To be shit scared by this diagnosis

[WhatFreshHeII]

I've just been to the GP for a very minor thing and while I was there she took my BP because I hadn't had it checked for a while. Immediately she said 'Oh that's worryingly high' and checked the other arm too, which was higher again. I think it was 170/122? But I was reading it upside down.

She showed me the NICE guidance which said that I needed to be checked for organ damage (she took some bloods). She also prescribed medication (candesartan 8mg) which I have to start taking today. I have to go back after Christmas for an ECG and on Friday to have my BP checked again.

She said that I mustn't get stressed, upset, or overexcited because my BP is so high I'm at very high, immediate risk of heart attack or stroke. And not to overindulge over Christmas for the same reason. Which of course has sent my stress levels sky high.

She was absolutely lovely and so kind but I'm absolutely terrified. My mother, grandmother and two aunts died of strokes - when I told the GP this she said that makes it even more worrying. I'm 50 and overweight but haven't always been (I've had EDs since I was teenager so my weight has fluctuated a lot, I'm currently a size 20). I also have rheumatoid arthritis and I know that heart problems can be a feature of RA.

I've had no symptoms so this has come as a complete surprise and a total shock. I don't know what happens next, other than I'll be on this medication for the long term apparently.

I know loads of people have hypertension but the GP seemed so concerned that she's got me really, really worried. I keep thinking I'm going to drop dead any second.

Can someone please calm me down and/or tell me their own experience of this? I'm at my wit's end with worry, I have health anxiety anyway and this has shaken me really badly.

TIA 💐

Interestingly I was hospitalised for a bp of 151/120 this weekend. Was only allowed to go home when they saw the meds they gave me were working bringing me down to 120/82 When do you go back to be retested that they are working?

There must have been more to it than that - some symptoms which suggested malignant hypertension. No NHS trust would admit for an asymptomatic BP of 151/120

I have hypertension and have done since my 20s. Do be aware that a study showed that there's sort of a lower bound with sodiumgoing to a very low sodium diet didn't produce better results than the existing recommendation. I see newly diagnosed people obsessing over every shake of the salt shaker and it's not helpful. Ready meals, crisps, takeaways, that sort of thingthat's where the real culprits are, more than adding a shake of salt to the potatoes.

The medication will kick in fairly quickly but be prepared to need titration or tweaking. It takes two medications to keep my numbers stable.

Morning all - thanks for the new messages.

I took my first pill at about 10pm last night. I'm thinking of taking another one now because a) going forward I'll be taking them in the morning and b) GP said every one I take will lower my BP over time, so I'm thinking it'll help from that pov if I take two on fairly quick succession. Does anyone know if I can take them that closely together?

My appointment on Friday isn't an appointment as such, I have to go to the waiting room and use the BP machine there and hand the reading to the receptionist. My next proper appointment is with the GP on 3 Jan, then for an ECG with the nurse on the 4th.

I'm still tense and stressed this morning and in pain but too scared to take my pain meds (30mg codeine) in case it makes things worse. Woke up at 5.30am, worrying (although I went to bed at 11pm and slept well). And I'm missing my morning cup of coffee! I only have one a day but I'm going to knock that on the head. Which is annoying as I've literally just bought a fancy new coffee machine!

It really doesn't help that this has happened so close to Christmas, I have so much to do and I'm always stressed anyway at this time of year. Plus I can't even have my Christmas day champagne this year. I don't drink much but there are certain drinks I look forward to and that's one of them! To be honest Christmas feels a bit flat anyway now. We've had four stinkers what with lockdowns and various illnesses so we were really looking forward to a good one this year.

Feeling sorry for myself this morning, not going to lie. But also looking forward to some of the changes I can make in the new year which will benefit me high BP or not. Including getting help for my anxiety/EDs once and for all.

Thank you again everyone, you're all brilliant 💐

Did you have any underlying conditions or symptoms? GP said that if I'd had chest pain, severe sweating or (I think she said) bleeding behind my eyes she would've sent me to hospital.

I took the tablet and just had some toast. I can already feel myself getting scared to eat anything - I had to talk myself into having breakfast.

I have so much to do today so need to get on but again, I'm worried that I'm going to drop down dead carrying the shopping home. It's not stuff I can get online either, it's all Christmas stuff. My wrists and feet are really hurting too which doesn't help - I often get flares when I'm stressed and that's the last thing I need right now.

I keep telling myself that if I'd not gone to the GP yesterday I'd have been none the wiser and done all this stuff anyway, and as a pp said, would likely have been fine. And I've now had two pills which will have already done something, as far as I understand.

Thanks again for listening to my self pitying wittering!

Aww OP - just try to keep gently busy and keep taking the tablets. Does your fancy coffee machine do decaf? Ours does, and that's all I ever drink (proper coffee makes me horribly jittery and stops me getting to sleep at night, even if I only drink it in the morning!).

Try to think of it as doing things that are good for you, rather than depriving yourself of things that are bad. Eat plenty of fruit and veg and wholegrains.

