Blood pressure anxiety

[EMJ]

So I have developed a new anxiety issue....for the past 30 years I have dealt with low blood pressure....even been diagnosed with POTS ...my pulse is always low and I have bradycardia (low heard rate)... I am a runner ....for 45 years so pulse and heart rate are result of many years of running. I also have anxiety ( as did my father and his mother)...I can go a couple years with being just fine and ten I fall into the abyss.....usually over a health issue.....this past summer I had an issue of lightheadedness that took me to ER....they did blood work everything fine. during the next week I developed viral diarrhea and was sick...so I am in ER again a week later....during that visit the Dr. told me I probably picked up something in the hospital the week before...testing found a UTI also so I am on antibiotics for a week. My BP during the first visit was 166/? second visit 148/? since i always had such low pressure I decide to check at home....so i started checking 50 times a day......it was most always very low...90/60 to105/70 ....I was obsessed with whether my heart was failing me ....so I visited my cardiologist and he reassured me I was ok and even did a stress/echo cardiogram...results were fine....I was somewhat relaxed but a couple weeks ago I spent a couple days traveling in a car and had some urinary tract issues...lots of pain and urinating constantly...went to Dr. and my urine cultures were negative and was diagnosed with inflammatory Cystitis....I went spiraling thinking I had everything from Bladder cancer to Ovarian cancer .....Dr. told me to take ibuprofen for inflammation every 4 hours ...so I did this and during a random at home test for my BP it was 159/90.......I went into panic mode and began taking it 50 times a day....sometimes it was normal and other times sky high....I have (like Pavlov's dogs) conditioned myself to go into stress mode at the sight of a blood pressure cuff...I need to stop taking my blood pressure and relax...you think?

 

[ladybj]

So I have developed a new anxiety issue....for the past 30 years I have dealt with low blood pressure....even been diagnosed with POTS ...my pulse is always low and I have bradycardia (low heard rate)... I am a runner ....for 45 years so pulse and heart rate are result of many years of running. I also have anxiety ( as did my father and his mother)...I can go a couple years with being just fine and ten I fall into the abyss.....usually over a health issue.....this past summer I had an issue of lightheadedness that took me to ER....they did blood work everything fine. during the next week I developed viral diarrhea and was sick...so I am in ER again a week later....during that visit the Dr. told me I probably picked up something in the hospital the week before...testing found a UTI also so I am on antibiotics for a week. My BP during the first visit was 166/? second visit 148/? since i always had such low pressure I decide to check at home....so i started checking 50 times a day......it was most always very low...90/60 to105/70 ....I was obsessed with weather my heart was failing me ....so I visited my cardiologist and he reassured me I was ok and even did a stress/echo cardiogram...results were fine....I was somewhat relaxed but a couple weeks ago I spent a couple days traveling in a car and had some urinary tract issues...lots of pain and urinating constantly...went to Dr. and my urine cultures were negative and was diagnosed with inflammatory Cystitis....I went spiraling thinking I had everything from Bladder cancer to Ovarian cancer .....Dr. told me to take ibuprofen for inflammation every 4 hours ...so I did this and during a random at home test for my BP it was 159/90.......I went into panic mode and began taking it 50 times a day....sometimes it was normal and other times sky high....I have (like Pavlov's dogs) conditioned myself to go into stress mode at

I had a pharmacist tell me that Ibuprofen can raise blood pressure. Not sure if that's the case with you.

 

[bin_tenn]

Do you test at home due to recommendations from your primary doctor or cardiologist, or did you make that decision? If they didn't recommend it, it's probably a good idea to avoid it altogether at home. If there were any cause for concern, your cardiologist would have seen it.

If you feel the need to test at home, I recommend testing three or four times. Leave the cuff in place after the first reading. Wait 20-30 seconds, test again, repeat a couple of times. It's perfectly normal for the first reading to be higher, especially when the idea of having it checked makes you anxious. My doc and cardiologist both said taking multiple readings like this is perfectly acceptable. You take three or four readings, discard the first, and average the rest.

 

[matisworried]

i think any testing above and beyond what is recommended by your physician is too much. if there was a need to test at home, you'd be instructed to do so by your doctor. i think testing even four times a day if not told to by your doctor is unhealthy behavior to engage it. it clearly causes you anxiety and has no real upside so why subject yourself to that?

blood pressure changes by the second and there are TONS of factors that can affect your reading, one of which is ANXIETY.

