God, I can't believe I found this place. I was starting to feel that I was going crazy! My doctor doesn't know what to do with me. My husband is tired of my "medical issues". My kids are scared. My mom is worried.

Are there any women out there in their late 30's and early 40th that all of the sudden had hypertension? And then anxiety came creeping in?

Mine started AFTER I gave birth to my second child. Not during?!

I've been a mess ever since. Now I'm stuck in anxiety mode and I can't figure out if it's my anxiety that is causing my HBP or my HBP causes my anxiety. I can feel it when my pressure goes up. Is this my anxiety symptoms that I feel or true hypertension feelings? They say you can't really feel it when you have high blood pressure that it's the "silent killer".

Any feedback would be appreciated.

LivetoLove,

What does your doctor say about all this ? it's sort of which came first, the chicken or the egg kind of deal. If the anxiety is bad the BP goes up ! Has your doctor recommended any meds for the BP. Have you tried relaxation therapy, walks, diet...is there alot fo stress in your life ?
All these questions right ?
I know how your feeling, it's scary, but you know you can come here and get some support. Let us know how it's going.

Hugs,
Moozie
xoxoxo

YES! Mine started to climb when I was in the full throws of peri. I believe it's very common for women who once had normal pressure to have it become elevated during perimenopause.

Welcome to Power Surge. I recall seeing you on an another Health Board where I lurk.

I THINK my BP started before the anxiety but I am not sure. I have always been high strung, TYPE A personality and my pulse apparently was higher than most. So each time I went to the doctors my pressure was slightly elevated. Could have been white coat if you ask me or just my pulse working harder.

One doctor pushed HBP medicine on me and I took it because he scared the crap out of me. That sent me into health anxiety hell.

Then all hell broke loose when I was 37. I started getting a really bad rapid heart out of nowhere. I would tremble, my face would get flush and it just wouldn't slow down. This went on for 2 weeks. Two ER visits and a holster showed nothing wrong. They couldn't tell me why, I was scared. Just take a pill to slow down the heart honey, was their answer!

I did that, and was on it (Beta Blocker) for 6 months. I was the walking dead then. I had to try to get off them, I didn't want to take this pill for my lifetime, and my doctors didn't care to see if I should/could stop. By then I was labeled a female with health anxiety because they couldn't find a reason for all my issues. So I stopped the Beta Blocker and now my heart rate is normal.

I wanted to try to stop my HBP pills too. I asked my doctor and he said try for a month and see. Well I tried to go cold turkey and on the second day I was freaking because I felt weird. My pressure was slightly high. 140/90. I took the pill. I then tried taking 1/2 pill for a week. All was great. Pressure was fine. My readings were 117/73 on average. Then I was to take 1/4 of a pill every other day for a week. On the day I was to take nothing, I had a spike in pressure OR an anxiety attack. I am not sure. The same thing happened the next night and the next day. I would get a pressure that builds up in my head, backof the neck pain, chest pressure etc..scared me into just taking those darn pills. And once I took a Xanax too for good measure. Boy did my pressure go down fast that time.

My question is could I have had true hypertension or was it the anxiey of knowing I was off the drug and I was freaking subsconsiously, because these spikes would come out of nowhere? My readings can be 160/100 and ten minutes later its 118/79. I'm now caught up in not knowing if I have true HBP or health anxiety so bad that make my pressure rise.

To answer your question. I am not active. I mean I am a mom and houswife and am all over the place and hardly ever sit down, except on the computer here and there. But I don't work out. I am 5'1 and 170lbs and am considered obese. I have about 20lbs to loose. I eat fish and green vegtables alot. I have a sweet tooth in the evening but a little goes a long way with me. Stress....of course I have stress. The usual husband/kids stresses.

I think it's all hormonal and all part of the peri life!! The anxiety makes my HBP spike and if I am not on medication it's dangeriously high. I'm stuck in a cycle and can't get off this ride.

Gia_Johnson -

Hi there. Yeah, I am new here and am so happy to have found this place. When women are in peri it seems that all hell breaks loose and we go to so many different doctors for so many things that hurt and not one doctor can tell you why or what is wrong. And so they label us with ANXIETY and give us a special pill to calm us down - XANAX for me!

This place shows me that i am NORMAL and I will survive and that I will can have support where others have written me off.

