Indigo Blue Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 Does anyone know if there are any anxiety meds that are safe for someone to take who also has high blood pressure? Full disclosure: I have someone in my life who has both severe anxiety and high blood pressure. My entire life, and those of many others, have been deeply affected by this person’s anxiety (along with their narcissistic personality type). This person has a very, very, very long history of criticizing others and labeling them as being bi-polar, adhd, etc. These people are criticized for being too stubborn to seek treatment and refusing to get help. But said person will not seek treatment for their own issues, and will openly state that they can’t take anything for anxiety because of high blood pressure. Does anyone here take any anxiety med while also managing high blood pressure? The person claims to have talked with their doctor and the doctor has supposedly told them that no anxiety medication is safe with high blood pressure. Since this person lies often, I can’t trust that this is true. I am not pressuring and I will not pressure anyone to take meds. I just want to know this for myself. If there is something that may be safe to try, I MAY suggest it, but that’s all. This person has told me no med is safe for them for years and years, while criticizing others for not getting help with issues that said person will assign to other people. I really have wanted to know about this for a very long time. I feel very strongly that this person does not want to take anxiety med. They have actually stated “I don’t want to because it will change who I am.” And that is their choice. But I have a feeling they are using “there are no safe meds” as a smoke screen….because they don’t want to take that type of medication for whatever reason. Maybe it’s because they have to then acknowledge something is “wrong” with them because they would need to admit they need the same meds that others are criticized for not taking even if said person says they need to because they are so (insert random disorder)? I just would love to know if this is actually true, or if anyone here does, indeed, take anxiety meds with high blood pressure. I just don’t know if this is yet another falsehood or if there really is a plethora of choices. Yes, this is difficult and I struggle with all this on many levels. And, yes, what they tell me could be true, but I never can know for sure with this person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 While some anti anxiety meds can cause blood pressure to go up, they just adjust the dose of the blood pressure medications. I googled to find an article for you on the point: https://www.verywellhealth.com/antidepressants-and-blood-pressure-1763988 (this is specifically on antidepressants, but there is overlap on meds and issues) Some doctors will actually use beta blockers for blood pressure with the happy side effect of relieving anxiety: https://www.healthline.com/health/beta-blockers-for-anxiety So, you aren’t getting straight answers from your family member or there is a misunderstanding. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 Clonidine is a high blood pressure medication that can help anxiety (as well as some other off-label conditions). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 (edited) I was going to suggest beta blocker as well. Not just safe for someone with high blood pressure, but beneficial in lowering it. The anti-anxiety effect would be, as prariewindmomma says, a happy side effect. It may not be sufficient to alleviate anxiety, but should reduce it, and in particular any tendency toward heart racing from anxiety. Beta blockers lower heart rate. Edited March 4, 2023 by KSera Typo 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 My experience (as a musician who takes beta blockers) is that the anti-anxiety effects are transient. Once you've adjusted to the new baseline, you can still get anxious. But they definitely wouldn't hurt. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 (edited) I'm on a beta blocker and Lexapro (antidepressant) for anxiety. The beta blocker did make a difference at first, but wasn't enough (still having panic attacks etc). The Lexapro has helped a lot, and I haven't had any unwanted side effects. eta my blood pressure has remained stable since starting the Lexapro Edited March 4, 2023 by MEmama 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 I know someone who was very recently diagnosed with HBP. Anxiety is believed to be one of the causes. The person has been prescribed a beta blocker and Lexapro. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mindinggaps Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 I'm not a medical expert, and this should be discussed with a doctor, but to the best of my knowledge the concept that SSRIs are unsafe to take if you have high blood pressure is quite false. We discussed side effects and risks of SSRIs extensively with an expert psychiatrist before we started on daughter on them and not once did blood pressure come up as an issue. Mind you, she is young, so perhaps this is relevant for older folks, but I don't think so. For example, below is a link to a recent medical study which directly states: In general, SSRIs did not significantly affect BP levels and are considered safe in patients with and without preexisting cardiovascular diseasehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8370473/ 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 I've known many many people that took high blood pressure medication and were on antidepressant or anti anxiety meds. It's very common. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 Very common to be on both. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 They are incorrect, and probably just trying to shut down the conversation. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 15 minutes ago, katilac said: They are incorrect, and probably just trying to shut down the conversation. Or it could be a doctor who is clueless. They do exist. Har one a few months ago. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 5 hours ago, itsheresomewhere said: Or it could be a doctor who is clueless. They do exist. Har one a few months ago. Could be, for sure, but I'm betting on the person who lies and manipulates a lot staying true to form. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Blue Posted March 5, 2023 Author Share Posted March 5, 2023 15 hours ago, Pawz4me said: I know someone who was very recently diagnosed with HBP. Anxiety is believed to be one of the causes. The person has been prescribed a beta blocker and Lexapro. Thanks. I would be willing to bet that anxiety is a factor in the HBP. It can get dangerously high, and it happens sporadically, although there hasn’t been a huge spike in quite awhile now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Blue Posted March 5, 2023 Author Share Posted March 5, 2023 Thanks for these replies. I know this is something that should be discussed with a doctor, but this is just for me. It won’t be affecting anyone’s medical care. OTOH, if I were to approach it in just the right way, I may could print out articles from the links here, and make suggestions that might make the person think about it and possibly discuss with the doctor. Maybe. Either way, it’s their choice and would be discussed with their doctor. But nothing will happen unless this person decides they want to take medications for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 18 hours ago, Indigo Blue said: Does anyone here take any anxiety med while also managing high blood pressure? My husband takes Celexa (citalopram) and a drug for high blood pressure. Here's an article about the use of antidepressant medication and blood pressure: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2021.704281/full 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 That is a question a psychiatrist could answer. GP's aren't the greatest with complex medical issues, IME. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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