When Fibro Causes High Blood Pressure

Q:  Every time I have a flare of fibromyalgia, my blood pressure goes up. When I feel better, it goes back to normal. Do you know why fibromyalgia would cause blood pressure to rise? Does a temporary rise in blood pressure such as this require treatment?

A:  The most likely reason that your blood pressure becomes elevated during fibromyalgia flares is the increased pain and stress that come with flares. Although research has not addressed this phenomenon in fibromyalgia specifically, we do know that pain and/or stress can cause blood pressure to rise. For example, people who are in pain after surgery often experience temporary elevations in blood pressure. And for some people, just the stress of seeing their physician can cause their blood pressure to rise in the doctor's office (so-called "white-coat hypertension"). As long as your blood pressure doesn't stay elevated between flares of fibromyalgia, it probably doesn't require treatment. 

DANIEL CLAUW, MD
Rheumatologist

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