White coat hypertension?

[kanga25]

Hello.

Just abit of backround on myself first....
I'm a 25 yr old male, in relatively good shape, non smoker, try to eat well and exercise.
I've been diagnosed with anxiety/panic disorder mostly related to health though some of it is generalised anxiety as well.
Recently when going to see a doctor to get referred to a psychologist & get on to an SSRI. She checked my blood pressure and it was 140/90 and she said ''that's a bit high for someone you're age'' that was enough for me to freak out and she said keep an eye on it.
I then went down to the pharmacy the next day to get it tested and I freaked out and could feel myself panicking my BP was 155/100 or something. The girl seemed pretty worried and told me to see a doctor.
Went to see a different doctor straight after and It was 150/90 then went down to 145/90 she wasn't overly concerned though due to the fact I have anxiety.

I went out and bought a blood pressure monitor and now that I've gotten used to the machine I'm getting good readings most of the time when relaxing at home even down to as low as 98/59 once and generally around or under the 120/80 threshold.

I had another appointment with a different doctor again and he checked my pressure and it was 170/95 with a pulse of nearly 100bpm he was abit concerned but said to monitor over weekend and record results.
So I had another appointment today and he was ready to put me on BP meds and got a reading of 160/110 in doctors today but showed him results.

He said he believes my data of home readings and decided not to put me on meds which I was relieved..
Anyone know how to not freak out at doctors so I can get good readings there as well.?

[Davit]

Here the machines take five readings two minutes apart and discards the first and last. You are in a room by yourself.

[kanga25]

Here the machines take five readings two minutes apart and discards the first and last. You are in a room by yourself.

It's a real rush at my doctor the appointments only go for about 5mins so everything Is rushed and I swear sometimes they aren't even testing it properly.

[Libra]

I also suffer with white coat hypertension..When I had my BP taken couple years ago reading was 160/90.It was me who said "that's high", the GP said hang on a bit.. He took it again and it came down to 152/90. ..and then again few minutes later was 145/90..He said..no worries, its just your anxiety because your BP wouldn't continue dropping like that in a short period of time.. To be honest..that tight cuff is enough to raise peoples Bp !!

[ricardo]

I think everyone suffers with the white coat scenario.

it's a bit alarming that some doctors now regard 140/90 as nothing unusual.

Make sure you have bought a good BP machine and the best way to set your mind at rest is that the next time you go the doctors take your machine with you and have your BP taken one after the other by both machines.

If the readings are nearly the same,regardless how high they are then you can relax.

I am sure your relaxed readings in the comfort of your own home are correct and normal, but don't get obsessed with taking your BP too often.

[swajj]

Worrying about your blood pressure being high can result in high blood pressure. I T happened to me. I ended up in Emergency twice and each time my blood pressure dropped to normal range once they calmed me down. I remember watching the machine drop 10 points, then another 10 points and so on until it dropped about 70 points. You are a bit young for blood pressure meds but they don't have to be a lifetime thing. I was Atacand 16, then dropped to 8 and then to 4. I think I could go off them altogether but I'm still not confident enough to try it. My doctor got me thinking along the lines that the meds act like a brake, preventing my BP from reaching undesirable levels. Once I started thinking like that I was able to drop the dosage without any negative effects. I'm just a bit scared to give up that last little brake.

[Davit]

It is done in a separate room so if the doctor is busy a nurse does it and gives the doctor the results. Appointments last 15 minutes but you can book a half hour if your doctor thinks you need it or it includes a procedure like removing a mole and sending it in. Nurses take out staples if he is busy. We have well woman clinics where a nurse does the examination and tests. She can't write scrips though. We have a good medical system.

[countrygirl]

I have the worlds worst white coat syndrome they have ever seen and it causes huge problems. What my Gp told me to do was take my BP every day at home ( I do it twice, three times a day if I can) and keep a record of it together with my pulse. Whenever I have to see a Dr for anything just in case they take my bp I take a copy of my latest 10 days bp/pulse readings with me and explain that when not in a medical setting this is my bp/pulse but they will both be high in any medical setting.

At home my bp is low usually below 120 and below 80 with pulse of 70-80 but if anyone else takes it then my bp can be as high as 186/96 and my pulse will be between 130 -150!! It then takes about 24 hrs for my bp and pulse to return to my normal although once back home it goes down to borderline normal.

Always take two or three readings a few minutes apart - you can then either divide the totals by 3 or discard the first and last one.

My Gp says if your pulse is 100 or above then your BP will never ever be normal range and he is amazed at hoe many Dr's and almost all nurses do not know this.

[Old 68]

So nice to know that it's not just me.
I had a Stroke 6 years ago,aged 62,caused by Sky High B/P.
I am now on medication,and have a home monitor.
BUT,it's always high when I have to visit Doctor/Dentist.
Took mine this morning after a stressful night,caused by a Thunder Storm and a panicked Dog.140/82.Is that ok.? still lower than any Medical appointment.?
Which surprised me.

[swajj]

That reading is fine. Especially as you can account for it - storm and panicked dog. It is not an ideal reading if it is consistently 140 but it is by no means dangerous.

[Old 68]

Thanks for that.I try not to become obsessed with taking my pressure.
But do check it if I feel particularly stressed like last night.
As for Docs appointments etc,I can feel the pressure going up when I spot the Machine coming towards me lol.

[yenool]

You should keep in mind that slightly raised blood pressure is not actually an illness in itself, but just one risk factor for developing other problems later on. Most diseases/illnesses linked with higher blood pressure also have many other factors that come into play, such as age, obesity, smoking, alcohol use, genetics, etc.

Instead of monitoring your BP all the time you would almost certainly do more good for your health by getting out for a brisk 30 minute walk twice a day.