High Blood Pressure & Dizziness

[ams]

I've posted recently about the mild headaches. head pressure, and slight dizziness/head swimming that's I've dealth with over the past few weeks. It comes and goes, and doesn't totally seem to follow any The past few days, lying down has aggravated things (which of course made me think brain tumor), but it's more likely either tension or sinus issues (I have some sinus pressure and a little bit of drainage)...but that doesn't mean I won't worry about it.

So, there's a nurse where I work, and she says I ought to check my BP. We do so, and it's 152/82 in one arm and 145/83 in the other. I've always had slightly high BP (usually in the 130/80 realm), but this is the highest its ever been. She tested it a few hours later and one arm was 152/72 and the other 152/83. I know these are high measurements, and while I was anxious when they were taken, I wasn't overly so, and I've been anxious at the doctor's before and not had such high readings. So, an appointment is in order next week to have this checked out.

But while 152/83 is high for me (and nothing to sneeze at), is that high enough to cause dizziness or a head swimming feeling? Seems odd, if so. I'm hoping when I go to the Dr. I'm back down to my usual range, but we'll see. The funny thing is, I'm 30, slim build, probably 5'10", 150 lbs. I don't eat amazingly well, but I'm not bad, I have probably 10-14 drinks/week, and while I'm no fitness freak, I do walk/bike fairly regularly. I guess my genes are out to get me!!!

[nomorepanic]

Those readings are not high at all

[ams]

I know they're not high in terms of panic/anxiety, and that people here have had much higher, but I'm not prone to panic attacks, just sustained, low grade anxiety, so this is pretty high for me...

I know the "official" recommendations are perhaps a bit too stringent, but my systolic at 152 is definitely in the hypertension stage. 83 as a dystolic isn't so, bad, but if I'm consistently at 152/83, I'd think that's not so good...right?

[Alisonj]

I get headaches and stuff with high blood pressure. But more when it is 200/100. The top number is alittle high but that is the one that is affected by emotions, white coat hypertension etc. The second number is the more significant and it is not high which is wonderful. Chances are very great that the feelings you are having are caused by anxiety you feel from the BP. Dropping the top number would be good but it is not dire. Exercise, diet etc It will drop it in no time! Trust me I went from 4 different blood pressure meds
just to keep it below 140/90 and I am not two months medication free!!!
It doesnt have to be anxiety alone that raises the top number it can be a huge number of things from lack of sleep, to excitement, to eating black licorce even! Hope you feel better asap!
Try and relax, go for a nice walk.

[jue67]

my blood pressure was high, 200 over 100 but bearing in mind i hate doctors and worry about every little thing in the universe..........
i started taking blood pressure meds, it took me a week of debating when i had read the side effects, never will i do this again.
i had it taken with the doc and it was 147 over 70, she would like to get it down to 140 over 70 as thats the ideal for someone on meds. so i go again in 3 months to the doc for it reading again.

i think yours may have been slightly high, but why take it in both arms, it is supposed to be taken on the left arm only, so my nurse told me. have you tried relaxation cd,s that also gets mine down but not enough for me not to take meds unfortunately. but i wouldnt worry unduly, its not high enough to harm your body, i was told it had to be high as in my original readings for a sustained period of years before it did that.

i hope your okay and i agree that before i started my meds i had wooziness, headaches everyday and felt crap, i also have less anxiety now, be that from not worrying about my bp and the meds have done the job i dont know. medics and books tell us that bp is the silent killler cos there are no signs, not sure if i believe that thou!! cos it does seem co incidental that now i have meds i barley have a headache and only feel woozy when im worrying aobut some other health thing!!


jmo

jools

[Cathy V]

I find it interesting since im also on meds for 'supposedly' high bp. I developed a bad pain on the left side of my head last summer, went on for 4 days after which i went to see the doc. He took my bp and it was 180/110. I was amazed as it had always been ok before and had it checked 8 weeks before while still living in uk and it was 135/83. So he took some bloods and they were fine and sent me off to a neurologist about the head pain.

He gave me loads of tests and said it was migraine and pescribed propranolol. This didnt agree with me so now on another but my bp has never really been the same since. It now hovvers around 150/92 and on a good day its 140/85-ish, but i always get the impression from the doc that this is still too high...but reading all your posts reassures me its not that bad, given my age and the menopause also?

Problem i have now is, im now in a catch 22 situation coz the betablockers affect my energy levels so i find exercising really hard on them, and losing the weight ive put on since starting them is a night mare, and until i lose the extra weight my bp is going to remain on the high side...dont really know what to do. And because they slow your system down, if i try to come off the betablockers my anx hits the roof and my heart is all over the place!

But its good to read your posts about this and gives me some comfort to know there are others in the same situation.

Cathy xxx

[countrygirl]

Very high blood pressure can certainly be totally silent as my friend who waas full of energy and never ailed a thing ( much to my disgust!) got her bp checked in chemist and it was 220/120!!!! She was rushed off to Dr's who put her on meds and did a raft of tests and ultrasound and x rays and even with meds her bp is 170/100 so she has had to double them. She is now experiencing ill health due to the side effects of meds but she felt perfectly fine when her bp was life threatening.

My now retired Gp told me that it was always okay for your blood pressure to rise a bit with age as long as your bottom number stayed below 90 and that the drug companies had influenced the now obsessive need to keep your blood pressure artificially low when you get older, maybe something to do with selling blood pressure tablets ahem.

Having worked for a medical practise I have a cynical attitude to what goes on regarding drug presx having witnessed the encouragements to drs first hand.

[Keszler]

Generally hypertension, even when severe, does not cause physical symptoms (this is why its called the "silent killer"). Worrying about BP readings ("white coat hypertension") however can. Then its easy to ascribe all manner of symptoms (headaches/cardio symptoms/dizziness etc) to BP when in fact many of these symptoms can be caused by stress.
I agree that the medical community has got a bit obsessed with BP and the drugs company's do have a part to play in this. This has not helped the anxiety community any.
However, if your BP is within "normal" limits (on meds or not) you should not worry, and if it is persistently high (on four or more occasions) a visit to the GP may be a wise precaution.
Good luck!

[noworriesnocries]

some people get nervous when their BP is being taken. I used to be so scared of it... It made me anxious just to get it done... If you are a worrier of health, it may make you nervous too... Your readings are great though. Telling it from the perspective of a health worrier...

[ams]

Well, after another high reading this morning at work, my bp was 128/84 at the doctor's office. Ha.

The headaches and slight dizziness remain.