Let me ask you. What do you do for your pressure? Are you taking pills, for how long? At what age did you start. Did you every try to stop? Do you have anxiety issues like me too? Are you scared? Thanks for any feedback.

I swear I am breaking down slowly but surely. HBP and anxiety are only part of my issues. Yes, I have posted on the vitamin board and on another board (I think a general one), for my OTHER current problem. It seems my immune system is very low and I started with tongue and eyelid sores along with all over body aches that burn! I had this for a few months on a off 6 months ago. It stopped completly for 4 months, just yesterday it came back. I'm dieing here. Oh and by the way...he couldn't find anything wrong with me then....honey it's yourself doing this to you...that darn ANXIETY again!

Well, gotta go to my doctor now for an appoitment I had made a month ago; I'm glad he can actually see me with my eyelid and tongue in this condition. I am not hopeful he will help this time (he's a Rheumatologist as well as an internest so maybe I have hope).

As for my HBP. I think a visit to a HBP specialist is the next step for me. Until then it's my Benicar and my Xanax as needed I guess.

Hi LivetoLove25,

I can relate well to your BP problems and anxiety. I was in the throes of bad anxiety two years when I went to my doc for my annual exam. I've always had below normal blood pressure, and was I ever surprised and frightened when it was 155/90. I really freaked. My mom and sister have HBP and I know it can be hereditary. My doctor told me to just keep having my BP checked, and if it didn't come down, I would have to consider medication.

I read everything I could on the subject, began exercising every day, which is something I used to do, but had dropped, gotten quite sedentary. I was also 25 lbs. overweight and lost 10 lbs. over the next few months. My blood pressure steadily crept down, and now I am able to control it fairly well. However, if my weight creeps up or if I slack off on exercise (like around Christmas with too many goodies), it starts to climb again. For me, this has proven that steady exercise and watching my weight are the keys. Try it! Good luck!

RedFox

LivetoLove -- I meant to add that the regular exercise also pretty much took care of my anxiety and depression. Exercise is more powerful than I can have imagined!

RedFox

LivetoLove.

Can I just say, I don't think you do have hypertension. When my blood pressure was 140/90 it was considered normal. After it went higher - just before meno, I went on beta blockers. But I think doctors are putting too many people on BP medication. And when people are told it is the 'silent killer' of course they get stressed about it. My mum was on BP medication from middle age till 81 - and even then she died from something else. If yours has been as low as you say, I really can't see that it would be possible if you were hypertensive. Stress does send it up though without a doubt, but that is normal and happens with everyone when they get anxious - or even the thought that you are having it checked can send it up, it does with me.

LiveToLove - I am new here also, I've been reading the board messages for a few months but haven't posted much yet. Your true blood pressure is the reading you get when you are relaxed. Everyone's BP goes up when you are running around doing things and especially when you are anxious. You need to sit quietly in a chair for at least 5 minutes before you take your blood pressure. The fact that your BP is able to go down to the 110's/ when you are relaxed (and when you take a Xanax ) is a good sign! It is just a matter of whether you can maintain that as you wean off the BP med. I started taking BenicarHCT last fall, the best part is now I do all my peeing in the daytime instead of having to go all night!

Lydia~
That is so true about increased anxiety even hearing a B/P monitor. At work, we have a health faire where our cholesterol, blood sugar and B/P are measured. Normally, mine runs about low 140's over low 80's. At the fair, it was 166/99. I also felt the increased anxiety even though I was attempting to breathe through it. I am five years post meno and still have anxiety issues. White coat hypertension just sitting in the doctor is horrible. They had me lay on my left side for five minutes and this brought the B/P, lower number, down to the mid-80's. I am sure if I had issues with B/P none of this would have helped. It would have remained elevated.

