Afraid to do anything!

[tt]

After my hospital visit and my blood pressure being sky high 165/107
and my fast heart rate 140, I am afraid to do house chores. I want to go
back to the gym and see how I make out, but what if it happens all over again. I can't seem to take a deep breathe today and am soo afraid of increasing my heart rate. What will happen, will I take a stroke or go into cardiac. The unknown has me scared.

Has anyone been there?
Can anxiety really make your bp be this high and your heart rate?
This can't be healthy and I need to change.

TT):

TT

[seh1980]

hello TT,

Yes, anxiety really can cause your heartrate and your blood pressure to shoot up like that. Don't be afraid as it can't do you any harm and the sooner you start doing things like going to the gym, the sooner you will realise that and be able to get on with your life.

Sarah

[cookiemonster]

If you haven't already, have you considered having an EKG and echocardiogram done? Even though in all likelihood there's nothing wrong with your heart, it can really put you at ease. I had an echo done, and now when my heart rate goes up during a panic attack I can reassure myself that it really is just the panic attack and not some underlying defect.

[tt]

I did have the ECg done and blood work as well. He said all is well other than the fast heart rate. I am waiting on the thyroid test results.
It that it of the testing?

Thank you,
TT):

TT

[FAN]

hi i think its highly unlikely that you will give yourself a stroke or heart attack although sometimes it can feel that your gonna ......try gentle excersice before you re join the gynm and see how you feel with that im sure you will be ok

fan x

"dont wait for the light at the end of the tunnel..........stride down there and light the bl**dy thing yourself!

[della]

hi T.T

ir your awaiting thyroid results these may well be the cause of your feelings of anxiety.
I know that some thyroid problems can cause panic and anxiety...but please do get on with things.

take care

della

[sal]

Hi TT

As Della says that could be a reason, so take it easy until you get the results. But anxiety can cause the same syptoms when there is nothing physically wrong with you, so you need to rule out the other problems, then focus on your anxiety.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.

[angieb]

Hi TT - SNAP

You are feeling exactly the same as me. My first panic attack happened during an exercise class about five weeks ago, I have been totally floored by the after effects. I have been through the full range of panic and anxiety from a full blown could not breathe and ended up in casualty attack to agrophobia with just about every other symptom in between. I have ven had to leave my job and some days have been unable to take my kids to school.

I can control my breathing now so have avoided a full blown panic attack for four weeks (which feels good) but cannot however some days control at all my racing pulse. I describe it as imagine you were sat in your lounge one night and and a masked man burst in through the door, that kind of panic feeling, racing heart, thumping pulse, sweaty palms, dry mouth and tension in your shoulders and neck - all with no apparant triggers.

This makes me really fear exercise of any description, although when I have pushed on a bit (gardening, housework, shopping etc) I do feel better. Yesterday I walked to the local shop (about half a mile) and felt awful when I arrived. I sat on a bench outside the shop and toyed with calling my husband to ask him to collect me and drive me home. What I did then was try to apply some logic to the situation. I knew that if I kept control of my breathing there was no way it could turn into a full attack (my big fear, had visions of me having a heart attack on the way back) - it is impossible to have a panic attack if you are breathing OK. So I decided to ignore the racing heart (not easy) and focus on making sure I was breathing in through the nose for 4 and out through the mouth for 4. Then I got my daughter to play distraction with me, starting with a we take it in turns to come up with things for every letter of the alphabet ie girls names then animals etc.

Before I knew it we were back home. Don't get me wrong my pulse still raced for a couple of hours. I did 6 yoga poses which really helped (just started this so am not very good!) and then just got on with my day - racing heart and all.

I too worry about the long term effects but as my hubby reminded me yesterday, athletes (especially rowers) work with their heart rate at 200 BPM. Makes ours look a bit of a lame effort really!!!!!

I'm finding that having choices is helping me, when I have an escape I tend to be able to manage better ie yesterday I worked myself up after the above episode into cancelling taking my daughter out. When my hubby said he'd leave work early and come and take over I knew then that I did not have to do it - it was at that point that that I relaxed and thought OK i'll give it a try. I did and enjoyed it.

I hope that we both get over this bit soon...it won't be long I am sure.

Take care...Angie

[tt]

Thanks Angie,
Funny how we can be so exactly alike and how common it can be between us all. I hope you soon get to the top. I think it sounds like your on your way. I am going to keep the breathing in mind. Sometimes in panic it is hard to do this especially when you really find it hard to take that deep breath.

Thanks once again,
TT

TT

[angieb]

Ahhh I think that is a good point - don't try for a deep breath try for a long low breath, in for 4 out for 4.

I can't do a deep breath but I can do this long slow in and out. Like they do in Yoga you hear a soft noise in the back of your throat.

If you can master it it honestly stops a full blown panic attack in its tracks.

Take care for now...Angie