Conquering fear of blood pressure machines?

[Autumnx1003]

I know I am not the only one who absolutely freaks out when having my blood pressure taken.  Every time I go to the Dr's office, they always comment on how high my pulse and blood pressure are (last week when I went it was 127/92 and pulse of 133!)  Ha...and those numbers arent even unusual for me!  I know the pulse is high, but I don't worry about it as much just because I take it frequently at home now, and know that it is usually in the 80's when I'm at home.  But the blood pressure...ugh!  I am just convinced that I am going to have a really high reading sometime and that I'm going to just kill over.  And the docs and nurses make it worse by always saying "well, your numbers are a little too high for your age, even though you are nervous" (I just turned 30).  

So...has anyone successfully conquered their fear of having their blood pressure taken?  How did you do it?  I really want to get over this. I mean, I feel like i try to do everything right...I eat fairly well, I'm definitely not overweight, dont smoke or drink, somewhat active...the only thing I have trouble with is my anxiety.  Ugh...this is frustrating!

[goodeys]

Hi,

Never had this problem but I know that some people do have it.

The only thing that I can suggest it to get your own blood presure machine for home and then start taking it occasionally. If you take it regularly then I would imagine that you will get used to it and then it won;t become a big deal when the nurses take it. You will also see then that BP goes up and down all of the time and it is perfectly normal.

The only thing that I would say though is do not do this if you know for a fact that you will become obsessed with taking your BP all of the time and then stressing over the reading. You know that your readings are high but I would imagine that this is through stress. You obviously work yourself up for sometime before the actual event.

The only way I have gotten over any of my fears are to face them head on and just keep on with it no matter how awful it is.

Good Luck

[ggreg]

I have panic disorder, along with a lot of other stuff, and I have a couple behavioral tips that I have been taught when I get in a situation I don't like.

First, remember that you can always tear that cuff off when they crank it up so tight!  It's velcro, and easy to undo.  It sometimes helps panic to know you have an "escape" plan, even though you may never do it.

Second, deep breathing is very helpful in the midst of panicky feelings.  And a reality check, by asking yourself, "Is this the worst thing that can happen to me today?" and also by looking around the room and seeing the nurse and recognizing everything in there and reminding yourself that you're just visiting the doctor as usual.

[Cherie762]

read my post armyboy/man in transition into adulthood community, i hava 17 1/2 year old who has the same problem only with pulse  He almost couldnt get into the army because of it, a doctor anwser my post you may find it interesting. Also learning some relaxation techinques would be helpful.
When my son was hooked up to the pulse ox (they didnt want to do his manually) his pulse ( heart rate ) went up 15 beats or so every time a pretty nurse walked into the room LOL, cognitive therapy is likely going to be called for, but read my post just for kicks,

[Charlotterose]

i thought i was the only one with this fear.. it's a relieve to know i'm not alone.. the one thing that i try to do is when i'm at the drug store and see the machine I freak out, but i sit down and take my blood pressure like 15 times.. it's always high at first but then it goes down.. It maked me feel better because i'm the only one that can see it...
trust me i know what it feels like.. when i was pregnant it was a nightmare...
just know you are not alone...

[Autumnx1003]

Thanks so much to all of you who are responding...it really does help me ☺

[scaredjo]

hi firstly your reading of 127/92 isnt massivly high and its bound to go up if your nervous, the only thing with getting a home blood pressure machine is you can get obsessed but maybe if you got one and limited yourself to using it maybe once every 2 weeks would be a good idea also the readings can be in accurate so if you got a high reading at home it could make u freak out!!! i used to hate having my BP done i was terrified of it being high so i bought my own machine and it rules my life

[Autumnx1003]

Thanks for your response and I do realize that it may be a problem if I get my own machine.  Ihave been checking my HR at home with my workout monitor and I seem to be doing that all the time now...even though I know the numbers are OK :(  

[Mich772]

