Had to go to the Hospital Last Night
 

Wasnt feeling great yesterday (day 3) had an anxiety attack at work and still wasnt feeling great later in the day. Took my blood pressure at the local grocery store while my wife was shopping and it was 190/125! I've always struggled with high blood pressure, but never anything that high.

They were able to get it down at the ER and sent me home late into the night. I've got another appointment today, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has any stories or experience with insane blood pressure readings in early stages of sobriety.

OOOHHH Yes!! I had big problems with my blood pressure being to high. One morning day 4 I felt real light headed and my nose started to bleed, I could feel my heart raising so I went to our local Walgreens and took my BP and it was 170/100. I drove myself to the hospital were I stayed for 8 hours...that's how long it took for my BP to come down. I've been on BP meds since...never had a problem again. I also had bad anxiety. It will pass. hang in there. It really does get easier.

I'm glad that you went to the doctor and you will get checked again today.

I had many blood pressure spikes with withdrawal.

It gets better with time, but you were smart to go the ER.

In sobriety, I don't have issues with that anymore.

Yep, I had a panic attack at work one of the last times I quit and my BP and heart rate was through the roof too. Unfortunately withdrawals tend to get worse and worse each time - some call it Kindling, but it's a pretty real phenomenon.

Glad you went to get things checked out, and hopefully things should start improving soon.

Absolutely. Glad you saw a doc.

I'm sorry that you are having some health problems, but it's great that you're not drinking. As Scott mentioned, withdrawals get worse each time, so that is a big incentive not to drink again.

Had a few panic attacks in the very early days but they seemed to kind of level off with more time. Keep at it man. Good job on getting to the Doc

I had chronic alcoholic hypertension, and it got even higher in detox stages....but now that I'm sober I sit around 130/90. Still a bit high, but that's to be expected.

So glad you went to the hospital! That sounds frightening.

I had high blood pressure when I was drinking, but I don't remember the details. Now that I exercise and eat well, my blood pressure is really low. Sometimes almost too low, but it seems to be ok.

Keep up the good work. I'm glad you're ok.

It used to take about 4 to 5 days after binge drinking before my blood pressure and heart rate would start to return to normal. And that is after taking blood pressure tablets and heart tablets which I have to do every day. I'd hate to think what my BP and HR would have been like otherwise.

High blood pressure in withdrawal is normal. What were you running before you stopped drinking?

You may need medication for BP. My BP during withdrawal was like yours, in medical detox they gave me a second blood pressure medication. It's now a bit high, but I still medicate it.

It is usually in the 140/90 range, but I just looked again and when I was checked in at the hospital it was 200/125, the medication they gave me brought it down quickly though. I just thought I might be past such a huge spike 3 days into detox, guess you never know.

When I quit, the worst days were day 3 and 4. Day 2 was pretty good, and I thought I was out of the woods, but had panic attacks at work on Day 3. I thought I was done at that time and then boom, had another on Day 4. Kept them at bay with alprazolam. Started to level out on Day 5 and haven't looked back. No panic attacks for 19 months- you can do it too!

Sober,

I was exactly like that. 190/120. I could feel my eyes pulsing. Deadman walking. I had hellish attacks for a months. They got better and better though. I had symptoms similar to agoraphobia.
I was in a world of hell, off and on, for over a year. Really sucked!

The addiction had me bad. Thank God for this site. The information folks offer and the historical captures are priceless.

It took a long time after quitting for me to get used to lower blood pressure. It almost felt/feels like parts of my body are a little numb sometimes.

But, I got an annual check up recently and my BP was in the high normal range while under the stress of that. 138/80. This is considered high normal. But again, someone like me with a family history of high blood pressure, this is fine.

I know that if I ever relapsed i would be right back in that hell once again. They say the hell is even worse, so for me that would probably be a stroke or something.

So, now i have to be a big boy and not drink booze anymore. I don't get to spend all that money and time to get into a drug induced euphoria that lasts for a few minutes to hours. I don't get to have my sleep pattern altered and my anxiety elevated. I don't get to obsess anymore, or worry about being pulled over at 11 pm driving home from a party.

Poor me.

Thank God for SR and all of you.

Amen.

Thanks.

yep, I ended up in the ER a few times. The first time I was having panic attacks, rapid heartbeat, shaking hands. Normal withdrawal symptoms. Day 3 is great, you are over the hump!

My BP was dangerously high too but honestly I didn't know the difference. it must have been that way for a long time.

It's well controlled now with meds :)

Glad you sought help SoberDad :)

D

I detoxed at the hospital and my BP was either high or low no middle ground for two days.

Same here. Anxiety or alcohol both will make the BP shoot sky high. Anytime I got sober, it all returned to normal. When I was drinking, my resting heart rate was 105. My doc had sent me to a cardiologist who ran tests and also had me wear a heart monitor for 24 hours. I was fine, it just ran high. A month after getting sober, my resting heart rate was 70. BP, same deal. But when anxious or withdrawals, yeah...sky f'n high.

How you doing Soberdad?