High blood pressure + hernia = anxiety

Hello This is my first post. I am a 62 year old male. Not sure this is the right thread since it is more about hypertension. I was in good shape in November and now everything is changed. I was working with weights 4 times a week. eating relatively health, following a lot of Dr Mercola but not perfectly. I was trying to cut down all my sugar, eat more protein, veggies and fruit. I never took any pharmaceuticals not even asprin, but suplements such as vit C, D, probiotics, cranberry (for prevent recurrance of urinary infection).

Then all changed. I was going into my medical exam for my immigration to Canada. I went through a wicked blizzard to get there. But they found my PB systolic 155. I have been fighting to get my residency in Canada and living with my wife like a refuge for 12 years here in Canada. I went to check my BP in a drug store and now it was 168 range and I was told to get help. So after Christmas parties which I hate I had and argument with my wife and a night or insomnia. The next day I had BP over 200. SO the emergency doctor gave me ativaan and amlodipine. I thought I had better take it. So he told me to find a family doctor. I did and the night before my appointment I look down and there is an inguinal hernia!! Now I though I was screwed.

The doctor did not even care about the hernia, he just said when you get your insurance you can get it fixed just were a belt. At 62 working in the steel shops I was ready to quit. But I found a comfortable belt.

Now I can only walk to detress. The doctor had me taking my BP three times a day and I was going into an anxiety spiral. My blood work showed no problem with my cholesterol, lipids or diabetes, so I assume the stress was doing it.

I wanted to chuck the BP machine and the amlodipiine made me feel like another person. Dizzy, depressed, out of it. I gave it up and stopped taking the BP readings for 4 days hoping meditation and other things might resolve it. But no I have constant ringing in my ears and growing insomnia problems. I have to take epsom salt bathes and meditate. But the last time I went to the doctor I told him I wanted a new BP med so I am on my 2 day of Valsartan and BP is around 170 /98 range. But I am having poor sleep or no sleep. The doctor offered some psychotropic drugs but since my goal was to stay off pharmaceuticals I said no thanks. I don't want to get hooked on a bunch of pills that can hurt me! i JUST WANT TO GET TO THE CORE OF THE ANXIETY PROBLEM, GET MY BP DOWN AND HAVE MY HERNIA FIXED.... I SO MISS BEING ACTIVE IT IS LITERALLY KILLING ME ( I LOST 25 LBS IN A MONTH) I am in a vicious cycle now. an allopath being pressured into being a pill popper. IS there a way out of this dead end??

Hi

Welcome to the forum.

Sorry to hear of your recent health concerns and anxiety which will magnify any symptoms you have. The good thing with anxiety is a lot can be done to help the best being doing some talking therapy such as CBT speak with your doctor about getting a referral

Also take a look at the links SC has given you for some useful links to self help guides.

Stay with us and keep posting we are here for you.

Hibee