp anyway, but that it was kick-started by the pregnancy. Hope yours calms down though OP.

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Number3cometome · 05/05/2015 10:33

Electrical

Your story (labour part) sounds like mine.

Was horrific, that was 13 years ago in January and it still bothers me now.

Expecting DC3 in July and at this stage in pregnancy I do begin to worry about fits again.

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ElectricalBanana · 04/05/2015 17:10

It is 24 years since I had my last child and just like my first baby I had severe pre eclampsia. Actually baby #1 was worse as I had an eclamptic fit as I gave birth and needed to be kept on ITU for a week after the birth. Second (and was the last) baby was not as bad as she was induced early.

My numbers were about 200/120 ish (long time ago)

My BP was never the same again... Was unable to go on the pill as I was always running at the top end of normal.

Then four years ago I went to see the nurse for a smear and she did my BP

210/130!!!!

Cue blue light to coronary care, oxygen, drips, scans on my kidneys

Result - a condition called malignant hypertension. Lots of BP meds.

I am not that overweight and I have a reasonably good lifestyle (non smoker, active, low salt, little alcohol)

So- mu BP never really recovered after having my two children ... I ran 'rich' for many years and as I got older my body couldn't cope with it and I was minutes away from a stroke

I was 43!

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jessplussomeonenew · 04/05/2015 16:54

I had PE and mild HELLP, detected at 38+6 after low bp all pregnancy. I was induced the same day and was in hospital for 10 days until they found a combination of medication (Enalapril, Nifedipine and Labetaluol) that stabilised my BP (nasty spike 3 days pp). My BP started to come down about 12-14 days pp: every few days I started feeling light headed and had lowish bp, called GP and was advised what medication dose to drop next. I was drug free and back to normal BP about 4 weeks after birth. I was told 6 weeks on medication was fairly normal and they seemed pleased with how quickly my bp came down.

Action on pre-eclampsia says: Women who have suffered pre-eclampsia in a first pregnancy should be monitored more closely and more frequently than usual in subsequent pregnancies, since there is a risk that the condition will recur, although usually in a milder form. Nevertheless, most mothers who have suffered even the most severe form of the disease in a first pregnancy enjoy perfectly normal subsequent pregnancies.

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CherryLips1980 · 04/05/2015 16:24

I had PIH with DD - similar numbers to you and was on Labetalol until 20weeks post delivery. She was born at term +7. My BP had started going up when I was 37weeks but then shot through the roof after I had her.

This (last? DS was born Tuesday) time my BP has remained the same the whole way through and remained low post delivery.

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Number3cometome · 04/05/2015 14:34

They do say weight gain can be a sign of impending PET

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bishboschone · 01/05/2015 17:34

By the way I wasn't suggesting anyone weaned themselves off of any tablets , just that I did .. My baby was very sick and was in scbu for a long time and nobody was very concerned about me ... I should have followed it up I think . Historically for me my weight is linked with my blood pressure and it's normal when my weight is normal .. I'm still working on my weight post my second son but as I said he has been poorly since birth so I have been pre occupied with him and not worried about myself .

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bishboschone · 01/05/2015 17:24

Mine was worst the second time .. But I was 7 years older and near 40. I put on a lot of weight in my pregnancy too ( not sure exactly why)

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Number3cometome · 01/05/2015 13:53

Foggy I was told by a specialist that it can be less severe the second time, I was told by my consultant this time that it may be worse as I have a new partner, and by my midwife that there is less of a chance, so basically no one knows!

I have got further along in this pregnancy without protein in my urine, so here's hoping!

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LineRunner · 01/05/2015 13:51

I had pre-eclampsia with my first, induced at 37 weeks, and it was worse with my second, induced at 35. Both were fine.

I still have high blood pressure (they are teenagers!). I manage it with exercise and medication.

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Foggymist · 01/05/2015 13:45

Oh also I had a heart and kidney scan and everything was fine.

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Foggymist · 01/05/2015 13:44

Thanks for replies. 24hr monitor was scheduled for me the day I left hospital, it's in about 10 days. I don't have weight to lose and don't eat much salt at all. Even if my bp goes to normal he still wants me to do the 24hr monitor. I have a bp monitor here at home and take it twice a day and send him the results weekly, then he decides what's next.

I won't stop taking them myself at all, I wouldn't jeopardise my recovery or treatment.

