Health Anxiety disorder

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CLUBMEDhurst said:
^^ does sound a bit strange, putting you on a hypertensive for anxiety. I'd question the rationale
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Yeah I went to the pharmacy earlier and got them to test it and it was high.
(Felt anxious)

Went home and relaxed got down to 108/80 lying down and 117/77 sitting in chair.
Maybe I should get a 2nd opinion.
 
TheKanga said:
Good to know I'm not alone with this white coat thing, I'll try to stop worrying about it while at the doctor's.
Funny thing was I saw this doctor last week and explained about my anxiety and how I was getting high readings.
He said to take these readings with a grain of salt and that he could tell it was anxiety due to my HR being nearly 100 in the Dr's office.
Then that night he called me back and said they had seen enough to put me on BP medication.
Yet I've been getting normal readings the last 3 days at home and my gf has written them down.
If I am being misdiagnosed as hypertensive, couldn't my BP actually get to low and make me faint?
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I think usually they'd do a 24 hr blood pressure test before putting you on medication. It takes it all day at intervals and you go about your day as normal. This way the dr gets a real indication of your blood pressure throughout the day.

I didn't want to do the 24hr one so I got a home unit and took it in the morning and once at night and kept a diary. Dr was happy with that and could see it was absolutely fine at home.

To me it sounds like anxiety if it's fine at home. I wouldn't be getting on the medication without either the 24 hr test or a 2nd opinion.
 
de_LICA_ish18 said:
I think usually they'd do a 24 hr blood pressure test before putting you on medication. It takes it all day at intervals and you go about your day as normal. This way the dr gets a real indication of your blood pressure throughout the day.

I didn't want to do the 24hr one so I got a home unit and took it in the morning and once at night and kept a diary. Dr was happy with that and could see it was absolutely fine at home.

To me it sounds like anxiety if it's fine at home. I wouldn't be getting on the medication without either the 24 hr test or a 2nd opinion.
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Yeah the doctor mentioned the 24hr test but I don't know if he was going to provide it for me though.
He was just about to put me on BP meds but I showed him my readings from home and he said it changed things completely.
I just hope my BP monitor is accurate as it was only a cheap one.
I'm still getting high readings in the doctors office though, I seem to get really nervous while waiting for my turn.
I got 160/100 in there the other day. :(
Mind me asking which monitor you are using? This is the one I have
http://www.amgphysiologic.com/product/essentia-blood-pressure-monitor/
 

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I suffer deep anxiety/panic attacks when I sleep, its very scary and unpleasant :mad:
 
Great thread to read.

I've always been very anxious but after reading many posts here on the topic I realise it may actually be on a disorder-type level.

It's not so bad that I've ever had a full-on panic attack, but there are days when I have a constant seemingly irrational horrible uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, making me feel constantly nervy breathing faster, more rapid heart beat etc.

Sometimes I think it gives me an upset stomach too. :$
 
TheKanga said:
Yeah the doctor mentioned the 24hr test but I don't know if he was going to provide it for me though.
He was just about to put me on BP meds but I showed him my readings from home and he said it changed things completely.
I just hope my BP monitor is accurate as it was only a cheap one.
I'm still getting high readings in the doctors office though, I seem to get really nervous while waiting for my turn.
I got 160/100 in there the other day. :(
Mind me asking which monitor you are using? This is the one I have
http://www.amgphysiologic.com/product/essentia-blood-pressure-monitor/
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Not sure of the model. It's an Omron brand which I got from the chemist. It's a good brand. I've still got it but don't use it anymore as I've quit worrying about it. Back then I was worried about it like you though. I got like 190 over something in the dr's office the first time they were worried.

I also wondered if mine wasn't accurate. You could take yours into the drs office and get him to take it on yours. You'll probably get a high reading like you normally do. It will show it's working fine.

The dr will provide you with an order for the 24 hr monitor. I think you'd pick it up from dorevitch (where they take your blood) or something like that. He'd tell you where to pick it up.

Get this done or 2nd opinion. Don't rush your decision, you're not a ticking time bomb, you've got time to check it out properly. And if it turns out it is high all the time, there is no big deal taking the meds. They will start you on a small dose and see if that sorts it out. You won't notice a thing.
 
de_LICA_ish18 said:
Not sure of the model. It's an Omron brand which I got from the chemist. It's a good brand. I've still got it but don't use it anymore as I've quit worrying about it. Back then I was worried about it like you though. I got like 190 over something in the dr's office the first time they were worried.

I also wondered if mine wasn't accurate. You could take yours into the drs office and get him to take it on yours. You'll probably get a high reading like you normally do. It will show it's working fine.

The dr will provide you with an order for the 24 hr monitor. I think you'd pick it up from dorevitch (where they take your blood) or something like that. He'd tell you where to pick it up.

