sudden blood pressure spikes

[B/P Spike]

Hello, sick and tired. I know how you feel. On June 7th I had my first real expierience with spiking BP. I had a feeling of dizziness, heaviness in chest, short of breath,... etc. I went to ER thinking I was having a heart attack or stroke. My BP was 239/143 when I got there. After 3 rounds of IV lopressor and one Catapress by mouth, my BP came down to a respectable level and they sent me home. Went to see Family Doc, put me on BuSpar for anxiety and labetalol for BP. Did okay until today,.. had another "attack" went to ER, BP was 209/121 when I got there. I was wearing a "King of Hearts" monitor and recorded the whole episode. No problems are showing up other than my heart was beating fast (126). At the ER, my BP came down within 20 minutes or so with no meds. I was so frustrated. I am 36 with two little kids at home. I really thought I was having a heart attack or stroke! Glad to hear that your heart is okay. I can't offer you anything other than to let you know that I know how you feel. I am going to see my family Doc tomorrow so we'll see. Please keep posting any progress or lack there of and I will do the same. I really want to know what is happening. Maybe together we'll get somewhere. Please don't feel stupid! I know exactly what you are feeling!

[Cool Guy]

Hi everyone: BP problems and anxiety have ruled my life for a decade or more. But I have a happy story to tell, and I hope it will be a comfort and reassurance to you guys to read it. Believe me, I know the hell that is blood pressure anxiety! I'm 38 now and have always suffered from anxiety, since childhood. When I was 29, my doctor recorded my BP at 222/120. It averaged out at around 160/100. I had all the cardio and renal tests--even for the rarities--and ended up on beta blockers and an ACE-inhibitor. I fell into a black depression about it and decided I was doomed to die before I was 40. For several years I just tried to ignore the BP: I took the medication, which held it at around 140/90, and went for a check-up every 6 months. I lived in terror of those appointments and the news they'd bring: I'd feel sick for days before I saw my doctor, and would even take extra tablets to try to control the anxiety. Then one day I decided to make myself do the one thing I was most afraid of doing: check my own blood pressure. I bought the same machine they use at my medical centre and sat down to use it. My heart was pounding, I was sweating, and I was sure the numbers would be high. I took the reading: it was 148/95. Not terrible. The relief I felt was huge. I waited 5 minutes, felt myself calming down, and tested again: 126/80. Waited again, felt more relaxed, and it was lower still. After a couple of hours, completely relaxed, I checked it again: 99/58! That was about 8 months ago. Every day since, I've checked my BP a dozen times a day. I took up jogging and now do 5 miles 4-5 times a week. I've checked my BP immediately after running and at every time of day in every possible situation. The highest it has ever been is 136/80. Most of the time it's about 110/60. And do you want to know the best thing of all? I screened out the medication. I cut out one pill, and checked my BP religiously for two weeks: it didn't rise at all. Then I stopped the other pill: same result. If my BP had risen at all, I would have gone back on the meds straight away. Last week I went to the doctor: he measured me at 117/65. He said that was just about perfect. Then I told him that was an unmedicated reading. He was astonished! Now, I'm not saying your outcome will be as good as mine. But it does prove that anxiety, and anxiety ABOUT anxiety, is a major cause of hypertension. It's possible to overcome it. Have belief in yourself: the life you save may be your own.

[ItsOkayThisIsGood]

I'm so glad I found this thread - because I want to tell you all what happened to me due to a supposed blood pressure spike!

In February I noticed my left eye had a dark gray spot in my field of vision. I had to go to a retina specialist who diagnosed me with a BLOOD CLOT IN MY EYE! The only cause he could think of was from a hemorrhage caused by a sudden spike in my blood pressure.

Now I have NEVER had blood pressure issues in my life, and even after this episode, had repeated tests that proved normal blood pressure.

So to me, this is clearly a sign of anxiety.
I just noticed yesterday on my first day of the program, that when my mind races through my mental checklists, I stop breathing! My heart races - and now I'm seeing the connection.

