Anxiety, pre-hypertension, no sleep,rising heart rate. Help!

Hi all,

Okay heres the story, about a year and a half ago I was diagnosed with pre-hypertension. I would always stress about work, family, gf problems, ect. and i would have trouble sleeping so I began to smoke marijuana as a stress reliever for all my problems. It began socially for fun but led to it being my main solution for relaxation so I could go to sleep comfortably at night. It would be EVERY day. This past summer I started to take anti-inflammatory medication for a rotator cuff injury. I also went through 30 pills of hydro codeine at the same time. A little over a week ago I crashed my car but came out without a scratch. Now the doctor said I would have a general sense of anxiety and fear, feeling depressed, sad, low in energy, as well as trouble sleeping. Ever since the accident I have had all these symptoms but the main problem has been my lack of sleep. Every night as i try to lay down and relax my heart will continuously pump at a reasonably high rate. Ill try sleeping but wont be able to really knock out till around 4 even 5 am and even then Ill wake up multiple times and move around a lot. I checked my blood pressure today..systolic 123 diastolic 70 and a heart rate of 88.

I currently stopped taking any meds...not even ibuprofen. Im scared they have to do a lot with my rising blood pressure as well as the accident. What should i do about this? wait it out and see what happens? I do not have medical coverage yet until another month or 2 so it would be expensive if i continue to go to the hospital without insurance. Any recommendations with home care or medicine i can buy at walgreens? Im only 22 years old and I lost around 15 pounds within the past few months so Im down to 135 right now and im 5'7. This is taking a toll on my body and mind ..I would just like some direction that will help me gain some weight, less stress, lower resting heart rate, and have a better mindset overall.

Any advice would help.

Thanks. God Bless.

Hey,

Did you simply stop taking your medication in one go?; or did you 'wean' off them (i.e. - gradually reduce the dosage)? If you simply stopped taking them, then you could have done damage to yourself. These things should never just be stopped, and you should have talked to your doctor who prescribed them first.

I can't explain why you're heart pressure would be high, unless it was a side-effect of one of the meds. Even still, it would have been better to wean off them.

Kevin

The doctor made a specific dosing schedule to go by for the 20 mg Prednisone meds... it was 3 tablets every day on days 1-4 , 2 tablets every day on days 5-8 , 1 tablet every day on days 9-12...I didn't finish the last 3 days because thats when my accident occured and I was afraid it would have messed with my heart. I was also taking 600 mg of ibuprofen a couple times a day but also stopped around the same time I ended the prednisone.

Would it still be okay to take the 600 mg ibuprofen as of right now even if I have pre-hypertension or should I take a lesser mg such as 200? I just need the safest route possible..even if it means being pain and not taking anything.

What damage could I possibly have done?

Thanks Kevin.

Hey,

I don't want to offer advice on how to take the Ibuprofen, because I am not qualified. I hope you understand, right?

Anyway, you never mentioned in your first post that it was Prednisone that you were taking. This is a steroid and it is imperative that you take it correctly. This drug is probably what caused your rapid heart-beat too: Prednisone boosts your metabolism, which means and increased heart-rate. When I was on 40mg of it, I only slept about 3 hours every night and still woke up feeling fresh the next day.

If you do not take prednisone correctly, however, your bones can become damaged, your heart could become weaker, and you can induce depression. You seem to have weaned off it in a suitable fashion though (i.e. - as directed), except for the last few days (but that shouldn't be too bad because you were on the lowest dosage anyway).

Kevin

Kevin,

I totally understand. Im really not in pain at all as far as my shoulder is concerned so Im okay without the ibuprofen for now.

I think I just need to relax a little more..maybe exercise, drink more water, and eat healthier to reduce my blood pressure. The prednisone prescription wasn't for a long period of time any way so I should be just fine. Things just seemed to happen all at once you know? First dealing with my shoulder, then the break up, then the accident...so I went through alot this summer lol. But hey Im living and breathing..that's all that matters.

thanks for your opinions & help! Greatly appreciated.

I suffered a similar 'cascading' of bad things a few years ago: I was in a relationship that neither my nor my partner's parent's wanted; I was just diagnosed with a chronic illness (Ulcerative Collitis); I flunked out of college; I was Bulimic; and I was depressed. The reason why I started taking Prednisone was for the Ulcerative Collitis, but my doctor also prescribed me Calcium at the same time (because Prednisone has the nasty side-effect of increasing the rate at which Calcium is lost from thebones). When you were taking Prednisone, were you also taking Calcium supplments?

Kevin

freedom2006,

Chucky is correct about the prednisone; it can mess up your metabolism, disturb sleep patterns, cause hot flashes, etc.

Has your doctor checked your thyroid? An overactive thyroid will cause rapid heart rate, dry hair, hoarse voice, weight loss, among other things. If those symptoms sound familiar, ask your doctor about doing the blood test that will tell whether your thyroid is functioning properly.

As far as long term damage, any overdose of a med will affect your liver because that is where the body cleans the blood of any toxins. The liver is fairly resilient, but long term overuse of meds can cause permanent damage.


Good luck,

The doctor that prescribed me the Prednisone didn't say anything about the side effects..and never spoke on taking any supplements.

because Prednisone has the nasty side-effect of increasing the rate at which Calcium is lost from thebones

I read this online just yesterday and the only calcium I've been getting is a cup of milk every day. I also read that taking more potassium helps as well. Ive been feeling weak and very tired throughout the day..when you were taking calcium supplements did it give you a boost? Do you think it's smart to start taking small doses of calcium and not just overload your system if you were in my condition? What about Vitamin B complex?..i know it supports your immune system and helps for normal functioning of the nervous system but it also speeds up metablosim. I guess it would be okay to take it in my case right?

I haven't had a hoarse voice..would that be a main symptom of an over active thyroid?

I've also been really flush in the face...everyday ill have dark circles and bags under my eyes. Anything I can do to relieve that?

I've also been really flush in the face...everyday ill have dark circles and bags under my eyes. Anything I can do to relieve that?

Seriously? - The usual cause of the dark circles is just a lack of sleep. You suffered from this a while back, didn't you? It may take a good few nights of adequate sleep in order for the circles to fade away. The flushness in your face should be solved by drinking a bit more water each day and using a moisturiser after you shower.

You should still take Calcium supplements now because it has been months since I came off the Prednisone, but my doctor still says that I should be taking Calcium (as my bones could still be weak). Be sure to take them as directed though, because an overload of Calcium can cause depression and lead to a build-up of plaque in the arteries surrounding your heart. On second thoughts, actually, you should really talk to your doctor first about this. I'm not a professional, you understand.

You shouldn't need any Vitamin B complex supplements as long as your diet is good. In fact, maybe that's why you weren't prescribed Calcium either (because your diet is good)? You see, I was (and still am Bulimic), so, my doctor knows that I'm not getting enough nutrients in my regular diet.

Kevin

My diet is so so... To be honest ill eat one full meal a day and snack the rest. On good days ill have 2 full meals. Lack of money, time, and if i do make food to last everyone in the house eats it up all in one day. Its an animal house here..

Fall semester is starting Monday so hopefully ill have a better balanced diet. Waking up early will help so I get breakfast in at least.

Hopefully I get benefits soon so I could see a doctor..