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Old 01-27-2013, 12:52 PM
 
1,752 posts, read 3,735,879 times
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Hey,
I was wondering how much, if any impact anxiety has on high blood pressure? I have had high blood pressure and am working on my weight. I have had anxiety which has been connected to work (no matter the job). Just a constant nervousness. Well, today I was able to get my blood pressure checked here at work and it was pretty high, so high that I think its wrong.. 180/115! I am 26, 5'9 and 225lbs. I am trying to lose weight and am on the generic brand of paxil and also on high blood pressure meds.
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Old 01-27-2013, 05:21 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by leadingedge04 View Post
Hey,
I was wondering how much, if any impact anxiety has on high blood pressure? I have had high blood pressure and am working on my weight. I have had anxiety which has been connected to work (no matter the job). Just a constant nervousness. Well, today I was able to get my blood pressure checked here at work and it was pretty high, so high that I think its wrong.. 180/115! I am 26, 5'9 and 225lbs. I am trying to lose weight and am on the generic brand of paxil and also on high blood pressure meds.
That's really high. What BP did your doctor get when you last saw him/her? Who was it who checked your BP at work?

Anxiety has an effect on BP, since the arousal that comes with anxiety acts on the norepinephrine system. If your blood pressure meds are adrenergic blockers, though, they should already be somewhat counteracting that. The Paxil works on an entirely different neurotransmitter system, though, and probably isn't helping your BP one way or the other.

Sodium intake can also affect BP. Have you tried eliminating salt from your diet to see whether it helps?
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Old 01-28-2013, 11:27 AM
 
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I can't help but think the reading was incorrect, but I decided to have her take it because it was the only oppertunity I've ever had to have my BP taken while at work. I am about to start the PSMF diet, so we'll see how it goes. I hope to be off BOTH meds by 2014.
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Old 01-28-2013, 04:23 PM
 
Location: NSW, Australia
4,493 posts, read 6,296,326 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by leadingedge04 View Post
Hey,
I was wondering how much, if any impact anxiety has on high blood pressure? I have had high blood pressure and am working on my weight. I have had anxiety which has been connected to work (no matter the job). Just a constant nervousness. Well, today I was able to get my blood pressure checked here at work and it was pretty high, so high that I think its wrong.. 180/115! I am 26, 5'9 and 225lbs. I am trying to lose weight and am on the generic brand of paxil and also on high blood pressure meds.

Hi, I was just reading a study on this very subject for an essay I had to do (I am a psychology student). There is a hormone called Cortisol which is basically called the stress hormone. When we are stressed we release extra cortisol and it redirects energy in the body (in the form of glucose) away from areas that aren't imperative to our survival and toward areas that are. When we are subject to chronic stress, which is what anxiety is, the cortisol has a detrimental effect on our health because it is trying to keep your body in a state of constant vigilance. Some of the illnesses that can occur due to the long term action of cortisol are hypertension (high blood pressure), cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.

So the answer is yes, anxiety can be a direct contributor to high blood pressure. I would recommend that you try to eliminate anything that you can that contributes to your anxiety. I had to look up Paxil as I'm not American and I see it's an antidepressant, these can help in the short term because cortisol also effects the function of serotonin (a neurotransmitter that regulates mood) and can cause depression but you need to address the underlying cause rather than fix the symptoms. If you are trying to lose weight I would join a team sport, or just grab someone and play some one-on-one basketball with them or something. The idea is make the exercise fun and you will release a whole lot of good hormones and neurotransmitters that counter the effects of anxiety along with the benefits to your fitness levels. Also when you look better, you feel better and your confidence levels get a boost which will help because I believe that your anxiety at work is probably due to confidence levels. You could probably get some counseling to find where the anxiety actually comes from but in all honesty, I really don't believe dwelling on the past helps anybody. I believe that if you develop a more positive view of yourself and outlook on life then it changes your perspective on the past, present and future anyway. But that is all up to you and what you believe is best for you.

Anyway, hope that helps.
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Old 01-28-2013, 05:10 PM
 
Location: Whittier
3,004 posts, read 6,243,327 times
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I would continue to work on your weight; diet and exercise.

I do have some stressors at work, but I've noticed when I work out and eat right, I'm less stressed.

Also I would lay off the caffeine, if you drink coffee/soda, as that can trigger anxiety.
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Old 01-29-2013, 09:12 PM
 
Location: Western Washington
8,003 posts, read 11,685,465 times
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Perhaps you should research the medications you're taking. Here, I'll do it for you. Please read the following.

Does Paxil Cause High Blood Pressure?

One drug that can cause hypertension is Paxil. It is the brand name for paroxetine which is a selective SSRI. This drug is used for treating mental health problems like depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder to name a few.

You're welcome.
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Old 02-02-2013, 09:59 PM
 
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Yes. But its probably also related to being overweight.
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Old 02-03-2013, 11:15 AM
 
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Yes, I am sure its all of these factors combined. Bottom line, I want to be off both meds by 2014.
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Old 03-01-2013, 11:24 AM
 
1,752 posts, read 3,735,879 times
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So I brought a little portable BP machine to work today to test this theory. Wed/Thurs was my weekend so today is my Monday. I tried my BP, and its pretty high. I'll try again a few hours into my shift.
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