My experience should be an example of why we all need to do this program - we have more reason to fear if we DON'T do it.

I am here 5 months later - and I still have this blood clot! It gets worse when I drink coffee, which of course I'm addicted to. It is slowly fading - but taking a very long time to heal.

[Hawk8577]

This thread has been helpful to me. My problem is that I don't know what my "normal" BP is. I just get freaked out by hearing the velcro tear on a BP cuff and go into full panic mode. I feel like an idiot. This happens even when I check my BP at home and the readings are usually around 155/95 and pulse 125-140. I know it's not an accurate reading because those panic symptoms are not always with me but how can I calm myself enough to get a "normal" reading? I feel stupid and embarrased. I even cancelled a dental appt this week because I didn't want my BP checked there.

[Holly95]

I started worrying about mine after I had to go in for a mammogram 3 times and everything ended up being fine. Mine was normal then, but then after that scary experience I started asking the Doc everytime I went in what is my BP, obsessively for whatever reason. And it gradually went up each time. Then the last time I went about 2 years ago I had a 172 over 80. I told him that it was anxiety/stress, and I was so stressed and nervous that day because of the BP he was going to do that before I went and while I was there I actually must have been having a panic attack in the office, because my mind was cloudy and I was dizzy, etc. Because I have taken it outside of the Dr office and it was normal. My Doc however told me I look fine and wanted me to excercise for 5 weeks and come back and if it was not normal he would put me on meds. I never went back. My Doc never listens and is a jerk so it make me more nervous. I have been with him my whole life, I should find someone else, he really is a jerk!! I just want to go back after the program and my new exercise routine and see if it is better. I did check it after that visit and it was better, but then I got to scared to check it again. But then I know it has to be dealt with...arrgh! I know how you feel though. I just started the program.

[poet BTG]

Yes, I found that bp meds can cause insomnia. I lost weight and have been able to cut down my meds which has helped my sleep patterns. I would say to talk to your dr - very often they can change dosages, or when or what you take so that you can sleep better. Sleep is important after all. Even if your high bp is caused by anxiety - which mine probably is, it can still cause damage to your heart, brain, blood vessels, so it needs to be controlled.

[celand]

I have red the whole thread with interest. Here is my story: Almost 60 Canadian, living mostly in Europe making movies and running a film busines. Smoker a pack and 1/2 per day ( until recently) and about 15 pounds overweight.

This July in Tuscany while on holiday my wife noticed my face drooping a bit and against my will dragged me to emergency of the local hospital. BP was 240/140 and since they could not find anything else on Cat Scans, AKG,EEG and any other Gs. They diagonsed me with high BP and Transitionary Mini Stroke. After 8 days in hospital regulating my blood pressure down to 130 /80 ( give and take)they let me go... As a non smoker

Have well calibrated BP measuring instrumnet And with twice daily measurements helped with morning 5mg Ramipril and evening 5 mg Norvacs I am running in a prefectly normal ranges about 125/75 with my heart about 66. So far so god from mid July....then:

Oct 5 I walk into my Dr office for a check up and Bingo BP is 190/110 and not coming down. Then when I get home I am back to normal . OK White coat anxiety say I.

One month later I go shoot a commercial. I get to set 50 crew members waiting. Models, actors sets props etc... ( I have done it at least 50 times before and love my job it is no stress to me)I do feel fine but it is time for my BP check, so I meander to my office check my PB 190/110 yet I feel fine, but now the money versus life panic begins. Do I go back or wait. I wait 1h ( give all a break) do my breathing excercise, take extra Norvacs... but am very anxious...Take by BP again 206/120... worse Had to cancell the shoot sent everybody home paid damages etc...at least 30,000 dollars down the drain from my pocket... ouch! Got so mad did not take any medicine, openened a bottle of god red vine drank about 1/2 bottle and went to sleep. In the morning my BP was 124/77 pulse 65. It did not go anywhere higher until today another visit to my Dr. Did he have the white coat on? Of course and my BP 190/110 back home back to normal.

