Help For My Sister-In-Law With Multiple Sclerosis

[ButterflyChaser]

Hi all,

my SIL has had MS for a few years now, and she seemed to have been doing fine with interferon.

Lately, however, she has developed rampantly high blood pressure - today it was 120-170, and has been very high for a while, she is just 33.

Has anyone here any ideas about whether high BP could be connected to MS (and/or interferon)? I have made a quick search, but it doesn't seem to be that common, and I was wondering if there was anyone here who knew more than I do.

[IrishHeart]

I do not know for sure, either (can't find it listed as a side effect) but I can tell you that my friend Suze with MS also treats herself with interferon with no blood pressure issues.

Also, my friend Elaine is treated with interferon for thrombocythemia and her blood pressure is normal.

What does her doctor think?

[mushroom]

No, I did what was probably the same kind of quick search you did and there does not seem to be any literature on this. My MIL had MS and always had extremely low blood pressure. Was not treated with Interferon, however. She passed on some years ago.

[ButterflyChaser]

I'm sorry, Mushroom...

I don't really know what the doctor who treats her for MS says (we live 12,000 miles away from each other), but I spoke to my brother today, and they had gone to a cardiologist who suggests she starts a therapy for hypertension. So I was wondering if the two may be connected, but it seems that the opposite problem is more common, which is a bit weird.

[mushroom]

Is she on any other medication that could be creating hypertension?