Hi Ladies!! This is my first posting so I hope I am doing it right. Have any of you developed High Blood Pressure due to the onset of Peri? Five months ago I had what seemed to be an anxiety attack. My body felt funny and I turned pale. I did not have any pain just a funny feeling. After being taken to the nurse I was told that my BP was 135/90 and pulse 118. I know enough about these things to know that something was wrong. Long story short, I was given Ativan and Xanex and then put on Blood pressure med. I also take Lexapro and Pemalor for Anxiety in place of the other anxiety meds. A few days after starting the BPmed and Lexapro I felt much better. As the weeks progressed I began to have all the classic peri symptons. Night swearts, ANXIETY (tightness in the upper chest, that the worst for me.) Lightheadedness, dizzy, and adrenal rushes to be the latest. My MD and OBGYN said I am not in menopause because I hormones are normal. I know they are wrong. It was not until I found this site and read that I am not the only one feeling this way, did I begin to feel better. Right now I just shake off the symptons and try to go on with life. Is there anyone else out there who has experienced what I have.

Angel1

Welcome,Angle1,

I too have been dizzy/offbalance 24/7 for 11 mos now.I also have adren. rushes they make me feel very uncomfortable It seems i get the adre. rushes right around ovulation.


I also get the head pressure,head zapping thing,it feels like electrical jolts.Do you get this also?

As im sure you have seen,or will see there are many women here that will tell you that testing hormone levels is a tricky this as they change constantly in peri.This makes it very hard to put a "definite" on any diadiagnosis.

Dont give up you know your body better than any one.

Take care,

I also developed high blood pressure along with all these other lovely .

I'm trying to do all that I can to bring my bp down and hopefully lower my bp medication or stop. I've put on quite a lot of weight since I began this "change" and I'm now exercising more and have changed my eating habits to get rid of these 50+++ pounds . In recent months I've began to see results and have lost at least 10 pounds .

You are not alone.

Hi

I too have noticed my blood pressure can spike and then be normal again. In Feb.my bp was 150/90 sometimes but I kept having it checked and now it is back down to 110/72. The doctors (who I have) just can't figure it out. The one good thing my doc didn't want me to get on yet was high blood pressure medicine. I do monitor my bp at home now and it has stayed in the normal range since May. I know it is realated to peri as I have never had this problem before.

My hormone levels also have been tested but came back normal so the doctors just dont' believe I am in peri. I guess they need hard facts in front of their beedy little eyes to believe what we women already know. Go figure.

Gawd, this thread coud've been started by me! I never had BP problems until my peri symptoms kicked into high gear last summer. I thought I was doing so good until they took my BP in my carido's office and it was 159/75 with a pulse of 114!!! Now, mind you, I have MAJOR white coat syndrome, but still... And I'm dizzier than a looney bird!! Hey, but I haven't had a period in 3 months and feel GREAT in spite of the BP and dizzys. I honestly feel worse when my body *attempts* to have a cycle. Frankly, I could care less if I ever have a cycle. Yeah, that's right period, don't let door hit ya in the arse on the way out

Peri meno also initiated erratic B/P. Of course, blood pressure medication was suggested. Nope. I monitor my B/P at home and in most instances it is just fine. Once in a while, I will spike a hike and that is usually when hit with an adrenalin surge. Power surge, adrenalin surge - how many "surges" are there? For now, I use Progesterone creame. That seems to "calm" the insides of me a bit. I don't take any additional estrogen of any sort. The "buddha belly" tells me that I have enough of that. Somehow estrogen hangs on tenaciously in the abdominal area and I look about four months pregnant. Can do without, that's for sure. But then, some weight loss is indicated - a good 20 pounds.

.

I have had high blood pressure since my late thirties and have been on Maxide and it was pretty well controlled although it would still spike up when I am anxious or at the drs. office...well guess what? Now it is creeping up despite the medication and I am figuring it is because of my hormones....many books I have read says that blood pressure sometimes will rise in peri....so I am making a dr. appt. today. I imagine he is going to want to raise the dosage of my medication...not looking forward to that...it makes me feel like crap at the present dosage....just what I need, to feel worse that I already do.

