First Post - Question Concerning Blood Pressure?
Posted by: scrapladyandmore
on Apr 14, 2010 
Hello...this is my first post. I found this site a few months back. Having a really bad day and decided I needed to come back here and look for answers.
I'm currently experiencing once again high blood pressure and wondering it is a typical symptom of MCS?
A little backgound history:
I had a extreme exposure a few weeks before Thanksgiving ... Cashmere Mist Cologne at church. EMS had to be called and taken to ER. My blood pressure was 196/123...another reason the EMS wanted me to go to the ER even though I told them I just needed a few hours and I would be better.
I also have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Myasthenia Gravis in 1993. MG causes extreme muscle weakness and I had a severe case of MG. Through nutriution I had both of these well managed until 2004 when an exposure to lacquer varnish (at the church once again) sent me into a tailspin and I learned about MCS at that time. Hindsight...it has been an issue for a long time that was "blamed" on MG...just elevated in 2004. And MG patients can be sensitive to many medications and toxins. Now I have to wonder if the chemicals caused the MG and Fibro? I got all 3 health issue under control though it took about 1 year. Only minor flairs until November 2009 with the Cashmere Mist.
No doubt my reaction to it was more severe that most suffers due since symptom are compounded by MG! I had total muscle weakness...couldn't walk and the harder I tried the weaker I got. By the time EMS arrived I was a total ragdoll. Four men lifted me onto the stretcher...I had no muscle strength. And my breathing was very shallow and slow. Time was the only treatment. By the time I was seen in ER by a doctor, my symptons were improving including blood pressure and I was sent home in a wheel chair as I still was unable to walk. I stayed on the couch closest to the bathroom and had to have help to walk that short distance for a week. Food had to be prepared and brought to me.
Obviously, my toxin level had to have been building to have had that extreme of a reation...plus the Cashmere Mist in my opionion is deadly. About a month before that exposure, I had an exposure to this same cologne...the mother of the lady who was wearing it the day I had to go to the ER. However, it was not a strong and it took about 30 minutes for me to decide that it was going to be an issue. It had been a long time since I had had a flair so I was thinking I would be okay. After that 30 minutes or so, I headed for home. By the time I got home, my husband had to help me walk into the house. I had 3 weak days...but nothing like the pre-Thanksgiving episode. Thanksgiving day I had another episode ... everyone knew not to wear cologne, but an elderly aunt put on clothes she had worn a few days before and the cologne lingered...this was Este Lauder and the reaction was milder. I couldn't walk without help for 3 hours...shallow breathing but didn't feel threathen...improved as the day went on. Though had several bad days of recovery from pushing to function all day.
Long story short...I have left the house 9 times since Thanksgiving and 5 of those times lead to severe though not extreme reactions. One was a lady's deodorant! All resutled in 3-7 days of recovery.
I was using hot tub/sauna detox and thought I had it pretty well controlled but had a near extreme reation at my granddaughter's birthday party Feb 28th...this is one of the 5 times mentioned above. Back to the tub/sauna detox and had some amazingly stronger days. Went grocery shopping with husband...I still don't go anywhere by myself. I some mild fragrance expsoures but no severe reations. Slight headache and nausea and charcoal resolved that. Thought once again I was well on my way to being back to "normal" until a few days ago. Cleaning cabinets out in bathroom and came across a potpourri bag...it had to have been in there for years...mild fragrance. Threw it away...this was around 4 pm...felt a little nausea and slight headache...and thought that was all...however, around 9 pm I started feeling weak.
Still weak two days now. Last night had bad headache and my blood pressure was 174/95 HR85. Took BP this a.m. 149/85 HR79. After 2 hours on computer checking e-mails, reviewing MCS research, etc. Headache back and BP 172/94 HR 93...breathing somewhate shallow. The high BP scares me...don't need a stroke on top of all else!
Didn't know how long I would be able to research and thought I would put this question out there and someone might have any answer. I haven't done sauna detox in 2 weeks...probably big mistake. Thinking this is going to have to be a longterm practice for me.
I would appreciate any comments. Thanks, Lajuana
Oh...didn't realize I signed on as scrapladyandmore til I came back here. I'm am into digital scrapbooking and that's my user name. I quess part of the andmore like it of not is MCS...l0l!
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written by scrapladyandmore, April 19, 2010
I read articles on the Gulf War Syndrome back in 2004 and was very encouraged when I found more recent articles here on this site a few months ago...further confirmation that they had to be a contributing factor to my extreme reactions to chemicals. Out is desperation, hoping it might help "MG like symptoms I was having" I tried the pyridostigmine again a few months ago...worsen my symptoms...pretty scary experience!
However, I feel my immune issues started when I had a house cleaning service and used Lima-A-Way (PHOSPHORIC ACID) daily in shower with out gloves…even standing in showers barefoot to clean the lime buildup in the showers…breathing it, too…from 1985-1991 when health issues began. Hindsight revealed this possibility to me when in 1997, MG and Fibromyalgia were well managed by this time, I used Lime-A-Way for the first time since 1991. Within in seconds of use, I experienced extreme weakness and breathing issues…months of recovery. No docs would confirm my suspicions until 2004 and I learned about MCS. Any weakness from chemicals were all blamed on MG. Now I know better…though MG may elevated the severity of my reactions.
