Coping with feeling tense and nervous...

I've recently been diagnosed with High Blood pressure, and I've been trying a number of medications for that, now on my third. the first didn't make any appreciable difference, the second I took a reaction to, and the third has only been a couple of months so it's early days.

I'm also on beta blockers for my constant feelings of nerves/anxiety/stress, call it what you will, but I can feel my heart pounding most of the time and I am really jumpy at any sudden noises etc. like when the phone rings. I'm aware of feeling a little bit breathless too. It's like a jackhammer in my chest. I've had 24hr monitors for both heart (came back ok) and BP (came back quite high) so I don't think I'm about to have a heart attack at any moment.

Has anyone got any tips for relaxation/ coping with this. I regularly go for longish walks with my headphones on and some relaxing (to me) music - mostly ambient, slow trance music, but I don't generally feel much different.

I've recently changed jobs. I went from a part time job with a great bunch of people with a fairly lengthy stressful commute to a full time job split between two locations, neither of which are as fun as the last place, but are both within walking distance.

I suffer from feeling shy and nervous in new social situations anyway, and have had previous bouts of depression, had meds, therapy, the lot. But in short I'm not coping with everyday life.

I'm back at the doctor on Monday but in the meantime I'm looking for some advice.

Try yoga or meditation.

If you have high blood pressure, your diet can have a lot to do with it. You need to get onto a low salt diet and see if that helps. And alcohol is hard on your b.p. and heart, so you should try to give that up. You also should avoid stimulants like nicotine or caffeinne, so if you smoke you need to quit, and you can switch to decaf coffee, herbal tea (and there are many that are good for relaxing) and no-caffeine soft drinks.

I find listening to recorded books very relaxing on drives or walks. You can join something like link removed and download all kinds of books onto an iPod or Smartphone that you listen to on walks. I love a good mystery book and you can get quite engrossed in them and relax. You could also lie down in a darkened room and listen to them if you want to really get your blood pressure down. It is hard to have your mind drift off to worry about other things that might raise your b.p. when you're listening to a book.

People's b.p. has also been recorded to be noticeably lower when they own pets. Petting a dog or cat or interacting with them is pleasurable, so you b.p. goes down when you have a pet (just make sure to choose a kind with a laid back personality).

Yoga and deep abdominal breathing. If you only breathe into your chest you will feel very anxious.

I rarely drink, gave up smoking 15 years ago, and recently lost a lot of weight. I drink black coffee in the morning, and switch to tea after that and it's mainly Rooibos (redbush) caffeine free tea that I drink. I rarely add salt to anything as well.

I used to listen to a lot of audiobooks but I've found that I just can't concentrate on them any more - my mind is always racing and I end up losing concentration on the book. I hear the words but my comprehension goes and before I know it, I've no idea what's going on. I mean I was a BIG audiobook listener - I managed to get through the entire Wheel of Time series (all 14 books), but a year later I gave up on A Song of Ice and Fire part way through the third book as I'd completely lost the thread of the plot. I feel that my mind is chaotic and I feel that I'm continually diving between too many things, and I know I'm starting to sink. I can't find any way to switch off. The ambient music maybe isn't helping in the way I thought it was - it's allowing my mind to wander and concentrate on the constant barrage of thoughts and general busyness of the many threads in my head. If any of that makes any sense?

Meditation sounds like it might be a good idea, but I'm unsure how to go about it, and Yoga I've no idea about either, it's a whole new world I know nothing about. Maybe some kind of hypnotherapy might be worth trying?

Why not read about yoga and mediation and then attend a class.

I'll do some research, but I really struggle in social situations, and moreso in situations where I feel self conscious. I think that going to a Yoga class might cause me a lot of anxiety.

I'll do some research, but I really struggle in social situations, and moreso in situations where I feel self conscious. I think that going to a Yoga class might cause me a lot of anxiety.

 

I think a yoga class for beginners might be a quiet and "mindful" place for you to deal with your anxiety instead of giving into it and having to take medication.

