View Full Version : Whats your BP?????
Desprate Dan
31-08-09, 09:42
Hi its Desprate Dan.
I have been suffering from health anxiety latey, probably been brought on by other anxiety and depresion i have been suffering..
I have been very concerned about certain health issues and i try to get to the bottom of them myself, i find myself thinking "i need to know if something is wrong with me" is that normal..
After visits to the doctors, i have discovered after suffering i silence for many years i have I.B.S, but my lates worrie is my heart...
I have had my blood pressure taken many times and its often around 160-95 i know this is high and i am only 26 and dont drink or smoke and taken regualar exercise, do you think stress and anxiety plays a part inyour blood pressure??
My Doctor just wants to monitor it and he said he is not greatly concerned and doesn't want me on bp tablets because of my age, i got put on a 24hr monitor and that showed my pb was always high during that period..
We have heart problems in the family, should i be concerned or should i try and forget about it as i dont want to become a burden to the doctor..
Cheers
Danny
Anxiety can cause your blood pressure to rise... the stress of being on a 24 hour monitor could possibly have caused it to be raised throughout that period. Stress is one of the most common causes of high blood pressure.
Being worried about your heart is not uncommon, but it's so frightening. I think most famlies have some kind of heart problems somewhere, it honestly depends on what the problems are, for example, my family has had a history of heart disease, angina, early heart attacks, but only in people who smoke too much, drink too much and eat too much of the wrong food. It concerns me from time to time, but I have to tell myself it doesn't really apply to me as it was brought on more by lifestyle than genetics. If you're concerned then tell your doctor, and they will tell you exactly what your risk factor is and how you can minimise it.
In the meanwhile, I know it's hard but try not to obsess about it. The more you think about what your heart is doing, the more aware you become of it, the more freaked out you are by things like palpitations, which everyone gets occasionaly. It's a vicious cycle, the more anxious you are the more it happens, and the more it happens the more anxious you are.
As for BP tablets, I've been on beta-blockers for a few months now (for anxiety, but their main function is to treat high blood pressure) and I'm 22. I've been told there's a small increased risk of diabetes when they're taken by a young person long term, but as they're hugely beneficial when it comes to the anxiety that's a risk I'm willing to take!
Needing to know whether or not something is wrong is perfectly normal... I've rushed in and out of the docs several times in a week before, because I think that if I'm dying of something, I'd rather know about it!
Your doctor says he is not greatly concerned, doctors generally know what they are talking about, so just try and put it out of your mind (I know it's hard!).
Good luck.
Desprate Dan
31-08-09, 10:53
Thank you PD, sometimes i just need reasuring i often ask questions to freinds and family but i worrie i am being a burden, and when i go to see the doctor i never really come away with an answer to what i went in to find out, i really think its me i find it very difficult to put thoughts into words and i always feel like the appointment is rushed and i really wish i could sit down with my doctor and have a good long chat because i often get side tracked or mixed up and before i know it my times up and i think i havent got to the point yet..
Sorry
Danny
Don't feel like a burden, the doctor is there to help you. You can ask for a double length appointment when you phone up if you feel like you don't have enough time, and if you feel as though he is not taking you seriously, see another doctor!
cupcakes2009
31-08-09, 11:38
well mine is oftern high, im a 27 female, i have IBS and severe HA my blood pressue is different when the doctor does it, its like 170/100 i get bad white coat syndrome but i have a new monitor and my gp knows me very well said i could test myself once a week which i do, and its mostly 125/84 so nothing abd at all so it goes to show mine is pure anxiety. I am over weight 15 stone and doing something about it, i dont drink or smoke :D
hoppipolla
31-08-09, 11:40
It's probably stress/anxiety, maybe you could take something to drop your anxiety such as beta-blockers and then see if this in turn lowers your blood pressure?
