keeplookint85
24-01-14, 17:44
Hi all.
I have developed an anxiety about my blood pressure.
I've recently had all blood tests done, which were for thyroid, blood count and diabetes and they were normal. Because of a panic attack, I had an ECG done, chest X Ray and an echocardiogram and they were perfect, even though my heart was tanking along at 160bpm. When I was having these tests done, I had more blood tests and they were perfect. During a panic attack at the echo test, a nurse checked my blood pressure the old style way (manually and it was only slightly raised at 140/90 but my heart was raising along because I was scared that they'd find something, which they didn't. The lady who did the echo said that everything looked perfect and if I did get called back, it would only been routine. Of course, that stayed in my mind.
A few years back whilst suffering dizziness and pressure in my head, I popped into the pharmacy and it was raised. I can remember 140 something and that's about it. I was taking Propanolol at the time (40mg, 3 times a day), which after about 6 years altogether I've now stopped. I was feeling dizzy everyday and always put it down to anxiety, but looking back, it seems it was the medication, because I rarely get dizzy now unless its a panic attack. (I've only had 4)
When I stopped taking the tablets, I read the side effects could be a spike in blood pressure, so of course this was always on my mind, but I was determined to get off them and now for about 8 months I've been medication free.
Anyway, I was having pains in both of my temples one day a few months back and because I stupidly Googled it, I thought it could be down to high blood pressure.
The only time I find it to be high (140/90 - 170/110) is if I take it straight and I mean straight after I've walked or tidied up etc. I know this isn't an accurate reading but I'm worried I may have an Blood Pressure emergency whilst even walking.
But within literally a minute it will be back to completely normal (120 - 130/75-90)
This morning after cleaning my living room, I thought I'd put my mind at ease and check it straight away just to prove that exercise isn't going to raise my blood pressure stupidly high that I would pass out. It read 144/124. Which at first I panicked, but then almost instantly I thought that can't have been taken right. So I led down and it was prefect again within a minute and has been all afternoon.
All day now I've had it on my mind thinking as soon as I start walking or driving and I'm obsessing over it, I'm going to have an Blood Pressure Emergency (or whatever it's called) Can your anxiety drive it to such an extent that it causes an emergency like that?
I went out in the car about an hour ago and said to myself there's nothing wrong, everything's fine even though it's been on my mind and I was signing along (very loudly) to a song on the radio and when I inhaled through my nose, the only way I can describe it was it felt like I'd been swimming and then it felt like I swallowed something watery. Sorry, but this is going to sound disgusting, but because I'd read blood pressure emergencies cause nosebleeds, I put my finger up my nose and I'm convinced I saw the tiniest bit of blood 2 occasions on there and I mean tiny. This made me freak out, thinking all my anxiety and the singing had pushed my blood pressure up to extremely high numbers and immediately my head starting pounding, like I'd been held upside down, feeling hot and that I was about to pass out.
Because I was in a country lane I had to drive a little bit further and pull over in a carpark.
All I could think was dial 999, but I put it off and calmed myself down. It felt like the start of a panic attack, but I had stopped it after about 5 minutes. I drove home about 15 minutes after this whole episode relatively calm and when I got in my blood pressure was 133/90 (after walking up 2 flights of stairs and then after a few minutes was 118/76.
My biggest fear now is I did have a Blood Pressure emergency/crisis and it could happen again and what if I couldn't calm down?
My blood pressure at home is always in the good range 118 - 140/75 - 85 when I'm calm and relaxed.
Is it even possible at my age being 28 and never had any major illnesses to get into one of these blood pressure crisis' and die or something from it?
I know it's probably all in my head, but I'm convinced my blood pressure is going to go so high it will really hurt me. This afternoons episode REALLY didn't help. I eat relativity good, quit smoking around 5 years ago, drink maybe once a month. I've got to be honest I don't exercise as much as I should and hardly anything now because of this high blood pressure scare.
I never even considered my blood pressure until that day in the pharmacy and now I can't shake the fear
Sorry it's so long.
