Constantly lowering thresholds for disease

[Weasley123]

I've written on hear about my bp anxiety. When I first developed ha 3 years ago I had a bo reading of 129/89 previously it was low. I got a machine I used it somewhat rationally fir a year with readings usually 120-140 over 80-90. Last year I threw it out after I became obsessive checking 30 times a day. If go frin160/90 to 112/75 in 5 minutes. I currently experience a feeling of total terror when a dr goes to take my bp. However I'm nit worried about my heart or strokes. I know it's fear. I'm worried about the dr ordering more tests or forcing meds on me. At my last dr appt for the gynecologist my bop wS 158/85 then I asked her to recheck one min later 135/75. The nurse was alarmed the dr said it's just fear. He renewed my birth control no problem. I'm 40 in march by the way. Anyway I was just feeling better about it when I read high bp is now 130/80. Ugh so now my normal second reading isn't even normal. I'll never relax enough to get below 130. It's Like they want everyone sick

[FamilyPicnic]

Hey - my bp also varies wildly. And it's even higher at the doctor's - once the top # was 170+. But at home it's almost always normal unless I take it right before a doctor appt, then it will be high. I find this strange because I'm not at all nervous at the doctors so I don't know why it goes up. And like yours there can be quite a variation in just 5 minutes.

I read things such as "walking 10 minutes a day can lower your blood pressure by 5 points." I never really understand this because how does anyone know if there blood pressure is lowered by 5 points if there's a variation of 20-30 or more points when taking it? Or do some people consistently have the same blood pressure every time they take it?

[Weasley123]

I walk between 10000 to 21000 steps a day. I should have low no! I’m not overweight. I eat healthy during the week. I do indulge on weekends and when I’m off work I teach I love take away and ice cream. I drink a bottle of wine every Saturday night. My husband doesht drivk but it’s icee many hrs. I’m sure that’s not great but I doubt it’s bad enough to raise my bp. I think it’s my terror I feel the panic st the approach of the monitor.

[swajj]

You worry so much about what your BP is that you are putting yourself at risk of having uncontrolled blood pressure. Uncontrolled blood pressure is not a good thing. You say that you have white coat syndrome and that is the reason your BP goes up whenever you get it taken. No doubt this is correct. But can you honestly say that you aren't worrying about what your BP is at other times? Because if you are worrying about it a lot I can practically guarantee that it will put your BP up. That's what happened to me. As I have told you before I went on meds because I didn't want my blood pressure spiking all the time. You need to know that that can lead to a stroke.

No doctor is going to force BP meds on you.

[Weasley123]

I’m sure it is up when I’m anxious but isn’t that true if all anxiety sufferers? I actually am much more scared of cancer then heart disease. I asked my dr if I was at ram of a stroke he is a Gyno I but he said no. He renewed my birth control pills. My higest spike was 158 is that strokr territory? I really think if they keep lowering thresholds everyone will gafe disease.

[swajj]

Not all people with anxiety have high blood pressure. What makes you think that?

Your doctor is right you are not in stroke territory with those number. Next time you are visiting your GP ask him about the effects of uncontrolled blood pressure. He will tell you if your blood pressure is continually going up and down then it could damage your heart. That's what my doctor told me. My BP was high at the doctor's and I worried about it all the time. I was always wondering "is it high now". It was up and down up and down depending how much I worried about it. That's how I ended up on meds.

[Weasley123]

I guess I figured in a panic situation bp goes up. I was not afraid of blood pressure when I first got white coat. I was afraid of the dr. Now I’m scared of the dr and the machine. I don’t have a gp sure to jy secere sr Phobia I only go to dr when I feel I’ll. I don’t go fir screenings though the last I had two years ago showed Normal everything as far as cholesterol. Blood sugar etc

---------- Post added at 13:00 ---------- Previous post was at 12:59 ----------

I’m not a dr shopping ha person I’m a dr avoider my point again wasn’t about bp only but about the constantly lowering thresholds

[Fishmanpa]

Hmmm.... So readings that have been in place for decades are lowered putting millions into high BP range. That means millions are freaking out and that means more drugs prescribed and more $$$ made by big pharma.

Positive thoughts

[Weasley123]

I think if I could get past my general dr abs test fear my bp woukd go down. I am sure it’s high when I’m scared about other things though too I can feel it it’s a panic response

[swajj]

I had a great doctor until recently. He retired. I would worry about my BP and by the time I got to see him it would be sky high. He would get me to lie down and relax. Then he would just talk to me. After about 10 or 15 minutes he would take my BP again. It would have come down by at least 20 points. You can imagine how devastated I was when he retired.

That’s the sort of doctor you need. Unfortunately they are very hard to find. I think you should stop being scared of taking BP meds. Your anxiety about the doctor telling you that you really need them is probably making your BP high when you at the surgery. Try telling yourself that BP meds are no big deal and you don’t have to be on them for life (this is true). If you stop being anxious over the possibility of taking meds you might just find your readings at the surgery are normal.

[Weasley123]

That’s very true. But it’s anxity of all dr things. I’m terrified of tests of any kind. I swear I’d rather sky dive then seee the dr. My biggest fear is cancer. My med fear is that with bp pills I’ll gave to drastically alter my diet or for go all wine

---------- Post added at 23:29 ---------- Previous post was at 23:27 ----------

My fear stems from my mom who haa many physical and psychological issues but low bp actually lol

[swajj]

I think most people with HA are scared of going to the doctor. So you have that fear, which puts you BP up and then you worry about your BP being up which puts it up more lol. I just told my own story. Or part of it anyway. :)