Ever since I went to the Dr and she informed me that my BP was a bit high, I think about it all the time! I never had BP issues in the past and now that she scared me, I can't stop thinking about it. I bought a BP cuff to use at home and I keep getting good readings But I almost brought it back to the store because I keep thinking it must be wrong...lol. I refuse to take my BP at the drugstore or any other place because I get so nervous. I have trouble sleeping at night and I think about this constantly I'm thinking that I may need an anti anxiety med to help me relax. A friend of mine recommended Wellbutrin. She said it really helped her with anxiety and helped her quit smoking and I thought it may be worth a shot because I am anxious and I do smoke. Has anyone else had any experience with this?? Thanks in advance guys!!
Hi lve just ordered myself a monitor to use at home as everytime l go to the docs or hosp(thyroid probs) my pressure and pulse is really high!!! I want to monitor my pressure in my own surroundings without the pressure of been at a medical place (l hate hosps etc really scares me) Try to relax make charts of your pressure to take with you when you have an appointment try to relax stress aint worth the grief! take care niecsey
Hi there,
You sound exactly like me. I bought a monitor to take my pressures at home and I also have been getting normal readings. I actually thought that the monitor was incorrect and bought another (more expensive model at that). The new monitor has given me the same readings as the first one. My husband thinks I'm nuts. Everytime I go to the doctor or the phamacy to take my pressures I start to freak out and get extremely nervous. I have been charting my pressures and have shown them to my doctor and she really doesn't know what to do for me. She really believes it is just white-coat hypertenison, but she wants to do a 24 home monitoring test on me to be sure. I know that test may be a waste since all I will do is concentrate on the monitor being on me. And yes, ever since I was told that I may have hbp that is all I can think about. I know obsessing over it only makes things worse. I try not to take an anti-anxiety med, but sometimes it is the only thing I can do to calm down. When there is something wrong with me I tend to overreact. I am so glad there is someone else that can relate. Thanks!!
Hi there, I've just been to my doctor too and found out the pressure in my head and fingers buzzing is my blood pressure being a little high. She says it's not too high, but the feeling in my head makes me wonder. Anyhoo, I can tell you from experience too that Wellbutrin is not good if you have high blood pressure. I tried it a year ago (before the high blood pressure) and I had the same symptoms I have now, and found out at that time that Wellbutrin can actually raise your blood pressure. If I were you I'd try something else. There's lots out there. Good Luck! Connie
You guys are great...thanks so much for responding to my post.
Sherbear24,
lol..I think we were seperated at birth. I totally know how you're feeling. My boyfriend also thinks I'm one BP reading away from being put away into a padded room. It's gotten so bad that when I put on the cuff and press the button, I close my eyes and wait until I hear the darn thing deflate...I try to mentally prepare myself for the numbers..lol. My boyfriend will walk in the room while I'm doing it and go " oh man, not again!!" My doctor also wants me to use his 24 BP monitor and I'm REALLY not wanting to do this. I just know that I'll be constantly thinking about it and will be unable to relax! Plus, I've bonded with my BP cuff! We have an understanding...I stay calm and it gives me great numbers..lol. I'm hoping to avoid anti anxiety meds if I can, but like you, I have become very anxious over this whole bp thing and I'm not sure what the best answer is right now. I guess we'll just have to take it one day at a time Thanks Sher...best wishes to you!
Lunachick,
You posted not long ago that your BP at the doc's office was 124/82.
I was hoping we had all managed to calm you down a bit with that last thread!
Your doctor should not have even used the phrase "a bit high" because it's not....particularly in a clinical setting. She shouldn't have even mentioned it to you.
I'm glad you're monitoring your BP at home...I think time will help a lot. The more you keep getting consistently good home readings, the more relaxed you should become.
I personally think if you need an anti-anxiety agent to get you over a short-term hurdle, there's nothing like Valium.
But honestly, your BP is great..PUL-EASE try to not ruminate on this.
A lot of us on this board are old hands at this and we would TELL you if there was reason to be concerned.
Ever since I went to the Dr and she informed me that my BP was a bit high, I think about it all the time! I never had BP issues in the past and now that she scared me, I can't stop thinking about it. I bought a BP cuff to use at home and I keep getting good readings But I almost brought it back to the store because I keep thinking it must be wrong...lol. I refuse to take my BP at the drugstore or any other place because I get so nervous. I have trouble sleeping at night and I think about this constantly I'm thinking that I may need an anti anxiety med to help me relax. A friend of mine recommended Wellbutrin. She said it really helped her with anxiety and helped her quit smoking and I thought it may be worth a shot because I am anxious and I do smoke. Has anyone else had any experience with this?? Thanks in advance guys!!
