Hi it's me, your friendly panic nut. Well, as many of you know I have had a horrible fear/phobia of the blood pressure machine and have not been able to get it taken. I would be passing the machine at the store and could feel my BP rise as I walked by it ( I know, nuts !!). Anyways, I have been feeling my heart beat stronger and having alot of palps the last week or so even though I'm on a low dose of beta blockers. So, today, panicked and all, I went to the drug store and sat down, heart in my throat beating out of my chest and took my blood pressure. As the cuff got tighter and tighter I could feel the panic set it, I almost stopped the machine, but I kept going and held on to my rosary.

Well, as I feared my blood pressure was sky rocketing, 168/105 pulse 147. Well, I thought to myself okay I'm in a panic but at least I did this. I had originally made a doc appointment for this coming Thursday because I have been worried about my BP and thought I would just get it taken there on Thrusday. So, I will keep the appointment and go. Now, my question is, would panic and fear make my blood pressure rise this high ? Have any of you had this experience and these kinds of readings?

I glad I did this in one way, but the results are making me really upset. I know I have to get this looked at , no question there, but just need some reassurance and what you have done.

Thanks , hugs,

Moozie

My daughter has the same fear you do about blood pressure machines. Like an idiot I insisted she take her blood pressure with my blood pressure machine and the results turned out similar to yours!! It wasn't much after that my daughter had to have some mouth surgery and they kept track of her blood pressure with a wrist blood pressure machine the whole time and her readings showed her blood pressure was just fine if not a bit on the low side. My point is YES panic and fear will make your blood pressure go up.

Yes. BP fluctuates and panic/fear will certainly cause it to rise. I have the same fear you do. I overcame it for awhile, but it came back and now I just won't have my BP taken. My highest top # (that I can remember) was 148, BUT the bottom number was 116 one time!!!! Yikes. If I didn't know that it was anxiety causing it to spike, I would have been more worried. (I still don't like it but I know too many women my age and even younger who have been put on BP meds, when I really don't think they need them.)

If you can find the secret to overcoming your fear, let me know!

thank you for the replies, and yes I will let you know if I find the secret to overcoming my fear

Hugs and Tugs,

Moozie

mooze -

one way to overcome this is to get a b/p cuff and monitor your pressure at home, often. usually, a lot of us have the white coat syndrome (my doc doesn't even count my readings in his office anymore due to this) so it's better to keep track at home throughout the day/evening when you're more relaxed. hopefully, in doing it this way you might be able to conquer that fear. btw, keep track of your readings so that you can consult with your doctor at your appointments.

you're doing great so just hang in, ok?

(((hugs)))
gyz

Thanks Gyzie,

I could just ball my eyes out right now.

Moozie

Mooz...I have the fear too and the first time I saw my new lady doc about a year and a half ago, I had the worst panic attack I have ever had!! My pressure goes really high...the top number has been over 200 a few times and the bottom up to 124. The minute I leave the doctor's office and get home, I pull out my wrist cuff and take my pressure. It always goes back down. I am on meds too but my BP still skyrockets when I have to go to the doctor. I am due to go soon and the thing that I always do is to keep a daily BP journal for a month and hand it to my doctor when she walks into the exam room. My mother has always had the WCS too and her pressure is skyrocket high in the doctor's office. My main goal is to show my doc that my BP is under control except when I go to a doctor or a dentist. I have tried everything to calm myself down...mediation, upping my beta blocker, etc etc....hasn't made any difference.

Take care Mooz...I know exactly how you feel!! And, if you ever find the magic potion to be calm around the BP machine, let me know. I also think the tight cuff in the doc's office squeezes so tight it's painful and that causes my BP to rise!!

Hugs,
CG

Moozie,

I went to the ER once in the midst of a panic attack, didn't know what it was!! It was my very first one!

SO my BP read 176/99. Holy catfish, Batman!! NEVER had I had a blood pressure reading like that!!! YIKES!!

So the doctor wants me on beta blockers. I have never taken one single pill.

I have a wrist cuff BP monitor at home and I started taking it myself and it is fine! The doc did make be wear a 24 hour monitor to check it out and it was quite amazing the fluctuations of your BP in one day. My son ended up in the ER the night I was on the monitor and my BP was high during that time. And it got high while I was around a man in my office that I don't like!!! HAHA!!!

So I took my BP at home the other day, I do that periodicially just to keep an eye on it, and it ws 114/72.