 

[EMJ]

Thanks Matisworried ...my blood pressure in Dr. office just a week ago was 110/70....perfect blood pressure then during the week I spiraled into an anxiety hole and along with taking ibuprofen (which I never have taken) I got a few really high readings and this has sent me into a full blown stage of anxiety....I am locking my BP cuff away...I have never been told to monitor my blood pressure and just started doing it because I am OCD I know logically if I had a reading of 110/70 in Dr. office a week ago that I am fine but as you all know my anxiety is trying to tell me differently...I just need all my friends on here to reassure me.

 

[matisworried]

Thanks Matisworried ...my blood pressure in Dr. office just a week ago was 110/70....perfect blood pressure then during the week I spiraled into an anxiety hole and along with taking ibuprofen (which I never have taken) I got a few really high readings and this has sent me into a full blown stage of anxiety....I am locking my BP cuff away...I have never been told to monitor my blood pressure and just started doing it because I am OCD I know logically if I had a reading of 110/70 in Dr. office a week ago that I am fine but as you all know my anxiety is trying to tell me differently...I just need all my friends on here to reassure me.

I'd suggest taking it a step further and tossing it... eliminate the temptation. you really DON'T even need to own one, if we're being honest.

you wouldn't be getting 110/70 readings if you had anything to worry about. blood pressure changes by the second and there are lots of things that can make it artificially high... being active recently, not resting long enough before taking it, not having your feet flat on the floor, moving around too much, taking it too frequently, being anxious... the list goes on and on.

I'm on two blood pressure medications and i don't even get 110/70 readings.

 

[EMJ]

matisworried....I am going to copy your message and tape to my refrigerator.....just to remind myself that you are so correct....I appreciate your support more than you will ever know!

 

[ladybj]

i think any testing above and beyond what is recommended by your physician is too much. if there was a need to test at home, you'd be instructed to do so by your doctor. i think testing even four times a day if not told to by your doctor is unhealthy behavior to engage it. it clearly causes you anxiety and has no real upside so why subject yourself to that?

blood pressure changes by the second and there are TONS of factors that can affect your reading, one of which is ANXIETY.

I agree.. and this is why I am confused as to why doctors are quick to put patients on high blood pressure medication.

 

[Joeyp3021]

I agree about throwing it out...at 28 I was told by my dr my pressure was high and if I didnt go on meds I was a walking heart attack..that's what started all my health anxiety and I would take my pressure at home probably 25 times a day for almost a year I was obsessed. One day my wife just had enough and smashed the machine..best thing she ever did.

 

[EMJ]

Joeyp3021....good for her....we need others in our lives to help us do what we know we need to do but can't bring ourselves to do! We also need Dr.'s who understand the people they are treating.....don't say to a patient ...."you are a walking heart attack"! seriously....I sure hope you have found a Dr. that understands that...my health anxiety started when I was a 43 year old mom of 3 with pain in my stomach and a Dr. told me it could be pancreatic cancer.........I fell into the deepest dark hole ...the mother of 3 and I was facing this...well long story and many Dr.s and expensive tests later.....I had no symptoms or predispositions to this disease....but it started in me a fear that has never ever gone away.....the people with whom we surround ourselves are instrumental in our healing.

 

[Joeyp3021]

I know exactly how you feel...my health anxiety started after the blood pressure but wasnt bad. I only got anxiety when going to the dr. But then a few years ago I went to a urgent care for the flu and they did a chest x ray and called me back days later saying they found spots and it could be this could be cancer...turned out they mixed my xray up with someone else but ever since then I have been struggling with anxiety. I'm a father of 2 young kids so I know what you felt. It's a battle everyday but it helps knowing your not alone and yes my wife is a huge help I'm extremely lucky to have her

 

[ladybj]

I know exactly how you feel...my health anxiety started after the blood pressure but wasnt bad. I only got anxiety when going to the dr. But then a few years ago I went to a urgent care for the flu and they did a chest x ray and called me back days later saying they found spots and it could be this could be cancer...turned out they mixed my xray up with someone else but ever since then I have been struggling with anxiety. I'm a father of 2 young kids so I know what you felt. It's a battle everyday but it helps knowing your not alone and yes my wife is a huge help I'm extremely lucky to have her

WOW... That's why I stay out of dr offices... If I need to go, I will but for the most part... I prefer not to go. I went to the ER years ago for stomach pain. Long story short, I was told I may have Crohn's disease. I knew without a doubt I did not have it... and come to find out, they did another scan and I did not have it.. Then I was told I may have MS and keep in mind they did not do any testings - they just went on what my complaint was. Do I think I have it, absolutely, positively NOT. My faith in the medical field is next to zero and I retired from the medical field. We have to be our own advocate when it comes to our health.