Tina I am convinced that Peri gave me high blood pressure. It was just like turning on a light switch for me. The anxiety, blood pressure, tremors, lightheadedness, dizzyness hit me all at one time. I take Toprol 100 mg for my blood pressure. It works and I feel no side effects. Of course it took me months of acceptance that I had to take BP meds but I have gotten through it. I also have been taking Phyto-Estrogen from GNC for three weeks not and I feel better from all the symptons. You may want to try it.

Hang in there
Angel 1

Angel, all my symptoms seem to come on at once along with the high blood pressure. I'm taking Toprol XL 50mg and Diovan. Prior to peri. my pressure use to be normally low about 106/64.

What is in the phytoestrogen that you are taking and is the name Phyto-Estrogen?

I had a scare about 6 weeks ago...got a sudden dibilitating headache that occurred right at orgasm...yes, you read that right....can we all say 'mood killer'? I continued to have a headache that did not go away completely for three weeks. I was unable to approach orgasm without mind blowing paid in my head. I immedately went in to my dr., who took my BP and it was 144/90. He instructed me to get excercise and take my BP twice daily for 30 days. I had never had high BP and I was scared to death. I followed his instructions and my BP went down and stayed low again (117/77 range). The headaches stopped and I can now enjoy sex again! (I was thinking...gimme a break here....let me have a little fun! LOL)

I don't know what that was all about....did tons of research about the "orgasm headaches" and they are not uncommon.

I also experienced some rapid hearbeat and lightheadedness as well as dizziness (falling sideways, losing my balance) which has not really happened again. I do experience some rapid heartbeat and shakiness occasionally, still, but not like I was.

beth

OMG! ok there are women that say..."not tonight dear, I have a headache,"' but for you it was"not tonight dear, you'll GIVE me a headache!", boy how did he feel?Nothing like making a woman to have to FAKE it eh? Sheesh...

Bethers...I am glad to hear you did your research and got it checked out right away and the problem with the headaches are gone for you...

I'm going through the time of my life with perimenopause. I wish someone had warned me about this. Last weekend I started to feel a pressure in my ears which sometimes caused me pain. My throat was also hurting on and off. By Sunday evening, I started aching all over my upper body and under my arms along with headaches. THis really scared me. I was so sick on Monday morning that I lay in bed most of the day. My period came that day and most of my symptoms subsided except for the ear pressure and aches in my arms. I went to the doctor on Tuesday, only to find out that my BP is 170/93. I was really upset because I've never suffered with high BP. She's referred me to a Rheumatologist for the aches and I have to follow up with her in five weeks. This is such a roller coaster for me because I never know what's coming next. Sometimes I wonder if there's anything else experiencing what I'm going through. I still have the pressure in the ears which is driving me crazy.

Since I started this topic I have developed new symptons. As of two weeks ago I now have pain in both arms and neck. Went back on my lexapro two weeks ago because the anxiety came back after a 6 week break with a vengence. I weined myself off Lexapro because I was feeling so good taking Phyto Estrogen from GNC. Now I feel that I went back to the beginning.

Good News! I found a doctor that hopefully will be helping me. He started me on birth control pills and said that the low estrogen is causing me to have all the anxiety attacks. The stress that I could normally handle before is intensified by the low estrogen. Hopefully with this new treatment I can have my life back.

I will be posting a new topic later about my new treatment.

Angel 1

Hellow guyes
now a days hight blood pressure situation is increasing gradualy, in fact not gradually but repidly. so its very urgent to protect these kind of situation, normally hight blood pressure occurs due to the lack of potasium, the normally effects that have been increased due to lsck of potasium, such as enexity etc . i have search a
kionex dosage. you can get good helth with thease information

My Doc told me i could be peri.
I am 35 years old. I have not had a period since November. I am gaining weight like crazy. He took my Bp its 180/110. EEKS.

He immediately put me BP meds and pulled a bunch of blood work.

Its only been a couple days. I checked my BP today ant its down to 150/108 so, it is slowly decreasing but eeks.....

Are the pills helping?I thought you couldn't take them with hBP,wow.

Not to repeat someone else, but this topic sounds like I wrote it. My symptoms started almost exactly the same way -- with a panic attack. I had racing pulse (above 120 sitting still), adrenaline rushes and BP of about 160/106. I look back now and it was probably the beginnings of a hot flash that got out of control. The media always protrays hot flashes as just some quick fanning and then it's over. Boy have I learned different! But that's for another thread...

