Anxiety About Blood Pressure

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ms_T
  • Start date Start date
M

Ms_T

Guest
HI Everyone,
I am a definate hypochondriac like some of you and I always have something that I am focused on. About six months ago I was really stressed on the way to a doctor's appt. and thought "I hope my blood pressure isn't high and hte doctor freaks out etc". Well as you can imagine my bp was 140/90. I am 35 years old, female, exercise everyday and I have always had low blood pressre like 100/60. Well after that doctor's appt. I have been obsessed. I had to throw away my husband's blood pressure monitor because I was taking it 30 times a day. It has been high now several times at the doctor's because I am in such a panic that he will think I have rabroadp and put me on meRAB and they will kill me because my bp is really low. I went to the doctor today for routine blood work and the nurse told me that I was actually supposed to be there for an office visit because my bp was "out of control"...it was 122/72 at the last visit. I am so depressed because I am making myself miserable about this and working my self up so my bp is going up... a self fullfilling prophecy.
Sorry for the rarabling but has anyone gotten past this type of OCD cycle?
Thanks,
Ivy:)
 
this is actually quite a common condition called 'white coat hypertension' where your blood pressure only goes up at the dr's. I can tell you LOTS of people suffer from this. It's the anticipation and fear of having your blood pressure taken and it being high that makes your blood pressure go up. And 140/90 isn't too high, it's just borderline.

before they put you on meRAB they should do a 24 hour bp monitor so they can check how your bp is over a period of time. but if you're anything like me you'll be so anxious about how it's going that your bp will be high the whole time then as soon as the monitor comes off go back to its normal low level!
 
I'm going through the same thing. I also obsess about things and seem to focus on one particular thing at a time, usually something health related. For YEARS I have had high
 
smurfy33-
I am sorry to hear what you are going thru and do completely understand. I try to think what is the worst that could happen, I go on meRAB. This worries me though because a few months ago I was googling low blood pressure because my bp was 90/60 or less. I am terrified the doc will think I have high bp now because of my anxiety about it and put me on meRAB and this will kill me because I really have low bp, etc. etc. I like you used to never worry about my blood pressure and was always sure that this was not an issue for me but now it's always in the back of my mind. I have found that if I fight the urge to check it and accept that it is ok (I am averaging 102/71 right now without meRAB)that I can feel somewhat calm. I was doing okay until I went to the doctor on Monday for blood work and the nurse told me I needed to make a follow up appt. because my bp was "out of control". She said this because my bp is up and down depending on my anxiety level at each appt. My doctor says not to worry but it is hard when the nurses say stupid stuff like that. The bottom line is though that it is the anxiety, so many other people really do have high bp and don't give it a second thought. We spend so much time trying to avoid health issues and probably create more due to all of the worry.
Ivy:confused:
 
At any rate, I've also heard of white coat hypertension, simply the anxiety of having your BP taken (and the results being high) can push your BP up.

If you're really worried, ask your hubby to take your BP while you're asleep?
 
Back
Top