All I have to say is that the whole thing stinks.  I have suffered from anxiety since childhood and it has progressively gotten worse.  I never had a problem with high blood pressure until I used one of the grocery store BP machines, about 2 years ago, and the reading was a little high (142/89).  I can reason that it was because I had been running around with a toddler and was in a rush, but that was the beginning of the end.  I started obsessing, I went to my Dr. that same day and was having a panick attack.  When they took my BP it was 152/90 and once I relaxed it dropped to 120/80.  They sent me to a cardioligist because by HR was so high and the EKG was abnormal.  I went to the cardiologist the next day, my BP was 110/70 and the stress test was normal.  

Unfortunately, ever since I have not been able to relax about having my BP taken at the Dr.'s office.  It is always high, a couple of months ago it was 140/90.  I brought a BP machine and the readings are usually high because I'm anxious about the process and then they drop to normal (average 115/75).  Recently, my anxiety has been worse and, in turn, my readings are higher.   Now, I 'm anxious about the HOME BP machine and obssessed about my BP.  

I am trying Transcendal Meditation (TM), there's a lot of research that supports its effectiveness on anxiety and high blood pressure.  I think that I'm going to need to take an SSRI (like Zoloft) as well.

I welcome any other suggestions....

[Aglow]

I thought that I was the only one with this----I know that my pressure goes up because of anxiety- can't get an accurate reading because of this. I feel like running away even when I see someone else taking their pressure at the drug store... I think part of it is fear over  the cuff tightening ---feeling trapped or not in control... I bought a monitor for home at the suggestion of the clinic nurse- but just hate having it at my house- too scared to go near the thing. Readings are always high...how can we get over this ???

How can the doctors treat us for high blood pressure( if we even have it?) if we can't get an accurate reading????

I think one of the best things to do is get really healthy- eat low sodium foods etc.
This seems to give a sense of power over this area.

[greenlydia]

Hi Autumn! I see you are still having issues with your BP. I know we discussed ways for you to get over this fear, but either they didn't work, or you didn't try them.
Working on a surgical unit in a hospital, I assume most of you can imagine the number of BPs and HRs I take in the course of my shift. Literally hundreds! And I take them on many people who have the same fear as you. In a way, it's not really a fair analogy because folks who are in the hospital are generally in pain, on heavy duty drugs and are afraid. Their blood pressures reflect all of those. Which is why we repeat it through out the day. I had one patient, a young woman in her late 30's who was petrified of having her BP taken because it was always high. DUH! Fear=HBP. One day, as an experiment, I walked in to take her BP and could see her tense up immediatley. This gal, by the way, was NOT on any medication, had NOT had surgery, was NOT in pain and was going home in a few hours after having gotten some VERY good news about her "condition." I took her BP and it WAS high. But I knew she was stressed about the procedure. When she asked me what it was, I told her the lead had come lose from the machine and it hadn't been able to read her BP. So while I pretended to fuss with the machine, I asked if her daughter was going to be a princess, AGAIN, for Halloween, which got us to laughing and talking about all the silly things WE had dressed up as kids, and what we'd go out as now all these years later and That really got us to howling and it was then that I pushed the button, but she was still laughing so hard she didn't realize I was taking her BP until, as they say, it was "too late!" Her BP was the lowest she had ever seen it. When I started to take the cuff off, she said "NO! Do it again!" I told her it was unlikely the numbers would be that low again as she was now going to focus on her fear, but she insisted, so I did. Her BP was a smidge LOWER than last time.
I'm not trying to say I'm some sort of magician, I'm not. SHE was the one who had the epiphany that day! It became clear to her what her fear was doing. Before she left the hospital that day, she had me take he BP 6 more times! The numbers varied by only a few points, which is normal. Was she "cured?" Who knows. I haven't seen her since but I have a feeling she learned that day what fear can do.
Kind of a long story to emphasize that by focusing on fear, you will always present with higher numbers. And one other thing, by sitting at one of those drug store BP machines and taking your BP 15 times in rapid succession is NOT a good thing to do! That cuff squeezes pretty tight and after 2 or 3 times, your blood vessels are saying "well, this doesn't feel so real good, so we obviously need to pump HARDER when we get squished!" Guess what happens by the time you've done that to them 10 times? And you should always relax for at least 10 minutes before taking your BP at one of those places since more than likely you've been running around like a chicken with no head doing errands and you plop down in the chair, relieved to be off your feet, out of breath, you shove your arm in the cuff and push the button.......and guess what? Next time, pick up one of the magazines they usually have laying about, stick your arm in the cuff but do not push the button! Spend at least a good 5-10 minutes reading a "fun" article, do NOT read the "10 Warning Signs of Impending Death From High Blood Pressure!" Read about some horribly expensive spa that none of us will EVER be able to afford and just let your mind drift.............forget the hustle and bustle going on around you, forget all the things you still have left to get done.....take a good deep breath and push the on button but continue to read, do anything but stare at the numbers! When the machine is done, it will beep, you won't miss what your reading was. But I promise you, you'll be surprised.
I know I've gone over how to deal with a home monitor and not get yourself totally obsessed with that, so I won't repeat myself. If you want to talk about that again, please PM me and I'll be happy to walk you through it as many times as you need!
You can do this. It's mind over matter.
Keep me updated!
Peace
Greenlydia  

