I had my neck stiches removed yesterday morning. They were tight and it took about twenty minutes. It was unpleasant but not painful. After the last stitch was removed, I didn't feel good. I asked the nurse if I could lie down and she helped me up onto the bed. I was in a cold sweat. The nurse checked my blood pressure and the upper level was alarming low in the sixties. I take medication for high blood pressure, so what is going on?
My own doctor came in and out a couple of times to check on me. The nurse cross questioned me about how much alcohol I drank the night before, being one glass of wine before dinner. They correctly know patients lie about that. What I had eaten last night, for breakfast, only cereal. Coffee, no at that point.
I began to feel better. R was downstairs having a haircut and I called him to say he will have to escort me out but nurse wasn't having a bar of it until my blood pressure was ok. She said I had turned deathly pale. She kept checking my blood pressure, gave me a sweet lolly then suggested I stand up and walk around. She was not understanding how I felt ok, was not falling down and could walk around with such low blood pressure. Eventually after consulting my doctor, she set me free when my upper blood pressure level reached 95. I felt fine. She already knew R and I would have food and coffee after leaving the surgery. She asked me to return afterwards for another blood pressure check. It was over 100.
We have a blood pressure monitor at home and by 4pm I was 132/84. I messaged reception and she called back to tell me she was relieved I was now ok. She was so nice and a bit of fun. It was puzzling to her and is puzzling to me. I'm going to monitor my blood pressure for a few days.
Lol, this began as a post about cabbage moths. I had to delete the first sentence.
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Definitely worrying. I am glad that you are ok - and that your nurse sounds excellent.
ReplyDeleteShe was terrific EC. A good nurse is often better than a doctor in some ways.
DeleteThat sounds quite disconcerting.
ReplyDeleteI would have had two sweeties, just to be sure.
JayCee, I might have taken two if the first wasn't a filling removal type sweet.
DeleteThat BP reading is very low. I must say what a great country this is though, how fabulous that your lovely nurse was so concerned and even called you after you messaged reception. My daughter (38), ruptured her patellar tendon, right knee, a few weeks back, (after rupturing same on left knee 7 years ago), operated on at Alfred, the care is exceptional and FREE. And ongoing appointments which I take her to have been on time and prompt. And I commented to hubby last night about the prolific numbers of cabbage moths!! Marie, Cheltenham
ReplyDeleteMarie, and that is how our system should work. Odd, although my doctor charges about about $95 and I get about $40 back (if it is quick I am bulk billed, so don't pay) there was no charge for an hour and a half for care. I'll mention the cabbage moths Sunday morning.
DeleteI have that happen to me at times. Once when I was taking my mum for cataract surgery and they were putting drops in here eyes and I started to feel queasy and ended up with all the nurses running around me and they had me hooked up while my mum had her eye done. She then had to wait a while until my BP went back up to normal before we could leave. Another time was when my dog was having a vaccination and I ended up on the table at the vet's for a while.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a kind of shock reaction to some situations.
Glad you feel better now.
Pat, at least you know why you have your episodes occur and I think you have clued me up as to what happened to me. Gosh, your poor mum with eye issues and it turned out to be all about you, lol.
DeleteI'm glad you recovered and hope this doesn't become an ongoing issue. It's my guess that many people, especially the young, don't realize that both high and low blood pressure are dangerous.
ReplyDeleteDarla, at least there are symptoms for low blood pressure, such as feeling light headed or fainting. There aren't for the killer high blood pressure.
DeleteFrom what you have described, it is either vasovagal response causing hypotension or due to a transient arrythmia.
ReplyDeleteSpot on Doctor Roentare. Vasovagal was the word and from RedPat's comment above, I expect a kind of shock reaction was the cause.
DeleteAll I can say is that you were lucky to have that happen in a building full of medical people. Cheers to feeling better!
ReplyDeleteYes Bob, I really was in the right place. Thanks.
DeleteStress can do this as well Andrew as it happened to me one time. But it's alarming and close to fainting. Horrible feeling. I felt like one of those maidens in need of smelling salts as she lay hand across the brow on a chaise.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
A combination of shock and stress perhaps WWW. I expect you must have given a thought to Mr Darcy.