You should not take two so close together. I'm going to be a bit cruel to be kind here - you are based on one reading turning your life upside down - no coffee, not even one alcoholic drink. Try to relax and look at this with a clear head. You are not going to die. If you were bad they would have sent you to hospital asap. My doctor said to me once " I would have high BP too if I thought I was having a stroke" when I was admitted for a suspect TIA which turned out to be a hemiplegic migraine. Your BP does go up when you are ill or in pain. Doc told me one time to stop taking my BP meds when I was ill with a very bad flu.I was diagnosed in 1996 with HBP and have been on meds since. My eyes show no sign of damage as BP is well controlled now (for me). My usuals are about 130/89 on meds.You really need to relax.

I did take the pill - do I need to worry? It was just to get into the habit of taking it in the morning. I feel fine so far. Should I call the GP?

All the things I'm doing is what the GP said to do because I was in immediate danger - she said I needed to take steps to lower my BP immediately and also longer term (weight loss etc). You're right, my life does feel turned upside down, like it did when I was diagnosed with RA but then I wasn't told I was in immediate danger, so it's worse. And much scarier.

Thank you for your clear headed words, it's exactly what I need. Right now every twinge, I'm thinking, this is it. I'm scared to go out in case something happens when I'm in a shop or whatever, especially as everything is so manic this time of year. Plus of course there's the paramedic strike (which I support wholeheartedly) - if something does happen what if I can't get help?

I'm considering just staying in today and trying to calm down. Loads needs doing but I'm a mess just thinking about it.

Perhaps staying home and relaxing as best I can would be better.

It's a pod machine and yes, I've just googled and decaff is available! When I go out later I'll hunt some down. Hopefully it'll have a psychosomatic affect and perk me up without the caffeine!

I like your idea of approaching it differently. It seems very sensible and balanced. I'm not promising I can do only things that are good for me over Christmas but definitely, come January. Also by then I'll hopefully know if there's any underlying cause for it so that can be tackled, too.

Hi OP, I've recently had some bp issues. If I were you I would concentrate on doing things that help you relax. There are loads of videos on YouTube for vagus nerve that may help. Also try essential oils, especially lavender and nice relaxing baths. I don't mean these instead of the medication, but just to make you feel better in the short term alongside the meds. Hope you feel better soon. Easier said than done I know!

I've decided I'm going to just nip out to the shops briefly - I've found a BP monitor I can pick up today rather than wait for Amazon to deliver one on Friday, plus I can do a bit of shopping. Then I'm going to come home and have a long bath, as you suggested, with a book. It's ages since I've done that! Maybe play some bass later too to focus my mind elsewhere, if my wrists are up to it.

I'll also check out the YT videos plus the breathing and meditation ones that PPs have suggested.

Thank you 💐

Morning @WhatFreshHeII . Firstly I have high BP (controlled by Losartan and Amlodipine), I also have osteoarthritis and take 2 x 30/500 co-codamol a couple of times a day and there is absolutely no problems taking those together according to my GP and the pain clinic - I also on a very bad day take Naproxin as well, and again no issues. So do take your pain meds, as pain won't help BP either.

Secondly as a pp said having used cold & flu remedies those will have affected your BP adversely, you are advised not to take anything that may contain pseudoephedrine if you have high BP, so factor that in.

Thirdly, everything in moderation. As other pps have said, decaff coffee shouldn't affect you in any way. A single glass of fizz on Christmas Day is also exceptionally unlikely to cause a major problem. I am also on amphetemines for ADHD which can raise BP and have been advised to avoid caffeine & alcohol, but talking to my titration specialist he is OK with me having the occasional coffee - I don't drink anyway, as alcohol reacts with the codeine.

Fourthly, unless you've been put immediately on the absolutely maximum dose of the BP meds from day 1 (very unlikely indeed), and you have suddenly relaxed and completely calmed down, one extra dose of the BP meds i.e. this morning as well as last night shouldn't affect you.

Hopefully you BP monitor will arrive soon, or you can usually pick one up at any pharmacy (I got my first one from Asda pharmacy!). When you take your BP, remember that your stress and anxiety will be giving you an un-naturally high reading so as others have said here ignore the first few you take. I do mine in the evening when I'm sitting relaxing and watching TV stroking a cat (instant calming for me) and take it at least 3 times; it always comes down after the first couple, and I've been doing this for years!

I would see how you feel after taking your pain meds, then think about whether you feel up to doing some of your shopping. Most of your panic will be to do with the shock of an unexpected diagnosis, compounded by the GPs somewhat alarmist manner. Re-read the posts on here which are almost all reassuring and just do as much as you feel able to do - bearing in mind that there should be a balance between stressing about your health, and stressing about how much needs to be done.

And finally, you can only do so much and if that means you don't have the "perfect" glossy magazine Christmas because you didn't feel up to going out & buying some minor accessory for the dinner, then so be it. Better that you can rest and relax than fretting about something that really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Hi @WhatFreshHeII in Michael Gregor’s excellent How not to Die book he recommends three portions of whole grains a day, drinking hibiscus tea and eating flaxseeds.

