I finally consider myself completely crazy..

The last weeks I've been really stressed, and afraid of hypertension (hard days at work, one in my family just got a severe disease). My blood pressure was, until now, completely fine, but lately I've developed some anxiety towards BP monitors. In other words, when the cuff starts to inflate, I feel like I can't breathe (no I don't wrap the cuff around the neck :p) my heart rate races above 100 with heavy beats and my hands get ice cold.

Of course, the BP is somewhat elevated. On first measuring, usually in the 150s and occationally the 160s systolic. Diast. 90-100.

Well, for some reason I thought it was a good idea to do everything I can to lower the blood pressure. Besides exercise several times a week, I started eating healthier, taking magnesium supplements, fish oils, and the last three days I completely stopped eating salty food. I immediately lost 2,5 kg.

Yesterday, on the threadmill, at a 6 mph jog, my heart rate was 180. This actually surprised me, because my HR usually is 165 at that workload. I felt an at least 6 months set back in the condition level, sweating like crazy, I actually felt 50 years older than I am :)

Afterwards I felt dizzy, and the weightlifting didn't work as it was supposed to. I felt dizzy and nauseous.

Congratulations to me! I've actually developed hypotension because I tried to treat a completely normal blood pressure. This was confirmed by using my BP monitor a couple of hours later. My BP (with severe anxiety, mentioned above) was 125/80, heart rate 109. I guess this equals 90/50 or so when I'm relaxed. And I've developed a racing heart rate when standing up.

When will I ever learn not to consider symptoms during anxiety to be real diseases?

Oh well, back to more water and a little more salt.

[Mom2four85]

that's why I asked my dr =) I saw the 'white coat' syndrome post you did and had never heard of treating it...I even posted in the dysautonmia forum since all of there have bp problems and I had just had a high bp reading.

My new primary scared me when said she was going to treat it if it stayed high which I questioned. I have neurocardiogenic syncope and orthostatic intolerance - which she knew alittle about but my cardiologist knew 100% and said he wants my bp a bit higher so I'll let him tell the new primary hehehe

I can't imagine 30 or 40 more years of treating both low bp and high bp - counterproductive I say; just leave it alone and see what it does.

btw I'm supposed to do my bp/hr according to this Vanderbilt page - look at the last page  http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/documents/adc/files/ADC-Initial%20Questionnaire%20Website%202010Jul21.pdf

I took the measurement parts and copied/pasted into a word format a few times and had a full spreadsheet for different days =)

[Mom2four85]

wow; sounds familiar =)...my bp has been 90/60 since I was a teen, no matter how much I weigh.

Imagine how much you would gain if you increased your sodium 10,000g daily.  I wanted to experiment so I tried this: I cut out 1 glass of water daily and NO salt; I drink way too much water and it did help my not drinking as much with my ankle swelling.  I lost 12 lbs in 1 week going from my primary to my cardiologist because of fluid retention.  I told the dr and he said not to cut out salt or water, but not to add either.

what I find strange is my dizziness stays no matter how much I drink or what salt intake I have - my dr said a little higher bp in some of us is fine; and wants mine to stay abit on the higher side...I was worried mine was too high for naught

[Janpes]

I also had really good and stable blood pressure when I was overweight. It would stay at 120/74 and not budge at all.
THEN I lost 25kg last year and my Bp has been bouncing around more than my fat ;)
I still have another 10kg to lose but I am not sure if I even want to. My bp got even worse after the ablation I had 4 months ago. The lowest it dropped was 83/53 and I couldn't even lift up my head. Doctor prescribed me some pills to lift the bp but I didn't take them. Instead I ate liquorice (sp?) and put a bit of mineral salt under my tongue to dissolve.
Nowadays my bp fluctuates quite a lot during the day and it is strange to say that I feel it when it drops or goes up. Somehow I feel a little strange, and when that happens I take my BP and notice that is has gone up or down. When I  feel it, it is usually a big drop or a quick raise. luckily it doesn't ever go high. I think the highest it has reached in the last couple of weeks 107/70.

I have to say I have an obsession about taking my bp. I can sometimes take it 10 times a day, especially if it is a bad day for jumping around.
Nowadays I take multivitamin dissolvable tablets and magnesium supplements and have noticed that it has stayed stable for longer.

One thing I have noticed is that while training I can get dizzy as my heart rate goes up. Usually I slow it down and the dizzyness goes away, but this doesn't happen all the time.

