I woke this morning and felt strange and sick in my stomach . Once up my legs felt weird and really off balance . But I kept working . Then I felt really crook and thought I was about to vomit and pass out , my heart was skipping something shocking . I went to bathroom and ran cold water and splashed onto my face while sitting down . I then took my blood pressure and it was 179/110 pulse 💯. I then took a Kalma (xanax) . Over the next half hour or so it started to come down slowly . I came home and had a sleep . I’m feeling just not right now , with a headache . Does anyone else get this ?
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Jodz
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Hi Jodz, first thing on waking is usually a bad time for anybody with anxiety disorder. Some say this is because levels of cortisol peak at about 8 a.m. and too much cortisol can make us feel over anxious.
But I think the sudden realisation on waking that another day of difficulty and challenge faces us imminently can cause a sudden increase in anxiety and all its symptoms including increased blood pressure.
I don't get up until late but I can wake up at 6a.m. feeling fine because I know I'vr got another 3 hours in the comfort zone of my bed before I have to face the day. And of course people with anxiety disorder exaggerate ten fold the difficulties of the problems facing them that day. Then at 9a.m. I suddenly change and start feeling anxious as I face the prospect of going into battle sorting out the minor problems that face me.
Maybe an exaggerated form of this accounts for why you feel so bad on waking. And of course all the symptoms you describe can be common symptoms of anxiety.
Xanax can be helpful in dispersing this dawn phenomenum. A cup of green tea can help counteract the effects of high cortisol because of the L-Thianine it contains.
But the best response is the same as how we should respond to all the symptoms of anxiety regardless of the time of day. Which is to accept them calmly and without fear for the time being knowing them to be of no danger to us. Just lie there for a while letting every muscle in your body go limp and imagine there's a big muscle in your brain and feel that relaxing and going limp too. This prevents us generating even more fear hormone that affects our nervous system.
Acceptance is of course the method for recovery from anxiety advocated by Australian doctor Claire Weekes and described in her first book 'Self help for your nerves' which although written 50 years ago has together with her other books on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk received hearly 1750 reader reviews 90% of which rate her acceptance method Very Good or Excellent.
I hope this may in some small way bring understanding and reassurance to your symptoms on waking.
I was at work and was on a sleep over even though I don’t sleep properly. I work in a very high behaviour disability residential house that has staff 24/7. Your up out of bed at quarter to 6 . But when I’m home I do lay there and never rush to get out of bed . When my bp goes that high I feel so crook and it effects me for the rest of the day . It takes so much out of me .
The anxiety helping and your situation etc makes me feel it’s anxiety as well. I do think parameters may make you feel better. I do think you should keep a record. My example with my mom comes in as she had chest pain and high BP for years contributed to stress. I kept taking her BP etc. Then I said no I’m not taking it or doing anything until you get a cardiac work up. She went to doctor who did EKG and sent her to stress test right then where they ended up sending her to the cath lab that sent her to emergency bypass surgery. The day before surgery. The years of anxiety and high BP does eventually wear on your heart. I agree with Jeff especially with your circumstance just make sure your doctor is aware of what’s happening. Don’t forget it’s better to be safe than sorry if you’re unsure. Acceptance is a wonderful practice. I just bought Claire Weekes book he recommends. Highly recommended.
That is pretty darn high. The bottom number (diastolic) is real high. A headache etc with high blood pressure is common but being that high is not good. You take meds for BP don’t you? With my mom for example, if her BP gets that high we will give it a bit and then retake. If she is okay then we just follow that lead. With your head ache, nausea, irregular heart rate etc. it may be a good idea to get a check up. It’s so hard to tell online. How are you now? Wish I had seen this sooner. When in doubt and you’ve ruled out the basics of anxiety and all it is always better to be safe than sorry. I hope you are feeling much better. We are primarily peers here. I have knowledge but anxiety myself. Discuss with your doctor exactly when he feels you should come in. Parameters, symptoms etc so you will have a better guideline to go on and ER vs. doctors office. Don’t forgot to document date, time, BP, symptoms and duration. Don’t obsess over documenting. That will make it worse. Maybe keep a chart by your chair, bed or on the fridge. Even a notebook in your purse. When you get your parameters put them in writing. Keep in your notebook or on fridge. Keep in mind parameters are a basic guideline that changes with symptoms, activities, anxiety etc. It may be your blood pressure went up as yours tends to do and then went down and anxiety took over. I believe what you described is a scenario you’ve experienced before. I just have to say better safe than sorry if you’re unsure.
Yes the readings where high but my bp came down to normal within the hour 123/76 ?? Go figure .
I only got the headache once it came down . Thinking because it was so high then came down quick . I felt really drained for the rest of the day though . Pretty sure it’s a doozy of a panic attack . My heart was flip flopping and missing beats , felt sick , pale, shaky, dry mouth, jelly legs etc etc . I have been pretty stressed the last few weeks .
That happens to me regularly. Chest pain is my normal. As long as you’re careful anxiety sure does mimic some of the worst diseases. So cruel isn’t it? Glad you’re okay. Be safe and take care. Hope you can get that stress under control.
I have been in my new job for 6 months and loving it . A new staff member came in and it’s gone bad . False accusations against staff , nothing but a bully . And also bloody family crap . So now I have realised life is to short for drama . So see ya later to them all .
Hopeful-Tinker life sux at times that’s for sure . So today I kept getting palps and I have no idea why . Spent 4 hours with my one and only grand daughter and was occupied the whole time and they kept happening . So frigin over it all . Had enough !!!!!
Do you drink coffee or tea or eat chocolate or other foods with caffeine? That makes mine worse. Mine are a daily norm most days. Some meds can also boost you up like anti anxiety meds or antidepressants. Pain meds. Etc. Cold meds especially day meds or inhalers, steroids etc I bet you could look that up hun. I took the wrong meds day instead of night so was up all night and now at 6:43am my night meds are now working. Message me anytime you need a friend, encouragement etc. I don’t always see everyone’s posts. Messages reach me faster. However I think I’m going to bed now! I’m getting out of it tired. ❤️
Drink green tea every morning . Glass of red most nights . Don’t drink coffee . Take Xanax when needed.
Do you get that funny feeling in your chest/throat and it feels like your heart skipping but when I check my pulse it’s ok . But then I do get the real feelings and my pulse I’d haywire . This does my head in as I’m always checking my bloody pulse
Yes all the time. I just quit checking it. I just float through it. Keep going as normal.
Yes!!! My blood pressure was that high and my heart rate was that fast and I was given 1mg klonopin and it slowly went back to normal. I felt like I was swelling on the inside. It was terrible and scared as hell!!!
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I’m sorry to keep posting I just really feel like I’m loosing my mind
Recurring and mostly persistent Headaches from about 2 months .. Really worried about anything serious ??
Low blood pressure!!?
First panic attack/too scared to sleep
Constant Blood pressure monitoring