When I have these spikes I have no pounding, no dizzines, no hedeaches nothing I feel fine. So I am a bit perplexed what to do when I encounter these now predictable spikes. The Dr. prescribed some beta blockers and some sedative. My issue is, he wants me to take them daily even if my BP is normal. I need something ONLY for the times I go see him (the Dr) or go make a movie. For my other real phobia of flying I am heading back to Canada at the end of December I still have some Rohypnol so I will be calm like a baby and sleep like one too
Any tricks for bringing 200 level spike down to 125 ?? Any hints how NOT to overmedicate when not needed, but when a spike happens is there something ( even what can be injected as on set we have a nurse) to knock the BP down. Otherwise I did enjoy the read here and am Happy I am not alone.

[Debbie Mac]

I just ordered and received my kit today for the same reason, I am a 55 female and I just went to a new doctor because I moved and I went in for a sore throat and earache and they brought me into a room where the dreaded blood pressure machine was and I went into a panic and of course it was 210/116 and they wouldn't let me leave for 1.5 hours and I told them it was because I hate those things they scare me but they kept taking it and it kept going higher and like you said I bought a wrist one on the way home and no sooner do I get home and my pressure is 157/90 varies but never as high as in the doctors office. Sometimes its lower and sometimes its a little higher but I am the one bringing this on and I want to stop it. There are many reasons for this fear but I want to stop it before i give myself a stroke so you are not alone on this one. Let me know if you have any major ephanies on how we can manage our blood pressure without meds.

[lisalulu]

Originally posted by redondobel:
I have had these spikes beginning this past December 2007. 215 over 115, pulse 103, 105. Generally they reach around 195 over 95 on average, I am averaging one severe spike per month and it is accompanied by severe body shaking as if I have a cold fever or something. They last about 30 to 45 minutes on average very intense, and I have to take some Nicardipine immediately to help get the BP lower where it will reach 160 over 78 in about 2 hours. I would be awakened in the middle of the night or hit in the day by my own heart beats which sound like reverberating drum beats, "boum"boum"boum, right in the middle of my ears during these spikes. My heart would race, my face flush, a sense of panic grips my chest and I am instantly afraid that something is going to explode in my body or I get a stroke or something real bad like that. I have already a stent in my right coronary artery and I have had my right carotid "cleaned out" already, and I have been on high BP since 2000.
I take DAILY Diovan 2x160 mg/12.5HCT, 100mg Toprol XL, 100 mg of Nicardipine, 8 mg Perindopril, 2x250 mg magnesium and 325 mg Aspirin. One would think that this much medication would really stabilize the BP, but unfortunately it has not lately. I have only 6lbs to shed so I am not overweight, the big difference in my life is that I no longer exercise,I used to go to the Y at least 3 times a week for a great workout, and I have been through a tremendous amount of stress this past year, in a foreign country yet, in Africa, out of all continents!
All the cardilogists I have seen here say the same thing "too much stress and go back to exercise". Only one has suggested that there might be a really really far off chance that maybe there could be something not right with my adrenalin gland, but he said the best thing to do during these spikes is to self inject with a diuretic, and I don't know how to self inject. So i am just taking extra medication when they happen.
I don't like it because I don't know why besides the explanation given above, I know I am going to have to back to exercise and see what happens, I identify with you when you say you are scared to exercise.
If there is anyone out there that can help shedding a better light or something more specific, please write.

[lisalulu]

Please go ASAP and have your ADRENAL glands checked !

98 % of women who have panic attacks have either too low or too high cortisol levels - this produces panic attacks and mimicks many auto immiune and chronic fatigue symptoms

GET TO A DOCTOR and get checked !!!

I was MISDIAGNOSED with 6 different diseases before they did one simple blood test for adrenal insufficincy.

If a doctor won't take the time to do this test and puts you on zoloft or and other panic meds- tell him to screw off -

Make the doctor treat you and not push meds.

CHECK YOUR THYROID AND ADRENAL GLANDS LADIES !!