Diabetes Talking

Question:

I see my psychiatrist on Thursday, but before then I thought I’d ask. My job has some REALLY stressful/maddening moments. It’s a very tough place to work if you actually want to get work done. As such, I’ve had some more anxiety than usual lately. What’s worrying me, though, is that my blood pressure has gone up. I cycle a lot. I exercise almost daily. So my resting heart rate is usually 55. My blood pressure usually 119/59. Of late it’s been as high as 158/89 and has been hovering in the 129-138 range on the upper end and hasn’t dropped back down to what’s normal for me. I haven’t changed my diet significantly except to eat more soy (less turkey) and to do other things to cut out sodium. So aside from anxiety, I don’t know what else could be causing it. So a few questions. For someone already on 3mg of Klonopin (for like the last 3 years) does this sound anxiety related? If so what would my psychiatrist do? More Klonopin or a different medication? If it is related to stress what can I do to stop the cycle right now? I feel like nothing (relaxing music, meditating, etc. is working). And thus I’m getting frustrated and thus the above isn’t working. How do I dial down the stress on my own when it gets like this? Finally, if it’s somehow physiological and not psychological, what can I do then aside from seeing my doctor, lowering sodium, etc.? I already exercise. What else helps? Any help or advice is appreciated. Preston — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

<Gently snipped ::So a few questions. For someone already on 3mg of Klonopin (for like the ::last 3 years) does this sound anxiety related? If so what would my ::psychiatrist do? More Klonopin or a different medication? If it is ::related to stress what can I do to stop the cycle right now? I feel like ::nothing (relaxing music, meditating, etc. is working). And thus I’m ::getting frustrated and thus the above isn’t working. How do I dial down ::the stress on my own when it gets like this? :: ::Finally, if it’s somehow physiological and not psychological, what can I ::do then aside from seeing my doctor, lowering sodium, etc.? I already ::exercise. What else helps? :: ::Any help or advice is appreciated. Dear Preston, You just posted a few days ago about a stressful month coming up. Stress can elevate ones blood pressure. Whether or not this is what is causing yours to be high can only be determined by your doctor. I suggest if you keep getting higher numbers to talk to your MD. Are you feeling more anxious, even with the 3 mgs of klonopin? If you are, then make sure to tell your pdoc. You may need the klonopin tweaked a bit to help you get through the next few weeks. Recently I read that eating a few bananas, and garlic, everyday could lower blood pressure. Here is a interesting link…. http://www.pamf.org/patients/tipsbp.html The more you panic about your blood pressure, the longer it will stay elevated. How often are you taking your bp? Make sure to be at rest for about 20 minutes before you take a reading. Make sure the cuff fits properly otherwise you can get an inaccurate number. Instead of trying to force yourself to relax, do some fun things for yourself, perhaps relaxing will come more naturally when you are distracted. Good luck!! P.S. I know you`ve had sinus problems in the past. By any chance are you taking sudafed, decongestants or allergy pills? They have the potential to raise blood pressure. Jackie ~*~I may not be perfectly beautiful, I may not be perfectly wise, I may not be perfectly obedient, but I am perfectly me~*~ — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I see my psychiatrist on Thursday, but before then I thought I’d ask. My job has some REALLY stressful/maddening moments. It’s a very tough place to work if you actually want to get work done. As such, I’ve had some more anxiety than usual lately. What’s worrying me, though, is that my blood pressure has gone up. I cycle a lot. I exercise almost daily. So my resting heart rate is usually 55. My blood pressure usually 119/59. Of late it’s been as high as 158/89 and has been hovering in the 129-138 range on the upper end and hasn’t dropped back down to what’s normal for me. I haven’t changed my diet significantly except to eat more soy (less turkey) and to do other things to cut out sodium. So aside from anxiety, I don’t know what else could be causing it. So a few questions. For someone already on 3mg of Klonopin (for like the last 3 years) does this sound anxiety related? If so what would my psychiatrist do? More Klonopin or a different medication? If it is related to stress what can I do to stop the cycle right now? I feel like nothing (relaxing music, meditating, etc. is working). And thus I’m getting frustrated and thus the above isn’t working. How do I dial down the stress on my own when it gets like this? Finally, if it’s somehow physiological and not psychological, what can I do then aside from seeing my doctor, lowering sodium, etc.? I already exercise. What else helps? Any help or advice is appreciated. Preston