All shown in randomised controlled trials to lower blood pressure.

Good luck!

There is some brilliant advice here, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. Honestly it means a lot. I especially like the cat as means of relaxation advice - that's the sort of advice I can totally get on board with!

I've just come back from town where I liked up a BP monitor. I also spoke to the lovely pharmacist at Boots who did wonders to calm me down and gave me advice that the GP didn't. Things like, how to use the monitor correctly, what I can and can't do and so on. She said it's fine to take codeine, have one cup of coffee a day and to have a few glasses of wine if I fancy it - in the case of the latter, if I feel more light headed than I'd expect to measure my BP and stop drinking and try to relax if it's higher than usual.

She said that I should try to relax and enjoy my usual Christmas - in fact the only thing she was really strict about was salt. No more crunchy ground salt on fresh tomatoes for me!

I'm about to get in the bath and have a long soak, then half an hour later I'll do my first reading. A little bit nervous! But hopefully not as nervous as I was yesterday.

One thing though - all the things I wasn't meant to be doing while the reading was being done yesterday, I was doing. The GP was talking to me, I was sitting with my legs crossed, I was moving about as I was talking, I was getting upset because she was making worried noises (especially true during the second reading, which was higher). I wasn't resting my arm on anything but holding it out straight. I wonder if any of this could have affected the reading? And the cuff was definitely too tight.

We shall see later!

Something else for my tbr pile! Thank you 💐

Apparently talking, waving arms around etc. can affect the BP. I was always advised to sit quietly with my lower arm supported rather than dangling down e.g. across you middle or resting on a cushion, or on the arm of the chair you're sitting in.

Don't worry if your first reading is high, it's a new thing to you and you WILL be feeling anxious so that will put it up. I liked the advice from pp who said ignore what the results are until you've been doing it for a few days so taking a reading is just a routine thing by then.

Thank you for your clear headed words, it's exactly what I need. Right now every twinge, I'm thinking, this is it. I'm scared to go out in case something happens when I'm in a shop or whatever, especially as everything is so manic this time of year.

Oh I remember that feeling so well. The good news is that it's actually pretty hard to stay that scared permanently! After a while, you won't be able to help but start noticing that you walked to the shops and didn't have a stroke, that you had a cup of coffee and you were fine, that you had a panic but it was nothing. And eventually, when your medication and efforts at a bit of lifestyle change have settled your bp, you'll look back and feel like you worried a bit too much!

Just remember - you and your meds are almost certainly already lowering your bp.

Okay, I've just done a couple of readings.

First was 156/103, second was 155/99.

So, while high, nothing like yesterday's (17?/122).

Can the drugs have worked so quickly? Or is it just the case that all the other factors skewed it? I was a bit nervous but as relaxed as possible - I used @Allergictoironing's cat tip! But there's no doubt I was still a little bit stressed because I was worried about what the result would be.

Am I safe to feel a little bit relieved?!

I had my implant removed a couple of weeks ago and they took my blood pressure and it was 160 plus on the top line when they did it several times.

Spoke to GP and had to provide readings over 5 days and then she prescribed medication. She sent me for a blood test, which picked up that I am low on Vit B12 so they are looking at injections for that. I have an ECG tomorrow, another blood test next week and then they will set up my repeat prescription.

Told to lose weight and reduce salt, nothing about avoiding stress!

I would be. It's more likely you're a bit less stressed, as the meds tend to take a few days to kick in. But bearing in mind you are even more worried now than when you first went to the GP yesterday, because you now know you have a problem, it could be a lot worse.

Keep a record of all your measurements so you can a) see if/when the meds start to kick in and b) so it's all just part of your daily routine so less of a stressy thing to do. Your BP will change throughout the day, usually lower in the morning & higher as the day goes on, then with many people it tails off again as the evening goes by.

Regarding the cat thing, I don't know if you knew that a cat's purring is medically proven to be good for your health? Something to do with the frequency helping the body to repair damage. And of course it can be one of the most soothing things there is 😍

Yes. Like I say when I had super high blood pressure, they sent me to hospital and were expecting the drugs to work in time for me to go home that afternoon.

Enjoy the coffee and the champagne! Take the tablets as directed- closer together won’t help. I’m exactly the same and was diagnosed with no symptoms on a random check. My BP is well controlled on medication, I fairly quickly had to start a second tablet as well. Try not to worry. It will all work out ok. Hope things settle for you

Keep calm OP- I was absolutely petrified when mine was diagnosed- and my levels were similar to yours and I'm also 3 stone overweight - but i was more petrified at the awful dizziness and headaches that came on prior to the GP saying to me in a matter of fact way 'no wonder you have symptoms -your BP needs to come down significantly ' and then initiating bloods etc which also showed very high cholesterol . it's actually better I think in a way if you know you have an issue and can look at a few changes.

BP meds are better taken at night apparently, 47%less likely to have a cardiac event in a study taken that way according to my GP.