    

[maestroanth]

You guys all have to remember high BP doesn't mean you're going to have a heart-attack necassarily.  High LDL and high triglycerides probably have more to do with it.  And all people are built different, my whole family on both sides have pretty high BP and my great grandpa just turned 91 (and he's a decently sized guy), and is still going strong and still gets in an hour of walking a day.  My mom had a check-up and her BP was 150/90, but she isn't overweight (lots of muscle), but since her cholestrol was so good the doc (she in fact has low LDL and High HDL) he didn't see the need to put her on medication.

I'd worry more about if you have kidney disfunction if you have High BP IMO, maybe get your creatine checked.

[caliguyxx69]

hi.  I loved your response on taking BP and the associated anxiety.  I can relate to everything you said.  I would like to add one thing and see what you think of this.  I have thought about the fear of taking my BP or having it taken alot.  I really came to the conclusion that mine is a form of performance anxiety.  My fear is the comments and reactions of the taker.  I have one nurse who I feel totally relaxed with and she gets me 120/70.  Any suggestions on how to handle my fear of reaction?  I usually go in and tell them it's going to be high so knock yourself out.  But I feel intimidated and fearful that their going to judge me and make these condescending comments, etc.  Strange, but I feel blessed I have identified my problem, just looking for any suggestions on how to deal with the medical people I come in contact with to take charge and beat them to the punch if you will.

Thanks

my email is ***@**** if you wish, but any comment on here is great.

[ILADVOCATE]

Two issues. As regards blood pressure that is a specific health issue I am not familar with so I can't offer specific advice. Post in the forum for that. Of course if your anxiety disorder speeds up your blood pressure then that's another issue but both need to get under control. But I never found blood pressure machines unnerving. Many things that were unnerving I got used to such as weekly bloodtests from Clozaril (which I was on years ago). After a while they were just a fact of life and I would get them once a week and head off to work. As for blood pressure I have a blood pressure machine. I was on Atenolol for a while (to control e.p.s., when I was on conventional antipsychotics) then Clonidine (to control dystonic spasms) and now Tenex (same purpose although both serve as mood stabilizers, as well). More importantly, taking my blood pressure is standard and as well I take Zofran (for tardive dyskinesia, although it has somewhat of a mood stabilizing effect) as well since both drop blood pressure, when titrating the medications at first it went way low and I did have to call my neurologist and psychiatrist asap. But the machine itself is harmless.
  As for being concerned about blood pressure that's important but I noticed after I had a minor disagreement with someone my pulse went way up so controlling anxiety will help and stress is good for no one. Its important to remember people with anxiety disorder do blow worries out of proportion. That's true. But unless someone is experiencing psychosis as I did before recovery then the worries are not entirely unrealistic. We can't hide from them but we must understand them factually. Then they don't seem frightening to begin with. If you don't have a blood pressure disorder reading books on it will just scare you but if you do need to monitor for blood pressure then just consider it something to balance out and what are the proper numbers. The more its approached logically the less time you'll have for anxiety and that may help overall with life's issues if it could be extended to other matters.