I too had normal BP -- 112/75 or so -- before 2 years ago. Now without meds it runs about 150/90, with Toprol XL it's normal. I am somewhat overweight too -- about 50 lbs or so -- so I'm sure that doesn't help, but I've carried the extra weight for about 7 years now, and the elevated BP just started. I'll blame the high BP, like everything else, on Peri for now.

I also started with bouts with HBP about 3 or 4 years ago but I did notice after time it was happening before my periods and only for a week or less. Also the headaches , pressure and the aches in the arm on the left side.
To make a long story short I had all the heart test done etc.
I went from doc to doc only to find that they all wanted to give me BP meds.
I finally found one that listened.
First I have to exercise at least everyday or so I also am a bit over pounds.
He put me on diuretics and potassium and when the BP spikes want to hit now at the end of my period no more high spikes,
it was a water build up for me.
I still get the head pressure but I can live with that.
Hope this helps.
Tinkybug

High blood pressure was my very first peri symptom. I had always had normal BP and then just like Webalina I suddenly had the high BP, adrenaline rushes and a racing heart. My doctor put me on BP meds but it took awhile to get the combination of drugs right. Many of my friends and acquaintances have also experienced high BP and heart issues upon entering peri and during the peri years. Of course you should always have everything unusual checked out by your doctor but I really do believe it is a hormonal issue as so many of us have it. Now that I am 53 and coming to the end (hopefully) of this "interesting" experience, things have definitely calmed down. I have been weaned off of one BP med with no bad effects and hope to be able to stop taking the other soon.

I haven't been on this site in awhile. Last summer I was having palpitations that did go away after about six months. Recently I've been having higher than normal bp readings - 131/78 when my usual has been 120/78. Then last Tuesday I had a meltdown. After going to bed I began having severe stomach pain. I have had stomach problems for years, they always suspect my gallbladder but I never have stones. Anyway, everything escalated and two hours later I wound up in the E.R. My blood pressure was 200/90, my heart rate was 148! They of course checked my heart, checked everything, and determined I was probably having colicy gallbladder symptoms and a raging panic attack. So I got IV pain meds and a big dose of Ativan - one or all of them did the trick and I was on my home about 4 hours later. That was the most terrifying thing I've ever been through. The pain hit, I got scared, and then everything went out of control.

I'm 51 and having periods about every 50-60 days that are very light. I know I'm going thru the worst of it right now. But that experience was worse than anything I have ever had, or ever expected. I've been pretty shaken up since then.

I have an appt with my internist on Wed., and definitely will ask for a prescription for Ativan. But am wondering if all of this could have been triggered by menopause symptoms? I've had panic attacks before, but nothing like this. It was like I was on a runaway roller coaster, and there was no way for me to get control again.

Valp ,
Your story sounds so like mine did a few years ago about your age I am now going on 54yrs old.
You know they just couldnt figure out why just a few days a month my BP would spike, my stomach would go crazy, headaches, dizzy, the whole enchilada.
Well I started to document when I got these episodes and figured out it was at the end of my period. So after a gazillion docs and gyno's and ending up also at the ER I found a doc who listened,
Granted he also wanted me on BP meds because when I went in to see him it was 170/110.
He even said he heard a swooshing sound in my neck artery, OMG that sent me into a tizzy.
He did an Echo on my heart and a atery test and thank God it came out clear and fine.
So then he said ok look it might be a water or fluid build up, he put me on diuertics and potassium.
The first month believe or not it was so much better, still spiked but only to 140/80 still had the headaches but that was it.
Then the second month it was even a lil better, and now about 4 or so months It has improved.
Even though I seem to be skipping periods I still get those phantom end of the month episodes but the highest spike this month was 140/75 and it was because I was running around on a busy day and once I had my calming teas it went back down to 120/65.
There is hope see what is tweeking you.
I am not saying that you dont need meds at this point have yourself checked out real good and then see if it is only spiking some days and not the whole month.
Take care,
Tinkybug

Thanks Tinkybug, I definitely am going to talk to my dr. about a diuretic. I've always heard that's the first place to start when starting to treat hbp. Since I'm not having normal periods, it's very likely this could all be happening around the time I "should" be having a period.

