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Suggest Treatment For Anxiety And High Blood Pressure
Question: I have realized thag i have a phobia of high blood pressure. And i think of it 24/7 and ofcourse when i have crazy anxiety about having a panic attack and as a result having a spike in my BP ofc it makes my bp rise . Inhave had probably false bp readings that read 170/100 in the moment of intense panic attack and from that moment ( i measured the BP myself with the little machine u wear on ur wrist and my hand was hanging as well) i have intense phobia of BP :( even today i had a tension headache and cuz it was pushing on my head i got worried that it was high BP so out of fear had 0.25 of bp lowering med) then got home and bp was 112/80 . I am sick and TIRED of thinking about the high blood pressure when in fact all my cardio , blood etc etc etc etc results are 'heathy as an astronout ' in the docs words. I also dont know how to deal with daily anxiety that pushes on top of my head as well.. I have klonopin and xanax but ofc take it ONLY as needed in extreme situations and i break my 0.5 dose of klonopin in 4. And that helps . But im scared of getting addicted as benzos remove all of my headaches and anxiety ..
Brief Answer:
There are other options
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX,
Thanks for using Healthcaremagic.
I read your query with keen interest and understand your concerns.
First of all I endorse your concern that unregulated/on need basis of benzodiazepine use can cause addiction and there is no doubt in it. The possibility is high as there is ongoing panic disorder and fear of high blood pressure.
Nobody can deny that fear of anything causes sharp increase in blood pressure but we need to understand that high blood pressure in panic condition is not hypertension. This is only the product of situation and likely to go back to normalcy once we remove the stressor or causative factor.
Having said this if the frequency of panic attacks is too high I feel SSRI group of medications will be better choice for long term management of this as they do not cause addiction. In addition the coverage offered by SSRI group is much better in long term although they may not be helpful in urgent conditions. The options available for your condition include lexapro, Paxil, Zoloft and fluoxetine. I think the choice among them need to be discussed with your treating doctor.
Now regarding conservative management it is important to seek therapy for the phobia of high blood pressure as well as panic attacks. In compare to SSRI and other medications therapy offers long term solution of problem without subjecting to side effects.
I hope this assists you.
If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you.
In future for continuity of care I will request you to post direct questions to me using below mentioned link:
http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/doctors/dr-ashok-kumar/67386
Thanks and regards.
There are other options
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX,
Thanks for using Healthcaremagic.
I read your query with keen interest and understand your concerns.
First of all I endorse your concern that unregulated/on need basis of benzodiazepine use can cause addiction and there is no doubt in it. The possibility is high as there is ongoing panic disorder and fear of high blood pressure.
Nobody can deny that fear of anything causes sharp increase in blood pressure but we need to understand that high blood pressure in panic condition is not hypertension. This is only the product of situation and likely to go back to normalcy once we remove the stressor or causative factor.
Having said this if the frequency of panic attacks is too high I feel SSRI group of medications will be better choice for long term management of this as they do not cause addiction. In addition the coverage offered by SSRI group is much better in long term although they may not be helpful in urgent conditions. The options available for your condition include lexapro, Paxil, Zoloft and fluoxetine. I think the choice among them need to be discussed with your treating doctor.
Now regarding conservative management it is important to seek therapy for the phobia of high blood pressure as well as panic attacks. In compare to SSRI and other medications therapy offers long term solution of problem without subjecting to side effects.
I hope this assists you.
If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you.
In future for continuity of care I will request you to post direct questions to me using below mentioned link:
http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/doctors/dr-ashok-kumar/67386
Thanks and regards.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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