It might be good to have a second professional opinion too, just to make sure everything is ok :)
Oh, mine shoots up there when my anxiety is high - here is an example, when I went to the GP last week - when I first got there mine was like 154/90, somthing like that....they let me sit for a few mintes and do some deep breathing and try to relax....by the time they took it again (they took three and did an average) it was down to 145/88...totally anxiety!!
alfisback1
31-08-09, 15:31
I think last time I got it was 126/78... but before that when I got my stress echo I don't remember what exactly it was but my doctor commented on how it was higher than usual. So yeah anxiety can fluctuate your BP.
Hi Danny,
I know from experience that constant anxiety and tension can raise your BP.
I have never had the 24 hour monitor but I do own a home monitor and when I was constantly anxious my BP was always high whenever I checked it.
I'd imagine if you were anxious during the 24 hr monitor you had that when the cuff was inflating you'd naturally but maybe subconsciously tense up.
Are you continuing to exercise because that will help and also lower salt intake if you consume a lot plus sleep helps or I should say lack of sleep can have an adverse affect on your BP.
Another thing I found which helps lower yor BP as well as your anxiety is slow breathing.
I actually ended up buying this thing called BreathEasy which is basically just nice relaxing music with a marker as to when to inhale and exhale to help slow your breathing down.
There was another thing on the market called respirate which is similar but more expensive.
But, slow breathing has been proved to help lower your BP.
All the best.
Take Care,
Neil
my last reading was 127/91. Not sure if thats good or not?
Hi
My bp always goes up at the dr, i have white coat syndrome
when i check it at home its always lower
love mandie x
Mine is 156/92 - I'm putting it down to anxiety and the ADs.
Found this:
'Anxiety doesn't cause long-term high blood pressure (hypertension). But episodes of anxiety can cause dramatic, temporary spikes in your blood pressure. In addition, when you have anxiety, you're more likely to resort to other unhealthy habits that can increase your blood pressure, such as:
Smoking
Drinking
Overeating Some medications to treat anxiety, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), also can increase your blood pressure.'
Hi
Blood pressure can vary temporarily for all sorts of reasons and not one them meaning that there is any cause for concern. Your doctor is not worried and neither should you be.
mines always very high,,and im on loads of meds for this,, i also suffer with white coat syndrome
my B/P is at the other end of the scale unfortunately...its rarely above 110/45 and this can be a pain when you have to stand for any length of time xx
Had a follow up this morning and my BP was 132/91, slightly higher than normal by all account, I wouldn't know where to start looking at BP charts lol
april tones
07-09-09, 20:04
i replied to this but lost it lol, i seen someone mentioned sleep can have affect on bp? my bp was 120/70 after i gave birth then when i went to gym 3 months later it was 142/85, it really worried me, i worry alot, suffer with anxiety, have done for yrs with few breaks in between, then i relapse., like with after both my boys and during pregnancies, must be hormones bring it on, i have been under alot stress, i dont want to go doctors and get it checked as i will make it worse, maybe i will wait till i feel less anxious,i get anxious of my own shadow at moment lol, basically i have been getting roughly 2-4 hours broken sleep a night for last 3 months, could that affect bp?
anxiety defo can raise your bp, not sure if lack of sleep can tho.
for saying i have anxiety and depression my blood pressure is excellent at 108/68 according to several docs i've seen about it.
Just my opinion but i think anxiety affects all of our bp's differently. And like other people have said.. If the doc isn't worried, neither should u be... But i deffo know thats hard to do :(
I spoke to the nurse regarding my B.P. (156/92) and she told me anxiety does increase it, but loosing a few pounds would help and not to worry about it.
Your BP is on the high end of normal, believe me I have seen alot higher.
Stress and anxiety can cause BP to rise, just think how much quicker your heart is pumping when you feel anxious.
I wouldn't worry, trust your doctor.
Your BP is on the high end of normal, believe me I have seen alot higher.
Stress and anxiety can cause BP to rise, just think how much quicker your heart is pumping when you feel anxious.
I wouldn't worry, trust your doctor.
:) always reassuring to hear :)
Not sure if this will be any help [chart of B.P.]:
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/medicine/blood-pressure.htm
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