High blood pressure and BP medication.Need help! I am scared

[corinne_sweden]

Hi,

I need help, I am terrified...

I am now starting mÿ week 33 and have had a rising BP throughout my pregnancy: started at 135/85 (I guess I have mild hypertension, though I did not know about it), going up to 145/95 week 28 (my doctor did not take any action except working 50% as an increase of 10mm was not considered high), and now this week up to 150/105...All the urine and blood analyses came back normal.

I am an anxious person so the doctor wants to put me on BP med to decrease my BP as well as my anxiety.
I am scared at the effects of those BP medicine.

Do you have experience of going with BP medicine in the last trimester and good outcomes? It would help me so much with testimonies...I feel so scared with this first pregnancy...

Thanks for your answer!

Corinne

[JB]

Hi Corinne,

I am very surprised that your doctor has not been more proactive about your rising blood pressure. Have you been monitoring your blood pressure at home? My blood pressure is usually higher in the doctor's office so my doctor goes by my home readings, which are consistently in an OK range. I don't know about the standards for diagnosing preeclampsia in Sweden (I assume by your user name that you are in Sweden.. is that correct?), but 145/95 is considered high for pregnancy here in the US, and 150/105 is very high. I think it is a good thing your doctor wants you to go on BP meds, but I also think you need to be monitored more closely with blood pressures that high. Have you done a 24-hour urine test, or just the office single dip tests? The office tests are not as reliable as a 24-hour catch, and here in the US the result of the 24-hour test is one of the factors used to determine if you have preeclampsia. Are you able to go to labor and delivery at the hospital and be evaluated by the physicians/midwives there?

[corinne_sweden]

Hi,

Thanks for your answer!

I got the protein dips to check at home and I was told to monitor my BP at home after my visit at 28 weeks when my BP went high. The doctor told me that a diastolic around 95-100 was fine for him since I started around 85. I have been around 95 from weeks 28 --> 32 but started noticing I was more around 100 -105 the past few days. That's why I called them again.

They tested the urine again (I am testing it every day, and no trace of proteins) as well as fetal movements - which was fine.
The growth seems ok too.

I got a BP called Atenolol 100mg to take every night, but they think that it is enough for now. I am a really anxious person with a white coat syndrome. I know I stressup myself a lot.

Do you think they should have kept me for observation?

Corinne

[JB]

Diastolic blood pressure in the 100-105 range is quite high. I'm not a doctor, so I really don't know for sure that they should be keeping you in for observation, but if I had home readings at those levels and my doctor's office wasn't monitoring me I would go into labor and delivery and have them monitor me. Sometimes different doctors have different approaches/criteria, and I would want a second opinion. Are they doing nonstress tests, or just kick counts when they are checking fetal movement? Also, are they checking your fluid levels regularly? My doctor is doing weekly fluid ultrasounds and twice-weekly nonstress tests, and my blood pressure readings are nowhere near as high as yours (nor have they risen more than 5 points or so since the start of my pregnancy).

[caryn]

How are you doing today, Corrine?