[square80]

I know this thread is kind of old, but I had to respond.  I have had a fear of having my BP taken ever since I was 16, and I am now 29.  I had a very unpleasant experience with my pediatrician in 1996.  My BP was a little up for my age, probably because I was scared of going to the doctor in the first place, and he gave me an embarrassing lecture about my weight in front of my mother.  I was crying when I left the office, and felt humiliated.  Ever since then, I have DREADED having my BP taken.  I think it really did something to me psychologically, as if having a high BP is something to be ashamed of, and I fear the judgmental health professionals out there.  It's ridiculous to say it out loud, but I fear the cuff and the entire process.  I took a CNA course in college, and the day we practiced taking BPs, I actually left early so that I wouldn't have to be anyone's guinea pig.  

Because of my fear, I often avoid the doctor (and even the dentist, since they often take BP there too) even when I need to go.  I have no problem with shots or having my blood drawn, or even any kind of pain; but the thing I fear is the BP cuff or machine.  I mean, it is a terror for me.  

I know that it is something I need to learn to accept.  I am 29 years old, and I am not getting any younger, and high BP does run in my family.  I am also overweight, though I have lost 25 pounds in the last couple of years.  I still have a good way to go, though, before I am at the correct weight for my height and age.  I can't keep avoiding the doctor when I need one, but I am just so afraid of having a high BP reading and getting another lecture.  I am even afraid of taking it at the store on a public machine.  I fear what I will see.  What if it's high?  Then, I'll know it's high AND I'll be afraid to go to the doctor because he/she will see it, AND I'll be afraid of what could happen to me because it's high.  It's a vicious, ridiculous cycle.  Just typing all of this makes me feel so silly, but it is a true and deep fear for me.  One of my biggest, right up there with flying.

Anyway, I am surprised to see that there are others out there with this same fear.  I always thought I was alone in fearing having my BP taken.  It does help to know that other people suffer from this fear.  Thank you, greenlydia, for your suggestions and for your story about the patient you helped.  Maybe soon I can try a public BP machine and try some relaxation techniques beforehand so that I can get through it.  If I could learn to get used to it and not feel like a panic attack comes on when I even SEE a cuff, I could get myself back on track and going to get checkups regularly.

[simo79]

It may be a bit late to post my comment now but I really felt relieved as soon as I found you! I thought I was the only one in the world having this fear and felt stupid and ashamed to speak about it.
It's become a nightmare. I find myself thinking about it and how to get over it or trying to take it by myself as if I had to prove that I'm brave and strong.
It all became when I had my BP taken by doctors in an ambulance.I was waiting for a coach to take me to the airport where I had to catch a flight back home. My nose started bleeding. I never had that problem before. I felt a bit shocked and worried. What if I missed my plane home? What do I do now? I'm alone, I don't know anybody. I saw an ambulance and asked the operators for some ice. They decided to take my BP to stay on the safe side. I sat inside teh ambulance and when they started the procedure my train of thoughts took the control. I felt I was about to panic and just for a moment I thought " What if it's high? I'm gonna be stuck here, they'll send me to the hospital and I'll never be able to go back home. My parents will be informed and will be so worried and we'll have to come to the hospital." I saw myself lying in a bed, desperate, alone in a hospital, being scared by the sad and worried faces of the doctors looking at me as if I was hopeless. The pressure that day was just a bit higher than normal because I felt my pulse accelerating. I felt the need to justify it and felt a bit hurt by their comments and even ashamed.
Since then I've been totally, literally petrified everytime I see the BP monitor machine. I've been tempted to buy it myself several times but as I tried once and felt a need of escaping I just abandoned the thought.
I  'm sorry for those of you who have my problem but at the same time I feel relieved! It's not a crazy and unreasonable thing  as I thought!
Thanks all!