First ask your doctor then go to a local pathology to have a 24 hour BP monitor put on you. It will inform you of times & readings. What is your systolic reading?

Yes, diet can be a factor but stress is also a biggie. Get some blood work done to see which it is, testing your cholesterol, trigliceriydes & also I encourage you to regularly test your blood sugar levels at home, after foods you have eaten. It should not go above 140, if it does you need to eat better.

Try some chamomile tea, it is a natural stress-reliever & is caffeine free. Believe it or not but I don't get stressed anymore. I read this biography of Helen Keller & after reading it I think I have ataraxia.

I've already had a 24hr BP monitor - an average of 184/112 I think it was, a few months back. I had peaks of 220. On the medication I've been holding at 160/100 on Ramipril and then I changed, first to Losartan (which I took a reaction to) and now Amlodipine. I'm taking Propranalol as well. the upshot is that my Reynaulds has started again and I still feel as wound up and stressed as ever.

Frankly I don't want them to find a cholesterol problem, because there seems to be a propensity for the doctors to prescribe Statins all too readily, and everyone I know who's been on them has reported all their sore joints going away when they stopped taking them. I'm not going to be taking any medications that impinge on my quality of life with little or no therapeutic benefits. I've had enough of that with a long list of antidepressants over the years.

I eat reasonably healthily, generally we cook most of our food rather than buying in ready meals. but I'll speak to the doctor about blood sugar levels as well.

That is still quite high. You need to be consistent with the medication & allow time before you switch over.

With Reynaud's, Propranolol is a beta-blocker which is a significant cause so it will do that. Can I ask, do you suffer migranies, or frequent tension headaches?

You cannot be afraid to get checked out. When you do generic bloodwork they will not only do a lipid profile but also other things. For instance, did you know low heamoglobin causes high blood pressure? They will certainly check that since your BP is still quite high. Then, the dr may prescribe you iron supplement in addition.

Telmisartan, or Micardas is the popular choice for most practioners here, with minimal side-effects but quite hefty on price. You just need to be patient. The earlier things are detected the better also.

I've been on the same dose of of Amlodipine for a couple of months now, so I'll need to see what the doctor says tomorrow. The trouble is that it's often difficult to get an appointment with the same GP in the practise. It was a real issue when I took a reaction to Losartan. There was no way I could continue, as the side effects I was getting were listed on the leaflet under the ones to stop taking the medication immediately. I used to get a whole load of headaches regularly but I think that a lot of it was down to dehydration - I've been drinking a lot more fluids. I still get occasional migraines but nowhere near as often as I used to.

I used to get Reynaud's in the index finger of my right hand, but it stopped a few years ago. When I started Ramipril it came back accross the whole of my right hand. The Propranalol has a similar, short term effect, depending on the outside temperature. In truth I'm a bit concerned about the winter months causing me some considerable discomfort.

I've had a number of blood tests and everything has been normal. That said, I've no idea what they have or haven't tested for. If the cholesterol is high, they'll just have to find a way to treat it that doesn't involve statins!

Well, the Blood Pressure has come down a little to 149 / 96 and my Doctor has increased the Amlodipine to 10mg. We've agreed that the Propranolol isn't having much effect so I've stopped taking that. She's trying me on a very low (0.5mg twice a day) of Risperidone to see if that works for my anxiety. I'm still waiting for appointments for CBT as well.

I release my stress with jogging, making hadmade stuff and Qi gong.... you can find something for sure...

Thanks, MMT. I try to go for brisk walks. Jogging's not something I've ever done. If I had a bit more time I'd join a leisure club for the spa / sauna and might even be tempted to try the gym.

I also try to make stuff but that's on hiatus as I've no workshop space. I like doing woodwork things - I've built a couple of guitars at college and am itchy to build some more. I think that's also adding to my frustration but the fact that I've no time due to various jobs isn't helping much either.

Looking at hypnotherapy as a possible but so far I've only tried a CD once. More experimentation is required I think!

Yoga and meditation are great. If you don't want to do yoga in public, this is a great website: link removed I use it every day (as of this month) and it helps a lot!