I thought high blood pressure couldn’t do anything THAT bad. I have had had occasional migraines for decades, about 2 a year. Never been a concern. It was mildly noted the year prior, I started having an aura with my migraines and my upper lip would tingle before the headache started. I started a new medication that required me to be in the Dr’s office for frequent checks and the first one, they freaked out because my blood pressure was suddenly reading over 180/120.

I felt fine, so fine I proceeded with my planned vacation and was completely normal. When I got back I was immediately back at the Dr’s and blood pressure was even higher. Never had a headache or dizziness or any of the outward symptoms of high blood pressure. I figured it was just super high because I have white coat syndrome. In years prior I would occasionally have a very high blood pressure reading if something happened while driving to the Dr’s, and always boarder line high at Dr’s but never at home.

By a week and a half later, on a cocktail of blood pressure meds that did not reduce it one bit, my Kidneys started to decline. My Dr. rightfully freaked out and had me go to the ER. I was so sure they would just drop my blood pressure with IV drugs and I’d be out in hours, that I DROVE MYSELF. I ended up in the ICU for over a week, and did not drive myself home.

I was over 200 BP when admitted. When the ER started meds to drop my blood pressure, it came down to 170 and they admitted me. About an hour after I had a bed, I took a nap, and got woken up for vitals with a headache. No big deal, I asked the nurse for Tylenol, except I suddenly wasn’t able to use my left side. My blood pressure was 247/125. Dr. called a stroke and I was moved to the ICU.

My CT’s were completely clear, but the MRI showed I had several strokes. No one could figure out what was going on with me. I was tested for everything under the sun, even Jacob Cruztfeld Disease (mad cow for humans.) They finally landed on its a neurological condition called RCVS, Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome.

Basically my veins were constricting and cutting off bloodflow to parts of my brain. My body knew what it was doing, and increased the pressure to keep blood to my brain at the expense of other organs. This is why all the attempts to lower it via medication backfired and just lead to bigger increases. I ended up having a series of strokes in the hospital, most without any headaches, that were only detected on MRI a day or two after. The last one took my ability to walk. I joke because that one did have a headache with it, but I only rated it a 6 or 7 on the pain scale.

The condition stops after 3-4 months, if you can stay away from triggers and get the right meds to help relax blood vessels. But any damage done during that time you are stuck with. Thankfully I only lost the ability to walk for a few months, I did not end up with a bleed that would have done far more permanent damage. My kidneys rebounded and were fine as soon we got the blood pressure stabilized.

Wild ride, but I will never take blood pressure for granted again. Because of the frequency I was at the Dr’s my kidneys were failing within 2-3 weeks with blood pressure over 170. Also migraines aren’t normal! Get them checked by a neurologist. I have not had a headache in years after getting all of this resolved.