Panic attacks when getting BP read...

[megd]

Does anyone else have this problem? I'm 27, a healthy weight, don't smoke, drink very moderately, NEVER eat junk or fast food...yet the other day I read my blood pressure & it was 143/75. to be fair at the time I was having a massive anxiety attack & my pulse rate went up to 140. So I freaked out & went to the doctor today. I had a panic attack the whole way to the doctors..and in his office. So when he took my blood pressure he told me it was high. He told me not to worry because it's not "super high" & because I'm young it can't hurt me. He thinks I'm generally healthy & told me to relax & take a reding at the grocery store when I'm not worried.

But I'm upset....if I do everything right health wise, why would I have high blood pressure? Is it from anxiety? And if so...how will I ever be able to monitor it correctly? Will I worry so much one day I'll drive my blood pressure up sky high, so much that I have a heart attack? Ahhhh I hate this! Does anyone else have this issue?

[nf1234]

I have had quite the same experience as you but possibly worse. One day at work my anxiety kicked up and I went to see the nurse on staff. She took my pulse and blood pressure and said it was very high. She was very young and inexperienced and her concern caused me to go into further panic. She made a comment about calling an ambulance which really put me over the edge. When her experienced superior came in the room and assessed the situation he realized I was fine and just having an anxiety attack. I am only 23 and also very healthy. This was one of my worst panic attacks yet, but thats all it was, a panic attack. Anxiety can cause your blood pressure to be much higher as well as your pulse. I have since seen a doctor for my anxiety and I too get panic attacks when they take my blood pressure and pulse. Last time I went in they were both very high. My doctor was smart enough to realize it was just anxiety but took and EKG just to be sure. She said my heart was very healthy and even though my blood pressure and pulse were high, it was just due to the anxiety.

[megd]

Thank you so much for the response, that makes me feel a lot better to know someone has experienced a similar situation. Logic tells me the spike was anxiety, and if my doctor isn't remotely concerned, I suppose I shouldn't be either. It's just so hard to get your anxious mind to stop fretting over it!

[sarmarie812]

I hate when people are like omg Ru okay...should I call an ambulance...it always make me worse so I try to surround myself with people who understand and that are just like chill out, ull be okay...I know how you feel...I always get that way with bp and pulse too..I suffer from shortness of breath..which I now know is anxiety...I had a breathing test done today and my lungs are great. I'm currently being treated for severe allergies and acid reflux..so hopefully I start feeling better soon. Hang in there.

[PanicCured]

There is such thing as white coat hypertension. I think you may need to see if that is what it is or if you are actually high. 143/75 is Stage 1 hypertension. The good thing about High Blood Pressure, if you did have it, is it can be lowered by certain lifestyle adjustments, diet and exercise.

From Wiki:
White coat hypertension, more commonly known as white coat syndrome, is a phenomenon in which patients exhibit elevated blood pressure in a clinical setting but not in other settings.[1] It is believed that this is due to the anxiety some people experience during a clinic visit.
In studies, white coat hypertension can be defined as the presence of a defined hypertensive average blood pressure in an office setting but not at home.[4]
Diagnosis is made difficult as a result of the unreliable measures taken from the conventional methods of detection. These methods often involve an interface with health care professionals and frequently results are tarnished by a list of factors including variability in the individual’s blood pressure, technical inaccuracies, anxiety of the patient,[5] recent ingestion of pressor substances, and talking, amongst many other factors. The most common measure of blood pressure is taken from a noninvasive instrument called a sphygmomanometer. "A survey showed that 96% of primary care physicians habitually use a cuff size too small,"[6] adding to the difficulty in making an informed diagnosis. For such reasons, white coat hypertension cannot be diagnosed with a standard clinical visit. It can be reduced (but not eliminated) with automated blood pressure measurements over 15 to 20 minutes in a quiet part of the office or clinic.