Hey All-
Been a while since I’ve been here. Used to suffer tremendously from health anxiety and worked very hard to get it under control, both by demanding testing (and eventual treatment) for ACTUAL missed issues, but also working with a therapist in an effort to manage my anxiety to the point I’ve been quite well.
However-
I am prone to checking my BP fairly regularly as I happen to be on two medications that can affect the heart (though with tremendous debate), Vyvanse (a stimulant; that has actually eased my anxiety, and have been on for almost 2 years at a steady dose after a diagnosis of ADD) and Androgel due to severely low testosterone.
I initially was checking 3 times a week in the beginning, then twice a week, then once a week, then once every 2-3 weeks just out of curiosity.
Typically, my BP was registering around 125ish/79ish. Not bad, not great. But, a-ok. Nothing to worry about.
Now, after a dose increase in the Vyvanse a few months ago, my BP was hanging in around 130/82, so an increase, but usually only while the medication was active. Little changes in heart rate. In fact, in the evening it was getting lower than normal, hovering in the mid to low 60’s compared to my typical mid 70’s.
This is where things get...confusing. And co fusing equals FRIGHTENING for me...
The entire past week, my systolic BP has fluctuated between 130 and 140, which I don’t love ( but I’ve had a significant uptick in stress and anxiety, so there is some explanation risk, but my diastolic has been between 63 and 67.
I know that is still considered normal, but it’s much lower than I’ve ever seen before from my readings. This while the top number is creeping the other direction.
What’s the deal?
The gap between numbers is scaring the crap out of me, the low diastolic is equally as, if not MORE concerning and I can’t seem to find any literature explaining why one would go down while the other would go up, except to suggest heart failure is imminent or happening.
I have a doctors appointment, but not for 2.5 weeks. Is a BP of 135/65 of concern, other than the top number being pre-hypertensive, or is there something More significant going on? Anyone know why diastolic would stop by 15 points and not in an isolated reading? Or how dangerous the gap is?
Anything???
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