High blood pressure was one of my first symptoms too. Whenever my periods quit, my blood pressure, went wild. I had spikes up to 180 several times, although mostly it was more like 140, and was put on Toprol XL 50 mg. No one believed me that the bp was tied to menopause; both my regular doc and my OB denied any connection, but I knew they were wrong. That was five years ago, and I have been checking my blood pressure at home and taking my Toprol, even though I hate taking meds. I have experienced periods of anxiety, hot flashes, shakiness, dizziness etc. over these years. A few months ago my home bp readings were good, so I quit taking the Toprol, and for the last several months my bp has been around 130 or less without it. In the last month I have started having a lot more arrhythmia stuff, which is interfering with my sleep, and which I didn't have as much on the Toprol. I don't want to go back on the Toprol, because over time beta-blockers weaken the heart, and I just don't want to take it anymore. Anyway, I just thought I'd share my experience as more proof that blood pressure can definitely be affected by hormonal imbalances. I also use progesterone cream every day, and that has helped me a lot. I haven't had a period in over a year, but I previously went 15 months and then had one, so I can't be sure it won't happen again!

Hi Ladies, well I wrote in a few months ago as I had a high reading just as I was going away on Vacation and I was all worried about alcohol, as it WAS an all inclusive.

I'm becoming a hypochondriac it seems, even writing this, I'm getting dizzy ... anxiety probably.

Seems I'm in the doctors office at least weekly with these BP concerns. One week it was "normal" around 128/75, following week it was 162/90 (this after a day of flying and period to boot). He put me on BP meds right away (Micardis 80mg). All was well for 2 weeks, no symptoms, BP was down to average 125/75 and then 3rd week in on meds, weird symptoms started, real weird and low readings (for me), around 111/65

So I go back AGAIN, and even in his office, I had a reading of 104/62, so he says, perhaps we should cut your dosage in half, so I'm down to 40mg and the past two days have been great ... until today ... I finally have a GREAT workout (without almost passing out and immediate muscle aches) ... period is due in 3 days ... at lunch time, I decide to check my BP, 160/110 ... WTF??? it was a little higher this morning 128/78 BUT I had an afternoon of drinking slushies with friends yesterday so I assumed it was a little high because of that.

So you guessed it, now I'm freaking ... anxiety has set in big time, I'm such a worry wart, that and I'm going away again on Thursday and then again next week (I'm a travel agent).

Arggghhh ... just had to vent.

I hate worrying.
NOW, I'm thinking perhaps I should go to emerg.
Only because I leave tomorrow and I don't want to get in a 3rd world country and have a stroke or heart attack.
I'm sure I'm very healthy.
I'm sure my BP is spiking because my period is due? hormones?
I'm sure this dizziness is just hormone related?
I'm sure that I'm imagining heavy chest?

After reading these posts I realized that I was not the only one who began this peri ride with high blood pressure and that what I'm experiencing now is quite common for us peri ladies.

I went without a real period for almost three months, then the day before my period arrived my bp escalated to 160/110!!!!!!!!!!! I ended up in the emergency room because I could not figure out what was going on since my bp has pretty much been under control for two year. BTW all my life I've had lower than low bp and felt wonderful that way. Overnight I wake up with high blood pressure and thus began this 9 year perimenopausal rollercoaster ride, lol .

Anyhoo, for the last two weeks I've been dealing with fluctuating blood pressure, my normal bp medication of Toprol and Diovan seem to be struggling in keeping my bp under control, so my dr. increased my Diovan. Now I'm dealing with fluctuating blood pressure, dizziness (from the Diovan 160), internal shakes, off balanced feeling, head pressure, head zings, and anxiety. I guess the internal shakes is what many refer to as adrenaline rush.

I took some omegas this morning after reading several post here, in hope that it will help stabilize what's going on...but that is another post .

Is anyone else going through this now and what have worked for you?

I am in the same boat with all of you ladies for the last six years or more since I got into peri.I used to have normal BP readings till I started the night time panic attacks that always get my BP reading to 170/110.The Er docs put me on meds immediately but the BP gets back to normal the next day even if I do not take the meds.

I also react very badly to ALL BP meds-beta blockers slow my heart rate to lower than 50 with chest pain,calcium channel blockers increase panic attacks with chest pain.I have tried all categories of meds only diuretics(water pills) have less side effects-rashes.
Ihad to undergo unnecessary tests like heart catherterization that gave me what seems to be a sensory stroke on the left side only to be told that my heart was fine as a fiddle(I wonder if it is still so after the stroke though!)