DeleteTim had some staples removed a few days ago. He got queasy and pale and shakey. I am quite sure if someone had taken his BP, it would have been low. 20 minutes of stitch removal from the neck while sitting up would explain your episode. It sounds a gruesome ordeal.
ReplyDeleteOk Debby, that is interesting and helpful. I was also suffering from neck arthritic pain by holding my head still for an extended period.
DeleteHave you ever tried a TENS unit for your neck pain. I once painted a ceiling and thought that I'd never be the same. I got a small home TENS unit for about $35 and it worked wonders.
DeleteYour reaction is not uncommon but still most unpleasant.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you and R went for food and coffee afterwards. Does your nurse know you very well or does she ask everyone about their alcohol consumption?
Now I want to know what you were going to say about cabbage moths!
Merlot, it is the first time I have be treated by her but she has been at the practice for 14 years. Standard alcohol question I think. No banana for you. Cabbage moths tomorrow.
DeleteSuch low pressure is indeed puzzling, surely that wouldn't be caused by the removal of stitches? Please take care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteIt all comes together from the comments above, River. Thank you.
DeleteWell, that's scary. Glad you are ok.
ReplyDeleteAll good now, thanks Strayer.
DeleteI take two different high blood pressure medications and were I told mine was now too low, I think my reply would have been, "Then let me stop taking them!" But that's not how medical professionals do things, as your case illustrates.
ReplyDeleteKirk, I too take two high blood pressure medications and until a few years ago my blood pressure remained on the high side, but over the last couple of years when it is measured, it has been good. I will measure it daily for a week or so and see how it looks.
DeleteThat was scary for you.
ReplyDeletePerhaps if there's a similar procedure, they will allow you to lie down, especially with your arthritis. Keep well!
JB, the nurse did ask if I preferred to lie down. Being the butch man I am, of course I said no. Possibly a mistake.
DeleteYou are going to monitor your own blood pressure only for a few days? When I had my heart surgery, I was told over and over that a] I had to have DAILY blood pressure tables for the rest of my life and b] have my blood pressure measured WEEKLY at home.
ReplyDeleteBlood pressure can be so labile, especially in older age *cough*
Hels, I will monitor until it seems normal and a bit beyond. It has been normal today. My BP is well controlled by marvellous drugs.
DeleteSome things we need to keep up.
ReplyDeleteYes TP.
DeleteWell, at least you were at the doctor's when it happened. I'm sure it must somehow be related to the stitch removal, though I'm not sure how. Good idea to keep an eye on things. Some people just have transient low blood pressure. I had a friend whose father had it -- he even passed out a few times, but the docs never found a cause and he lived to a ripe old age.
ReplyDeleteFunny how blog posts can start out one way and become something else entirely!
Steve, I think it was probably a form of shock and no being in a comfortable position. I didn't think the stitch removal would take so long. In recent years I have felt light headed a few times when standing up too quickly after sitting for too long.
DeleteYes to blog posts careening out of control with thoughts. Luckily we don't get paid to write about something specific.
Pain and stress would do it, Andrew. I'm a bit surprised the nurse found it so puzzling.
ReplyDeleteCoffee and food is always therapeutic though!
Yes, thanks Kylie. What the nurse found puzzling, I think, is that with such low blood pressure immediately after the stitch removal and it did not rise much, at some point I felt fine and I could walk around without a problem with still low blood pressure. Coffee and food did do the trick.
DeleteBtw, is a transman male to female or female to male? I guess the former. It isn't something I know much about and I need to be educated.
DeleteFemale to male?
DeleteAnd yes, of course you did say that about the nurse. I Must pay attention
Kylie, I am just a gay man and only slightly more knowledgeable than the average person. So a trans man transitions to being a woman and a trans female would do the opposite. I had some personal contact with a mayor of a local municipality, one Tony Biffra. We all like to put people in boxes but I don't know if she is male transitioning or female transitioning. At the end of the day, I decided it didn't matter. It was about the role as Mayor.
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