White Coat Hypertension, Hypertension, POTS

[energyandstruct]

So, up until this past six months or so I've had perfectly normal blood pressure. I tend to get anxious when taking it at the doctor so a couple of slightly high readings but averaging around 120/70. In the past five months, I've had some fairly high readings. At first I thought it was anxiety, then perhaps low dose naltrexone.

Then I went to a doctor appointment in nyc. They took my blood pressure and pulse and my bp was 140/? and my pulse was like 130. They gave me a vaccine and iv saline and took it again and it was 150-155/?
I should note that when they took it I was basically having a panic attack. I've gotten anxious about blood pressure for some reason. Its a totally irrational response, but I can say with confidence that the anxiety must have had some effect on it.

But my doctor thinks that it might be cardiomyopathy/due to POTS issues. When I take my pulse at home, it's normally about 70, but was 130 at the dr office so I do think I have anxiety + heart rate variability issues.

I'm also very young so I'm wondering what the root cause is and how it relates to CFS. I don't wanna just be on blood pressure meds like beta blockers the rest of my life. frankly I think they make my cfs worse, and I'm wondering if slightly high blood pressure is an adaptation due to cfs. It developed so suddenly, too!

 

[energyandstruct]

also wonder about good home blood pressure monitors and tips for taking it at home while being anxious

 

[energyandstruct]

I also have been having consistent adrenergic symptoms like feeling "wired but tired" and sweating really, really intensely

 

[Soybean]

Its hard to say anything about your heart without more detailed background; age, other diseases, history.

Being anxious while measuring can send your BP into space.

I'd get a home BP meter (they're generally very reliable), and meditate for a few minutes before measuring. And measuring a few times of course and taking the avarage. While my BP meter is busy, I don't look at the screen that shows the values it's currently at, but just look out the window and focus on my breathing.

Regarding your adrenergic symptoms and feeling 'wired but tired', I have had those as well - peating, meditation and cetirizine (antihistamine) helped for me.

Did you look at an autoimmune cause for your CFS?

 

[energyandstruct]

i'm starting to think its a little of both wrt anxiety and other factors. i certainly get panic attacks when measuring but i have been having other symptoms that would make sense with hypertension. I've been sweating like a pig while doing absolutely no activity... i've had chest and muscle pains and irregular heart rate


maybe i consume too much coffee but at the right dose coffee is a balm?? idk... i wonder if i have some kind of functional magnesium deficiency. the usual peat cures don't seem to be working but i have to trust his idea that there is no such thing as "essential hypertension" especially in my case (so young, such sudden onset, no family history, skinny) and that there's a root cause i can get to.

 

[energyandstruct]

have tried thyroid and it just worsened symptoms

 

[energyandstruct]

same with pregnenolone

 

[energyandstruct]

\
Idk if I mentioned but the beta blockers just make me very tired, depressed, and i get crazy dissociation. I'd like to find the "root cause" of this if there is one, because I don't want to be on beta blockers for rest of my life. I don't think that hypertension just happens suddenly for no reason like this.

I also get what seem like some other adrenergic symptoms, occasionally just extremely wired/uncomfortable feeling combined with very very extreme sweating when doing no activity--just sweat buckets. this never happened before cfs and only started happening like five months ago, seems to get worse around the times i get poor bp readings tho

 

[LUH 3417]

I have the same issue. I always had hypotension but since drinking more coffee and taking metabolic stimulants my bp readings have been as high as 140/90. I really feel like I have heart failure sometimes. I also have shortness of breath and intense sweating. Sometimes I think I just need to eat more but then my digestion gets backed up.

 

[energyandstruct]

I don’t think those readings are very high. But breathing straight co2 or carbogen a lot seems like good way to lower them. Mine hover around 130/90. It’s not enough to be considered stroke risk and probably just a symptom rather than disease so I’ve aropped worrying about it.

 

[LUH 3417]

I don’t think those readings are very high. But breathing straight co2 or carbogen a lot seems like good way to lower them. Mine hover around 130/90. It’s not enough to be considered stroke risk and probably just a symptom rather than disease so I’ve aropped worrying about it.

I went to a cardiologist and he said young people with white coat syndrome are set up for heart disease later in life. Does holding your breath help u?

 

[rei]

Did he give any reason for such a claim? Or was he just assuming being anxious at doctor makes you an anxious person in general and thus you will succumb faster?

 

[LUH 3417]

Did he give any reason for such a claim? Or was he just assuming being anxious at doctor makes you an anxious person in general and thus you will succumb faster?

No he actually said there are studies proving that. He also told me my disposition was calm and that highly successful people have the same sort of demeanor - maintaining calm under pressure. Something about how it’s grheat for life success because I could activate my stress response in emergencies! I did have coffee before the appointment and hadn’t eaten in a few hours but the variability in my pulse and blood pressure theoughout the day does worry me. My pulse ranges from 70-110 and my temps are also highly variable.

 

[TeaRex14]

If it's truly hypertension brought on by anxiousness then serotonin/cortisol antagonists will be very effective for reducing it. Things like l-theanine and cyproheptadine.

 

[LUH 3417]

If it's truly hypertension brought on by anxiousness then serotonin/cortisol antagonists will be very effective for reducing it. Things like l-theanine and cyproheptadine.

I agree with you. I did take cypro right before the appointment and had been taking it for a few days before that consistently but I’ve been running on high stress for a few months now and I’m not sure if more cypro is the answer or if there is some underlying issue. I am awaiting results from an endocrinologist.

 

[TeaRex14]

Hmmm, well if you've been high stress for a few months now I would assume it's a little more than just white coat syndrome. You been keeping your nutrition on point? Sugar, vitamin C, and protein are essential for keeping high stress away. Their demand increases in times of excess exogenous stressers as well.

 

[LUH 3417]

Hmmm, well if you've been high stress for a few months now I would assume it's a little more than just white coat syndrome. You been keeping your nutrition on point? Sugar, vitamin C, and protein are essential for keeping high stress away. Their demand increases in times of excess exogenous stressers as well.

My am cortisol was 14 (reference range 5-20) and my testosterone was high. Eosinophils were also high.

 

[energyandstruct]

I went to a cardiologist and he said young people with white coat syndrome are set up for heart disease later in life. Does holding your breath help u?

this might be true but it may not be a causal relationship but rather a symptom. anyway the reason i dont worry about it is im literally bedridden and have such low quality of life that I can't see living for another few years like this. So either i kms or I recover, and either way slightly elevated blood pressure would not have time to cause damage. For slightly elevated blood pressure it takes many many many years to cause any kind of damage and they're always changing the guidelines lower and pushing blood pressure meds.

Mine is also high at the doctor not just because of normal white coat syndrome but because I thinik i literally have medical-related ptsd--from being so sick and being not helped/treated unkindly by some doctors. So again i dont really worry abuut it but u can get a home monitor and try some carbogen (if you get a tank or a seltzer maker you can fill up small bags and huff)

 

[energyandstruct]

my eosinophils also high. It could have to do with autoimmunity or with parasites. who knows. But i wouldnt worry too much about a couple high bp readings, seriously. more sympomatic than anything. if it stays above 150/100 for long periods of time when you take it throughout the day i would be a little more concerned

 

[TeaRex14]

My am cortisol was 14 (reference range 5-20) and my testosterone was high. Eosinophils were also high.

Elevated AM cortisol is a classic hallmark symptom of hypothyroid. Progesterone may be able to help with the test issue. Eosinophils elevation can mean a number of things, usually related to autoimmune complications from my understanding of it.