My point is, if you are have panic or fear, you are not getting a true reading. Perhaps you should get the 24 hour monitor?? It even reads your BP while you sleep, and it gets very low during sleep!! like 90/56 for me.

I agree that having a monitor at home is the best thing to do, and the wrist monitor is not nearly as intrusive as the arm one.

Hang in there Mooz - I am thinking of you.....listen to the gals, you are gonna be just fine! Promise! Losts of us have been or ARE walking in your shoes.....love ya to bits...

Mooze: I hate those darn BP monitors in Walmart and drugstores...I won't even go near them because the numbers are always so high I end up freaking myself out. The last time I had a panic attack my pressure went to 148/101. I was in my doctors office and he didn't think it was a big deal. I'm usually about 125/80. Hypertension is rampant in my family...I feel like I'm going to end up on meds anyways, why not just start now? Worrying about my BP can ruin an entire day for me, so I can well sympathize. The girls here have given you great advice. From what I gather, temporary spikes aren't an emergency, but if your pressure goes up and stays there, then you need to talk to your doctor.

Absolutely. Just last week I was in a panic and went to the doctor. My BP was 182/100!! I've never had a reading that high. I have a BP monitor at home and when I take it there it is usually 120/80 or thereabouts, so I know that the high reading was caused by anxiety. Maybe you'd want to get a BP monitor for home too to alleviate your fears, they're not very expensive.

Peace.

Welcome to my world My bp has always run about 130-140 over 80-90, but I've never taken meds. I had a doctor appointment last week for something skin related (I assumed I had skin cancer and would surely die from it!!!). I was SO nervous leading up to my appointment and my bp was 178/89. Then it jumped another 20 points and he made me lie down and do an EKG. The EKG was perfect, but now I'm on meds until I can bring it down. I'm assuming two things. First of all, I'm experiencing anxiety since October when all hell broke loose in my life. Secondly, perimenopause! I've had insomnia and stress since October which can lead to high bp, but I'm exercising daily, dieting, taking my meds, and I'm DETERMINED to get this under control without meds. The doctor also sent me home with a prescription for anxiety meds, but I'm too darn anxious about the side-effects to take them!! We'll all be okay eventually!

Okira,

Thanks for the reply , what kind of BP med did he give you, what is it called and also what anxiety med ? let me know. I called my doc this morning he wants me to come in, never really talk on the phone. I 'll let you know what happens later. Do you have a home BP machine ? I'm thinking of getting one.

Keep in touch,

Moozie

I think the way to do it is really get the pressure down (by exercising, taking Magnesium (that really helps) so that even if you have panic/fear your pressure will be low - for example I had a similar experience at one of those machines at CVS - I took my BP at 2 a.m. (while I was waiting to pick up a prescription) and it was 130/75 - now that is not high for most people - but my pressure is generally 110/70 so for me that was a hike - so ofcourse being the OCD person I am I started freaking out and getting heart palpitations every time I took my pressure - I had a doctors appt. coming up in May and I knew that if this happened at his apt I would have problems - so I decided to lose weight (about 7 lbs) walk 150 minutes a week - and I also took 500 mg of magnesium a day - I also bought and used a breathing machine called RESPERATE that has been proved to reduce BP - I started this regimen in January and when I went for my doctors apt. in May I still had an anxiety attack while he was taking my pressure (my pulse was off the charts) because I had worked on getting my pressure down by using the above methods my pressure was an unbelievable 115/75 - after the apt. I went back to the CVS machine and took my pressure (now I was not scared of the machine) and it was 105/65 - one thing that helps is doing slow breathing and exhaling longer than inhaling - this calms the body - good luck in with your BP

He put me on Diozan HCT (12.5 mgs.). He gave me samples of Pristiq which is relatively new and almost identical to Effexor. Supposedly the side-effects are much less and it helps with hot flashes. I'm probably going to start taking it on Thursday afternoon because I have nothing planned for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday in case I have yucky side-effects! I'll let you know. The Diovan worked very quickly for me and the only problem I had was a headache after I took it the first day. Now all is well, but I'm still nervous about taking my bp!! Oh, the anxiety never ends! I do have a home BP machine, but I'm not going to use it until the doctor calibrates it properly.

