Went in to discuss treatment for a minor back injury and found out my BP was really high. NP says we’ll start treating, but I should monitor for a couple days so we aren’t over-treating an outlier if my BP is typically lower. She gives me a list of symptoms that would be concerning and some muscle relaxers for my back.
I get home that afternoon and develop a headache and hot/flushed skin and generally feel.. off. I do what comes naturally. I calmly and rationally freak out. I check my BP and sure enough it’s VERY high. I talk to my wife about it, and we agree I should sit and calm down for a little while and re-check before going to urgent care.
An hour later and it’s back to “normal” (for someone with untreated hypertension). I go about the rest of my evening. I get up this morning and check my BP first thing. It’s still high, but within expectations. I take my morning muscle relaxer and head to a field trip with my wife and daughter.
Afternoon rolls around and I’m feeling flushed, have a headache, and I’m woozy. I check my BP and it’s my new normal. Finally I google side effects of the new muscle relaxer and they’re basically 1:1 the same as a hypertensive crisis.
So anyway. I’m probably fine. I just happen to be looking for symptoms of severe hypertension at the same time I’m taking a medication that mimics the symptoms of severe hypertension.
Getting older is a blast.