 

[Joeyp3021]

I'm starting to feel the same way...a dr I went to for a few years no matter what I was there for I ended up getting a echocardiogram...just wish I wasnt so trusting back then

 

[ladybj]

I'm starting to feel the same way...a dr I went to for a few years no matter what I was there for I ended up getting a echocardiogram...just wish I wasnt so trusting back then

When you go see a dr.. they either want to put you on meds or take xrays, scans, etc... or both. The good old days dr really cared about their patients but since HMO came into the picture... well.. I will leave it at that.

 

[EMJ]

I am so upset at myself....I was doing great and pulled out my BP pressure cuff and figured I would take it just for the heck of it...of course I could feel myself getting anxious...and sure enough numbers were high .....I spiraled into hole again....I threw the BP machine out the back door.

 

[matisworried]

I am so upset at myself....I was doing great and pulled out my BP pressure cuff and figured I would take it just for the heck of it...of course I could feel myself getting anxious...and sure enough numbers were high .....I spiraled into hole again....I threw the BP machine out the back door.

that really is like an alcoholic saying it's ok to "just have one drink."

there is no more "just for the heck of it." not if you want to get better, at least.

hope you really did get rid of it! consider this a learning experience!

 

[EMJ]

thanks Matisworried....as we all know on this forum....we can often be our own worst enemy...I overthink everything and in my mind I can't seem to get past "why the change in my BP numbers?"...all summer my numbers were really low when I randomly checked ...97/63 etc...which also worried me because I thought my heart might just stop ;-/....then I had this bout with inflammatory cystitis and bang my anxiety went up and so did my BP...in August I had a echo stress test done by my cardiologist (ironically because i was worried about low blood pressure) I met with him yesterday and he said my heart was fine...he know I have an anxiety disorder ....my BP reading was high in his office but he was not overly concerned and in fact said women's BP is so up and down it is hard to treat but told me to try to relax. One side of my brain tells me ..that logical side...that I need to put this behind me and start climbing out of this anxiety hole.....but my OCD emotional side is struggling to let it go thinking I have some incipient health issue that could cause me great harm....sound familiar anyone?

 

[matisworried]

can i ask why you have a cardiologist? is it due to actual medical issues or did you work your way from GP to specialist because of your anxiety? (my apologies if this was covered already!)

as mentioned before, blood pressure is fluid, meaning it changes by the second, and there are many, many factors that can falsely raise your reading, one of the biggest of which is anxiety. given your specific concern, i'm sure simply THINKING about taking your blood pressure raises it.
give this a read:

10 Things That Can Affect Blood Pressure Readings

 

[EMJ]

I have a Cardiologist because I have been diagnosed in the past with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) low blood pressure and irregular heart beat.... also bradycardia....but I am a runner 45 years and nearly 100,000 miles under my feet...so bradycardia is pretty normal the POTS problem has lead to me passing out or nearly passing out a few times over the past years....of course this produces some anxiety and I have dealt OK with it and most times get back on my feet with only a few weeks of anxiety. My cardiologist knows me very well ....knows my anxiety and (how lucky am I) he UNDERSTANDS it.....he told me yesterday...imagine your BP readings like this ...'you have 110,000 different readings every day so a true reading is difficult' especially with a someone dealing with anxiety.....he told me "You are a person who has exercised, does not smoke or ever has, eat healthy, my weight is low.....get rid of the BP cuff and go for a run...and try to relax....I will see you in 3 months"....
so I know all this and it is amazing to me how I can get thrown off by a high reading when I take it at home. I appreciate your responses Matisworried.....your advice helps a GREAT deal.

10 Things That Can Affect Blood Pressure Reading
[/QUOTE]

 

[matisworried]

totally makes sense. sorry you've got all of that other stuff going on. it does make sense why you have your particular concerns, though. that's not to say i think you need to be concerned but it explains where it came from.

i think your doctor gave you some great advice and his explanation of blood pressure readings is excellent. i'm gonna remember that one!