[is_something_wrong]

Thanks guys (or girls, actually =)

Yes, I believe my BP is normal. It jumps up and down, but I guess it's supposed to do that. Though I need to realise that if I get headache, tense muscles, palpitations, all that crap, it's not necessarily caused by high blood pressure.

I guess the Expert Forum her scared me a bit, too. They said any BP above 140/90 should be treated. So I did, with lifestyle changes. And it was somewhat "overkill".

My doctor told me straight out that those guidelines were "bulls***" and that anyone will get an elevated blood pressure with stress. So I'm not sure what to believe..

[RNRita]

I'll throw one last comment here.  I had had a bp of about 110/60 most of my life.  When I went on the BB, it went to under 90/ under 50 at times.  I didn't care because my heart rate felt so much better.  Eventually, after years, my BP is between 105 and 120 when I take it systolic.  I am fine with that.  However, when I go to the drs sometimes it could be over 130 and they start telling me I am borderline high.  I feel like saying, "It is white coat syndrome" and besides, I don't believe some know how to take a bp....sorry, JMHO.  When you take your BP at home, you are supposed to be kind of still for about 5 minutes before you pump it up.  You must allow for position changes and relaxation.  Well, good luck on making your BP higher now!  lol

[Mom2four85]

that's why I asked my dr =) I saw the 'white coat' syndrome post you did and had never heard of treating it...I even posted in the dysautonmia forum since all of there have bp problems and I had just had a high bp reading.

My new primary scared me when said she was going to treat it if it stayed high which I questioned. I have neurocardiogenic syncope and orthostatic intolerance - which she knew alittle about but my cardiologist knew 100% and said he wants my bp a bit higher so I'll let him tell the new primary hehehe

I can't imagine 30 or 40 more years of treating both low bp and high bp - counterproductive I say; just leave it alone and see what it does.

btw I'm supposed to do my bp/hr according to this Vanderbilt page - look at the last page  http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/documents/adc/files/ADC-Initial%20Questionnaire%20Website%202010Jul21.pdf

I took the measurement parts and copied/pasted into a word format a few times and had a full spreadsheet for different days =)

[jkfrench]

I have the same problem with the "blood pressure cuff syndrome".  lol
Always have.  My BP in my cardio's office is always about 142/80.  However at my ob/gyn it was 180/100!
At home it always measures around 105/68 or sometimes lower.

I have started telling any doctor I need to see that my cardio asks me to take my BP at home because I stress too much about it when I am there.
So I just tell them what it was at home, they write it down and I don't have to deal with that anxiety anymore.  

Jodie

[bbxx]

Sorry to hear what happened. I am sure its the stress. My bp is always low, but when I get nervous or stressed---up it goes. Dont stop all salt, that cant be good for you. Sorry to hear about the sick family member.

[DeltaDawn23]

When I've complained about my low blood pressure -- top number in the 85 to 90 at times -- my primary card doctor says, "Yes, and my little old ladies that in their 90's are living that long because they are not wearing their hearts out."  I do get dizzy when it gets too low.  105-120 seems about right to me, anyway I feel better.

[Jerry_NJ]

Yes, I understand one "can't be too thin" and "BP can't be too low"... albeit zero is too low. Or said another way, dizzy when standing up may be too low.

[is_something_wrong]

Thanks for the replies :)

I don't understand it - if the blood pressure was supposed to never go above 140/90 none of us should exercise. It's different mechanisms, I know, but the work load on the heart and blood vessels should be similar. My blood pressure peaked at 210/90 during my stress test with heart rate also 210 and I was told this was a healthy sign.

Jkfrench:
I used to have normal readings (at about 115/65) at home. But for some reason, I started to get anxious even when measuring the BP at home, which made at least the first readings high. Not extremely high, 140s to 150s. Diastolic is usually fine. And it drops after I somehow get used to the monitor and I understand it won't bite me or something :)

I started eating some salt again, and now my heart rate doesn't hit the sky when exercising. That's nice :)

[Mom2four85]

I agree with that about BP; bp and hr should fluctuate with exertion or movement - if it didn't it would be detrimental to our hearts.  

Take my case - my bp will not raise when I exert myself; such as my treadmill test resting was 130/70; and peak exercise 150/90, which I'm told is a major problem but don't know what's causing mine other then ANS/Heart issues.

[is_something_wrong]

Thanks for caring, I'll give you a "best answer" :)

Thanks to the other replies as well, you guys are great :)