I'm scared

[mummyanxious]

My ha is creeping back in. I've got a few things on the horizon and I always get anxious before nice things for some stupid reason.
One thing I have started doing is taking my BP again. I know I shouldn't buy it makes me realise I'm going downhill.
My BP is constantly all over the place. I know that BP is never static. It can shoot up when I walk up the stairs (usually about 145/90) and then when I'm sat down it drops to normal ranges. But then it can go low. Today it is low and while I only feel sleepy, nothing else, it's scaring me. Earlier when I was sat on the sofa it was 119/55 which is really low for me. My pulse is also low when I sit down at about 65.
I don't smoke and drink very little in way of alcohol. im a normal weight ahd height. im mid thirties. but I am in no way fit. In fact I'm very far from fit.
I'm starting to get really anxious about it. The other night when I was in bed in the middle if the night for some reason I took my BP and it was 85/41. I was terrified. Surely your BP should never be that low.
I keep having breathless episodes when I'm sat down, so I take my BP and generally it's not unusual at these times.
But if I get a low low reading (for me) I have to keep taking it till I get a normal reading to satisfy myself that my BP does go up.
Please anyone have anything they can say? I'm verging on a panic attack about all this. After the middle of the night episode I was tempted to go to the dr but put it off as I know they'd check me over and say I was fine like they always do.
Coupled with this a week or so ago I took my BP while watching the tele one night and my pulse was 49!! Again I wanted to rush to the dr but didn't. I think this episode has sparked off the checking because I was so worried.

---------- Post added at 10:25 ---------- Previous post was at 10:23 ----------

Just took it again and it's 106/53. Should I go to hospital?

[Elen]

Hi

Think you know yourself that there is no point going to hospital as they are just going to tell you that it is normal and to stop checking.

A&E is exactly that, its for accidents and emergencies and are not set up to deal with the source of your anxiety.

Try and put the monitor away and distract yourself.

[mummyanxious]

85/41 isn't normal though. And neither is a pulse of 49.
Also when I take my BP these days I get short of breath which I'm sure isn't normal either. Like the centre of my chest tightens and I feel constricted in my breathing.
I'm sure all these are signs my heart isn't pumping efficiently. This is because I'm not someone who is in the slightest bit fit. I'm tired all the time and my thighs ache/hurt when I walk up the stairs and my legs muscle has wasted away, which are all signs if heart failure.
But the dr just listens to my heart when I go and says it sounds fine.

[Junot]

I've been - or I still am - there. I scheduled an emergency appointment with my GP because I was afraid my low readings were due to the beta-blocker I'm taking since 2013. First thing the doctor told me was to stop checking my BP/heart rate so many times per day, obsessively, because I don't have any medical indication to do it and that would only feed my anxiety. So far I haven't checked it, but I've had to get my monitor hidden. A rest heart rate of 65 bpm is very good and you might get different readings of blood pressure and heart rate depending on your body position, especially if what you have is a wrist monitor (they're not accurate). It's important to know if you're taking any medicines that might contribute to lower the BP and heart rate, among other personal information (age, eventual health conditions, etc.). Anyway, if you're feeling very concerned, if I were you, I would call my local helpline and ask a nurse for advice on what to do.

[mummyanxious]

Only taking omoprazole for stomach acid.
And my monitor is an arm cuff one.
I know I shouldn't be taking it but since the heart rate of 49 the other evening I know this is what has prompted it again.
I have long standing heart phobia. I am sure I have an insufficiency somewhere purely because someone so unfit shouldn't have low BP and pulse.

---------- Post added at 12:30 ---------- Previous post was at 12:27 ----------

Also for the past week or so I've had feelings like my body isn't getting enough oxygen, my lips go tingly and my tongue and I haven't been hyperventilating either. It's worse if I bend over or lie down. And is worse in the morning. I had a spell of this a few months ago but it went away eventually. But now it's back coupled with this low BP.

[Junot]

I've been experiencing similar episodes lately. Low BP and heart rate. The other day I had a heart rate of 40 bpm when I woke up. Panic mode on! I thought of heart block, heart failure and even more sinister things because of the beta-blocker and of the diet and physical exercise I've been on for the past 4/5 months. I visited my GP, he reassured me and I thought I'd be OK but on Wednesday my anxiety levels must have gone so high (due to overthinking) that I had chest tightness, shortness of breath and other heart-related symptoms all day long. I'm still having them. I had two ECGs done on that day, one at home in the morning, the other when I went to the ER at night. No heart block or heart failure or anything else other than anxiety/panic detected. Apparently anxiety can do the most unexpected things to us... Hard to believe, I know, but we must trust medical science and doctors for our own good (otherwise, we'll be constantly anxious and scared). Moreover, in case you had heart tests done (such as an echocardiogram and a stress test) and they've come back fine, it's very unlikely that you'd have any sort of heart failure (insufficiency).

[CleverLittleViper]

Maybe you should listen to your doctor, then.

I know it's hard, been there, doing that right now, but if your GP says you're fine, chances are, you are.

Do you have a machine or monitor that measures your BP? I'm assuming you do, so throw it out. It isn't helping you.

