I can not sleep. It's raining and my heart is racing (I had a Coke Icee at the movies earlier. Lots of calories and my body can not tolerate caffeine, but I love them.) and I am just laying in bed awake (and yes, I work in the morning).
While laying there in my half drowsy state, my mind was absently trying to dream and something suddenly occurred to me.
Years ago, just when I was in the early days of my leg issues...I had an appointment at a dermatologist's office. I remember asking him about the spots all up and down my legs that had appeared. He said it was petechiae, caused by burst blood vessels in my leg.
At the time, I thought it was due to the weight of my body and the force employed on my legs from my 5 mile walks. I had always attributed that exertion as the cause of that. But as my mind was trying to process stuff, the thought popped into my head, what if it was not from my walks? What if those burst blood vessels were due to too much blood in my legs---all of the time? What if my legs have just had too much blood in them all of this time? Let me explain...
When I was first diagnosed with high blood pressure (on February 25, 2010. I know that because I made a video of my trip to the emergency room after another doctor sent me there. Here it is):
While laying there in my half drowsy state, my mind was absently trying to dream and something suddenly occurred to me.
Years ago, just when I was in the early days of my leg issues...I had an appointment at a dermatologist's office. I remember asking him about the spots all up and down my legs that had appeared. He said it was petechiae, caused by burst blood vessels in my leg.
At the time, I thought it was due to the weight of my body and the force employed on my legs from my 5 mile walks. I had always attributed that exertion as the cause of that. But as my mind was trying to process stuff, the thought popped into my head, what if it was not from my walks? What if those burst blood vessels were due to too much blood in my legs---all of the time? What if my legs have just had too much blood in them all of this time? Let me explain...
When I was first diagnosed with high blood pressure (on February 25, 2010. I know that because I made a video of my trip to the emergency room after another doctor sent me there. Here it is):
I was put on Hydrochlorothyazide (a diuretic to help me pee off extra fluid) and Lisinopril. I was on the Lisinopril for about a year, but had to switch because it gave me a cough. My doctor had assigned me to a cardiologist for the blood pressure medication change and I was put on amlodipine and valsartan. It was after I was put on those medications that my symptoms started. It was not right away. It was gradual. I was told I'd have ankle swelling---and I do. BIG TIME! I have to wear a special compression sock, at a compression double what someone would generally have to wear. But it just seemed like a common side effect of the meds. No big deal, right? Except I think it is a big deal.
I forget which---amlodipine or the valsartan--but one of them slows my heart rate to help keep my blood pressure lower. I believe the blood has been building up and not pumping properly in my legs. Essentially, it is chemically created heart failure. But there is more to this story...
When my feet and legs got too bad, I stopped my 5-mile walks and stopped going to the gym. Since then I have lived with this pain and difficulty walking...and have put on all kinds of weight. I'm now FAT. The extra weight has caused even more problems, one of which is sleep apnea (I have had two sleep studies and was diagnosed both times with apnea). I never bothered to follow up because I didn't want to be connected to a C-Pap machine at night. This may have been what lead to my recently diagnosed blood disorder...my body is producing too much hemoglobin. Every other week I have to go to a clinic and get a 500 milliliters of blood drained from me.
Do you see the vicious cycle here?The medication I have been taking have slowed down my heart rate, causing blood to pool in my legs...which causes pain...which means I won't exercise...which gets me fat, fat, FAT. and I go apneic ..which causes my body to create more and more and MORE hemoglobin to help me stay oxygenated while I have those apneic spells....but that blood only adds to all of the blood that is not circulating correctly in my body and building up more and more and more. Good god, what am I going to do?
It has been 5 years now +/- since my legs have gotten so bad I had to quit my walks and quit the gym. Is there any hope for me? I can get a c-pap to help stop the building up of excess blood (if that is what is causing it). I can maybe have my BP medication changed.
I do not know if I am right or wrong with all of this---but i think i may have solved my great mystery---but is it too late to right the wrong and return to a "normal" existence? But all of the time, money and worry spent trying to figure out what is wrong with me; MRIs, nerve conduction tests, a procedure to close off an artery in my leg, and even a trip to the Mayo Clinic...for what? Medication side effects gone wild? UGH!
Does this sound feasible? Could my blood pressure medications be what has caused my problems all of this time? Some people are more prone to side effects and have greater complications than others, right? I hope it is not too late to fix it.
Good night. (I hope you are sleeping---because I sure am not...and I WORK tomorrow. UGH!)
CHEERS!
(Follow up is here: https://monsterago-go.blogspot.com/2019/07/leg-update-16-hopefully-this-will-help.html )
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