Thanks Okira, I've never heard of the blood pressure med, but I sure have heard of Effexor. I hope those meds work for you. I'll let you know what goes on at the doc's

Hugs,

Moozie

Moozie,

I am happy to see you are still with us !!! So you are off to see the doctor today?? That is probably a good thing. This worrying you have been dealing with is just over the top!! And it will make your BP higher. You will have to be sure and let us know what happens, I am going to be anxious to find out! You hang in there my friend, you will be fine. If you happen to require meds for BP, so be it. If you don't want to take BP meds, then make a "plan" to get it down on your own.

I know several people who have high BP, and take meds for it. They are just fine, live completely normal lives....they just take a pill every day. My father is one of them. I have a very close friend, she is 45, who has had high BP for years and takes meds. I have another friend who also takes them....one time she called me and asked me to take her to the hospital as she had a migraine and needed an injection for the pain....her BP was was 200/110!!! That happened several years ago, and she is still with us.

Moozie,

I'm glad he's seeing you today. We spoke earlier and I hope you get a bp monitor to check it at home. I'm looking forward to seeing what they say.

Hugs,
Karen

Hi Everyone,

I couldnt' get into the doc today, the earliest was tomorrow at 8:00am. So, I went out and bought myself a BP machine. I took the first reading and it said 140/90 instead of 168/110 from the pharmacy. So, now of course, i'm doubting the machine. LOL..I'm going to take the BP to the doc's tomorrow and take it in front of him and make sure I'm putting it on correctly. I think I am though cuz it really inflates on my arm tightly. I will keep you posted and keep taking the BP tonight and see what the readings are.

Hugs and thank you so much for the support.


Moozie

Good girl Moozie...I'm proud of you. Sometimes the cuffs in the pharmacies aren't calibrated properly.

Good for you Moozie!! Good luck tomorrow and I am glad you got yourself a monitor.

Hugs,
CG

Good luck Moozie...I have been thinking of you all day. I had to run get my son from school today. I really wanted to continue chatting with you. Found out he has strep. Good thing they called me. Please keep me posted on what the doctor had to say.

Well???

How'd the doc appt go? What did you learn? What are they going to do for you?

Don't leave us hanging!!

Hi Floater et al,

Okay, so I went to the doc. First of all he was very proud of me for getting over my fear of BP machines and said that my attitude seemed different (better). However, he checked my bp and its 156/90something cant' remember now. I showed him my stats from taking it yesterday and he said it should still be lower, the bottom part seems to stay high and I guess that's the part they worry about. He wants me to monitor it for another week and see him again next Thursday. I had a horrible day of anxiety and so my results have been really bad today. But I went to the doc, and bought a BP machine today, so I must give myself a pat on the back for my small accomplishements.

Keep ya posted and pray for me,

Hugs and thanks for caring.

Moozie

I am glad to hear you went to the doctor. You have made a huge step towards taking care of your health. I am very proud of you. I have been praying for you.

OH SWEET MOOZ HUGS I GET SO NERVOUS WHEN I AM AT DOCTORS THAT MY B/P GOES UP TO 148/92 WHICH IS HIGH FOR ME THIS IS WHAT YOU COULD DO LIKE I DO I HAVE A WRIST B/P CUFF AND I TAKE MY B/P WHEN I AM RELAXED AT HOME AND SEE WHAT IT IS. NOW YOUR ASKING IF ANXIETY FEAR, PANIC ETC COULD RAISE B/P MOST DEFINITELY IT CAN. TRY TO BE CALM NEXT TIME YOU TAKE B/P AND SEE IF IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE I WISH YOU THE BEST. HUGS TERRY

Thanks Lizzy and Deb, your support means so much to me.


Moozie

You should be proud of yourself and you deserve a BIG pat on the back! (But not a hard one, those hurt! ). I know you are fearful of all this stuff, so it is a huge accomplishment! Good for you!!

Float,
I have such bad anxiety right now, it's insane, can hardly walk. I've completed obsessed about it today and cant' stop thinking about it. I'm so in tune with my heart right now, it's ridiculous. I wont' take the BP for while tonight until I calm down, this is no joke. I'm glad I did this, but now I have to learn to live with the results. I went to my shrink today and he said it wasn't that bad and I'll be okay.

I'm scared Float.

Hugs,

Moozie

Moozie,

I'm so happy you went. BP is high but not so terrible and can be helped with meds. To get over my fear with the bp cuff, I bought one and did monitoring all throught the day for a long time and kept a log. I'm still a wreck in the dr's office too but I bring my records with me. You certainly should be proud of yourself....you didn't let the anixety get the best of you this time and that is such a big deal for us.

