Anxiety and high blood pressure????

sweptaway76 · 08-01-2006, 04:52 PM

As we all know, when we are anxious or having a panic attack, our blood pressure goes through the roof. I have been having some pretty bad days and know that my blood pressure has gotten really high for a long period of time. My question, is this safe? Doesnt high blood pressure cause strokes? I have been told that panic attacks cannot cause a stroke or a heartattack, blah blah, but cant high blood pressure. I am a bit concerned about this. Thanks for any replys.

JaretPob · 08-01-2006, 05:37 PM

yes, high blood pressure causes strokes.

depends on you anxiety/panic attacks, sustained worries elevate BP, thus cardiovascular desease.

SRMom · 08-01-2006, 07:32 PM

Your blood pressure would have to be consistently high, for a long period of time to develop heart disease. If your blood pressure went very high, I suppose you could have a stroke, but it would have to be really high. If your anxiety causes you to have consistently high blood pressure, you should take medication to keep it in the normal range. I take Atenolol twice a day. I also have a blood pressure monitor at home so that I can take my BP when I'm not stressed, like at the doctor's office, and I can make sure my pressure stays in normal range over time by checking my BP several times a week. My doctor says that since Xanax brings down my blood pressure, it is related to anxiety, that if I had heart disease, my pressure would be high even after taking Xanax.

lylone · 08-02-2006, 08:45 PM

Swept,

I just saw my cardio about the same thing yesterday. I am on Cartia in the AM and Atenolol in the PM for high blood pressure and SVTs. Sunday night my blood pressure went up to 160/110 for three hours and I was scared big time. He said that it would have to be like 190/130 and for several days to cause a stroke. I go a a large group practice and he said that in the waiting room there is maybe 10 people in there at any given time and at least three of them live day-to-day with blood pressure that high and medicine doesn't help them anymore. He is more worried about them then those of us who do get the normal readings on medicine.

Ly