blood pressure

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nsichler
nsichler Member Posts: 18
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Has anyone experienced high blood pressure through these chemo treatments? I have been on blood pressure meds for years and its always been controlled but now its over the roof. My oncologist doesn't seem concerened but its not his body . I'm worried. This morning 161/101 I think for being on 75 mg of atenolol for pressure that is high.

 

 

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  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    #2
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    Hi Nsichler

          Blood pressure and kidney problems go hand in hand. It may not be a bad idea to get your gp to do a urine check to see if you may be leaking a bit of protein. I am sixteen years past chemo ex stage 3 c. I have a host of auto immune problems not the least of which is nephrotic syndrome. I leak up to seven grams of protein a day thru my kidneys. It is currently being controlled by cyclosporine. It is about as high up the immunosuppression ladder as you can get. During the past week my bp has varied from 160/120 ,two days later it was 135/85 and this morning it was 185 /117. At that I am on 80mg of micardis daily as well as 240 mg of diltiazem. The cyclosporine has dropped my protein loss from 7+ grams down to 1.3 grams a day. I have felt like crap since the start of the year and I definitely feel I am in a flare. I see my nephrologist on the 18th of this month. If my protein loss is rising I could well be screwed. There are not many options left. I have had three kindney biopsies and they do not know what I have, it remains an auto-immune disease of unknown type and cause. My immune system is so revved up that I am not eligible for a transplant. My neph says any foreign organ would be toast in days. My kidney capacity is still functioning at around 60% but that can change overnight with kidneys. If they fail I will be looking at the rest of my life on dialysis. Best to check now , it is best to get on top of things early and there may be nothing to worry about but at least you can eliminate one possible. All the best Ron.

  • Steve444
    Steve444 Member Posts: 105 Member
    #3
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    Me too

    My blood pressure went up a couple months ago.  It was always low through chemo (110-120/70-80), but then started climbing to 140, then 160/100.  They asked if I was stressed out and then blamed it on Avastin as a side effect can be uncontrollable high blood pressure over time (I've been on it for almost a year now).  They skipped treatment and had me get a primary care physician who put me on lisinopril.  He was going to put me on propranolol, but my pulse has been 50-60 and they said it could cause the pulse rate to drop lower.  Blood pressure meds brought it down low enough to continue treatment.  It has given me an annoying dry hack, which is a side effect of lisinopril.  It's always something...  :)

  • Cathleen Mary
    Cathleen Mary Member Posts: 827 Member
    #4
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    ron50 said:

    Hi Nsichler

          Blood pressure and kidney problems go hand in hand. It may not be a bad idea to get your gp to do a urine check to see if you may be leaking a bit of protein. I am sixteen years past chemo ex stage 3 c. I have a host of auto immune problems not the least of which is nephrotic syndrome. I leak up to seven grams of protein a day thru my kidneys. It is currently being controlled by cyclosporine. It is about as high up the immunosuppression ladder as you can get. During the past week my bp has varied from 160/120 ,two days later it was 135/85 and this morning it was 185 /117. At that I am on 80mg of micardis daily as well as 240 mg of diltiazem. The cyclosporine has dropped my protein loss from 7+ grams down to 1.3 grams a day. I have felt like crap since the start of the year and I definitely feel I am in a flare. I see my nephrologist on the 18th of this month. If my protein loss is rising I could well be screwed. There are not many options left. I have had three kindney biopsies and they do not know what I have, it remains an auto-immune disease of unknown type and cause. My immune system is so revved up that I am not eligible for a transplant. My neph says any foreign organ would be toast in days. My kidney capacity is still functioning at around 60% but that can change overnight with kidneys. If they fail I will be looking at the rest of my life on dialysis. Best to check now , it is best to get on top of things early and there may be nothing to worry about but at least you can eliminate one possible. All the best Ron.

    Hi Nsichler,
    As someone who

    Hi Nsichler,

    As someone who had a lacunar stroke in  November, believed secondary to high blood pressure, my advice is get ye another opinion quickly!!!  I, too, was on atenolol which is not primarily for high BP. If your PCP is not dealing with this aggressively, a cardiologist would be a good second opinion for they take BP very seriously.  I found  my stroke far scarier than my cancer. Two new meds, daily BP checks, and every 6 week visit with cardiologist has me doing well.  I am otherwise healthy...NED, 65 yrs old, work full time. i am glad you are concerned about this...BP is a silent killer and we tend to dismiss everything thinking it is treatment or cancer related.  High BP is very treatable.

    best wishes.

    CM

  • Easyflip
    Easyflip Member Posts: 588 Member
    #5
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    Steve444 said:

    Me too

    My blood pressure went up a couple months ago.  It was always low through chemo (110-120/70-80), but then started climbing to 140, then 160/100.  They asked if I was stressed out and then blamed it on Avastin as a side effect can be uncontrollable high blood pressure over time (I've been on it for almost a year now).  They skipped treatment and had me get a primary care physician who put me on lisinopril.  He was going to put me on propranolol, but my pulse has been 50-60 and they said it could cause the pulse rate to drop lower.  Blood pressure meds brought it down low enough to continue treatment.  It has given me an annoying dry hack, which is a side effect of lisinopril.  It's always something...  :)

    Hey Steve

    I had the dry hack with lisinopril too and then switched to losartan and its completely gone. I also changed to a mostly vegetarian diet with exercise and that dropped it so much I might go to half a dose. Good luck!

    Easyflip/Richard

  • Steve444
    Steve444 Member Posts: 105 Member
    #6
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    Easyflip said:

    Hey Steve

    I had the dry hack with lisinopril too and then switched to losartan and its completely gone. I also changed to a mostly vegetarian diet with exercise and that dropped it so much I might go to half a dose. Good luck!

    Easyflip/Richard

    Thanks Richard

    I'll talk to my doc about that. 

  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #7
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    My Onc

    Was always looking at my blood pressure especially when I was on Avastin, he said he didn't want me to stroke out, and it did go up and I had to get on blood pressure pills, and when off Avastin, it was no longer necessary to take them as it went back to normal.  I am surprised your oncologist isn't concerned,  can you go back to your primary and check on different blood pressure meds to get you chemo lowered, it isn't worth a stroke.  Now Avastin is the only one I know does that and there may be others I don't know about, because I don't know what chemo's you are on.  Also there could be some underlying problem that the chemo is bringing attention to, in my case my "widow maker' artery was all kinked up and was on verge of collaspe, after a stent was put in my blood pressure was the best it's ever been.  Also, I now have good blood pressure but racing heart, found out it had to do with lower left lung collaspe.

    I would say go visit your primary physician or your heart doctor for further follow up, sometime you just have to advocate and research for yourself to save yourself.  Best wishes,

     

    Winter Marie

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