didn't quite know where to put this...I know some of you have seen my saga regarding my bad mornings, and eye problems.

Well, I finally have an answer...high blood pressure.

By the time I got the doctors, this morning, it was 180/110. And he figures based on my recounting my symptoms, that it probably was mcuh higher earlier this morning.

This pressure is pressing on my ocular nerve causing the eye problems.

I am so relieved (kind of) just to finally have a diagnosis; but so angry about it taking so long and so much crap. I always felt so bad in the mornings, that I just didn't go to the doctor at that time.

Little did I know....

I understand what you mean about feeling relieved .. and believed.

Sorry that it's not good news, but at least now you have something definite to work with. I hope you're able to get the blood pressure under control, and find some relief SOON from the other problems.

take care,

Doreen

My rheumatologist had said it was part of my fibro; so now I am wondering how much other stuff she is wrong about.!!!

The doctor yesterday did a lot of tests as well as an EKG (sugar, thyroid, kidneys, liver, blood somethings). He really seemed to know his stuff. I have come to realize, that if you get a doctor who really has a niche in a particular area, you have a great doctor for that problem. I guess I just got lucky!

He seemed to believe that there is an underlying problem causing the extreme fluid retention and that is what he is trying to uncover. Even low carb doesn't seem to stop it during the night. And he also wants to make sure that my heart hasn't suffered any damage; because theoretically every time this happened (which is a lot in the past five years) my blood pressure was way up.

This morning I am already much better. My head/eye ache is just in my right side and very mild compared to yesterday. My blood pressure is much improved too!

High blood pressure is a symptom of a problem, not the cause. There is always a reason that BP rises. So you have another question moreso than an actual answer. If you have Fibromyalgia then I have no doubt that you have high BP as pain and stress will make your BP rise. Of course, these are not the only things that raise BP but is probably a likely source and at least contributing.

I totally agree. I go back today to get the results of all my tests. I do have fibro and it has been suggested that I have sleep apnea.

Do you know if all of this could come from a wheat allergy? That's where I'm going to go with this, but I didn't want to make any drastic changes until I get my reports back. Another strange thing is that the diuretic isn't making me urinate any more than usual and I haven't lost any water weight from it although I can tell it is working beause my rings fit better and my eyes aren't all swollen in the a.m.

I never had symptoms this bad until I fell off of Atkins. But then again, I also turned 40 then

Allergies can cause all kinds of reactions... including retaining extra fluids that could result in HBP so yes, it is possible. Gluten intolerance is much more prevalent than most research suggests so you might wish to get checked out... unless our question means you already now this allergy or intolerance exists.

Sometimes it can take a while before diuretics really kick in and in some cases you may need to take more than you are. I'm not a big fan of meds but they are sometimes necessary for the short term.

The fact that your symptoms worsen when you increase carbs definitely indicates a reaction or allergy to something. A good way to detect the culprit is to eliminate all possible offending foods from your diet for two weeks and then slowly add them back in one at a time. As you add one back in, check your reactions/symptoms. If they increase, you've probably found your offending food type. Also check for redness on the top half of your ears within an hour after eating. This can be a common allergic reaction as well.