Big Hugs,
Karen

I just wanted to add also that the blood pressure machines in these drug stores, grocery stores, etc. may not be calibrated and may be giving erroneous readings. I would rely on the blood pressure taken at the doctor's office. Some Kaiser clinic have blood pressure machines outside the reception areas as well.

My bp last week during my gyn appointment was 117/75 and a few days before I took my bp from a pharmacy machine and it was 125/80.

Plumeria

Moozie, Congrats on conquering your fear! Tackling the problem head on is a victory! Taking medication if necessary and monitoring yourself is all about caring for yourself and living life to its fullest.

Thanks Rif, now I just have to stop obsessing about it. It's been a double edged sword to actually know what it is and not freak out on the readings. I just came back from a 25minute very brisk walk, I thanked God for giving me this day and just kept pounding the pavement, the cold air felt great on my face and so did the fresh air.

I'll keep ya posted.

Hugs, Tugs & Drugs


Moozie

Awwww hugs moozie

I am feeling your pain as I hate my BP being taken also. I have white coat syndrome and my doctor knows this and takes it into account when he takes my BP while I'm in full panic mode. Thankfully for me most of the time only my top number raises slightly and my bottom number stays at around 70 which is a huge relief but still doesn't alleviate my fear of tha BP cuff. Just the sound of the velcro sends me into panic before they even pump the dam thing up and they pump them up so darn tight at times

I'm so proud of you for buying a home monitor as I haven't managed to do this as yet and probably won't in the near future till I get my anxiety & fear under control again.

Way to go moozie

Hugs

Rox

From time to time I have this problem even with the cuff at home. It is the anxiety that runs the pressure up and I'm not sure where the anxiety button is on us girls In the old days they said our age plus a hundred was normal
that means mine would have been 157/? Dang, I'm on three medications to keep mine under control !!!!
Crazy Menopause changes everything
Take care and God Bless,
Glen

Moozie! You are not alone! I have walked the very path that you are on. I started at 41 and am 47. I will be 48 this year.

Take a deep breath. You are not dying. I know it feels that way though. If it killed us, I would have already croaked.

I will share my store with you over time.

I have been on an AD and BP meds since 04'. I needed them in 02'. It took me that long to find a dr to help with the peri.

My bp med is Avapro. when I first started, my bp went down to 120/80 in the drs office. Now it goes up to 140/90 in the drs office. I panic at the drs too.
I panic at the bp machines too.

DH says "Wow your pulse is 120 just shopping"!

I go through it too.

How are you doing moozie! Just to let you know that I panicked at the BP machine and had a reading on like 146/86. You are not alone. I was like "oh cr*p". Why did I take it!!!!????

I too have panick/anxiety over my HBP. it's a vicious circle. I worry about my BP being too high or too low in the am. I take it and am never happy with the result it seems. I then get anxiety, which runs it up, then worry I'm going to die. I've had my heart checked (echo stress tests) it's fine. Doesn't seem to matter though. I've been on HBP meds for 9 yrs. They added an extra dose in the am. I used to just take it at bedtime. The added dose makes me dizzy. Which I used to sleep through most of that since I took it when I went to bed. But now I take the extra dose at mid morning and I worry that I'm dizzy the rest of the day.In the am I take my BP it's about 106/77. I just took it at 5 pm it's 138/92 now I'm scared. I eat right, excersize, weight is fine, no caffiene, low sodium. But peri has made me wacko. I worry about everything. Am I ok?

You're perfectly fine! Stop worrying so much... go for a walk, treat yourself. Stop taking your blood pressure every day. I've been taking blood pressure meds for 14years now. Like you I used to worry. If your heart is fine then so are you.

I agree with Antique - quit taking your BP every day. I was doing the same thing - taking it 2 or 3 times a day and worrying about the result. My doctor specifically told me to quit taking it, as it was increasing my anxiety. Just keep telling yourself, "I'm fine. My BP is fine. I'm not going to have a heart attack or stroke. I'm not going to die." And then go do something to take your mind off of it.

He said to let the doctor or nurse take it. Mine is always higher when the nurse takes it at the beginning of a visit, and then 10 minutes later, it's down about 20 points. I also can feel my anxiety rise when I hear the cuff and feel it squeeze.

I take Atenolol, and I split my dose in the morning and evening. I literally cut the pill in half because it was making me a little dizzy when I took the whole thing in the morning.

I changed from a diuretic type BP med to the beta blocker last summer, and even though I like it that I'm not running to the bathroom a lot, I think it's been harder to stabilize my pressure.

