Blood Pressure Machines

[onebreathatatime]

I know this is a hot topic for a lot of Health Anxiety sufferers, but my story/question is this... About 3 weeks ago I had my blood pressure checked at the dr's... was 135/80, which I must say is pretty good for me as I am always panicking during this.

The following week, I decided to go to the local pharmacy and check my own blood pressure in the machines, well the first reading was high 140 something over like 96.... the second one however was 154/124, I panicked so bad, that I drove myself right to my psychiatrist, who then switched me to Zoloft from Prozac (I was always really anxious while on Prozac). For a week after this I was on edge, having constant panic attacks. I had read that it meant that I have a hypertensive crisis and needed medical attention ASAP.

I talked to 2 Psychiatrists regarding this and both have said not to go by the machines in the drug stores as they are not reliable and to go by the Dr's reading. I was also told that one high reading (even if it was a reliable reading) that it will not kill me but the part I am having difficulty with getting over/believing is...

1. What if my reading at the dr's was low as a one off and the reading at the drug store was correct?

I feel, I keep thinking about this because I have constant head pressure/fullness feeling which I connect with being my blood pressure. I know majority of the time you don't even know you have high blood pressure, unless it's ridiculously high.

Anyone else suffer from Blood Pressure & Heart Rate concerns/fears/phobias and found ways to overcome and/or accept.

**I will also add that I do exercise most days of the week, I eat healthy, practice meditation, which are helpful for this situation.

[Blessed]

Wow this is 99 percent of my whole problem. Checking bp and heart rate. I'm so obsessed thinking if I don't check I'll miss something . I keep taking the heart rate app off my phone then in few days I put it back on and check heart rate up to 50 times a day . To me this is so damaging but can't stop. I was taken off beta blockers a month ago now I'm scared that I'm not on anything. I had to throw my bp machine away cause I was checking so much now I sneak to my dads to check it or sneak at work. If only there was a straight fix to help stop obsessing!!!!!!

[onebreathatatime]

I don't normally check my blood pressure myself, I used too last year but have stopped. I only let Dr's check it (except for this one off situation) I check my pulse also on my phone and I make it a point not to check it when I am anxious.. that's asking for trouble. I like the app for the purpose of exercising and seeing the rise and fall. I don't know how you check your bp so often, if you are that scared. lol I had a huge panic attack when I checked mine myself and I won't let anyone check it (including myself) until I feel at peace again. It's not worth the turmoil to put ourselves through that. :)

[Blessed]

If it makes u feel better, I have been told by many sources that it's not good to check your bp at grocery stores or pharmacies because the majority of their machines are not accurate and are not calibrated correctly. If I may ask, how did you stop checking your bp yourself? My anxiety would decrease so much if I could stop...

[onebreathatatime]

That does make me feel a bit better... Not completely though :( I still have that "what if" looming.

I would have to go out of my way to get my bp checked consistently by either going to the drs a lot... Which I try not to excessively. Find someone who owns a machine... Which I don't know anyone. Buy one myself... But I think everyone around me would want to kill me lol

If I see a machine in the stores, I get a rush of adrenaline because I start to panic so I avoid it altogether.

[Blessed]

I understand. It's an evil obsession. I think the reason I can't get better is because I'm constantly in the "what if" mode .

[onebreathatatime]

Me too and it's funny because all my readings for bp over this past summer. I'm going to say 4-6 done at the drs have all been normal... It's a vicious cycle. Are you readings generally normal?

[Blessed]

Used to be but I stay so worked up anymore it's usually up. When I ask my doc she says don't worry it's up cause of anxiety. Easier said than done though

[onebreathatatime]

Mine says the same thing and it is hard to swallow. I was told the other day though by a dr that blood pressure related illness' normally don't occur after a few readings. It's prolonged ones that are consistently high.