High blood pressure and chest pains - A&E again!

[jenza20]

I posted a week or 2 ago as I am having a health anxiety relapse. It's a real bad relapse due to the amount of stress I'm currently under.

Anyway, 2 days ago the heartburn and reflux caused bad chest pain which spread to my arms, back, neck & jaw. I realised it was time to get help with perhaps stronger lanzoprozole so popped to my GP.

I explained to the GP that stress was high and that I thought it was heartburn. She took my BP which at 160/80 was high. I had rested for a good 30-40 mins prior to my GP taking my BP in the waiting room. Anyway, I was told to go straight to A&E. I didn't see what my BP was but I had 2 x ECG's (normal) and blood tests & chest x-Ray. All ok so sent home. In the past that would've been enough to convince me I'm ok (until the next episode of health anxiety) but last night I woke in the night with bad chest pains, twitches and pain in my left arm and I felt a bit breathless. I was pouring with sweat. I somehow managed to calm myself down using breathing techniques but I still feel uncomfortable and light headed today.

My problem is now I am constantly thinking my blood pressure is high and causing all sorts of problems. It's making me feel ill all the time. From the second I get up I'm stressed and obsessing over my heart and BP.

Has anyone else had blood pressure this high and survived ok or any tips on how to reduce blood pressure naturally other that reduce stress and watch diet. I've stopped smoking and drinking recently as I know both were making me obsess more but yet I feel worse?! I can't win. I have palpitations just writing this. And feel dizzy. I don't smile anymore and I'm constantly scared and agitated. Just wish this anxiety would go away. I won't take medication for anxiety by the way because i obsess over side effects. Can't win. Hope someone can help me. Constantly crying.

[Catherine S]

Hi Jenza. I can relate to this, after having normal...and sometimes low Bp all of my adult life, it suddenly started to shoot up really high. One reading at the doctors was 170 over 110 which freaked me out completely! He gave me a home monitor with an automatic pump that I had to leave on for 24 hours so he could measure it properly and the readings were quite a bit lower than that first one, was which was a relief, but it scared me alot and after that I went out and bought my own monitor and obssessed about taking my Bp all all hours of the day and evening, which was obviously not helping as I just couldn't relax.

My doctor then suggested beta blockers and put me on Propranolol, mainly because I was a migraine sufferer too and because migraines are vascular headaches, this apparently would treat both...which it did and still does 7 years later. The added bonus is that it also lessens the power of palpitations which I suffer with too.

However, around 5 years ago I was also found to have an underactive thyroid and so I now also take thyroxine. I did start to put on weight gradually over some years and I was also an evening drinker which didn't help. Like you I recently gave up my alcohol habit (I stopped smoking 15 years ago) and have been eating really well and have started to see some changes. I'm losing weight gradually and my Bp is coming down too...I do know that alcohol raises it alot, so it might just be that given a bit more time you will see some better results too.

I no longer worry about my Bp too much these days, and no longer obssess about it...ive managed to get some perspective on it, in as much as yes it can harm us if it stays high for years but its not a given. Even my doc tells me not to worry too much about it and he would only take my Bp every few months not even every week. I learned to recognise and accept that Bp readings can change minute by minute depending on what we are doing at any point in our day, and that its also normal for it to start increasing as we get older...a 50yr old isn't likely to have the same Bp as a 20yr old unless super-fit! I'm now 61 and today my reading is 137 over 80 and that's ok for my age and level of fitness, and i'm hoping in time I can get it down even lower. When I was drinking every evening it could be up around 160 over 90 some days.

Reducing it naturally is about tweaking your lifestyle a little...more exercise, I don't throw myself around a gym but I do walk 4 days out of 7 for about 40mins just around where I live, and giving up drinking every evening at home has really helped my energy levels. I also take 200mgs of Magnesium which I read can also help and it doesn't harm your system at all. Cranberry jiuce is also a good for Bp levels as is any antioxident drink.

But at the moment you are obviously in a state of fear and that's why you feel like you do with the dizziness and agitation...fear puts our system into fight or flight and that produces a whole load of symptoms. I know its not easy but try to calm down a little because you're not going to collapse with a stroke or a heart attack. We read that's what wll happen with high Bp, but anything that could be a result of this would take years to damage your system.

ISB x

[jenza20]

Hi and thank you so much for your reply. This is the exact reason I come on to no more panic as it really does help hearing from people who are or have experienced similar issues.

I had a fairly decent night last night, as in no chest pain but woke in the early hours with stomach pains. But today the chest pains are back with a vengeance and going straight through to my back. I've still not had a drink (tempted as it eases my stress but I know if I do I will suffer), and i'm feeling breathless. Hence the reason I'm back on here seeking help but your reply has helped.

I also am hypothyroid and have been taking levothyroxine for years. My weight has been an on/off issue for years too. I'm not massive but overweight/borderline obese. I used to ecxercise a lot but my health obsessions have recently even interfered with that (ie soon as I get a little breathless i panic).

I just wish I could wake up in the morning and feel "normal" and try and be more positive.

Thanks again x

[Catherine S]

You're very welcome. Somethig to think about though is if you've had your levothyroxine dose discussed recently? I was prescribed 50mgs daily which isn't a huge amount but even after 5 years of taking it I still get thyroid symptoms such as breathlessness and thinning eyebrows and eyelashes, however whenever they test the levels..usually every 6 months...the doctor always says this dose is keeping the levels normal. I know there are tests they can do that goes into things more deeply than the usual tests but they have never suggested them. You may need the dose increased slightly maybe?

Raised Bp could also be a result of the heart having to work harder in a body that's going slower because of underactive thyroid, makes sense to me and I wonder how many others who have raised Bp are also hypothyroid?

ISB x