Anxiety or High Blood Pressure? [Archive]

View Full Version : Anxiety or High Blood Pressure?

springblossom

10-08-10, 14:26

Hi All,

This past fortnight I have these symptoms:

Pressure in head
Headaches
Dizziness
Pressure and ringing in ears
Blurred version / Floaters
Tingling, tense scalp
Pulse in scalp and in head
I'm worried it's high-blood pressure. I have a home kit but the readings are always different. Most point to pre-hypertension but some are just high.

Can anyone advise? I'm worried :weep:

SB

Gazz

10-08-10, 14:32

Also with those symptoms might be worth having your blood sugar readings checked out.

gallnimrod

10-08-10, 14:38

Hi there,
I have had very similar symptoms to you. My BP is sometimes high, sometimes ok. Am having 24hr BP test soon, waiting for appointment. My GP thinks its anxiety but the doc I saw at hosp thinks its BP problem. I do, however seem to be having anxiety symptoms and what seem to be panic attacks.
Do you have a history of anxiety or is this very new?
If I were you I would see your GP and ask if you should have a 24hr test. At least this will clarify exactly what your BP is doing.
best wishes
janex

baileys

10-08-10, 14:59

Adam22

10-08-10, 15:03

I also have the same symptoms ... mine has almost been 3 weeks..
my blood pressure reading was ok..

doctor puts it down to anxiety and stress causing tension..

dont worry :)

10-08-10, 15:35

My doctor has also said to me that your bp would have to be sky high to cause symptons.
I have a phobia about my blood pressure - the last time i had it taken it was slightly high , 152/84. I try to have it taken once a year, but its very difficult..

springblossom

10-08-10, 16:35

I have a sense of my blood pounding in my head and scalp all the time.

If I go to the GP they term every symptom anxiety. I just don't know what to do.

Is there a certain timeof day I should check it?

Natalie x

10-08-10, 16:41

Hi. It all sounds like classic anxiety symptoms to me. I've had pretty much all of the above that you noted. If you are worried, have a chat with your Doctor, but in the mean time, try not to think about it. The more we do that the more aware of our symptoms we become. Have you thought about CBT or even some self-help books? Claire Weekes has some really good ones :) x

springblossom

11-08-10, 09:37

I use Claire Weeke's books all the time. I find them very useful.

Here are a few of my readings in the past few days:

129/93
140/103
128/94
118/93
139/93
166/132

The last reading in bold was taken this morning. Should I be concerned? According to the book that came with the blood pressure monitor this counts as very high blood pressure.

Grateful for any advice...

blueangel

11-08-10, 09:43

I think it depends on how you were feeling this morning when you took your blood pressure, to be honest. If were thinking "oh my God, I know this is going to be really high and I'm worried about it", your heart will already have gone into overdrive and knocked your blood pressure up.

If you were feeling calm and relaxed (really, honestly), then yes, this is a high reading - but high blood pressure is very easily caused by anxiety as our systems get flooded with "panic" hormones.

I think one of the keys things here is your age - you haven't said how old you are. Blood pressure increases with age, so if you're a young person, it's pretty unlikely that you have "real" hypertension, as opposed to your blood pressure being made higher by anxiety. Does your GP practice run a blood pressure clinic? If they do, have a chat with the person that runs it.

springblossom

11-08-10, 10:03

Thank you blueangel.

I'm 34. I wasn't any more anxious than I am 24/7.

I went to visit my pharmacist and he read my BP at 151/93 and said that it was considered hight for my age.

Very worried. I'm conscious that if I go back to my GP he'll just say it's anxiety.

springblossom

11-08-10, 13:45

Anyone had similar readings?

blueangel

11-08-10, 14:11

Hi again

If you're only 34, then true hypertension is pretty rare. My blood pressure is usually normal, if not low for my age, but I take beta-blockers for migraine, which will automatically lower it.

I would say it's worth going back to your GP with the list of the readings that you've been taking, and have a chat about your anxiety. He/she might suggest something to help calm you down a bit.

x

springblossom

11-08-10, 15:06

thanks blueangel, i appreciate your response :)

Panickypants

11-08-10, 21:32

I have all those symptoms and mine are not related to blood pressure.
My blood pressure is always sky high when i go to the docs because im anxious but i have a home kit which i use to prove to myself and the doc that my blood pressure is ok.
I usually have to really relax and take it about 5 times before i get a low reading because i know the first few will cause me anxiety thinking it will be high.They are a bit hit and miss but it gives you an idea.
My doc says that you usually have to have extremely high blood pressure to have symptoms that why people dont know they have high blood pressure until they have it checked.
Yours sounds ok to me. But see the doc if you are worried it wont take 2 mins to check it.

Baileys are you on any medication cos of it being highwhen going to doc's ?? I ask because mine is usually high when i go to doc's i try to see the same one who thinks it's anxiety related but put me on 5mg tablets to be on the safe side and even tho it still raises when i go she's not worried, then there's a nurse i see when i can't my doc and she's totally sure it's anxiety related and said if it waqs up to her she'd take me off them THEN today i went for a med review with a completely diff doc and the reading was 150/90 which i know is slightly high but i've had a bad few day anxiety wise today being my worse and he put me on 10mg and said it was NOT anxiety related....Why is he the only one to think that.. it's set me off on a big panic now i was already feeling crappy x

springblossom

12-08-10, 12:15

Hi Panickypants,

I understand your concern. I'm trying walking to remedy this.

S

screddie

12-08-10, 17:30

Hi Springblossom - i have posted about this before as well. I had a routine BP test before joining a gym (and how well that's turned out - not!! see my other posts...) and they said mine was high 140/90 or similar. I went straight to the docs - she said i'm not surprised after how worked up you've been. You are probably the same. Looking at your readings they really don't look that high. At your age BP is not a problem anyway; doctors react with a view to long term prevention as it will become damaging as you get older. You certainly wouldn't notice anything physical.

Your symptoms are everything i have been experiencing (and which have now flared up following a trip to the gym!!) over the last two years. They are classic anxiety symptoms and nothing to do with BP.

.....As to how you get rid of them, well that is the answer everyone on here is searching for......but don't worry about BP - no need at all. :)

gallnimrod

12-08-10, 22:34

Hi there,
I think you should go back to your GP and show them these readings. Ask for a 24hour test. That will clarify whether you do have a problem. Your readings are a bit high, my doctor told me yesterday that anxiety can cause blood pressure to be high. Also, some people may be more sensitive to symptoms than others. If your blood pressure gradually gets higher with age/time, you may not notice any symptoms until it is very high. On the other hand, if it is going from normal to high, back and forth, you may be aware of some symptoms. Either way, you deserve for it to be properly investigated.
Let us know how you get on,
janex