I don't tolerate antibiotics well at all...fortunately I rarely have to take them. And July 08 took one Lovastatin for cholesterol which sent me to ER...almost did not survive that...cholesterol meds are to be used with caution with MG patients. Family doc had consulted neurologist who had no problem with me taking it since my MG was "in remission"! I wasn't " in remission" just was well managed through nutrition. I’m a little hesitant to try blood pressure meds. Tried L-arginine and L-citrulline for a while several months back but thought they might have caused weakness...though other factors may have been involved. I plan to try those again. I am open to other alternative possibilities for BP and cholesterol.
I take a heart specific multi-vitamin (company went out several years ago and w/o it for 3 months ended up in ER with PVCs). ER doc wanted to give me lidocaine which I refused knowing from past experience I couldn't tolerate lidocaine. They instead gave me magnesium...it worked! Led to doc testing my Mg levels and I started taking extra Mg. And the company can back under another name and I started back taking the heart specific Multi-V that has larger amounts of Mg than other Multi-Vs. Docs didn't know why my levels were low, but my research on MCS tells me that the chemicals are the cause. I have taken Epsom Salt baths before so no issue for me personally...might be for some MG patients though. I don't see why I couldn't add the epsom salt to my tub/sauna detox sessions.
I also take an aloe vera extract product, wild yam extract, pretty large concentrations of antioxidants, grape seed extracts, green tea, etc. Multi-V has many supplements beyond typical multi-V…can get a list of all extras if needed. From research here, I see I may need to add Glutathione though the wild yam extract product also contains 200 mg of L-glutamic and 200 mg of glycine.
I must admit, with difficult financial times, I cut back on many supplements prior to the big flair up. Hindsight, again, I could have bought a lot of supplements for the cost of the Ambulance and ER expenses. I'm back to taking need supplements and open any additional one needed.
I think I will get this back under better control with time…it’s the BP issues that are of concern for me right now. And I will check into carbon filter masks.
Again…thanks for your response. I'll be adding Epsom Salts to my detox bath tomorrow!
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written by Jake, April 23, 2010
I can truly relate to your sufferings - I have MCS, CFIDS, FMS, Hashimoto's Disease. I collapsed one day with severe muscular weakness and blood pressure 210/110, though I have no history of hypertension. These severe reactions were eventually diagnosed as MCS. Ingestants, inhalants, contactants cause a cluster of symptoms w/ me such as high BP, severe weakness, brainfog, dizziness, insomnia, severe fatigue, hypoglycemia, etc.
Seems like each individual, depending on their concomitant illnesses, can have very different symptoms. For instance, while my BP will spike, my MCS friend will have blood sugar spikes. Anyhow, I began getting NAET treatments which can actually permanently eliminate allergies. I truly believe this has saved my life. My blood pressure is much more stable now and comes down faster after a reaction. I do not take routine BP meds, but am taking potassium bicarbonate.
Do you have any amalgam fillings or metal crowns in your mouth? These have also been implicated in my BP spikes. I have had all amalgams removed and 5 of my 7 crowns replaced. You could also check out proprioception as described by Dr. Larry Lytle (do a google search) - which can overstimulate the autonomic nervous system.
good luck
jake
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Sorry to hear that you are suffering so much. I and many others can empathise with your experiences of being made sick for days by the smallest fragrance exposure. However you obviously have more serious problems due to the complication of MG. I have to admit I am not very familiar with the condition but from what I can gather it is an autoimmune disease which damages acetylcholine receptors - acetylcholine being the neurotransmitter responsible for activating muscles.
Can I ask of your MG was ever treated with an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor such as neostigmine or pyridostigmine? The reason I ask is because these have been strongly linked to triggering the development of MCS, Gulf War Syndrome and other related diseases caused by toxic brain injury.
Your high BP is certainly worrying - are you on any medications for it or are you unable to tolerate drugs? What nutritional strategies do you follow? I would usually recommend epsom salt baths to get BP down as it is a great way of getting magnesium into the body which relaxes muscles - including the smooth muscle that lines blood vessels and plays a role in regulating BP. However, as I don't know enough about MG I don't know if there would be any interactions but this is maybe something you could look into yourself.
MCS can have variable effects in each sufferer. It is now generally understood to be a neurological disorder involving toxic injury to the brain however. The limbic system which is involved with emotion and automatic bodily functions such as heart rate and respiration through the stress response seems to be specifically affected however. You can imagine then that when a chemical trigger is encountered heart rate and BP can become elevated. The pounding heart is certainly something familiar to me but I never tested my BP during a reaction.
On a practical note - have you ever tried using a carbon filter mask or a respirator when you go to church or other places where chemicals may be present? They may make you look like a surgeon or fireman but at least you can get out and about without being in fear of spending the next few days in bed or even ending up in hospital!
I wish you all the best and sorry I can't be of more help. I will certainly research MG some more as time allows.
Take care,
Maff