I wouldn't worry about your BP - It's fine. I'd worry more about the fact that you are smoking. This is a far greater risk factor than your BP. And, if Wellbutrin helps you quit, then that would be a good thing - even if it raises your BP a little. My late mother-in-law did have some success with Wellbutrin in helping her to quit smoking. Of course, it was a little late since the damage had already been done.
There's nothing more to say: Stop worrying about (and taking) your bp, which is not high and if it were slightly high could only hurt you over the very long term. Just stopping smoking will surely drop it more. And Pal is right about Wellbutrin; a slight
increase in your bp in the short term won't hurt you at all.
To demonstrate just how important it is to not smoke, try this risk calculator:
http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/atpiii/calculator.asp
Who would you guess would be more at risk for a heart attack over the next 10 years?
1. 40 year old male, TC 180, HDL 50, Smoker, Systolic BP=110
2. 40 year old male, TC 180, HDL 50, Non-Smoker, Systolic BP=200
#1 has a 4% risk of having a heart attack.
#2 has a 2% risk of having a heart attack.
So, in this case, it looks like smoking is more significant than a 90 point increase in BP! Also, note that this doesn't take cancer into consideration.
I think maybe if you threw in risk of hemmorhagic STROKE and end-stage kidney disease though, the picture might slant a bit in favor of the smoker for overall life expectancy.
But then it might be a case of whether you' d rather be run over by a train or a bus!
We can agree that smoking is probably especially dangerous with those with a strong
tendency toward hpb. The combination caused my dad to have two heart attacks and
a stroke in his 50s. And quitting smoking will bring the bp some in most cases.
Probably most of us have gone through a period of anxiety at taking our own blood pressure - I did! Even now I don't look at the monitor until the thing deflates and the numbers are in. Some people find it helps to take about 3 readings each 5 minutes apart and throw out the first reading, since it will be highest. When I was really anxious about taking my own bp, I would focus on something else while I was taking it, like a mindless sitcom on TV, the pretty sunset outside, or some cute pose one of my cats recently made. After a while I stopped being anxious about taking my own readings. Now, lots of times I don't even relax 5 minutes before taking a reading. If I'm feeling a bit anxious, I spend a bit of time relaxing, and thinking calming thoughts, before I take a reading.
And the very best thing you can do to lower your blood pressure is to stop smoking.
When a stroke revealed that I had HBP (never even suspected it), I was so nervous when I had to take my BP at home. After a while, I just got used to it and now that the meds control the numbers, I am not nervous. Now, having it taken at the doctor's office or any other health facility, that is a totally different story. I swear that my BP numbers shoot up when I am just driving to the doctor appointment. I have always been petrified of doctors and hospitals for as long as I can remember. My Mom was the same way and I guess that it rubbed off on me.
You guys just don't know how happy I was to have found these postings. I was recently diagnosed with high BP and have since stressed over it. This is about my third month of taking medicine (atacand hct) and so far has worked great. But I still ck my bp usually 4 or 5 times a day. If it may be up a little, I tend to panic and then I may feel pain in the chest area, I really panic then. My doctor also prescribed Paxil to help with the panic attacks and anxiety. I am still on my first month of Paxil, I was told it may take 4 or 5 weeks to see anything. We'll see. I don't know if knowing that there are others out there feeling the same way will help or not, but at least I know I'm not crazy. (or at least I'm not crazy by myself!LOL)
It's great to hear that I am not the only one who obsesses. My husband thinks I'm crazy but when I feel a bit funny or I get curious as to what my numbers are, on goes the cuff. And, if I don't like the number, I wait 10 minutes and do it again until either it's time to go to sleep or it's time to leave the house. It's amazing how addicting taking your bp is. When the numbers are good, all is well. And in contrast, when the numbers are bad, it's time for the valium! I almost brought my cuff to work but being that I work with my husband I figured that enough is enough. So that's my story in a nutshell.
That's why I like my little wrist monitor. I take it to work so I can check my numbers at work as well as at home. If I forget to bring it with me, I feel really vulnerable!
After 2 years of taking it over 14 times a month, I now take it once a week maybe. I know what my #'s are on the meds. & I try not to think about it. My g/f got frustrated when I mentioned it all of the time and she thinks that I should be off of Atenolol (with weaning). She also thinks that my issue is anxiety and not HBP. She is probably right. My #'s have gone down since I have stopped taking it so much.....
I'm thinking that I may need an anti anxiety med to help me relax. A friend of mine recommended Wellbutrin. She said it really helped her with anxiety and helped her quit smoking and I thought it may be worth a shot because I am anxious and I do smoke. Has anyone else had any experience with this?? Thanks in advance guys!!
niecsey
Thanks Sher...best wishes to you!
