Does anyone else CONSTANTLY check their pulse,bp and Temp??

[circle]

Hi,

I am almost 18 in a few weeks.

I am fairly new on here, joined like 3 days ago.

I created an account becasue I constantly feel anxious that I have meningitis or angina and other serious illnesses and spent hours on the NHS web or googling my symptoms.

It is driving me mad

I had NO idea there was a such thing as Hypocondria.

I sort of dont feel alone aanymore.

Does anyone else constantly measure their pulse rate?? like exessively, my wrists are bruised from constant pressure when pressing to check my pulse rate..

Anyone else??

[Arnie365]

I have done in the past! It drove me mad! It's a safety checking measure but it actually has a negative effect rather than positive because it makes you even more aware of your pulse rate etc. In someone without anxiety there heart will have palpitations/ectopics, speed up/slow down and do all sorts of things all day every day and they won't even notice them. We with health anxiety get over sensitive to our bodies and notice every little change and then convince ourselves something is very wrong when in fact it's just our bodies doing what they do every day.

It is a vicious circle you need to break quickly. Try really hard not to check. Don't ask dr google any questions either. He's just there to give you worst case scenario diagnoses. If not already go and speak with your GP about a referral to therapy and whether medication might be an option for you. The sooner you can nip it in the bud the better!

[nj]

I have done in the past! It drove me mad! It's a safety checking measure but it actually has a negative effect rather than positive because it makes you even more aware of your pulse rate etc

I keep stopping myself every time I reach for my wrist. If my heart rate isn't below say 75 I start to freak out. Right now, I feel like I feel every pulsing heart beat and then it gets me wondering if my heart is struggling just to keep up.

[Arnie365]

I did an exposure of going to the gym and running on the treadmill two weeks ago. i ran for 25 minutes and pushed myself quite hard. I had negative thoughts but no chest pains and wasnt any more breathless than you would expect after running for 25mins.

Anyway for some stupid reason, i checked my heart rate on the treadmill monitor when i finished and it was 190. This was the highest ive ever known my heart rate and it freaked me out. I was doing the cool down session whcih was barely a crawl and it wasnt coming down it was still 135-140. Well that was it I was convinced id pushed too hard and took myself home. I was so close to calling an ambulance after an hour as it was still 110-120. I resisted and then took a diazepam and a propranolol and finally it slowed back to my normal 65-70.

It just goes to show how anxiety and panic can keep us in this heightend state and the more we worry about it the worse we get. Much easier said than done I know but i now know that if i didnt checked my pulse rate after finishing the treadmill, Id have gone home happy with the exposure and my pulse rate would have come down normally and Id not be fearing going back to the gym again!

[chl_hobbs]

I had/have a bp machine, electronic thermometer (i had an ear one but those readings would upset me being so high all the time), even a pulse oximeter. I even once had a blood sugar monitor - and i dont have diabetes!

It drives me mad. I think that if I dont check it, no one will, and thats when I'll get very ill - so I need to check ME.

It all stems from a year and a half ago when a surgeon (in a small routine day operation) cut my spleen. He didnt know he'd done it and so I woke up in agony and kept telling them (they didnt believe me) until Id lost so much blood I had to have an emergency life saving major operation and spent a week in ITU.

From then on, Ive been so panicked about myself. I dont trust any doctors. Thats why I constantly check myself. However, it makes me worse! Vicous cycle.

Charlotte

[Nico]

I stupidly bought a blood pressure monitor and cannot stop myself haha

[Arnie365]

Hey, just thought I'd update on this.

Don't know if anyone saw my post a couple of weeks ago about an exposure that went wrong?! Anyway, I made myself go to the gym and run on the treadmill for 25mins at quite a good pace. I then stupidly checked my pulse rate at the end even though I felt fine. It was 190bpm. I freaked out. It just wouldn't come down even when I got home and was still about 135-140 I really started panicking and thought about calling an ambulance. Of course I was wrapped up in the panic and not thinking straight. Of course my pulse rate won't come down I'm panicking!! Finally passed. Anyway I haven't been back to the gym since but made myself go today. Did weights and running and have been fine. The reason I'm posting to update here though is that I was so conscious of my heart rate and breathing all through my workout and the urge to check my pulse rate at the end was so strong. But I resisted it really really hard and feel totally normal now. I know for a fact if I'd checked it, it would have been high (what else do I expect after working out?) and the panic cycle would have started again.

So try your best not to check. It only makes you more aware and triggers your anxiety!