Sybilleruth,

I just read your reply about being post for 5 years and still having anxiety issues. I am 2 years post and am having terrible anxiety issues. I thought that once peri was over and the hormones settled down we were supposed to start feeling some relief. Until I read your post I was thinking I was some kind of a freak or that something else was really wrong with me. What do you do to cope with your anxiety? I actually think I can self-induce mine. I get anxious (almost panicked) in situations where I have experienced anxiety before. In other words, I expect to get anxious----so I do. Am I making any sense? Who knows these days!!!
Have a great weekend. Donna

Seems to me that if elevated BP is due to anxiety, that it would be better to control the anxiety (with xanax or whatever) rather than take BP meds. That way you are controlling the root cause. There are many of us plagued with anxiety during this time, and my experience is that if you can get control of the anxiety, many of the physical symptoms may also disappear. In addition, you will be in a better state of mind to deal with the rest of the physical symptoms. This is turn will help your anxiety level. But it is really important to get that under control first, even if that means taking meds regularly. Many worry about the addictive properties of xanax, and you should always keep that in mind, but if you remember to wean off slowly, most do not have issues. I have done this multiple times already and am not afraid to use it when I need it, even if for a prolonged period of time. Getting the anxiety under control is key to getting anywhere with these symptoms.

I do think that HBP is related to Anxiety. My peri started last April with a super Anxiety Attack here at work. I thought I was having a heart attack. Long story short I was put on Toprol 100 mg which helped the BP and the palps. I really don't think I need PB meds but that is the only thing the drs come up with.

I hate the fact that I feel that I just got old.

Angel 1

PS Does anyone know how long this nightmare will last. I want my life back!!!!

dcamp~

I had always thought after I crossed over to post things would naturally quiet down. NO WAY! Things really kicked in, though I can honestly say not as pronounced now as before. With anxiety, I try to breathe it away, but just knowing that is what I am trying to do, the anxiety increases. I guess that is expecting the anxiety and actually creating it. I just talked to one of my coworkers who was relating to me her physical symptoms and what do I do? Laugh. Not at her but at the familiarity of her symptoms. Most of the women around here are going through "the change" and are being affected one way or the other. The ones who are on HRT will experience those symptoms once they stop using HRT. Just hearing us, I am sure they put in for a lifetime prescription.

Hi ladies - thanks for all the responses. I see I am not alone. I can't believe that so many women out there are like me. I truly feel in my heart of hearts that i do no need HBP pills. My pressure is fine at rest.

Yes, I have spikes here and there but they are usually made worse by anxiety, it's like I get an adrenaline rush out of nowhere and I get pressure in my head and I am a messed up because I rush to the machine and I see the numbers and it's all downhill from there! I'm too scared to wait and see what happens. To breath and relax. I just pop a pill (if I haven't yet that day) or take a Xanax to calm me. I'm so scared that this is it! I'm going to have a heart attack or a stroke...it's the same story every time. It's a cycle I can't get out of. Especially when the lower number is 100 or close to it.

From what I can see I don't have elevated HBP on a continous basis. I had very low readings actually the week I was taking 1/2 a pill to try to get off the drug. Wouldn't it have creeped up if I was coming off the drug?

Well, I went to my MD today. We agreed that I should try to loose 10 pounds and we can try again, to get off the pills then. This is a great incentive to lose some of the 25lbs that I need to get off anyway. When I mentioned to him that this blood pressure issue could all be realted to peri and hormones he didn't even agree or disagree. Just looked through me and proceeded to write me a prescription for Benicar.

As for the Xanax, I am scared to take it. But when I need it I take it and don't stress out about it. I guess it's good to have this fear about a Benzo, as to not get addicted it it.

Hi livetolove:

Although HBP rears it's ugly head during the peri years for some ladies, there are preventive measures you could take to help reduce it.

- A drop of 20-30lbs can lower your BP by 5-10mm.
- exercise will make the BP drop below normal levels several hours after exercise.
- switch to a diet low in sodium, whole grains, vegatables, lean protein
- relax (easier said than done!!)
- stop smoking (assuming you do)
- cut back on caffeine
- drink lots of water
- examine your current meds. Are you taking antidepressants or sudafed like medicine that may be causing your BP to spike?


BTW - I'm a peri soon to be meno anxiety/panic ridden freak . I suffer from bouts of extreme anxiety/panic and take xanax as needed. My anxiety is so bad I want to jump out of my skin. I totally understand the correlation between the adrenaline rushes and the HPB readings.


I hope this helps.

another thing: HPB sustained over long periods of time will damage ateries, kidneys and the heart. We are talking several years of sustained, uncontrolled high blood pressure. Relax and take control of your body. After you have done everything in your power to lower you BP the natuaral way then consider medication (of course with the sanction from your doctor!) as there may be a genetic component going on.