I have developed an anxiety about my blood pressure.
I've recently had all blood tests done, which were for thyroid, blood count and diabetes and they were normal. Because of a panic attack, I had an ECG done, chest X Ray and an echocardiogram and they were perfect, even though my heart was tanking along at 160bpm. When I was having these tests done, I had more blood tests and they were perfect. During a panic attack at the echo test, a nurse checked my blood pressure the old style way (manually and it was only slightly raised at 140/90 but my heart was raising along because I was scared that they'd find something, which they didn't. The lady who did the echo said that everything looked perfect and if I did get called back, it would only been routine. Of course, that stayed in my mind.
A few years back whilst suffering dizziness and pressure in my head, I popped into the pharmacy and it was raised. I can remember 140 something and that's about it. I was taking Propanolol at the time (40mg, 3 times a day), which after about 6 years altogether I've now stopped. I was feeling dizzy everyday and always put it down to anxiety, but looking back, it seems it was the medication, because I rarely get dizzy now unless its a panic attack. (I've only had 4)
When I stopped taking the tablets, I read the side effects could be a spike in blood pressure, so of course this was always on my mind, but I was determined to get off them and now for about 8 months I've been medication free.
Anyway, I was having pains in both of my temples one day a few months back and because I stupidly Googled it, I thought it could be down to high blood pressure.
The only time I find it to be high (140/90 - 170/110) is if I take it straight and I mean straight after I've walked or tidied up etc. I know this isn't an accurate reading but I'm worried I may have an Blood Pressure emergency whilst even walking.
But within literally a minute it will be back to completely normal (120 - 130/75-90)
This morning after cleaning my living room, I thought I'd put my mind at ease and check it straight away just to prove that exercise isn't going to raise my blood pressure stupidly high that I would pass out. It read 144/124. Which at first I panicked, but then almost instantly I thought that can't have been taken right. So I led down and it was prefect again within a minute and has been all afternoon.
All day now I've had it on my mind thinking as soon as I start walking or driving and I'm obsessing over it, I'm going to have an Blood Pressure Emergency (or whatever it's called) Can your anxiety drive it to such an extent that it causes an emergency like that?
I went out in the car about an hour ago and said to myself there's nothing wrong, everything's fine even though it's been on my mind and I was signing along (very loudly) to a song on the radio and when I inhaled through my nose, the only way I can describe it was it felt like I'd been swimming and then it felt like I swallowed something watery. Sorry, but this is going to sound disgusting, but because I'd read blood pressure emergencies cause nosebleeds, I put my finger up my nose and I'm convinced I saw the tiniest bit of blood 2 occasions on there and I mean tiny. This made me freak out, thinking all my anxiety and the singing had pushed my blood pressure up to extremely high numbers and immediately my head starting pounding, like I'd been held upside down, feeling hot and that I was about to pass out.
Because I was in a country lane I had to drive a little bit further and pull over in a carpark.
All I could think was dial 999, but I put it off and calmed myself down. It felt like the start of a panic attack, but I had stopped it after about 5 minutes. I drove home about 15 minutes after this whole episode relatively calm and when I got in my blood pressure was 133/90 (after walking up 2 flights of stairs and then after a few minutes was 118/76.
My biggest fear now is I did have a Blood Pressure emergency/crisis and it could happen again and what if I couldn't calm down?
My blood pressure at home is always in the good range 118 - 140/75 - 85 when I'm calm and relaxed.
Is it even possible at my age being 28 and never had any major illnesses to get into one of these blood pressure crisis' and die or something from it?
I know it's probably all in my head, but I'm convinced my blood pressure is going to go so high it will really hurt me. This afternoons episode REALLY didn't help. I eat relativity good, quit smoking around 5 years ago, drink maybe once a month. I've got to be honest I don't exercise as much as I should and hardly anything now because of this high blood pressure scare.
I never even considered my blood pressure until that day in the pharmacy and now I can't shake the fear
Sorry it's so long.