Anxiety/BP connection - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

redherring · 04-10-2005, 04:37 PM

I've been monitoring my BP to counter my doctor's assertion that I have hypertension. Mind you I have a brand new Omron bicep cuff monitor. My readings for the last four days:

134/94 -- I was VERY anxious when I took this reading!
131/86 -- Again, VERY anxious!
131/84 -- 1 hour after working out
119/82 -- Very calm and rested

I have generalized anxiety disorder and panic which I've been on antidepressants in the past. I really believe my incessant anxiety over ANYTHING is causing spikes. I don't think my spikes are physical, although I could stand to lose a few pounds.

Do you think anxiety will have a long term detrimental effect on BP over the long run.

Thanks

Especially to Lenin, Pal, Axe, Sunlover, Zuzu and Uf-DAh!!

Leah004 · 04-10-2005, 05:06 PM

Hello RedHerring- I'm new here but apparently my hbp problems stem from stress and my anxiety problems. I too am on meds for anxiety and panic attacks. I have hbp all of the time though even when I am calm so I don't know if it the same as you are experiencing. Whether anxiety is a long-term player regarding hbp I am not really sure,,,,all I do know is that my doctor is concerned enough about how it is esculating and keeping mine up despite hbp meds. I do wish you luck though.

Uff-Da! · 04-10-2005, 06:22 PM

The damage will relate to the total amount of time your blood pressure exerts that force against your arteries. So how many hours of the day is your blood pressure high? If you wake up in the night, how is your blood pressure then? What is it first thing in the morning? I think some additional readings will shed more light on your blood pressure picture.

I was never diagnosed as having generalized anxiety disorder, though maybe I should have been. I was "hyper" about most anything all my life. I recall when I was put on Zoloft several years ago, after the first pill my thought was, "Wow! Is this what it feels like to be normal?" And that was at about age 59. Unfortunately, it caused me to fall asleep at the wheel about a dozen times in just a 20 mile drive to the doctor, so I couldn't stay on it.

The interesting thing is these last few months for the first time in my life I feel just about as relaxed as I did when I was on Zoloft. And my blood pressure is now down to where I was able to stop BP meds altogether in January. I just got thinking: What changed between December 2003, when I was able to reduce my BP meds but not get off them and January 2005, when I both got off them and feel much more relaxed. I think it is something more than just adjusting to living without my husband, as I think I'd adjusted quite well in the first seven months after his death. Besides, I feel more relaxed now than even before his stroke. I think it may well be changes I'd made in my diet or in supplements. I'm going to try to do a bit of analysis of what changes I might have made when and I'll either post to this thread later or start another thread.

My point in all this is: How good is your diet? Is there anything about your diet which might be affecting BOTH your anxiety level and your blood pressure?

Random2 · 04-11-2005, 07:19 AM

Some docs. are too quick to prescribe B/P meds. when the patient needs anxiety meds. This is just my opinion. It has been true for me.

redherring · 04-11-2005, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uff-Da!

The damage will relate to the total amount of time your blood pressure exerts that force against your arteries. So how many hours of the day is your blood pressure high? If you wake up in the night, how is your blood pressure then? What is it first thing in the morning? I think some additional readings will shed more light on your blood pressure picture.

I was never diagnosed as having generalized anxiety disorder, though maybe I should have been. I was "hyper" about most anything all my life. I recall when I was put on Zoloft several years ago, after the first pill my thought was, "Wow! Is this what it feels like to be normal?" And that was at about age 59. Unfortunately, it caused me to fall asleep at the wheel about a dozen times in just a 20 mile drive to the doctor, so I couldn't stay on it.

The interesting thing is these last few months for the first time in my life I feel just about as relaxed as I did when I was on Zoloft. And my blood pressure is now down to where I was able to stop BP meds altogether in January. I just got thinking: What changed between December 2003, when I was able to reduce my BP meds but not get off them and January 2005, when I both got off them and feel much more relaxed. I think it is something more than just adjusting to living without my husband, as I think I'd adjusted quite well in the first seven months after his death. Besides, I feel more relaxed now than even before his stroke. I think it may well be changes I'd made in my diet or in supplements. I'm going to try to do a bit of analysis of what changes I might have made when and I'll either post to this thread later or start another thread.

My point in all this is: How good is your diet? Is there anything about your diet which might be affecting BOTH your anxiety level and your blood pressure?

Thanks Uf Dah

My readings run low in the early morning, peak out mid morning to mid afternoon, then starts a slow decline into the evening.

My diet is very good. I work out vigorously at least 5 times a week. I am however, 30lbs overweight. The weight gain (I was never, ever this heavy) was caused by Paxil and Celexa and I've been off of the SSRI's for one year.