[quote=LivetoLove25,Feb 10 2006, 06:06 PM]
Hi ladies - thanks for all the responses. I see I am not alone. I can't believe that so many women out there are like me. I truly feel in my heart of hearts that i do no need HBP pills. My pressure is fine at rest.

Yes, I have spikes here and there but they are usually made worse by anxiety, it's like I get an adrenaline rush out of nowhere and I get pressure in my head and I am a messed up because I rush to the machine and I see the numbers and it's all downhill from there! I'm too scared to wait and see what happens. To breath and relax. I just pop a pill (if I haven't yet that day) or take a Xanax to calm me. I'm so scared that this is it! I'm going to have a heart attack or a stroke...it's the same story every time. It's a cycle I can't get out of. Especially when the lower number is 100 or close to it.

From what I can see I don't have elevated HBP on a continous basis. I had very low readings actually the week I was taking 1/2 a pill to try to get off the drug. Wouldn't it have creeped up if I was coming off the drug?

Live to Love,

Hi. Your story sounds similar to mine. I have episodic hypertension related to anxiety (usually when I think about taking my BP or someone taking it for me!) When I take it the first time it's somewhere around 145/90 or even higher. When I breathe normally, make sure I'm sitting with my feet on the floor and my back supported (don't let docs take it when you are sitting on an exam table!) and re-take it, it drops by 20 points or even lower. The third reading in about 12-15" is usually around 110/70. My pulse is around 65.

I'm a freak about what I eat and drink (no alcohol, no smoking, no caffeine, no meat except for fish, little carbs but lots of fruit and veggies) and I'm 5'8" and weight 135 (currently!). I run every week and walk about 35" nearly every day. Weight train 3 x a week. No genetic inheritance for high BP. And I'm still having these episodes.

I am responding because I am so fed up with docs exclaiming over my bp when I tell them I have white coat syndrome and that I monitor it at home and it's fine. I even had one ask me to bring in my cuff so she could compare it to hers to make sure mine wasn't malfunctioning (it wasn't).

I hate hate hate the anxiety that I'm experiencing. I wake in the a.m. with heart pounding, tremors inside for a few minutes, and don't even bother taking my BP then because I know what it will be. 1/2 of a xanax helps me at times (1/2 of a .25 mg) but I don't want to take them all the time because they are addictive in the long run.

You are not alone!!!

Love,
Riv

I just read where HBP is common with hypothryoidism and peri-menopause. Also right before your period, your BP will be higher. <_<

Hi Girls,
I got HBP when I was 45 and starting peri-meno. I've had it ever since and now take 50mg of Cozar a day which keeps it under control. I swear it was peri that was responsible for the start of it, but it doesn't seem to want to go away yet. I'm about through with the menopause now ( after 10 years of hell )! and I'm hoping it will go( I have periods of time when it's really low ). Try not to get too anxious about it- I know that's easy to say but Chill Out and forget it. You don't need the Xanax as well-- pop some magnesium instead!!
Antique

How much magnesium is safe per day?

Antique,
You can take up to 1000mg a day. But be sure and work whatever dose you choose slowly, as it can also cause bowel disturbance, so you need to give your body time to adjust to each dosage increase. I increased my dosage by 100mg each time, let my body adjust, etc and it worked out fine. I was taking 900mg/day for internal vibration and twitching (worked great!). It is supposed to be good for heart palps also, but I find it does absolutely nothing for anxiety....maybe you will have more luck with that.

As Gia stated, you certainly can do damage to other organs over time if your blood pressure is not under control. I ignored my high readings for a few years because I did not want to be "labeled" as hypertensive. I should know better as I am a nurse and now I have an enlarged heart. It is not a big deal, it should go back down to normal size after I have kept my BP down in normal range for a few years with medication. But whether it is related to peri or genetics or lifestyle if your blood pressure is too high at rest and your doc recommends treatment it is certainly better to get on a med than let other organs sustain damage.

Question: If my HBP came on due to a fluctuation in hormones during peri menopause...will it become better after I'm finally in menopause?