I had 24 hr monitoring last year and the docs say I do not need meds.
But I get spikes-last week it was 190/110 with the arrival of period after 60 days interval.Thus I believe the BP spikes,panic attacks are all related to the hormonal imbalances.
I am now on 25 mg hydrothiazide and 20mg inderral.I also take magnesium,500mg,flaxseed,COq10. The period is now over and I am getting normal and can sleep a bit longer without palps waking me up.
I hope our BP will normalise after all the hormonal upheavals so that we can enjoy the rest of our lives with less tension-even dealing with the drugs is enough problem.I have noticed that the more slep you get the less the chance for your BP to rise-so treating anxiety and getting a lot of sleep is key to BP control.
Goodluck to all.

I have noticed that my BP has gotten better since I am really exercising. I am doing the treadmill at a fast rate for 30 minutes a day and I do yoga 3 times a week. It is hard fitting that in but I just know it is for my health and do it. Since I have been doing my exercises so faithfully, my BP can spike but has gotten tons better. I had one reading that was 90/60. If I take it a number of times, it can be 130/75 but after taking it for months now, the average is about 110/68 or 72. So, for me, the exercise has done the trick for now. Plus, it really helps with the anxiety and I sleep so much better.

Mopsy

Interesting Thread!! Hi Mopsy, I promise to start exercising again!! I've been such a slug this past year. Everyone swears this is the KEY!! I'm inspired! Thank you. So many of my peri- and post- friends are struggling with high blood pressure, too. For me, I think because I've been struggling with dizziness, the thought of exercise has been kinda scary. But, I'm going to take advantage of feeling more well these days and just DO IT!

I had a very similar experience and now know that it was related tpo peri. Went to ER 5 years ago with high B/P of 170/100, heart racing at 120 dizzy thought i was having a stroke. My B/p had always been low normal. Was given a million dollar workup and found low thyroid. I have been taking Toprol XL 25 mg since then. My pressure is usually 120/70 UNTIL I go to the Dr. then 160/90 and I feel such panic.

Well, the good news is I am now menopausal and am feeling so much better, B/P down to normal ,no panic or anxiety, losing a little weight, fewer mood swings. hot flashes and night sweats still horrible, but can't have everything. I just wish that i had found this site years ago, what a comfort it is to know that I am not alone and not crazy, this is real and normal.

Gald your better....are you still taking BP medication?

still taking toptol xl 25mg but b/p 110/70 all the time. heart rate 60's. i'll ask dr, next month if i can try to go off the med. i feel great most of the time now.

[font="Comic Sans MS"][/font]


Hi, this is the first time I've replied to any posting so hope I'm doing it o.k. I too have suffered over the last two years with raised bp, adrenaline rushes etc. However for me it's a bit different. In November 07 I had a sudden heart attack when my heart stopped beating for over ten minutes. If I hadn't just arrived at the Accident dept 'cos of chest pains I'd not be here now. I have always found this website very reassuring but don't be reassured to the point where you think it can't happen to you. I am only 52, don't smoke, don't drink, took lots of excersise and wasn't overweight. This is not aimed to worry you but to remind you that we all need to take care and listen to our bodies.

kitts

Holy Crap Gillian. That is really scary. I've been doing alot of reading on this, because I was in ER last Saturday with high BP, PVC runs (every 3rd beat was a PVC), nausea, dizziness, headache and fatigue.

It seems that estrogen blocks norepinephrine during our pre-menopausal years, thus protecting us from high blood pressure. As our estrogen decreases, and especially if it drops dramatically, our adrenal glands pump out norepinephrine to try to balance out the hormones. This causes vasoconstriction which increases blood pressure, gives us the headaches, panic attacks, hot flashes, palpitations, etc.

Women who are type 'A' personalities, or over anxious etc during their premenopausal years have higher basal levels of norepinephrine. So when the estrogen drops the adrenals pump out even more norepinephrine in turn causing even more extreme symptoms.

I'm just really worried that my body will not even out after all this is over and I'll end up with chronically high blood pressure. I'm panicking right now. And since I get into some scary arrythmia patterns when I have these episodes, I could be one of those that have a heart attack, like you Gillian.

