Really need some advice and support urgently please

[mila]

Hi

I am going to drive myself crazy right now. So I really need some help :-(
Please read and forgive me for longer post, please don't get discouraged to read because of it :-( cause I really need some support right now.

Basically I am freaking out about my blood pressure and heart rate right now and I am freaking out so much that I am only working myself up more and not able to calm down. I am also 30 weeks pregnant which makes things more complicated and which has brought back my heath anxiety badly, particularly this worry about BP and HR cause high BP can mean complications in addition to my fear of high BP even without that!

I have been feeling on and off this pressure on top of my head this week, sometimes like burning, sometimes like something is pressing me down or like my head is gonna open up. I can also get it all around my head, even my eyes sometimes feel like it is hard to look, or I get just a feeling of pressure in the head similar to head rush and like my heart is racing and I am trying to take deep breaths to calm down but it is hard to catch a deep breathe. Like when you do something physical I suppose. It does not help that I have a huge bump that sometimes makes it hard to breathe! So I went to the doctor this afternoon and when he took my BP the first time it was 150/87! And pulse 124! I was just in the middle of telling him how I feel and how upset all this worry makes me feel, was just about to burst into tears when he started taking it so hardly was relaxing but still I have had it taken quite a few times during pregnancy and my diastolic was up there a few times but systolic never. And it is not like I was all relaxed then. He took it again after a minute or two and it went down to 141/78 and after another minute to 138/76 or something like that. But shouldn't he wait more than just minute? My heart rate was still over 110 though. He said it is just my anxiety and he decided to give me chlomipramine to take for it to calm me down. I am too scared to start taking it as it can make you feel drowsy and it is all I need to start panicking even more, it's the worst feeling for me. My head right now feels like it will explode so I am freaking out BP is back into the higher values and keep feeling my pulse and freaking out about that as well, sometimes it feels nice and strong even if it is faster but other times I feel like I can just abut feel it and I get even more panicked! ...My biggest problem is ok my BP is up for anxiety but why is not always up when I am anxious! Because I definitely had it taken a few times when I was anxious maybe almost as much and it was perfectly fine.

I don't know what to do anymore...

[KeeKee]

I suppose you could say the same for heart rate though. Sometimes I can be nervous and my heart will be pounding but other times when I'm anxious it's normal. Anxiety is a strange thing.
I can understand your fears though especially as you're pregnant, but you must trust your doctor they would never endanger anyone let alone a pregnant woman.

[Fishmanpa]

you must trust your doctor they would never endanger anyone let alone a pregnant woman.

Exactly... Pregnancy all all the changes your body is going through is stressful enough but your doctor is right and the fact your BP and HR came down as you relaxed confirms it.

Try to relax. Take the pill, lay down, watch a movie or listen to some music. Find something to distract you.

Positive thoughts

[bethel777]

If your BP starts to go down when you relax that's a very good sign. I had preeclampsia during the last weeks of my pregnancy and no amount of relaxing would take it down. Also if he was concerned about preeclampsia he would test your urine for protein and admit you to the hospital for monitoring.
Please try to relax. I said a prayer for you and your soon to be sweet baby.

[honeybun44]

It is totally anxiety. I went to the doctor yesterday. Was anxious going in but calmed myself down (so I thought)...my bp was STILL 150 ish over 70 ish, and my pulse was 122!

I insisted they retake it at the end of the appointment and it was down to 130 ish over 80 ish and my pulse was still 104. Still high, but better.

I don't think you need to worry about this. :)

[mila]

Thank you all for your replies!
Bethel, thanks for your prayers! How did you cope with pre-eclampsia? I was at the assessment unit last night to check for it and they don't seem to think this is it. But want me monitored. When they took my first it was 144/82 and my pulse was in 120s again so they did ecg as well which was fine. Before they sent me home thy said it was 136/78 and pulse also went down to 100 but it really doesn't make me stop freaking out. It doesn't mean it did not go up again. And even higher than before....I am so worried about all this more than anything because I feel I cannot cope, I would make it worse by constant panic.
After I gave birth with my first I developed high blood pressure, it kept around 150-160 over 100-110 for a while, I was i hospital for most of that time, I think until they brought it to 140/90 area for most readings, but it was a horrendous time, I was scared day and night, really scared about it and I am so terrified of going through that again.

I am trying to relax now but when I feel head pressure and like my eyes are gonna pop out at times it is hard not to worry it is bp going up :-( Even though I know that doesn't help. But if we could be so logical and calm about it I suppose we wouldn't have anxiety or panic and need help dealing with it...

[bethel777]

Well, I was on bed rest but I didn't follow that very well. I baked cookies, read books, watched TV etc. Prayer of course helped a little. They induced me a little early and after my daughter was born all was well.
You'll be fine. Try not to worry.

[Catherine S]

I know pregnancy can be a really worrying time but there are so many things that can make BP increase, as well as stress, things such as any kind of infection including cystitis or infected sinuses can cause it to raise. I remember last year having just a low grade water infection with no real discomfort but it showed up on the dip stick , so the doctor said it could've been the reason my BP was raised when it was checked that day. Your body uses alot of energy fighting an infection. Have you had any urinary infections during your pregnancy?

ISB x

[mila]

I know pregnancy can be a really worrying time but there are so many things that can make BP increase, as well as stress, things such as any kind of infection including cystitis or infected sinuses can cause it to raise. I remember last year having just a low grade water infection with no real discomfort but it showed up on the dip stick , so the doctor said it could've been the reason my BP was raised when it was checked that day. Your body uses alot of energy fighting an infection. Have you had any urinary infections during your pregnancy?

ISB x

Thank you for your reply ISB! I actually haven't had any UTIs at all, I might have a slight sinusitis as I feel congested but they did my bloods recently and nothing that shows as an infection on there. I have overdone with some house work on the other hand, the day before yesterday I spent on my feet almost all day, helping hubby set up a new wardrobe and yesterday sorting stuff after that I did a lot again. Both days I started having the head pressure in the afternoon, and yesterday I decided I was to worried about it not to go to the doctor as the feeling itself was making me freak out about what blood pressure is like...

[Catherine S]

It sounds like all that physical effort may have contributed. I was 34 when I had my last pregnancy and can remember all of those same symptoms you've mentioned, in particular the breathing difficulties as I got bigger. After I had my daughter and minus all the extra weight, I felt like I had enough energy to climb a mountain!

ISB x