Postural orthostatic hypotension: How is it treated?

How do you handle sudden drops in blood pressure

Does anyone have blood pressure that is up and down?

My husband recently had a major surgery and since has had blood pressure going way up and several hours way down. Having a real problem getting it under control.

My husband has been having times when his blood pressure drops very low when he stands up. He was on midrodine for a short time, but then it got too high. This seems to be a complicated situation to deal with. Has anyone ever been to Mayo Clinic for help?

Hi @anet
This must be concerning for both you and your husband. I moved your messages asking about fluctuating blood pressure to this existing discussion:
– Postural orthostatic hypotension: How is it treated? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/postural-orthostatic-hypotension/

I did this so you can read the previous helpful posts and connect with other members like @predictable @johnbishop @taterjoy @nikkibear01 and others.

Anet, may I ask what type of surgery your husband had? How long ago?

He had an open repair for an abdominal aortic aneurysm on a May 5, 2022. He had had Evar for the aneurysm in 2016, but a leak developed and he had to have it repaired. Thank you I will check out the other posts.

Hi @anet, I don't have Postural orthostatic hypotension but I do have high blood pressure caused by hypertension. I partipated in a blood pressure study at Mayo Clinic Rochester in the 1980s when they discovered the specifics on why I had high blood pressure. I now am able to keep it under control with daily meds - 25 mg hydrachlorathyazide and 25 mg spironolactone.

If you would like to seek help from Mayo Clinic, contact one of the appointment offices. The contact information for Minnesota, Arizona and Florida can be found here http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63.

Thank you, John! He got throught it when his pain was finally treated adequately (after two weeks of his MD suggesting only OTC products though his pain was severe and he could not sleep). When the MD finally prescribed a narcotic, my husband finally slept, and his symptoms all resolved, even the fluctuating BP.

I am so sorry your husbands BP is so volatile, anet. If the volatility of his BP is related to post-surgical pain (which can cause severe insomnia) maybe pain treatment or sleep meds would help. If not due to pain, several of my relatives have very difficult to control BP, and getting a balance between too little and "too much" BP reducers is very tricky. When their general physicians were unable to control their BP without increasing fall risk, they were referred to either cardiologists and/or nephrologist. The later have been able to successfully manage the BP over time. If you have already seen a local nephrologist with no luck, then visiting Mayo might be a great idea. I visited Mayo clinic (Heachache specialist Dr. Mark Whealy) three years ago for two types of severe headaches and finally after years of uncontrolled pain, am doing well. I hope your husband can get the help he needs. He is lucky to have you advocating on his behalf.

Thanks. He is not in any pain. He recovered well from the surgery, but I will check out some of the other things you suggested. And yes it is very tricky.