Go to my profile, and read my story. I also suffered a heart attack recently, the same time as you. I have NO signs of heart disease at all, and get medically checked once a year. I am 54, I lift weights, (HEAVY weights, powerlifting style, not those pink dumbells). I was a field hockey athlete for 8 years, and have been active off the field since I was 31 years old. I run several miles a day, and have a spot-on healthy diet for the past 30 years.

Heart attacks can happen to any woman at any time. It is the number ONE killer of women in the USA, higher than breast cancer, ovarian cancer and lung cancer. I now have a pacemaker implanted. If it weren't for my husband, who found me passed out on the sofa, I wouldn't be writing this to you right now.

Bottom line? Eat as healthy as you can, get some exercise, and live each day as it comes. No one has ANY guarantee that just because they do all the "right" things, that they will prolong their lives. There is no formula to calculate what lies in the future.

Take good care of yourself. Nobody else can do that for you. I wish you good health and a happy life.

Armadillo, I went to your profile but couldn't find your story, just your heart surgery post. Is that the one you are referring to? You sound exactly the same as me, stressed, driven, perfectionist. I am also an exercise nut who lifts heavy weights and eats a low carb diet with mostly the good fats. Did they ever find out what caused your heart attack? Did you have high blood pressure during perimenopause or after menopause? I'm the same, I have absolutely no signs of heart disease. But I think a highly stressful life can lead you to a heart attack because of the constant bombardment with adrenal hormones.

The only signs I've been showing lately are these responses to something surging through my body (which I believe is norepinephrine) with high BP, PVCs, dizziness, nausea, headache etc.

Please respond, I'm really scared now.

Yes, you read the right post. And you are also correct about my personality. I am extremely driven, and forgive myself for nothing. I punish myself constantly for goals I cannot reach, and hate myself for my inability to achieve perfection. I am also a chronic insomniac, have battled anorexia since I was a teenager, am addicted to exercise, am incapable of sitting still for 20 minutes, and have OCD and Bipolar disorder. Yes, I am an extremist, and no, I have never had high blood pressure. I have had the opposite problem. My pressure runs low, and I am tall 5'9", and have had many episodes of vasovagal syncope. I pass out a lot.

Do I lead a highly stressful life? YES, but I put all the stress on myself, I never let up, I must constantly be in motion, and I hardly ever sleep. When I do sleep, I am plagued by horrific nightmares, that wake me up with a start, a racing pulse, and a pounding heart. I feel faint, nauseous and dizzy, and don't go back to sleep.

I don't know what the hell is surging through my brain, but whatever it is, it's certainly genetic, and it's probably killing me. No one in my family has lived beyond the age of 60. I'm surprized I have lasted this long, considering the life I've led. I am 54, so hopefully, I've got 6 years of life before my heart or brain explodes.

Like I've said before. There is no reason to fear. As long as we live life the best we can, and care for ourselves and our families, there is nothing else left to do. I cannot change my basic personality, or change my genetics. Just keep in close contact with your cardiologist about your concerns, get your bloodwork done, take your meds, and live life the best you can.

No. The cause of my heart attack is unknown, and remains a mystery. Stress? Most likely. There is no medical reason. But our minds are powerful, and cannot be seperated from our bodies. Too bad. I could use a brain transplant.

Armadillo, that's horrible. I really feel for you. Please try to let up on yourself. Aren't there any drugs that you can take that would help?

I'm not quite as bad as you, but I'm close stress wise. I use ativan to help me sleep, but have taken many different things in the past so that I could just fall asleep. I typically don't sleep very long or very well, but have been getting better lately just because I'm SO exhausted from this hell called perimenopause.

Has everyone in your family had heart problems as well?

No heart problems that I know of, but mental illness runs rampant.

I take no heart meds currently, because my problem is a slow heart rate and low blood pressure. My pacemaker keeps my heartbeat where it should be and prevents me from fainting so much.

But I do take a crapload of crazy meds that include an anti-depressant, a mood stabilizer, an anti-psychotic and a nootropic.

Could some of the meds have interferred with your heart function? If there is absolutely no physiological reason why you had a heart attack, then maybe you had started having some sort of electrical issue that created a dangerous arrythmia. Most of the drugs on the market today block more things than what they are meant to block. That can cause a chain reaction. I've been reading up on SCD (Sudden Cardiac Death) and most of these people don't have heart disease but may have an arrythmia or some defect in the structure of the heart that can cause the heart to stop. And then there is always the case where vigorous exercise dislodges some built up plaque from an artery (which we all have to some degree) that travels to the heart and causes a heart attack. So yeah, you certainly don't have to have recognized heart disease in order to have a heart attack.

