Zuzu its me again too!! - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

crabbyroad · 05-18-2004, 06:58 PM

Don't you just love us? Gosh Im afraid almost of you going on vacation and not reading posts for a week if I have a question!

My update, diagnosis panic disorder and extreme agoraphobia with the hypertension. The doctor put me on the beta, but in his office Im in semi attack status and BP is high as is heart rate, then he added the diurectic 12.5mg took that for about 5 days and it dropped too low under the 100/60 range. So I do fine and BP is good at home with beta alone, I am to monitor every few days to just keep in check. Over the last month, I notice I can pretty much do without the diurectic UNTIL I have to leave my house outside my comfort zone, it soars. Example this past Mother's Day, fine the whole week, checked it that morning 160/100, so I became nervous and cancelled the trip to see my Mother, missed Thanksgiving and Christmas also, my agoraphobia is that bad. So later in the afternoon its back down to normal. Today my husband had a death in the immediate family, meaning two trips, one for visitation and one for the funeral in the next couple of days, since learning this, its in the 141/95 range, so I took the diurectic(thinking by two days maybe it will be down enough from stressing), and I havent even left, I just know its going to climb higher come that day, plus next week is my doctors follow up, he out of town too, so I have to leave the house regardless, Im am so scared when it climbs that it prevents me from leaving my house. I need some reassurance, I talked with a neighbor who has been thru the HBP and bypass surgery, etc. And told him, its like Im afraid of suicide by exposure therapy, that if I go somewhere with my BP high, I will give myself a stroke or heart attack just by leaving my comfort zone!!! He said that it would really have to be elevated over days, weeks, or really be heart related etc for that to happen. Then I get thinking well...if....its 160/100 on the day of it and I go......what if......it climbs to 180/120 or something while Im out? Geesh this is so distressing

zuzu8 · 05-22-2004, 01:09 PM

Crabbyroad-
I tend to agree with your neighbor that your BP "spikes" are not going to have you keel over during a day of panic.

Obviously, we know your BP is well controlled when you are not reeling with fear and all those "what if's".....You're probably healthy as an ox! Your biggest enemy right now is the panic disorder which is incapacitating you much more than your elevated BP spikes.

Are you on any benzos, or other drugs to help with this incredibly disabling situation? Or have you seen a therapist who specializes in agoraphobia and other similar disorders? A cognitive therapist?

I wish I had something more concrete to give you. Again, the fact that most of the time your BP is well controlled is a very positive sign.

When you took the diuretic and you got 100/60, why did you say that # was "too low"? That reading is okay as long as you dont feel dizzy or faint.

zuzu xxx

crabbyroad · 05-22-2004, 03:26 PM

Thanks Zuzu,

Yes Im on benzo, but Ive had this disorder for 13 yrs, so it can only do so much. As far as the #'s I was getting lower than 100/60 more so times 95/54 and was weak, weak, weak. Funny I was on the beta for a whole month before and didnt experience the extreme weakness I felt until I take the diuretic with it a few days, its like it magnifys the beta, my pulse gets 49-51 with it, without averages 58-63. But the weakness also may have been caused by the sudden loss of fluids due to the diurectic. Thanks for replying Zuzu, I did forgo the visitation, I have started back on workbooks with agoraphobia, its wasnt this bad till the BP problems started back 3 months ago, so Im in a constant nervous stage about it. My good days, I wont take my BP but maybe every 3 days when its normal, on bad days when I get the spikes, I obessess to the point of taking it 20 times a day.

zuzu8 · 05-22-2004, 04:04 PM

Crabby-

I SO understand how learning your BP is elevated can throw one into a panic, even those of us without panic disorder.

Hypertension runs in my Mom's side of the family, not my father's. And there I was, jaunty jolly, for years and years, getting perfect #s well into my 50's, thinking NYAH NYAH I"VE ESCAPED the maternal family "curse".

And then BOOM, got an elevated reading during a routine checkup. Threw me into abject panic (and this is with NO panic disorder, kiddo).

I also went into major denial for a while, refusing meds even when my #s started climbing. Again, I'm a relaxed, pretty easy-going person,and fortunately am not having to deal with what you're going through, but then I started to get consistently elevated readings and knew it was time to deal with it. Once I accepted it, and realized it was NOT tantamount to a death sentence if treated, my anxiety and panic lessened.

I know yours will too. Think of it this way: you've joined a club that has 60 million perfectly "normal" (except for the darn BP issue) members!

60 MIL in the U.S.A. alone...and that's probably and underestimate.

Enlighten me. What exactly is a workbook that you use to deal with the agorophobia? Are you seeing a cognitive therapist?

zuzu xx

crabbyroad · 05-23-2004, 06:03 AM

Zuzu,

The workbook is for Anxiety and Phobias, it deals mainly in the beginning about explaining the symptoms, our normal fight or flight response, etc. then it details into deep relaxation techniques, counter acting negative statements with positive ones, one exercise wants you to touch a tad on mimicking the symptoms, breath really fast and rapid for two mins to start the hyperventilation, and keep the positive statement written to read, Breathe does not mean suffocate. So when in a panic mode, we can positively reinforce ourselves from letting it take full blown attack, to accept its our bodies way of acting to stress or a fearful situation. Visualization Therapy, diet, exercise. It reallys stresses the importance of 3 R's the time for rest, the time for relaxation (deep breathing), and time for relationships, build up to one hour for each a week. Mentally and physically renewing yourself. I had become to complacent at home, and not venturing out that the agoraphobia was keeping the attacks at bay, until the BP problem, so its something now to dwell on at home. That I unknowingly put myself up for this situation.

I havent seen a cognitive therapist, did way back in the early years while I wasnt totally agoraphobic-I saw a specialist, something I cant afford now, plus I would literally have to almost do it by phone, no one in my proximity, and would have to travel minimum of 30 miles to see one.

I know my BP will be higher on Tuesday of this week, my follow up visit with my doctor on my BP meds, I havent travelled that far since my last visit, so add that to the scenario that Im also afraid he won't believe me that my numbers are decent at home on what he has me on, only when facing venturing out does it put me in panic mode, and fear he will try to add another BP med, or change what I have, which Im mediphobic too, then I would be on DEFCON 4 status awaiting every little side effect, posting questions to you, driving you nuts, driving myself nuts. If he could only see my number this am 105/77. And that the first and only reading!

You are so right about accepting the club status of HBP, I went thru this when it began 13 yrs ago, was on BP meds for 3 yrs, was complusive in the beginning about my BP, but it passed, and eventually he slowly weaned me off my med. I was fine for 10 yrs till this latest episode, but the same feelings came back, cant just cope with taking the pill and letting it go, I gotta sit on top of the BP machine, pump , pump, pump, pump, swoooooooooshhhhhhhhh, 20 times a day.

Crabby

P.S. Sorry for the novel- Here is me

and here is you

, does this woman every shut up?