Preston this is going to be long so have a seat First-your pressure readings are not that high-so relax! BP fluctuates all the time-I can take mine now and get 150/90 and retake it within a minute and it is 136/87 and then again it can go lower or higher depending on how it is compensating. BP is a compensatory mechanism that supplies the cells of your body oxygen, glucose and nutrients as it needs it-it works off of a feedback loop involving the   cardio and vascular sustem as well as the nervous system and our good ol friend adrenaline. So that said, if you get anxious your pressure can go up instantly, relax and it goes down a little slower-as it goes down the systolic responds faster-so the top number goes down first the bottom or the diastolic goes down a little slower-as ones goes down the other goes up a bit this is homeostasis or equilibrium of pressure within the blood vessels-a law of physics if you will-as the veins receive less pressure from the arteries, they are not pushed open as much so the pressure  may go up temporarily and then go down as they vessel dialates a bit being relaxed-what I am saying is the bottom and top have a ratio-this ratio is more important sometimes then the numbers provided the numbers are not beyond primary stage hypertension-primary stage is numbers below 140 on top and 90 on bottom-sustained over a period of time like 2 days or so—There are new guidlines for hypertension which for most men are ridiculous to acheive-anything under 140 on top sustained is fine provided you have no other organ system damage like diabetes, renal artery disease or stenosis, cardiac damage like left ventricular hypertrophy, congestive heart failure, stage 3 or greater murmer etc…, or retinal damage form prolonged pressure, brain embolism or bleeding-in other words if you don’t have serious organ damage 140/89 is borderline hypertension-above that you start staging it. Your pressure will spike and drop all the time-the resting bp rate is the one you need to look at-thi is acheived while you are relaxed, deeply relaxed, your arm limp as a dead fish, while you sit upright, legs uncrossed,your arm parrellel to your heart so you need a pillow to prop it up, and no distractions like talking, tv, phones ringing , gum chewing, and no food or excercise 1/2 hour before taking your pressure-make sure your machine is calibrated properly, if it is old-get a new one. want lower pressure-watch for hidden salt in foods look up DASH diet-increase veggies, fruits and lower fats and protein salt bearing foods include soda, bread, cookies cake and pastry, candy, fast foods, frozen foods, tuna, peanut butter, -look for sodium content on foods and get low salt versions-prepared lunch meats are loaded-don;t eat them-make your own turkey, roast beef etc… or eat grilled chicken on salads etc.. don’t drink alcohol it raises pressure, don’t smoke, use caffeine. If you are overweight lose the pounds-increase aerobic excercise to 1/2 hour a day-don’t lift heavy weights use light reps instead if you lift. all else fails meds are essential-each ,med you take will drop pressure about 10 points-about the same as cutting out salt or excercising etc…. there are several classes of meds to try-most are tolerated failry well since so many people are using them-sadly, I can’t. Anxiety can elevate pressure-relaxaing can lower it-if you find that nothing lowers it to below that magic number of 140/90, you may have vascular stiffness just from your genetics and age that requires meds to lower the pressure and reduce your risk for stroke, heart attack, kidney, or eye damage-any questions ask away–just went through this myself   — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

Response:

I see my psychiatrist on Thursday, but before then I thought I’d ask. My job has some REALLY stressful/maddening moments. It’s a very tough place to work if you actually want to get work done. As such, I’ve had some more anxiety than usual lately. What’s worrying me, though, is that my blood pressure has gone up. I cycle a lot. I exercise almost daily. So my resting heart rate is usually 55. My blood pressure usually 119/59. Of late it’s been as high as 158/89 and has been hovering in the 129-138 range on the upper end and hasn’t dropped back down to what’s normal for me. I haven’t changed my diet significantly except to eat more soy (less turkey) and to do other things to cut out sodium. So aside from anxiety, I don’t know what else could be causing it.

My situation is just about the same as yours. My blood pressure went up for no apparent reason. My diet was the same as it had been for years. The only differences were that I had exercised a lot during the previous year which I hadn’t done before and I am no longer on Serzone (banned by our darned government). So a few questions. For someone already on 3mg of Klonopin (for like the last 3 years) does this sound anxiety related? If so what would my psychiatrist do? More Klonopin or a different medication? If it is related to stress what can I do to stop the cycle right now? I feel like nothing (relaxing music, meditating, etc. is working). And thus I’m getting frustrated and thus the above isn’t working. How do I dial down the stress on my own when it gets like this?

I know the frustration you must be feeling. Only your doctor can advise you about the medication situation. Finally, if it’s somehow physiological and not psychological, what can I do then aside from seeing my doctor, lowering sodium, etc.? I already exercise. What else helps?

I wish that I knew<:-| Any help or advice is appreciated. Preston

Good luck — Ron P Home Page:  http://fp.kwic.com/~rwebb Just remember….if the world didn’t suck, we’d all fall off. — The charter is available at: http://readystump.algebra.com/~asapm

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