Can high BP be temporary?

[Rosemary349]

Hi all

I went to the docs today in the middle of a panic attack.  I am trying to wean myself off a sleeping pill (zoplicone) and I'd messed up the meds one night, so had less than i should.  Yesterday i walked out in the country for a very long time and am exhausted from work also.....

Today i had the shortness of breath again that the docs are not that worried about.....

I got upset about it and went to the doctors.  By the time i got there i was in the middle of a panic and crying.  My heart was racing and doing ectopics and a lot fo this reaction was due to me messing up the medicene I've been taking....

She checked my BP and it was 146/88.  She didn't seem concerned, but my measurements have never gone above 126/80 before.  Often they are 120/76.  I got even more upset and she said the panic alone could have brought that on.  The thing is my heart rate was only 88, so it wasn't that much of a panic.

Could this be temporary?  She said it was.  Could it be due to messing up my meds regime?  I was in a right state generally.  I also wondered if it was up because i'd walked such a long way the day before and although i could do it, i'm not used to that distance......could it have been that?  If so if i do it once a week will it gradually stop raising the BP?

thanks   :-)

I'm still scared obviously.  Wondering when i'll ever get over this and so sad about my dad.

[skydnsr]

Okay, it's fine not to check your blood pressure, too.  I only suggested checking it because I thought it would be reassuring -- so if it triggers more anxiety, then don't do it.  Counseling oftentimes is very helpful.  And I appreciate your comment about how strong the body can be.  

[Rosemary349]

Thanks skydnsr

Thanks for your response.  I think right now i just need everything to calm down....i've had a lot happen recently and am getting post traumatic reactions to stuff.  I have arranged counselling now and i am better than i was, but this is a long road.

I don't really want to measure my BP at the moment.  If it's high i will be so worried and it's always been 120/80 or thereabouts....so with all my anxiety going on i think i need to leave it.  I keep checking everything as part of my anxiety.......but then again another part of me thinks i should be checking it.

I am eating very healthily and I make sure i get exercise.

Thanks for reassuring me about the BP.  I have a friend who's blood pressure was a few points higher than yours once.  They sent her straight to hospital and she had to stay there til it went down.  In her case though she wasn't stressed or anything, it was just like that.  She never had a stroke either.  I think the lesson is we must learn how strong the body can be sometimes.  :-)

[skydnsr]

I agree with the other responders to your post.  Just measure your blood pressure when you are calm and when the circumstances are otherwise normal, and see what it is.  Do that a few times, and you will know.  

Also, I would add that if your blood pressure only goes up to 146/88 when you are under duress, that is great.  Mine has gone as high as 240/120 on one occasion (and I did not have a stroke, which was amazing).  If I drink two cups of regular coffee, and nothing else unusual is going on, it will spike up to about 180/90.  To me, you sound like you are in pretty good shape with your blood pressure.  

Anxiety is very treatable, and regular exercise is a good thing for many reasons.  Try to exercise on a daily or near-daily basis, and that alone will tend to help your anxiety.  You might or might not need other treatment for the anxiety and insomnia, but a regular exercise program will be a good foundation.

[Rosemary349]

Ok, thanks you guys.

Weird thing is i 'knew' it would be high.  I couldn't feel like that and have it low.

The reason for the panic is partly what happened to my dad and partly trying to wean myself off zoplicone....a sleeping pill.  Apparently it's known for causing major panics, even psychosis if someone comes off too quickly.  Thankfully i haven't had any psychotic reactions!  LOL!

I think it can also cause hypertension as someone is withdrawing,, so perhaps i was just having an all round systemic reaction.

Thanks for listening!  :-)

[erijon]

Ed is correct, your numbers never really approached anything dangerous. I'm sure it was just a result of your panic attack, it's pretty common. Remember, blood pressure is dynamic and changes based on the stresses put on our bodies.

Hang in there............

Jon

[ed34]

Sorry, your main question.
Yes. Our blood pressure changes all the time, and it can even be high for a few minutes or longer, then return to normal again. It can also go the other way and be low for a while. A panic attack will raise blood pressure a lot, but once over, it will return to normal.

[ed34]

During your panic attack, your BP was normal-high, which isn't bad from the stress imposed on your body. Your heart rate doesn't necessarily stay high during a panic attack, as you had been talking, it was probably already relaxing you more. Shortness of breath is common during panic attacks and can cause chest/arm pains etc. You breathe too fast and expel too much carbon dioxide from your blood, more than your body can obtain from cells. This changes your blood PH to alkaline. This causes major blood vessels to the brain and other organs to constrict, restricting blood flow. Due to the high PH, calcium supply is restricted, causing muscle and nerve problems in the body, numbness and tingling.
This is just the tip of the iceberg and panic attacks cause a whole array of overloads/ problems in the body. Has anyone ever isolated the reasons for your attacks?

[Rosemary349]

Just for the record my shortness of breath tends to get better when i walk....and I coped fine with my aikido class this week.

It seems worse if i'm in the house, anything that makes me squat down and stand, or stand from sitting.....but it's not just postural hypotension.....it can happen while i'm sat down.

She told me today it's hyperventilation and to breathe into a paper bag.  I tried it when i got home and i felt like i was suffocating at first, but i stuck with it.  Breathing is better now, later....but it always is at night.