Blood Pressure Phobia

IMV, unless you have a doctor's appointment for any other medical reason, BP readings should be actioned and recorded by a non- medic at surgeries.

KatyK I remember you saying something about a phobia of BP monitors! Last night it was ridiculous, I tought that maybe I had been taking it wrong all the past week when I had been so smug about my readings. So by the time I tried it again it was indeed up and so was my heart rate! I then left it alone till much later when I'd calmed down and thankfully it was back in the normal range. I need to take it to provide my GP with two weeks' reading before my annual medication review.

Yes BlueSky I seem to have developed a phobia. I have been on BP meds for over 15 years. All has been fine. Then last year, after some very stressful events in my life, I took it and it was a bit high. For some reason I panicked. It was going off the scale and I was scared. I went to my GP and it was off the scale again. She didn't seem concerned. She said 'go home and forget about it.' Easier said than done. I am now suffering with tension headaches and am convinced it's my BP by won't take it.

KatyK can you have it checked at the chemists? But I never had headaches due to BP even last year when I ended in hospital!

I'm really surprised at how many people become anxious about taking their BP. This is an eye opener for me.

I'm not in the least phased by taking my BP, it's just part of my daily routine. Sometimes I do get a bit fed up having to check it twice daily, but I know it is a necessity.

I hope those who are anxious manage to overcome their anxiety.

I get anxious as to whether the cuff and my arm are in the correct position, that produces variable readings. My first readings are always high but after I've sat for 15 minutes generally in acceptable range.

It isn't anxiety with me - what is there to be anxious about in measuring blood pressure? If it proves to be very high or very low, that is when to worry.

What I find unpleasant is the pain of the way it clutches my arm and even that is bearable if I I have a distraction and am not sitting waiting for it.

Experienced NotOld

That's seriously impressive. Congratulations. ?

Just wish somebody had explained to me before that BP goes up and down through the day and night. It even changes every few minutes! I didn't know till I saw my 24 hr recording sheet.

I didn't used to be anxious when checking my BP but I became phobic after last year's sudden increase when it reached 215/108! This was due to a change in medication but since I've had difficulties in relaxing in case I get those ghastly figures again!

elegran anxiety is wondering if it will be high so a self-fulfilling prophecy.

That's it exactly lilypollen!

BlueSky Maybe this will reassure you. When I was first put on medication, my BP was something like 210/108. I had it taken at an NHS Walk in Centre. They looked aghast and ushered me off to my GP. It was still the same there but she was unconcerned. She gave me a week off work and told me to relax - like I was going to relax with that information i
on board. When I went back, it was still the same. I said I was scared I was going to have a stroke. She said 'well you might but it won't be because of your BP'. My brother in law has always had perfect BP, and he had a stroke last year.

The trouble with going into a completely relaxed state when you take the reading is, you don't live your life in that state.

DH has had high bp for many years and recently upgraded his home monitor to a new fangled device which is somehow linked with his phone. When he was recently taken ill we tried to take his bp and neither of us could sort out the new monitor to get it to work in spite of having practised with it when first purchased. DH was getting more and more stressed and so was I, unfortunately we had given the old monitor away, definitely not a good move healthwise.

Oh wow. I was going to,post exactly this when I saw this,post. I have a phobia too. I had my blood pressure taken tat the docs and it was a bit high. He told me to go INot the surgery and take it on the machine in the waiting room. I did that but my arm got stuck and I had to press the emergency button. Now I wnt use it. I went back to the docs a couple of weeks ago and he told me he was going to give me a flu jab then took my blood pressure before giving me the jab. I have a phobia of needles, my heart was racing and my blood pressure was high. It was also so painful. I have a home monitor and he told me to use that but I am too scared to use it and find it really painful, I’m glad I’m not the only one. I get w lot of headaches and also worry it’s my blood pressure but I’ve always had lots of headaches.

The worst thing I ever did was to buy a bp machine.

Thanks KatyK even when I was in hospital overnight the nurses were aghast when checking my BP through the night! Various cardiac tests were done and luckily all was OK, I also had a retinal photo done at the opticians and they said there was no sign of damage there and yet some people without high BP had twisted capillaries at the back of the eye! So all is not as bleak as it seems! And as they say keep taking the tablets!

Yes indeed BlueSky

I have the same problem. I have serious anxiety about most things....taking blood pressure being just one. I can have ridiculously high reading on first, and then it will drop with each reading after that. My doctor has told me if it drops always after first reading, then that one is just due to stress and it’s the following readings that are accurate. I know I send it up with the first reading but there is little I can do about it...I try to distract myself but I still have a panic attack as soon as I press that button.

Blue sky I am very grateful to you for having started this thread.

Reason being, I had issues in this area and honestly had no one to talk to about it and thought I was the only one.

I'm mid fifties now a lot of stressful life events for the past ten years. Since then phobia about going to G.P to be fair, never had one I trusted till last year anyway. Had check last year with nurse on BP - was a nighmare as she basically 'told me off' for high blood pressure (as if it were my 'fault') - so I ended up complaining about it.

After that as when I got the new G.P. I had complained because I was not given any information about what 'normal' blood pressure is - I have a history in the family of heart conditions etc.

New G.P mentioned 'white coat syndrome' I had never heard of it before. Take the point that someone made (sorry not to remember your name) further back in the thread - about it being possible to have a condition and being misdiagnosed with white coat syndrome.

Ended up borrowing a machine from surgery and being told to take readings as they had been sky high in surgery.

On the whole now, trying to manage my own health better...I'm painfully aware that the thing that helped me most was yoga. But managed to get a trapped nerve in back (not from yoga) but took the bins out one day and just twisted it. After that I was never the same doing yoga and too frightened to go to a class.

So I have other conditions, too but got to the point where I'm aiming to start again on my own, don't get much time to myself with a teenager but at least my yoga mat is in my front room in a quiet space. I really do think this is what would help most.

Instead of going in to the surgery now my G.P looks after me on the phone mostly. I also know that it would be most help for me if I could lose a bit of weight and eat better. But like most things, it is really difficult to motivate yourself isn't it?

I have found an understanding of the word 'iatrogenic' meaning when a treatment of a condition is actually more harmful potentially than the condition itself. I found this whilst I was pregnant and got a lot of flack for rejecting every test on offer - but in the end I was right and daughter came into world very healthy and despite long labour I was also fine.

So maybe it might be more useful for me and people out there to start a home exercise thread or something.

G.P offered me blood pressure meds and said 'do you want to take them?' Id said 'no thanks' and she understood that I would want to do lifestyle changes instead. So that is where I am at the moment.

Stressful events I have tried to minimise but some I'm afraid I just have to manage right now.

All best to others
painting

I am so wound up about blood pressure that even reading this has got me in a panic. I only have to see the BP machine and I feel the BP rising.
Drs are prescribing BP pills at the drop of a hat and they are not thinking the whole thing through before doing so.

You will never know how grateful I am for this thread!

My mother puts hers on and chills watching something jolly on TV then when she feels really relaxed she switches it on. If she puts it on as soon as she’s got it out then it’s always sky high.
The last 2 tines I’ve been at GP I’ve had to wear a 24 hr monitor - both times it was a really healthy reading at home / crazy.

Mine goes up every time I go to the doctor to get my blood pressure pills