Get this done or 2nd opinion. Don't rush your decision, you're not a ticking time bomb, you've got time to check it out properly. And if it turns out it is high all the time, there is no big deal taking the meds. They will start you on a small dose and see if that sorts it out. You won't notice a thing.
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Thanks for that, heard the Omron ones are good.
Might try that taking it into the docs and use my monitor.

Been getting wildly fluctuating readings tonight, one minute I'm 113/73 then 5 mins later I might be 130/80 or something like that.
How often is blood pressure meant to vary anyway?

Thanks for taking the time to respond, it's been helpful.
I'm sure I have normal blood pressure and the anxiety/stress of the last month and baby on the way has just made my body go haywire.
 
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TheKanga said:
Thanks for that, heard the Omron ones are good.
Might try that taking it into the docs and use my monitor.

Been getting wildly fluctuating readings tonight, one minute I'm 113/73 then 5 mins later I might be 130/80 or something like that.
How often is blood pressure meant to vary anyway?

Thanks for taking the time to respond, it's been helpful.
I'm sure I have normal blood pressure and the anxiety/stress of the last month and baby on the way has just made my body go haywire.
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I think it's probably fluctuating because you are obsessing over it. Lol. It can change minute to minute depending on your anxiety levels.

Just do it once in the morning and once at night, write it down and find out your pattern.
 
de_LICA_ish18 said:
I t


I think it's probably fluctuating because you are obsessing over it. Lol. It can change minute to minute depending on your anxiety levels.

Just do it once in the morning and once at night, write it down and find out your pattern.
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Thanks will do that instead of taking 30 readings a day.
My family keep saying it's not normal to obsess about blood pressure at my age.
 
TheKanga said:
Thanks will do that instead of taking 30 readings a day.
My family keep saying it's not normal to obsess about blood pressure at my age.
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I can understand where you are coming from. I can obsess over things sometimes and when this first came up for me I was worried like you. But taking it several times a day is just adding to your stress.

Once you get this diagnosed properly, either 24 hr test or validate that your monitor is working properly, you'll wonder why you ever worried.

It's not a big deal I promise you. It's only worrying you as it's a shock, but worse case it's easily controlled. It's not cancer, try not to build it up in your head to be bigger than it is. I know easier said than done but think logically, worse case it's a tablet.
 
TheKanga said:
Been getting wildly fluctuating readings tonight, one minute I'm 113/73 then 5 mins later I might be 130/80 or something like that.
How often is blood pressure meant to vary anyway? .
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The higher number (systolic pressure) varies a lot. It's really the bottom number (diastolic) which matters. Your BP looks fine.
 

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Lethality said:
The higher number (systolic pressure) varies a lot. It's really the bottom number (diastolic) which matters. Your BP looks fine.
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Thanks, I have to believe this to be the case to I have the data that suggests it's normal when I'm not anxious and relaxing.
Tested it a few times this morning and was under the 120/80 threshold with only the Systolic going into the high 120's once or twice.
My monitor seems to be putting out more consistent readings with some fresh batteries in it.
 
de_LICA_ish18 said:
I can understand where you are coming from. I can obsess over things sometimes and when this first came up for me I was worried like you. But taking it several times a day is just adding to your stress.

Once you get this diagnosed properly, either 24 hr test or validate that your monitor is working properly, you'll wonder why you ever worried.

It's not a big deal I promise you. It's only worrying you as it's a shock, but worse case it's easily controlled. It's not cancer, try not to build it up in your head to be bigger than it is. I know easier said than done but think logically, worse case it's a tablet.
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Yeah I gotta stop obsessing over this and my health in general. (and health of others)
Otherwise I will forget to live in the here and now.
The doctor seemed comfortable that it was just anxiety or white coat hypertension based on the results I showed him so I just need to relax.
Gonna stop testing it so much and just do it sparingly, eat well, exercise and reduce stress the rest will take care of itself.
I really underestimated how much bad mental health can have an impact on you're physical health.

And yeah if I was to need BP meds in the future it's not the end of the road, my dad is nearly 60 but he is on them and he enjoys life fine.
I feel like I'm getting a better grip on my anxiety/depression day to day, not sure if I should put that down to the Lexapro been on it for nearly two weeks or myself processing things and applying relaxation techniques.
Couldn't sleep well last night due to the fact I've had a sore throat but sleep has improved overall and that horrible morning dread feeling is going away.
I've been on a melatonin supplement for sleep btw.

CLUBMEDhurst said:
Sheesh TheKanga, wanna be careful it don't turn into OCD :D
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Haha definitely was heading that way for awhile, I actually have some OCD tendencies so I need to stop checking it so much.
 
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