Just curious…I was talking to one of my family members over the weekend about how my doctor told me my blood pressure was low & that was good because it’s less pressure flowing through my AVM. I was just wondering if you had normal, high or low blood pressure before your AVM ruptured and if you think that had an affect? My neurologist told me that if I were to get pregnant I’d need to be on bed rest due to the increased blood flow from the pregnancy. (I currently have an AVM that has not bled and still debating on surgery). Also if you haven’t had a bleed yet if you don’t mind telling me how your blood pressure is?
Thanks & I appreciate your openness!
Hi Marcylynn. I did a search on here for you…
http://www.avmsurvivors.org/main/search/search?q=high+blood+pressure
My BP was normal before the bleed and after. During the bleed…Yikes!
Thanks Barbara!!! 
My neurologist said my AVM could be greatly influenced by high blood pressure. He said not to do anything to get my BP up before my surgery, and to be sure to keep taking my BP meds. Hope this helps.
Yes thanks 
rachelrentschler said:
My neurologist said my AVM could be greatly influenced by high blood pressure. He said not to do anything to get my BP up before my surgery, and to be sure to keep taking my BP meds. Hope this helps.
my blood pressure was very low before any of my 3 AVM bleeds, as im very active in sport.
Thanks Richard-I read your story on your page…amazing. So my grandma’s theory of blood pressure really doesn’t make much of a difference I’m starting to see. The AVM is going to bleed when it wants to I guess-kindof scarey.
thx marcy, well of course im no doctor - but if u do have high blood pressure, the percentage will be much higher for another bleed, im sure it would be said from experts. But, as said…all 3 times i had very low blood pressure, probably was in my peek fitness i would say. It can happen again, high or low blood pressure, thats for sure 
Low blood pressure, also anemic.
3 children, no complications.
No bleed - hopefully never ever
Gamma Knife on June 22 - 80% chance of obliteration by year 3
My blood pressure has always been in the normal range when checked, but I was told that high blood pressure and blood thinners can aggravate symptoms caused by my AVM. I’m just taking the word of one doctor but looking back I can connect times when my symptoms worsened to times when my blood pressure most likely spiked.
Hey Marcylynn, I don’t know really. I am 47 and have had a child (who has just turned 12) and until 6 weeks ago had an AVM with out ever having a bleed. I had always had low blood pressure before my crani and now after my operation have high blood pressure and are on medication to keep it down. I guess my brain was not used to the normal flow of blood well I had the AVM and now it is no longer there it is still pumping the same amount of blood around, it has not worked out yet that I don’t need that much pumping any more. I don’t really know if that make since or not. But I would rather take a pill than walk around feeling like a time bomb. It is great to say I am now AVM free!!!
But mine was not as big as yours although still in the motor part, I also had a child to think of and the Prof did not really give me an option other than surgery because I also had 3 x aneurysms . The chance of a bleed was far to high.
Kia Kaha Taiki
DM
Thanks all for your replies! DM-I am glad to hear you had a child & didn’t have a problem with your AVM! That gives me hope if I decide not to have anything done with it-my neurologist did say to be safe though I would need to be on bed rest & have a c-section with close monitoring. So glad to hear you are AVM free-I bet it is a more free feeling to know you don’t have it anymore and don’t have to worry about a bleed! I’m still battling my decision on what to do.
I had a rupture and I’ve always had near perfect blood pressure. I never even new I had an AVM until the bleed.
My doctors were shocked that I was able to have three children and no bleed. They contributed it to very low blood pressure. So yes, I think blood pressure does play a role in the chances of a bleed
Before my bleed, my blood pressure was ‘low’.
(FYI: As far as pregnancy = I have given birth twice since I’ve been an adult (&, of course, I nor my OB/GYN (nor any other doctor I saw during that time) never knew of my AVM at any time with those pregnancies) and I never had a problem (thank God) other than a couple episodes of blacking out in the early part of my pregnancies (which I now know (but didn’t know then) was due to having an AVM). I was never put on bed rest. I’m not advocating getting pregnant while having your AVM; rather, I am merely stating it is not impossible. You will find others on this site that has given birth (before, during, & after learning of her AVM).)
Though everyone has his/her own reason(s) for deciding which (if any) course of action to take regarding his/her AVM, I must say that had I known about mine prior to it bursting, I would have done my research on AVMs, got all ‘loose ends’ tied up, and planned to have the AVM removed. I view it like this: If I planned (or even entertained the possibility of becoming/being pregnant, planned or not - as long as there was a chance/possibility that pregnancy COULD happen) at ANY time to have children, then it would NOT be fair to the child (let alone, to you or relatives or the baby’s father, etc.) if you elected to not have the AVM ‘fixed’ and ended up ‘not your usual self’ (ability wise, personality wise) because the small % of bleeding did occur (& having a stroke from that bleed). (Not trying to make your decision harder; rather, I am just trying to help you to view all potential scenarios (which are sometimes overlooked due to the highly emotional ‘shock’ factor that comes with getting the diagnosis of an AVM).
Hii Marcylyn,
According to a neurosurgeon I was seeing last year, he explained that maintaining a "normal"blood pressure helps as it won’t put on too much pressur’e on the blood flow inside the brain. He has even asked me to maintain the 90/50 to 90/70 blood pressure as I’m like a "walking ticking time bomb"as he said it. I have also noticed that last April this year, I was feeling uneasy and almost fainted when my blood pressure rose to 100/70. He said that it’s too much for me. Btw, I have congenital avm with aneurysmal dilatations near the temporo=basal area. The on size is not accurately determined but it’s there. I was actually scheduled for a ct-angiogram procedure to determine the size or any developments of the avm yet the family has decided not to pursue it as the procedure exposes me to greater risks, the doctor said.
i
Anyhow, I hope this somehow suffice your query. Thank you very much. Take care always and God bless you! =)
jeni
Thanks all! And Cindy I do agree it’s not fair at all to the baby & that’s what I tell my family when they tell me to “just get pregnant”. They tell me that they will be here for me in case I die & raise the baby or take care of me if I have problems, but I can’t believe they say that-what about me having to deal with the possibility of this happening! My sister just had her baby Monday & she was bleeding out & she had to have three bags of blood put back in & she said there are risks with everything…but in my opinion, I think this AVM has more risks than what she went through-even if it is low of my AVM rupturing. I’m frustrated at the moment and thank you all for contributing your comments & support & information!!
My BP is perfect however when I started a new exercise routine to try to lower my cholesterol was what bought on my stroke like symptoms.
well, i was (am still) pregnant when mine bled. i did my research and its said that pregnant women with an avm will most likely rupture in the third trimester (i think thats what they said, been a while since i looked it up). i was 13 weeks along, first trimester but my BP was high…i was having a “hormonal” moment when it rupturedso i know it was high. also i had been having signs for a couple weeks before this. i was waking up with my hands numb. migrains were more frequent. and after sex with my husband one night i started to cry because the migrain was instant and incredibly severe. white noise, all that, very intense and depressing. scared my husband cus he thought it was baby-related. neither of us expected me to have a stroke a couple weeks later.just so u know, i still had 2 embos AND the crani while preg.im due in a month. i may have put my baby in harms way but at least hes still kicking (literally) he saved my life, i saved his. i can only hope for the best for him and for you. good luck with ur decision:)
Thanks…interesting & scarey! Sorry to hear you’re having this problem while pregnant, makes me second guess getting pregnant now. Ugh I’m so frustrated & scared. I appreciate your responses!