Those that went on to have more pregnancies, were you concerned about making it worse or were you told there isn't much risk? A senior midwife told me usually you get p.e. on your first, not on 2nd and 3rd, back on 4th pregnancy, but most I've seen get it/high bp again on 2nd.

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Number3cometome · 01/05/2015 13:02

Hi OP, I had eclampsia in labour (stage after pre eclampsia where fits develop) bit of a long story, but my signs weren't spotted, my BP went to 220/110 and I fitted. DS was born by EMCS. This was at 40 weeks.

Afterwards I was in ITU for 5 days, before post natal then going home.

My BP slowly went down after, but as soon as I conceived DD (4 years later) it rocketed up. I was immediately put on Methyldopa, and then during my pregnancy Labetalol too. DD was delivered by ELCS at 38 weeks due to pre eclampsia developing again.

Unfortunately, despite losing over 5 stone and becoming very fit and healthy the high BP never went back down.

I was referred to see a cardiologist who said there was a slight thickening in an artery. I was then put in permanent beta blockers (bisoprolol)

I have several 24 hour blood pressure monitors which showed hypertension 80% of the day (mostly all night!)

I am pregnant with DC3 now and instantly I knew I was pregnant as my BP shot up. I am on methyldopa again (Bisoprolol not suitable in pregnancy)

You may find your BP goes down, but unfortunately it doesn't always happen.

If it stays high you may be referred for a 24 hour blood pressure monitor, but they will do the usual insisting on weightloss (if applicable) and cutting down salt etc first.

If you are on blood pressure tablets do not under any circumstances stop taking them without advice from your GP first. You can cause serious organ damage to yourself by leaving BP untreated.

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bishboschone · 01/05/2015 12:35

Oh and I weaned myself off of labetalol ..

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bishboschone · 01/05/2015 12:34

I had pre eclampsia both pregnancies . I got to 38 weeks with my first and 33 with my second after spending a month in prison ( hospital ) on bed rest!! It was truly awful!!.. Anyway with my dd it went down straight away , with my son it stayed high for ages . I discharged myself as I was going crazy ( my son was in scbu ) and they put me on the post natel ward with all the babies when mine wasn't there . I was very ill for a while but totally ignored it as I wanted to be with my daughter too and do the school run etc ... It took a good while for my blood pressure to come down and even now it's still fairly high ... You are for sure not the worst case ever as they always did a face at mine and said they had never seen someone with such high blood pressure .. I did have a Tia while I was there too but no one worried about it . Mostly it was about my baby and I just got on with it . Aka me any questions you want .

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Foggymist · 01/05/2015 12:28

Thanks Floop. I've been doing as much exercise as I can, I had to get up and about very quickly as baby was in scbu on a different floor so was walking quite a bit very early. Every day we've gone for walks, and I eat great, I really am doing my best which I think upsets me even more when the consultant says it's still high, it's said in a very patronising way, like I'm doing it on purpose. He said himself they don't know much about pregnancy/post natal bp, so I don't see why I get such a grilling, I want this to be over as much as he does!

I was on one hour bp checks at night in hospital until I freaked out and the doctor over rode it to make it every 4 hours only. The night they decided on the section I was on 15 min checks, hell. I'm scheduled to go for 24 hour bp monitor next week, I'm terrified that it will show high spikes and I'll be back even more steps with all of this.

Thanks so much for your reply.

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Floopledoop · 01/05/2015 12:13

Also, research showed they have very little clue what caused high BP after birth.

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Floopledoop · 01/05/2015 12:12

I ended up discharging myself 5 days after DS was born. BP was still high but no other symptoms. Like you, I found bring in hospital was not helping my BP (was being checked every 25 mins at one point and every 2 hours at night!)
Community midwife was aghast at my BP when they came to see me after I'd been at home 2 days, went to see GP and she said don't worry, reduce labetalol and see her once a week as can take 6 weeks to reduce. Did some research and it is thought to be fairly common for BP to stay high for a while but because most women are discharged so soon after birth it it's not picked up as can take a few days to spike. 3 weeks after birth was off the tablets and had no problems since. BP at 6 week check and last week was fine (was at the Doctors for pill prescription and she said BP was excellent)

Sorry it's long! Basically, Dont worry, try and do some moderate exercise (walking with the baby), eat well and listen to your gp.

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