Why am I waking out of sleep with high spikes in my blood pressure?

Do you suffer from panic/anxiety attacks?

I have the same surging blood pressure occasionally as I wake up. I had an acute case of it for two months this year, where it was a multiple, everyday episode. It made me very sick and I missed some work days. I've had it for about one year now.

My BP will usually be 99/57 at full rest, awake. When the surge happens, I will wake up very suddenly with that surging feeling and have BP of 148/92 or more, spiking further when I get up. I wind up shivering cold with the shakes after a few minutes (5-20mins) - my body temperature drops.

Early on in these extreme episodes, I would have a rapid pulse that went over 100. It was a full throttle panic attack, but none like I had ever had before. I too truly thought I was going to have a stroke and went to the emergency room a number of times. It happens during sleep, between 4am - 9am for me. It has also happened just before & just after waking up during my two months of intense, daily episodes.

Something hormonal or nerurological is happening, beyond the possible panic attack/pre-menopausal diagnosis. It is a rather severe reaction. It physically hurts and is disruptive to somebody who is in relatively good health - and for one who works at being healthy (me).

I take Paroxetine - that helps - but I still don't have a sufficient answer on the mechanics of this problem, or a name for it. The Paroxitine doesn't hinder the waking BP spike from cropping up a couple of times a month, but it does help quiet the panic reflex.

We know that beta blockers quell the high blood pressure process for some cases, and how it does that. I think this 'blood pressure spiking condition' needs more explanation in it's relationship to panic disorder or whatever it is really related to.

I think it is a dangerous condition. I would love to have some better explanations about why this happens.

OOOOKKKK....I am glad to see that I am not the only one that feels like I am hitting a brick wall at full speed constantly over the "blood pressure spike" issues! I was admitted to the hospital eight times last year and I have been to the ER over 21 times since July, 2008! I have had every test i can think of to request. I take Propranolol three times a day to control my heart rate, HCTZ for my BP, and Amitriptyline for the so called "panic attacks" (Xanax when needed at the worst times!) Without getting to long winded, last year I was sitting in my garden planting flowers and drinking my energy drink (Full Throttle) as usual and all of a sudden my heart rate rose and I could feel my BP rising as well......EMT's registered at 176 for heart rate and 210/134 for the blood pressure! This did not subside until 3 or 4 hours had passed. Since then, I have been plagued with these spikes and also migraine headaches, digestion issues, severe esophageal spasms, and tingling and numbness coming and going on the right side of my face and into my arm and legs. This is especially apparent when I have the BP spikes. I can just be laughing and carrying on with my kids or asleep....the spikes just hit and they are VERY debilitating! I have had to leave work several times to go to the ER and miss work altogether over being admitted. I have kidney issues/constant bladder infections and fatigue especially in the afternoons. I have had one doctor say that he is not ruling out Multiple Sclerosis. My sister has this condition as well! She and I are both nurses and it is very hard to explain this to our employers. Got a question for all people that wrote into this and are haveing these symptoms: have you been tested for an adrenal tumor? and has anyone had a parent or spouse go overseas during the Gulf War or Kuwait (1990-2007)? I have had an environmental doctor run chemical panels as well. Seems that my sister and I are both positive for pesticide exposure....wuld love to hear responses!!!! :) angie

P.S. I am 34 and my sister is 29. I have 4 children, married and she has twin girls, married. We both are nurses and live in stable homes.....(well, atleast for now! This has caused serious financial burden as well!)

Elinore, I know that our pressure is supposed to gradually rise as we awaken. I just worry about a stroke due to the persistent hypertension episodes. I responded earlier to the general topic, but I wanted to address you specifically. I too have the nausea and headache when the pressure drops. I have this between 7am and 11am and at night between 4pm and 9pm. It is daily like clock work! My husband and I have tried experimenting where I have no clocks or ability to know daytime from nighttime. It still happens and he was able to vouch for that since he had the watch! LOL. Like I mentioned earlier, my sister suffers from the same thing except one thing is different....her heart skips beats and I just have Sinus Tachycardia. We both have the BP spikes, edema, fatigue, and we are very sodium sensitive. My mother experienced a similiar health issue and was put on a special diet and medications. She is doing much better now, but despite diet and meds my sister and I are still plagued. It is getting to the point that I get afraid to go ANYWHERE! Even to the WalMart! Again, as mentioned in the other post, traces of pesticides were found in me and my sister. My brother refuses to be tested. My father was in the Gulf War region (2 yrs), Kuwait (9months) and Iraq (14 months).....and also spent 2 1/2 years on tour during the Vietnam War!! Do you have any past exposure to anyone who was exposed to these wars? My environmental doctor seems to think that my mom's breast cancer and me and my sister's illness has much to do with this exposure. Reason being is because my father absorbed the chemicals and when he would sweat the outgas would absorb into clothes, furniture, anything pourous....we then in turn absorbed these toxins as well. My father is 100% disabled due to similiar symptoms involving the muscles and the neurological issues that me and my sister are slowly developing. By the way, we had no idea that my father had been seen or treated for any of these issues until we had to PRY it out of him!!!! I would really like anyone's input.