If you can pinpoint the cause of your high blood pressure and you can change it then your blood pressure may lower. For most people high blood pressure just develops over time as we age and the blood vessels become less elastic, a lot of times we start seeing those changes in our mid-40's or 50's. I don't know how much hormone fluctuations can alter your blood pressure, there are studies out now saying that after menopause women can become more salt-sensitive leading to high blood pressure in some. And hypertension also hits men around the same age range too. Most people can expect BP medications to be for life, but if you can improve your cardiovascular health by losing weight &/or increasing exercise you may be able to make a difference between being on medication, or in the amount of medication needed to control it.

I have taken Atenolol for about 4 years for HBP and then the doctor told me it was up again - 'not brilliant' were his words, and he would put me on another drug to go with the Atenolol. I had become really stressed thinking that my menopausal symptoms may actually be heart problems. After taking the other tablet for about 3 weeks, I was feeling ill on waking, poor circulation problems, and decided to stop it - especially when I was told that BP can go up just being in the doctors surgery. Went back yesterday for a follow up visit, and saw a woman doctor who made me feel more relaxed. She said my BP was fine, heart rate fine. And when I think I could have been taking a tablet which I didn't need, and which was causing awful, and scary side effects, I think doctors have become far too good at giving out drugs which are sometimes unnecessary - and to some extent playing on our fears.

lydia52~

I agree with you. It's bad enough we incur all these symptoms and of course with that, increased anxiety. But to add insult to injury and prescribe blood pressure medication without suggesting taking one's blood pressure while at home for a certain amount of time is ludicrous. I agree when it was said that one's health problems begin with YEARS of high blood pressure - not just a doctor's visit or two.

Can you imagine if someone normally has low blood pressure and is prescribed B/P medications to lower it because it was high at the doctor's office (or anywhere causing increased B/P)? One could keel over with hypotension. Fine mess that would be when babysitting grandchildren, etc.

National guidelines state that a practioner is never to treat for new hypertension based on one blood pressure. You are to have at least 3 elevated blood pressure readings documented from 3 different occasions before starting someone on medication. All drs have access to and are expected to follow the national guidelines. They can also order a 24 hour blood pressure monitor that will document and record your blood pressure at different times of the day and night, much like the 24 hour holter monitor that can be ordered for documenting heart rhythms at home.

Nightowl
Yes I did have 3 tests when I first went on a BP drug. Only the middle test was normal, so it was 2 out of three. However, when the additional drug was prescribed it was just one reading. The doctor said that Atenolol is not as effective as they first thought and may be better when taken with another drug. I agree that home monitoring is the best way to deal with it. I had this done once and my BP was lower than it has ever been in the doctors. I still however think that we have become a bit fanatical about blood pressure, and that in some people who are perhaps a bit nervous in disposition it can be difficult to monitor accurately.

There is a national push to treat blood pressure more aggressively and at lower blood pressure readings than in the past because studies are showing that even slightly increased pressure can cause organ damage. Beginning at a blood pressure of 115/75 the risk of cardiovascular disease doubles with each increase in blood pressure of 20/10. This has led to a rethinking as to who should be treated for hypertension, especially if you have other risk factors - obesity, smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, lack of exercise.
Normotension is now considered to be less than 120/80, prehypertension is classified as pressures between 120 to 140/80 to 90, hypertension is classified as above 140/90. People with prehypertension are at higher risk of developing hypertension. Hypertension makes your heart work harder, it is pumping under increased pressure. In time the increased pressure can enlarge the heart, and lead to damage in the kidneys, eyes and brain.
Most of my side of the family has hypertension - my mother has had a mild stroke, her brother and her mother were paralysed on one side from a stroke, a second stroke killed grandma 10 years later. Even though I considered myself far too young and healthly to have any medical problems when my BP started consistently reading 160's/90's I decided I didn't want to risk stroking out and being a burden on my family.

And that is the key - consistently high for a few months. In all daily aspects of life. What I take exception to is being labeled as hypertensive at a doctor's visit or just hearing a B/P monitor. And...of course there is the familial side of the story. But with no risks, then I would assume the usual recommended weight loss, eating healthier and exercising - all can contribute to a positive reinforcement of lowering one's pressure. The B/P numbers are numbers all inclusive of the US. In other countries - the numbers are more forgiving. I wonder why that is. Their death statistics from elevated B/P are no different than here ...and with some countries, actually lower. I did this research on the internet for a paper I was writing and for my information as I could carry a diagnosis of labile hypertension with ease.