Blood pressure worries

[Jaco45er]

OK Sorry in advance but I am keen to know peoples experiences with blood pressure.

I started getting health anxiety around 12 years ago, and after various trips to the docs I had a routine BP measurment taken and it was something like 150/90 from memory.

I didn't know anything about BP then, but trust me, thanks to Google I do now.

As I read more about it, I ironically done the opposite to all the advice, I got so anxious that I would avoid doing anything for fear of dropping dead.

In the end I was so sick of it I joined a gym with the view if I was going to die, then lets just get it over with (actually after a few weeks in the gym anxiety started to wash away).

I even bought a BP monitor, I even took that to work once and tested other peoples BP's (and you though you was mental ;)), and selfishly felt comfortable when someone had a BP similiar to mine.

Recently though, my anxiety is coming back bigtime, not helped by the fact that I am getting readings from 138/80 (happy with that :)) to 167/98 (Not so happy with that).

I know BP rises and falls, but here's what's getting to me at the moment, and I am sorry if this starts anyone off but it is in the public domain.

On the news this week, apparantly you are more at risk if your BP rises and falls rather than stays at a constant high. Now is this just another "wine is good for you this week, bad next week" type story or what? This new finding is going to change your GP's advice apparantly:shrug:

I know what I need to do (cut down on drink for one), but I can feel that spiral again of worry, head pressure, chest pressure and it's all very reminiscent of the past.

I have been to the docs several times in the past and discussed BP (I actually took my monitor to the docs to compare results, she thought I was off my head lol), but thry have never said "oh you need medication" they have always just said manage it via lifestyle changes, but it contradicts what I have read.

Has anyone been told that they don't need medication for their high BP and what was your typical reading?

I can feel a trip to the docs coming on, but I always get dishearten when I go to the GP for anxiety related stuff as I feel like it is winning again.

Anyway, waffle over :)

Jaco

[Dying_Swan]

Jaco.

I would suggest that you cut back on checking your BP! How often do you check it? And have you considered that it might be rising because you're getting more anxious about it? Testing other people's BP is just reassurance-seeking, which all us anxiety folk tend to do in some way or other. Did it help?

Blood pressure will always rise and fall to some extent. It depends on so many things. Mine is usually on the lower end of normal, but if I'm anxious, in pain or have been rushing about, it shoots up.

Cutting down on booze would probably help, as well as salt if you eat lots of that. I would take it as a positive sign that your GP hasn't recommended medication and thinks you can manage it with lifestyle changes. I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to give you meds if they felt you needed them.

As for what you've heard about BP changing, well personally I think you are better off getting advice from your doctor than from any media source. Research is very useful but it cannot take your individual circumstances into account, which your GP can because they know you.

Put the BP monitor away and relax :hugs:

[Utility]

Hi


Health and wellbing are as result of a variey of factors such as:

Diet.
Mental attitude.
Lifestyle.
Learned behaviour.
Genetics.
Exercise.
Environment

and so on, and so on.

Everything plays a small part in some way or other and it is just a case of finding the correct balance. Sometimes things can temporarily go out of balance and we need to fix it. This can be thorugh a variaty of methods. Something that suits one person may not suit another.

Anyway, for my part, one of the methods that I used was to never ever ask my GP what my blood pressure was. I knew at times it was temporarily slightly high, but if my GP was not concerned then why should I be. Even at the height of my concerns (although difficult) I would not ask. This method, along with, yoga, exercise, balanced diet, positive attitude have all worked.

The recent blood pressure report that you refer to did not say that existing methods were wrong but instead that the new research could be used to compliment them and provide the medical establishment with an even greater understanding. The media, again, in order to get dramatic headlines distorted the facts.

Research and development with medicine goes on all the time and when new discoveries are made that does not automatically mean that everything in the past was wrong.

My golden rules with blood pressure are

1. Don't self measure. You'll only fixate about it.
2. Never ask Dr. Google. You'll only fixate about it.

[Typer]

The news often plays into our worries. Remember the "have an aspirin a day" now it's "an aspirin a day is bad for you"...so I would take no notice of what the news has to say on that score.

I think everyone's BP goes up and down all day and so it should. If you do take it, make sure you have been resting for 15 minutes and have not taken it at least 15 minutes before. My guess is you are so anxious it will be high. The true BP is the one at rest.

I know its hard not to check, but my feeling is checking is causing the fluctuations.

Take care

[Jaco45er]

Well so far only took my BP once today.

