Very high BP

It will not be effective overnight, your numbers should start to drop in the next 4-5 days & it can be 10 days to or so to get to a normal BP reading. Also, it depends on whether this is the right medication for you. Get a hold of your pcp for an appt to go over all of this. Make a written chart taking your BP in the mornings & evenings so the dr can see how the medication is working. This is what my drs do if mine starts creeping up.

Take care.

Megan, I've been on 10mg of Amlodipine, along with 2 other BP meds for years without any issues. I suspect your anxiety is creeping in. Getting your BP under control is more important than anything else at the moment.

Take care.

Hi Megan. I am sorry you're going through this. I hope you can get this resolved. I will tell you that I had episodes of very high BP a few years ago which were caused by anxiety and it became a cycle. Anxiety led to very high BP which made me scared and panicky which led to higher BP. I was already on BP medication but it didn't do anything. I was in the ER twice. The second time I was there they prescribed clonidine to take when I take my BP at home and it gets critically high. After lab tests which ruled out heart attacks, the doctors said it was anxiety causing this. Getting a handle on the anxiety is not easy and takes time. The important step is to rule out other causes. So, it's important to work with your doctor on this.

By the way, walking is great for blood pressure as well as the mind. I wish you well and hope you post back with updates!

Megan, I only took the clonidine when my BP was very high, that is when the systolic was above 180 or the diastolic was higher than 100 per the ER doctor's instructions. I had to do that about four times and each of those times I was having a panic attack. And there was nothing to panic about which is why anxiety is so strange and difficult to control sometimes. I was already on a very low dosage of generic Lexapro so my PCP raised it from 5 to 10 mg.

The other thing is I had to figure out why I was having anxiety in the first place. This is where therapy may help although I did not have that. (This is an individual matter and something you have to talk over with your doctor.) I guess I would say I had to change my mindset.

You're absolutely right about worrying about a stroke or heart attack contributing to higher BP readings. Worry certainly did in my case and, as I wrote, I ended up in a vicious cycle of cause, effect, cause, etc.

As long as those tests have come back normal (as mine did), concentrate on yourself and taking care of yourself. Walking is great for everything and it really helped me!

You need to wait and talk to your doctor, and not try and interpret these results on your own.

Sharon

Just an accountability post!! I’m on day 7 of meds, day 7 of zero alcohol, day 7 of clean eating and day 7 of walking 1 1/2+ Miles, weights and 1000 meters on the rower.

I took my BP and it’s the lowest it’s been all week. 170/120. I know it may not seem like much, but when it’s been 220+ for lord knows how long, that’s progress! I’m looking forward to my doctors appointment tomorrow. (Knock on wood!) I’m looking forward to being put on anxiety meds!

Hi Megan,
I have been dealing with brand new BP issues myself that started just a year ago. And I agree, getting through those first weeks can be very scary!! But, as the others said, watch your anxiety. Look for some counseling, if you and your doctor think it may help.

Although my BP issues are not anxiety-related, the lack of control I feel I'm sure is at least similar to what you feel. I've had severe anxiety before (due to another condition, which healed, fortunately), so I believe I understand that part - although my BP wasn't affected back then.

I'm on several BP meds, plus a rescue med (Clonidine - same as Lanie) - but it took a few weeks for my BP to respond to any new meds or dosages. I was told it can take up to two weeks to determine if a new med will be effective for you or not. So, do your best to keep your mind occupied on something other than your health (exercise being one of the best!), and keep talking with your doctor about your concerns and issues.

I hope today's Dr appt goes well!!!

YAY! HT

Hey all! I’m now on day 21 of no alcohol, taking BP meds, clean eating and walking 3+ miles everyday! I started my anxiety meds 6 days ago, and I finally feel like I’m getting over the hump of the weird side effects from those (fingers crossed!) I’ve normally been taking my BP in the evenings and it’s been running a little high still. I took it for this first time in the morning today and it’s was 129/90. I know my bottom number is still high, but it’s so much lower than it used to be! I’m really proud of all the progress that I’ve made, and I’m hoping it’s making a big difference on my body!

Awesome. HT

ANTHONYM, DISCUSS POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES WITH YA DOC.
STARTED THE BALL ROLLING, GREAT STUFF.
REMEMBER THE TURTLES MANTRA, 'SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE'. HT