When to go to the ER

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I am a 37yr.female. I was diagnosed with hypertension a couple of yrs.ago. Up until 10 days ago I did smoke a pack a day.I am slightly overweight and I do live with a lot of stress. I am currently on my 5th blood pressure medication and it's not working. I start off fine with the meRAB but after a few months they make me very sick, especially the diuretics. All blood work and cardio work up is fine, no high cholesterol, fine kidneys, no family history. I get spikes where my bp has gone to 180/130. Recently I was on Lisinopril for about the last six months but it kept my heart rate between 110-120 every day and then it started making me sick. I was then put on HCTZ and then got the virus from hell, may have been swine flu. I got a severe sinus infection and then severe bronchitis where I was gasping for breath. During this illness, I figured out my extreme weakness was also due to the HCTZ and my bp started spiking again. Dr. put me on Norvasc 10mg. Sunday I woke up at 3am in full sweats with heart rate up to 139 and bp 166/101. Went to er and was admitted due to the severe bronchitis. EKG said something but I have no clue what because I have not seen my dr.yet. Echo showed slight LVH which happened a couple of yrs ago when I was first diagnosed b/c my bp was not under control and it reversed. The doctors don't seem too worried or don't care b/c I have no insurance. Right now my bp is staying around 120's/90's-140's/90's which is no big deal but in my past experience it does that for several days and then I get a severe spike, usually in the middle of the night, I freak out and go to the er where the b/p comes down on its own over several hours. Here's my question, should I go to the er when it spikes or just suck it up and hope for the best. I am terrified of having a stroke or heart attack because I have 4kiRAB. I know when my pressure is up because I can feel it. I have an appt. with my dr. on 9/9 and I took all my labs and paperwork to his office on Wed. since I'd been in the hospital. I left a message to make sure the meRAB I'm on now (prednisone pak,cipro, ventolin which I quit) were ok with the norvasc and I also let him know the norvasc is not seeming to work, but of course I got no call back. I really liked this dr. but now I see I'm just a nuraber and I don't have insurance so I don't count anyway, so I'm scared. I hate going to the er because you get treated like a hysterical woman who just has anxiety issues and the only reason your pressure is up is because you checked it.
Sorry for rarabling and I guess my question is would you go to the er or wait out the bp when it spikes.
 
If your BP spikes, are you anxious?

I have anxiety and worrying about my BP spiking makes it spike. I have also taken myself to the ER on several occassions where the BP has come down. Probably because I feel safe. I have also called an arabulance when I had a bad spike and when they came by BP was 110/70.

During the 2 years that I had panic attacks almost RABily my BP was spiking all the time. It wasn't until I finally relaxed that my BP became normal. My dad has the same problem.

I wish you the best of luck, I have kiRAB too and I worry about the same things. Try a cup of hot chammomile (caffiene free), dilates blood vessels. So does a hot soothing bath.
 
First I get symptoms and I know my bp is up, then I check it to confirm, and then if it's too high I get real scared which makes it worse. The one time I actually called rescue, by the time they got there, my bp was 180/130. I do believe my hypertension is due to too much soda, smoking and lots of stress. I've already cut the soda way down, almost quit smoking and I'm going to start excercising because the stress has a lot to do with a very difficult marriage and I'm kinda stuck with that one. I've also decided if I have another spike I'll take a xanax and skip the er.
 
There are so many people that I know that have the same problem. Classic pattern... first you feel something that makes you think your BP is going up. You stress about the feeling and wonder about your BP, and get the monitor out. As you are waiting for the dreaded reading your very nervous about what nurabers it will show.

Next it shows you some off the chart reading and then you have a full blown panic attack thinking that it's all over. I can joke about it now, but I had/have the same problem. If this sounRAB like you, chances are you have anxiety. I had 3 years of rabroadP due to anxiety about my blood pressure. When I finally stopped worrying about it (3 years later), it went down.

Also xanax worked for me too because It was stress hormones and adrenaline causing my BP to go up all the time. A bad relationship is unhealthy both spiritually and physically. You would be amazed the havoc that your body will conjur up when your mind is tormented. The 2 are so intimately connected just like hand and glove, yet we think they are different.
 
The spikes are probably worse b/c of anxiety, but unfortunately the hypertension is not just anxiety. If I don't take medication I go up and stay up.During the most recent spike I had been very very ill with a really bad virus and was taking Prednisone, Ventolin, antibiotics and cold meRAB which is probably why the bp became erratic.
 
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