[Woody3420]

I appreciate all these posts are old, however have found comfort in this site. I too suffer with this problem. I have a history of panic attacks. However happy to say after many sessions I am pretty much panic free. Apart form medical procedures (I can live with this). Whilst on holiday I had a weird bite/blister and had to go to hospital just to get it looked at. Well I got myself in a right old state. Had a full on panic attac! Sily really got into the docs he said it was fine, cleaned it up, gave me some anti’s and that was it! (felt silly for getting in a big tizz, but that’s me and part of who I am). Well during this process they too my BP! I didn’t even think about it being high even though my hb was about 160! I had the shakes, was hyperventilating and had palpitations. The doc just said hmmm that’s quite high then said but your stressed and didn’t appear overly concerned.
As I left the docs I had a print out of my experience and there it was 168/99 said hypertension risk! At that point I should have just processed why! But no not me. I thought “what if I have BP problems” even though I had looked on the internet and see that when we panic we release adrenalin which increases the pulse and makes our BP go up all logical. Well I decided to forget about it and was logical until this point my BP had always been fine and I didn’t want to get a phobia about it!
Then I fell pregnant. I was over the moon and still am… however suddenly when reading through my antenatal notes realised that at each visit they take urine and you guessed it BP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could literally here the theme from psycho ringing through my head. How will I cope, what will I do, I won’t be able to keep calm. Coupled with the fact I know any doc wont be happy if its high, even if I look stressed! As this is one of the main indicators for preeclampsia. I felt desperate.
So I thought lets be positive, armed myself with self help books, breathing exercises, whale music. Attended the 12 week scan all went well. Then had my appointment I got in a right panic nearly 9 out of 10. was flushed, had palps, sweating. Took BP, said it would be high and it WAS 160/100!!!! Eeek doc looked abit alarmed. I explained my situ. They didn’t seem to understand. They said I didn’t look stressed ( I have learnt to hide it, plus I don’t fear panics anymore and I knew what was causing this one). He quiet rightly needed to be satisfied he did it again down to 140/90 better! Still I wasn’t relaxed.. Kept messing with cuffs. Well he let me out eventually but still looked slightly uneasy. Which meant I thought he thinks I have high BP when I should have thought he is doing his job, I am pregnant so he has to cover all bases.
So I brought a home BP monitor! And now I am obsessed with it. The 1st reading still always high usually 146/75! Usually top figure that is high. Then always goes down to 120 over 70! After a few mins. Its like the first reading is my fear then I calm from there.
Yesterday I did yoga was totally chilled but the BP cuff on heart rate shot instantly form 75 beats to 138! And BP was 150 /76 then I relaxed, breathed and it went down consistently to 125 – 130! So I know it always goes down! If I had high BP it wouldn’t always go down it would remain at the same figure. I do really believe deep deep down that I am fine and do not have any BP problems. However I can’t understand at all why I can’t control that first reading.
In all other area’s of my life my anxiety has disappeared. Maybe its just my way of putting some control into my pregnancy!
All I do know is I have 8 more appointments (yes I have counted and I cant keep doing this to me or baby). At my 16 weeks appointment the midwife was great, it was 136/86 she said I am totally fine with it, not worried at all. Thought it would be higher.
I know all the logic, I understand all the logic. I just cant stop that immediate reaction when the cuff goes on. Its helped just to write all this down!
Any advice welcome
x