Do you experience high blood pressure during a panic attack?

[Kitty 34]

I've just spent 4 days in a hospital's cardiology ward (took your advice DISers and went to ER earlier in the week ) My BP at one point was 212 or 141 in the ER.......very scary numbers indeed!!!

I'm under great care now with my cardiologist so don't worry I ask him a ton of questions, too.

Anyway, since I've been home I have to monitior my BP of course. I've noticed the last two mornings, I can be just sitting here ( calmly DISing) and soon my shortness of breath starts, my heart starts pounding, I feel like I'm going to jump out of my skin. It's crazy!! And sure enough during this episode I go check the bp and like yesterday it was 196 over 86. I took a valium (Dr's orders) and within an hour it was down to 123. I'm also on a bp med which I usually take about an hour and a half before this "attack" seems to start.

I haven't been diagnosed with panic attack but gosh it certainly feels like one!

I know a lot of DISers experience panic attacks so do you have high blood pressure during an attack??

This is just driving me crazy!!!!!

 

[Mandychelle79]

If I am remembering right from A&P a panic attack would be your body going into flight mode, so yes your pulse and Blood Pressure would increase.

 

[djm99]

I had one before. It was so much going on with me at that time.

 

[Kitty 34]

bump

 

[imabrat]

My pulse went up and so did my BP. I've had them multiple times and my HR would be around 130 with my BP around 120/100. I'm small so my norm is HR: 70s/80s/90s with my BP being 80/60.
I was in the hospital for them multiple times (with other reasons like dehyrdation) and I could see my vitals on the monitor go up and down when I became more anxious and when I calmed down.

 

[KandiB47]

I am an RN and I work in the cath lab so I love the cardiology questions. Yes, your blood pressure will absolutely go up during a panic attack or any time you are nervous/anxious.

Try to relax and take some slow, deep breaths. It helps.

 

[CathrynRose]

Mine goes up.

In fact, when I finally got an RX for Xanax for anxiety/panic attacks - my blood pressure *in general* went down. Just knowing I had some in my purse had a calming effect.

 

[Kitty 34]

I am an RN and I work in the cath lab so I love the cardiology questions. Yes, your blood pressure will absolutely go up during a panic attack or any time you are nervous/anxious.

Try to relax and take some slow, deep breaths. It helps.

Ah good, a cardiology RN. Now I know who I can PM with questions as I start getting test results back.