I suppose I should just accept I am having a stressy time so BP is bound to be higher than normal.

I really don't like this Health anxiety, I find it very bothersome ;)

[teez]

hiya jaco,,you sound so much like i did i thought id reply,,,i have a family history of heart disease,,virtually all my family have had trouble its rife,,imagine my horror a couple of years ago when my gp took a reading after id complained of dizzy spells,,i had a reading of 180,over 120,,i nearly fell off the chair,,it stayed high for weeks,,i felt so ill,,but i didnt help i got a home machine and every day ,,every hour on the hour id take a reading,,after many weeks of lifestyle changes,,it did come down,,it still shoots up from time to time if im stressed,,but i cant remember the last reading i did,,i find it better i dont,,try to stay calm as stress only increases the reading, try to see it as a positive thing,,its been discovered and you will be monitered,,so will be safer than most,,try to keep calm theresa :hugs:

[valleybear]

Oh Jaco....I have not been on for a cople of weeks or would have answered your post right away. You were such a great help and support to me when I was in the exact position you are in and you were so calm and sensible about BP that I rate you as one of the experts!! I am sorry you are in an anxious place at present...it's the damn media again!! On your advice, I am taking more exercise and only having my BP taken every 6 months at the clinic. I still get stressed out when waiting and sometimes a high reading, but with the exercise I have managed to get it down 10 points on both systolic and diastolic.This makes me feel happy, but next time it well might be up 10 points and I will feel sad! You know more than I do about it so you must know how much it varies and the media report is not saying a great deal. Trust the Dr when you see him. Sorry I have rambled on and not been of much help but just wanted you to know that I am thinking of you and hope you are feeling more positive now. I need the old Jaco back!!! Bestest thoughts!!!

[Worrier]

Jaco,

So I am at the complete opposite end of the spectrum to you. I avoid the docs office because they take your BP there and I hate it. I don't want to know what it is because mine is always elevated when I go and then I worry about it more. Last time I went (a long time ago) it was 140/90 or something like that and they told me to come in and check it often. Never been back. Even though I have health anxiety too, I choose to ignore the whole BP thing, I never read about it, think about or anything. Of course I find other things to channel my energy into, we all have to have something.

I just thought you might be interested to know. that's all. And of course I know I am being irresponsible in a way and that I should be bothered about it but I worry about so many things, I just can't possibly let the BP thing become part of my worry list.

I see you as such a strong-minded, self-reliant, worldly kind of guy, that I find it hard to believe you go through this stuff. Of course that is what people always say to me, no not you, you couldn't possibly have HA, you are so strong, and confident and blah, blah, blah. Maybe we are our own worst enemy, expect so much of ourselves that in the end all we do is worry about the small stuff.

Anyway just my little input today, take care of you Steve okay.

Natalie x

[smpomeroy]

Jaco,
I read that news story on the BBC and thought oh here we go - I could actually feel my chest tighten as I read the darn article. My BP is invariably high when I go to the docs but not when I test at home, have done a 24 hr monitor which confirmed that except for the period when I had a panic attack and nearly broke the machine - haha. I find the testing at home reassuring - or did until I read that article and thought 'oh no! now the fact that it fluctuates so easily is a bad thing!!' I recently read Dr Ben Goldacres book 'bad science' and there is a lovely section in there about how the media so often report these things wrongly or irresponsibly so I am trying to bear that in mind - if you havent read it then do - you dont need to buy the book you can access most of the stuff on his web site. just google him...

I so totally know how you feel though as do lots of other people judging by the posts so take heart (pardon the pun)

Suz

[Jaco45er]

Thank you for all the replies, they are a great help :)

And mmac those are very kind words, I am far from an expert but was very kind of you to say so xx

I bit the bullet and got back into the gym a couple of times in the last few days. My BP reading in the afternoon was around 158/94. Today, after yesterday in the gym, and a 30 min walk to the school and back (in between doing damn accounts ;)), its a less anxious 142/84.

Amazing how just a bit of regular exercise eases the anxiety and lowers the ole BP.

So just got to keep my attendance in the gym up to 3 - 4 times a week and all being well, I will be back on form ;)

Thanks all I am feeling much better.

Oh and suz you are dead right about the media, I will have a google of Dr Goldacres, although last time I googled anything to do with anxiety I had everything from liver failure, heart failure, to brain failure and nearly convined myself I was pregnant at one point ;)

Kind regards,

Jaco