Does anyone know if one is better than the other? I don't like it that a beta blocker is slowing my heart down. On the other hand, I wonder if a diuretic is hard on the kidneys. I also seem to be having a harder time losing weight on the beta blocker. In fact, I've gained weight on it. I wondered if it's because my heart is beating slower.

Peri. What fun. I never had BP problems before this. I have a feeling I'll be on BP meds the rest of my life.

WriterMom

Lisinopril (sp?) is an ACE inhibitor which stops your adrenals from squirting so much of that anxiety juice. As I understand it, it is gentler on the kidneys but does have something in it to help you urinate and not bloat up. Maybe check that out if you have not already done so.

Thanks girls, hugs, i'm still takethe water pill and the 20mg of inderal every day, I havent' been taking my bp at home, just waiting to go to docs in two weeks and see what he says. I might sneak and take it though before that. Keep you posted,

Hugs,

Mooze the flooze

I miss you!!! E me. Leah Goldie

Hi. I know how you feel. 2 weeks ago I spent the night in ER cuz I thought I was having a heart attack. It started with this flushing feeling over the left side of my body, then progressed to rapid heart palpatations. I told my fiancee I thought I was having a heart attack. The ER performed CAT-SCan, EKG, Chest Xray, blood work, they could find nothing wrong with me expect that my BP was elevated. I saw my Dr the next day, they perscribed me Noravast. I was so freaked out my having to take BP meds, it made me feel wierd. They changed the dose, same reaction. I saw a different Dr, gave me something else but I was afraid to take it. All was good, no episodes till this morning. The kids were at school, I was alone and got scared, so I drove myself back to the Dr office. I saw a different Dr. I told what happened within the last several weeks. She said it sounded like panic attacks when the fushing feeling came on. When I got to the Dr office my BP was 150/90. She took it again after I calmed down and it was back down to 130/89 which is about the norm for me. I am 44 years old. I told her I didnt want to take BP meds if possible so she prescribed me Xanax to calm me doen, so far so good. If this is part of menopause, its for the birds!

I was in Wally World earlier today and headed straight for the bp machine as I have had a stressful week (son had surgery on his ACL and now living back at home rehabbing ) mixed with the "world going to hell in a hand basket" syndrome we are ALL experiencing......

1st reading: 146/82

ok, relaxxxx I told myself, look at the funny articles on the wall, watch the old couple walling past

2nd reading: 132/71

Ok, relaxation working...keep it up

3rd reading: 126/70

Plus, I FELT calmer the more I took it...like the initial one was the scariest!!!

Also, I hear the store machines run higher....but I still don't like what this up and down is doing to my circulatory system

Doc did offer to put cuff me for a weekend to monitor what the readings are over a few days. May take him up on it next time I go in....(ohhhh white coat fear is making bp go up as I sit here, typing ) !!!!!

Hope this anxiety relents when post hits!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi moozie and all

i just had to respond to your high b/p concerns. 6 years ago i went to the er thinking i was having a stroke or something. my b/p was 170/100 yikes. got a million dollar work up found low thyroid. over the next year and a half had 3 trips to er all with high b/p and feeling of dread. i now have white coat syndrome but am doing better. i attribute it all to peri because now that i am menopausal all the anxiety and high b/p seems to be calming down. i do take 25mg of toprol(beta blocker) but dr would like to take me off. i think it helps with anxiety. my b/p at home now is 100/70 almost always, but i'll go to dr and it will be 150/95. i know it's anxiety i stop worrying it comes down and i'm still here to talk about it. it will get better i am proof. hang in there this is such a crazy time of life

Thanks ladybugsmom

Hugs,

Moozie

Ladybugmom,
Yes, low thyroid can cause increased bp and also anxiety. Also, were you aware that beta blockers interfered with thyroid hormones? Have you had your free T3 and free T4 tested lately to see if they are where they should be? Because many times, once you get those levels optimal you may find the anxiety goes away. Many docs only go by TSH levels to determine your dose of thyroid med, when in fact they should be going be the free levels of T3 and T4.

Sariah
I have had T4 checked and TSH within the last month. T4 is high side of normal TSH is 5. I usually do best with a
TSH somewhere between 2.5 and 5, any lower and I do get anxious. I have an appointment next month and will ask for a T3 because I don't think my T4 should be high if TSH is high side of normal. Maybe they could add Cytomel???

I have heard that beta blockers can interfere with thyroid,too.