worried sick

[Wonderwoman]

Hi everyone,

Please help reassure me if you can I am worried sick...............a brief history......I have a high BP phobia after a very high reading about 16 months ago at a Pharmacy........and was then told to go straight to the hospital.....my BP was 180/98..............after waiting in emergency for aboy half an hour the Doctor sw me and my BP was 130/70 - so he told me go home and not give it a second thought.............fat chance............anyway this became my obsession until 6 months later I decised to walk into a very dodgy hospital in HCMC Viet Nam where I live and have it checked and it was 110/65...........beautiful!!!.

I then put this (mostly) behind me and tried to focus on getting well..............then I got a cold 3 weeks ago that has (self diagnosed) turned into a sinus infection - symptoms: aching cheek, upper teeth and temple right side - gets worse after I have been up for a few hours and a general right sided headache, stuffy nose and puffy eye.............so I decided after 1 week of this horrible throbbing pain to go to the Doctor to get some anti biotics.................

The nurse told me she would check my temp and BP before I saw the Doctor........as you can imagine my heart started pounding and my mind was racing........as a result my BP was 140/80..............5 minute later I saw the Doctor who didn't want to know about my aching face, just how "alarmingly high" my BP was. She was a vietnamese Doctor and I had never seen her before but I had been to the same clinic 18 months earlier with good BP and my notes said all about my anxiety. I told her this and she just told to lose weight immediately (I am about 7 kgs over weight) and that my BP was causing the headaches/face ache. She then took my BP again 3 times and it was the same. She then decided to do a sinus x-ray even though she said thay my ears, nose and throat were red..............while I was waiting for this my Husband came to meet and I immediately burst into tears - I was a wreck. She then informed me that the sinus x-ray would be $110 USD on top of the $100 USD consultation fee..............I told her that I didn't want the x-ray - so she wrote me a prescription for anit biotics and pandadol (1 tablet 3 times a day)!!!!! My Husband was really angry and said you do know that she has sever health anxiety and you are scaring her to death............but she shrugged it off and again said "how High" my BP was.............so before leaving red eyed and terrified..............I asked her to check my BP again and guess what??? It was 120/70...................to which she replied "oh must be white blouse"......take the anti biotics and get well!!!!!

1 week later and I am still what iffing.........what if my BP is always that..........because I am anxious alot.............what if the facial pain(that I still have) is a stroke about to happen because I have high BP...........what if its a brain tumour..............etc etc etc.

My Husband is great and said her lack of bedside manner and language difficulties are making me question the whole experience and that there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with my BP and the sinus infection feels worse than it is because of anxiety.

So sorry for this long post...................but I can't stop onsessing about it...........I just want my Mum - but she died 5 months ago.

Please if anyone can reassure me on the sinus pain and or BP I would be sooooooooooo grateful.

[Piglet]

Oh good gracious - I think the pharmacy that saw you and also the doctor in your last paragraph should all go and get retrained - their bedside manner is appalling.

Our blood pressure can rise and fall all through the day as I am sure you know. I think we can see from all the different readings that you have had that yours is rising and falling as per usual.

I have had loads of high readings in the past but equally just like you loads of normal ones too!! A person is only said to have high blood pressure when all readings at all different times stay high.

I am so sorry you have been subjected to this sort of scaremongering - you need to find a decent doctor whom you have confidence in for the future, so you are not subjected to this again.

Oh and to add that I too get sinus pain - which is not helped by my constantly clenching my jaw. Try dropping your jaw and then your shoulders which may ease it a little!!

Piglet

[ECR]

OK, I had a heart operation when I was 3 and a half and have resulting high blood pressure which I have been dealing with most of my life.

A couple of months ago I got a reading of 174/122. This was during an INCREDIBLY anxious time. I thought nothing of it as I was so so so anxious at the time and put it down to that.

A month later I got another readong of 172/115. I WAS FREAKED!

I went back the next week and saw a locum GP who made me relax and visualize calming things. Over the next 10 minutes he reassured me that I was fine and it was just anxiety. Over those 10 minutes he took a further 3 readings.

Let me spell it out for you. First reading 172/115, fourth reading after reassurance and calming for 10 minutes - 133/91.

WOW! Please let that show you - as it did for me - the power of anxiety on blood pressure!

Be well because by the sounds of it YOU ARE!

[Dshell]

What a horrid horrid doctor you saw hun, that must have been awful for you!!

And, 140/80 is not even a high blood pressure!! The "normal" is about 130/80 so I really dont know what she was going on about to you.

And you wouldn't get cheek pain either from high BP - you might get a headache and visual disturbances but only if it was seriously high.

Please, I know it is easier said than done, but take no notice what so ever about what she said to you. I think she was probably just after making more money off you than anything else.

Have you started on the antibiotics yet? I'm sure you will feel loads better once they have kicked in.

Take care hun and make sure you never see that dr again!!!

DShell x

[Wonderwoman]

Thank you all so much,

Your reassurance means the world to me..............I did feel like it was a money making scheme which sadly happens all too often - especially at international xpat clinics in developing countries - but its the lack of understanding of anxiety and the scaremongering that ensues that saddens me the most.

Thank you all again - the best medicine yet again. x

[cazza]

there is no way 140/80 is high my doctor says that is normal mine is always that dont worry carol