Sudden increase in Blood Pressure...

Hi.....I was wondering if any of you have had a sudden increase in blood pressure when having a bi-vent PM. I had the bi-vent PM implanted about 2 yrs ago for chronic a-fib. I have been feeling fine since that time and my blood pressure ranged from low (90/50) to normal (120/80)....it seems like in the past 1-2 weeks, it has risen considerably. Now it ranges from 125/85 to 155/102. I had been on a trip about that time and didn't rest well, so I attributed it to just being exhausted. I asked my GP about it and she said that if you're tired, then my BP should be low. I kept hoping that with rest, it would get back to normal....with no success. I also feel very tired, even after resting. I suppose that I'll make an appt with my electrophysiologist next week, due to my concern. I also feel aching in the area around my pacemaker and shoulder....I'm wondering if there could be an issue with one of the leads. I'd appreciate any input from anyone who may who have experienced the same thing.....Thanks!!

7 Comments

Yes I did.

by bowlrbob - 2009-07-25 04:07:11

I always had normal to low blood pressure. After my dual Medtronic En Pulse was put in i have had high blood pressure ever since. I asked why and my EP could not give me an answer. One explanation I did get was when things weren't working right the body compensated. Now that things are working right blood pressure stayed high. I don't know but I was put on a low dose of atenolol 25m. It has helped and is a low enough dose to not make me drowsy. Let me know if you find out anything different. Bowlrbob

BP Increase

by SMITTY - 2009-07-25 10:07:33

Hello ADalsmom,

I've seen this question asked before and like you they have found no sure answers. Since no answers are available yet, I'll express an opinion on this problem. Because our heart is pumping less blood than we need for some reason, whatever they may be, we get the PM. We get a PM and blood flow increases because of a higher heart rate or because of less arrhythmia or a more uniform heart beat. No matter what changes in heart function the arteries that blood is being pumped through are the same size and I have theorized that because we have a higher blood flow through the same size tubing (arteries) this causes the increase in our blood pressure. Think of pumping a fixed rate of water through a hose of a certain size. If you reduce the size of the hose, you will have to increase pressure to keep the same flow rate.

Another parable is like when a person smokes a cigarette which we know will cause an increase in our blood pressure. The nicotine causes a constriction of the blood vessels but yet the heart is still pumping the same amount of blood as it was before the cigarette and our blood pressure increases.

Now your situation muddies my theory because you waited for about 2 years after getting your PM before your BP increased. So that casts a shadow my theory and now I have to say I don't have any idea.

Like Bowlbob said, please let us know what the EP has to say.

Good luck,

Smitty

Increase in blood pressure

by MarkW - 2009-08-09 11:08:36

Hi - I had a dual chamber PM inserted about 4 months ago. Since then my BP has been steadily climbing. I was always on meds for hypertension, but it had been 120/80 or so for years. Now it has climbed to 160/120 or more.

The dr has added a calcium channel blocker to my other hypertension meds but insists it has nothing to do with the PM. I have my doubts and suspect the response by Smitty is on the mark.

Mark

My BP has also gone up a great deal

by Dormouse - 2009-10-24 08:10:50

I have always had normal blood pressure until this year. I am 61 and nothing much has changed in my life, except for the dual chamber pacemaker fitted last December. It didn't happen at once but it suddenly shot up to 265/135 in July when under a particular short term stress, since then, even when relaxing on holiday, it is regularly 190/110 plus and so now I am taking two BP meds to get the systolic under 140. It is very disappointing, I must say!

The meds themselves are causing side effects that are undermining my health.

I don't think it is an immediate effect of increased blood flow because I didn't have much of a problem when the pacemaker was fitted I just needed to be able to keep my driving licence and even occasional semi-faints don't go very well with safe driving! Oddly enough though, the pacemaker is now being used a much greater percentage of time than when it was first fitted, but still only adds up to an hour a day heartblock being treated.

Dormouse
X

Happy Ending.....

by ADalsmom - 2009-10-24 09:10:39

I appreciate all of your comments and possible explanations, but my BP is now back to normal, about 3-4 months after my sudden increase. My BP seemed to get back to normal within the first month. I also have COPD, which makes me tire easily in the first place, and I believe that condition, topped with extra activities, did me in! Since none of my doctors could find any medical reason why it happened....getting back to my normal routine and resting more stabilized my BP. This I am grateful for....Claudia aka ADalsmom

Hiigh bloor pressure

by spencer41 - 2010-09-28 02:09:33

Arfter lead failure another pacemaker installed, about two months later blood pressure is suddenly high, on a guy who normally has low or perfect blood pressure. I can't help but wonder if the pacemaker has something to do with it.

Increase in BP after pacemaker implant

by RayDC - 2011-12-20 06:12:42

Yes, just like Smitty and Mark, I also have sudden increase in my BP soon after first PM implant just three months back. DR's cant tell me why and gave me additional BP lowering meds. I (being an engineer) also think of simple logical reason like Smity and Mark that out arteries and blood vessels remains same narrow size for years and now heart is pumping more blood resulting in higher pressures. I am again seeing my cardiologist and will ask him to slow down the PM rate from 60 to about 50 BPM and will see if that helps control my BP. If we succeed, I will post my results, otherwise we all with common problem must report to FDA for thorough research/investigation of the problem before many of us end up with serious results.

Any one else who has similar problem and/or better solutions or suggestions, please share.

Ray-DC

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