It could have been the meds, it could have been just about anything. This will always remain a mystery. But it was most likely an "electrical" problem with my AV node.

My meds have been changed many times throughout my life. They were changed again in December, and I've been fairly mentally stable for almost 5 months now. So it's always a trade-off with the side effects. As long as the side effects of my meds are tolerable, I'll be OK.

At this point in my life, I really don't care about living to a ripe old age. I am already way past ripe, and into the realm of decay. All I want to do is get through one hour at a time, one day at a time, without looking to the future, or making plans. If I'm still alive at the end of the day, that's a good day in my book.

Whew - At least it's good to know I'm not alone! I am 46 years old and have always had normal blood pressure, usually 120s over 70s prior to the last couple of years, am a lifelong athlete, and have always been thin, around 120 pounds. In 2001 I got on Depo Provera and my weight suddenly shot up as high as 138, which for me was obese! But BP was still fine. I switched to Seasonale but needed more estrogen, so switched to Ortho Tri-Cyclen a few years ago, at which point my BP went into the 130s over 80s. For the last 2 years I have been waking up in a state of sheer panic, a feeling of impending doom, sweating and heart racing. I attributed this to stress, which I have had quite a lot of. I had trouble getting back down to my normal weight; I could get down to about 126, lose 5 more pounds and then promptly gain back 7, despite vigorous exercise and dieting. Meanwhile I had a few instances of blood pressure spikes (e.g. 150/90) when anxious. Over the last 3 months I went back on a vegetarian diet, opened my own yoga studio and became a personal trainer, and lost 11 pounds, so now I weigh the same as I did in college (115) and feel physically great, in my best shape ever! But still have the anxiety, sweats and a sense of inner tremulousness or "buzzing," as well as irritability. Recently I decided to check my BP again, since surely it would have returned to my normal low level now that I have lost weight and am getting so much exercise, great diet, etc. To my shock and disbelief, it was like 160 over 100!! This, of course, precipitated a panic attack and now I have one MORE thing to worry about and add more stress to my life, which is a vicious cycle. I have worked in mainstream medicine for 17 years and the longer I do so, the less I like it, do not believe in it, and do not want to take BP meds. I strongly suspect the BP rise is due to perimenopause/hormones since I have no other risk factors except for stress in my life (financial, IRS, etc.). I also question hyperthyroid so I am going to have that tested. I have ordered homeopathic BP meds (which do not have side effects). Interestingly, I have discovered that I can lower my BP to around 106/79 by meditating, leading me to conclude it is more mental than physical in origin. I am stopping the Ortho T.C. when this cycle ends because I feel the rush of anxiety/panic begin to surge about an hour after I take the pill every day and do not have the symptoms during my week off the pill. Thanks, everyone, for sharing your stories and I will check back in and let you know what happens when I begin the homeopathic meds and stop the OTC.

I said I would report back after stopping the Ortho Tri-Cyclen and beginning the homeopathic blood pressure meds. I just ended my last cycle of OTC last week and have been feeling quite hormonal - ready to cry or scream or maybe throw things at the drop of a hat. My homeopathic meds (Boiron Stress Care Kit) arrived yesterday. Prior to taking the meds my blood pressure was an outrageous and unbelievable (for a very physically fit woman) 168/101! The recommended dosage was 5 twice a day; I took 4 the first dose and 2 the second dose, and before I went to bed I checked my blood pressure and it was 95/63!!! Today I took only 2 the first dose and 1 the second dose, and tonight my blood pressure is 101/70. I have used herbs a lot but am not very familiar with homeopathy per se; in fact, I must admit I have sometimes wondered if it is purely "placebo" since the dilution is so great that there is barely any "active ingredient" present. Well I don't know if it is "placebo" or not, but these results are frankly amazing and even more powerful than typical mainstream medicine BP drugs. In addition to the blood pressure lowering, I feel MUCH calmer and way less irritable. So clearly IT WORKS. I am so glad I got the homeopathic cure instead of going the mainstream route and getting hooked on the usual blood pressure meds which have terrible side effects, just one being that once you are on them, you have to stay on them (and gradually increase them) the rest of your life.