If you're really concerned, talk with your GP. Explain your concerns thoroughly, and get them to check your BP. Only the professionals can truly decide if something is "normal" or not.

[mummyanxious]

I'm trying to get in to see my gp next week as I was due to go at end of month but I've got an event this is ruining before then.
I'm so tired at the moment. I'm not shelling properly. Have drunk plenty today just in case it's lack if hydration.
I've had ecgs in past but they've been normal except for the last which said left axis deviation but the dr looked at it and said that I didn't have that.
I'd really like to increase my level of fitness but I just don't have any stamina at all. Just the thought of riding a bike or running down the street would make me anxious as I know I couldn't do it.

---------- Post added at 13:53 ---------- Previous post was at 13:40 ----------

The thing that is worrying me is that when I take my BP my chest tightens up in the centre and I feel really short of breath like its being compressed. Does this happen to normal people or is it a sign my heart is struggling?

[mummyanxious]

Well I've taken myself out to a friends for the afternoon so I cannot take my BP. But all day I've been having shortness of breath spells, lightheadedness. I just cannot see how this isn't a significant event coming.

[Vigilante]

Well I've taken myself out to a friends for the afternoon so I cannot take my BP. But all day I've been having shortness of breath spells, lightheadedness. I just cannot see how this isn't a significant event coming.


Hey mummy, I think we talked before on some of my own threads many months ago.

I have quite unstable BP, as in my "normal" readings are 140/90 - 145/95, thats a good day. I have had figures of 169/115+

A GP tested me for Pheochromocytoma (sp?) via urine analysis I did have 1/3 tests come back abnormally high adrenaline but it still wsnt high enough to worry according to an endo I see.

At the time where my BP was at its worst, I had hot flushes, crazy dizziness/lightheaded and bad headaches, I had days of so low energy and breathlessness I could barely walk to my local shop thats 5 mins away.

I also had events coming up at the time of my worst bp readings and symptoms, my twin daughters christening, then during and after we had problems with my fiancees mother which caused even more stress.

I'm still unstable as of now, just been for another round of blood tests, for diabetes ( wont have ) , kidneys and cholesterol. I do not have any of the symptoms right now that I had at its worst, no flushing, no dizziness, no migrane type headaches.

I wont take any meds for it now but the only ones which helped me were, Beta blocker or diazepam.

My heart rate however is always "good" even at 140/90 I will have a heart rate of 50s or 60s.

I believe that stress and anxiety will make for unstable bp more then anything else.

[mummyanxious]

Yes I remember :) I do hope you're ok x

[mummyanxious]

Well I feel pretty lousy again today. Very lightheaded when I stand etc. spent a couple of hours gardening today and while I didn't feel particularly out of breath or ill effects whilst doing it. When I stopped and sat down I started to feel lightheaded again. My pulse was about 115. It stated high for about fifteen minutes and had come down to about 85 now. But at rest is usually about 65 these days. How long is it usual for until your pulse comes down to normal after exercise?

[RoseEve]

My BP is always all over the place. For me it's about being out of shape. Sometimes when I get nervous I get lightheaded because I'm not breathing properly. Feel better friend

[mummyanxious]

I'm massively out of shape RE, that's why I don't understand why it would be low unless there was something wrong.
Hope you're ok xx

[Fishmanpa]

What's wrong is an incorrect reading from a consumer quality home machine and the fact that you're obsessively checking your BP.

Positive thoughts

[mummyanxious]

It's not a one off reading FMP. It's regular readings coupled with the shortness of breath when I take my BP. I know I shouldn't still have it and it does go away when I'm in a better place.

[Fishmanpa]

Have you stopped to think that when you're self checking, your anxiety ramps up because of the anticipation of the results? The fact that it's fine when you're in a "better" place is pretty impelling evidence. That coupled with inherit inaccuracies of a consumer brand BP device and you not being a medical professional.

But anyway... reassurance does nothing in the long run and no one here can give you an explanation. I hope you find a way to quell the fears.

Positive thoughts

[mummyanxious]

But anxiety makes for high BP? And I'm worried about low BP.

[oldnews]

The thing that is worrying me is that when I take my BP my chest tightens up in the centre and I feel really short of breath like its being compressed. Does this happen to normal people or is it a sign my heart is struggling?

you mention this happens WHEN you take your blood pressure? this is obviously happening as you are anxious about the results thereforeresulting in chest pains and giving a false reading because your are not relaxed, trust me iv been there with the BP monitoring. i was obsessed after the birth of my daughter as my BP shot up somedays it was up to 190/110 and the highest reading i had was 210/114...along with the chest tightness....and look im still here :) alive.

---------- Post added at 16:03 ---------- Previous post was at 15:54 ----------

you are looking way to far into things...65 is a perfectly healthy resting heart rate, anything over 100 is not (resting).

anything over 100-150 (active)is also fine.

i know its very hard to belive in doctors (i find it difficult after past experiences) but you need to find a doctor you trust. If you still dont feel 100% ask for a different opinion, eitherway please be assured you are fine. Low blood pressure can sometimes be perfectly normal.