How to relax during blood pressure test

[Weasley123]

I went to urgent care yesterday a walk in clinic for a large external hemmerhoid, yeah fun. I'm not upset about why I went I got creams and worst case I'll need it removed in out patient surgery. However I am upset because I can't relax during bp test. The minute i saw the cuff heart pounding 148/81. The nurse said it wasn't to bad for anxiety she said my pulse was normal but it was 80 something I'm usually like 70. I know it's anxiety I'm 39 Female on bcp loloesteib de no other issues. I always had low p before health anxiety. I don't checj at home as I obsess but it be high then low. How do u guys relax. Also I don't want to take meds. I take xanax for emergencies but rarely it def helps.

---------- Post added at 13:58 ---------- Previous post was at 13:57 ----------

I should add I'm proud of myself tat I went I have sever dr phobia

---------- Post added at 14:03 ---------- Previous post was at 13:58 ----------

Maybe online cbt would help

[chomer86]

Just wanted to say i cant offer any advice but i also have the same proble. im absoloutely fine then the cuff comes out and bam.. heart rate spikes as does blood pressure. Very frustating. Your not alone! X

[NervUs]

My blood pressure is high sometimes at the doctor, sometimes not. My pulse is always outrageous. It was 102 today, and that was at 7 am, right after waking up basically.

I don't really know how to bring any of these things down, other than what they say to do- diet, exercise, and less stress. My stress is 100% health anxlety, so I don't feel like I can put much stock in readings taken at the docs office.

[orthagonal]

Couple of things:

148/81 isn't very high at all. White coat hypertension is very common, I have it myself. Some estimates are that 1/3 of Americans have it.

AHA guidelines for taking blood pressure requires you sit still for 5 minutes, feet on the floor, with your arm supported at heart level. Is that what happened? Almost every time I go to the doc, they march you back there and are taking your BP, arm dangling at your side, within a minute of entering the exam room. Anytime I've pointed out my concern to my doctor about my BP (140ish is pretty much a given for the first BP reading in a doc's office), he's taken it again, after I've been sitting for awhile and while supporting my arm. And it's always normal.

But let's pretend, for the sake of argument, that yes, your BP is always 148/81, what would that mean? That's stage one hypertension, and usually they begin treatment of that with lifestyle changes. It is by no means an imminent threat to your health. You'd have to have that reading for years and years and years for it to make an impact on your arteries, and even then, many people live to 90 with that BP. Stage 1 hypertension is a minor and eminently treatable condition, and you aren't in any immediate danger even if you had consistent readings like that.

Hey I get the cycle: you worry about having high BP, so you that makes your BP go higher. But your body can take it. I had a kidney stone a few months ago and the pain made my systolic pressure spike to 190 in the ER! Power lifters routinely spike out at 200 mm/hg when exercising.

If you're really worried about it, talk to your GP. What he or she is probably going to recommend is that you get a home cuff to check your BP. You can do this if you like, I have one myself and a day or so before I head to the doc I check my BP a few times so I know that it's normal and I know that the initial reading I get is due to anxiety and not chronic hypertension.

Now, you may not want to do that. I'm an inveterate checker, and when I'm having bad HA, sometimes I'll sit there and take my BP over and over and over until I like the reading. Overchecking is a common symptom of HA and if you feel like you'll keep checking your BP constantly, then the home cuff won't help you.

The takeaway here is that BP is highly variable throughout the day, highly susceptible to emotion and anxiety, and one high reading does not mean you have hypertension. High readings in the doctors office are extremely common and doesn't mean anything other than "I'm nervous about whatever I'm here for, and also that my BP will be high". It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[CHELLEB1017]

I have high blood pressure and am on a beta blocker but I can say when I am nervous at the doctors it goes up to about what yours is. I usually just try to think about my sons or something fun I am looking forward to and it usually brings it right down.

[Weasley123]

Thanks for your help. I had a home bp cuff but I got obsessed. Check again and again. If have high then low three min later I throw it out. I am sure it's fear as could hear my heart pounding. They said my hemmerhoid might require lancing or surgical removal if so I'm sure jy bp will be200 lol. I'm not overweight don't smoke walk 15000 steps a day. I do drink a bottle of wine over Saturday or Sunday but that's it. I eat healthy during the week but do love to indulge on weekends

[CHELLEB1017]

I still can get obsessed with my home monitor! I have managed to only take it it one day a month though for the past few months! But for the most part if it is high withing a few minutes it is in the 119/76 range and 65 bpm. Stupid anxiety! Hope you feel better soon!

[Weasley123]

Yes mines like that. I'd get 160 on home thrv three minutes later 118.

[daisyflower]

Mine is ridiculous because of my phobia of medical tests and doctors/hospitals. I had to have a 24 hour one to prove i could have surgery as it was too high in my pre op. Even having it on in my home and feeling it click on every few mins (with me eventually ripping it off at 2am because I couldn't sleep) came out at an average reading of 139/89, and that was doing relaxation techniques and everything.

One way to get it down slightly in the doctor's surgery is to take a big breath when they are attaching the cuff, then breathe out really slowly when they are taking it. I can't talk otherwise it goes higher. My anxiety just can't deal with the white coat syndrome.

---------- Post added at 20:14 ---------- Previous post was at 20:13 ----------

Mine is ridiculous because of my phobia of medical tests and doctors/hospitals. I had to have a 24 hour one to prove i could have surgery as it was too high in my pre op. Even having it on in my home and feeling it click on every few mins (with me eventually ripping it off at 2am because I couldn't sleep) came out at an average reading of 139/89, and that was doing relaxation techniques and everything.

One way to get it down slightly in the doctor's surgery is to take a big breath when they are attaching the cuff, then breathe out really slowly when they are taking it. I can't talk otherwise it goes higher. My anxiety just can't deal with the white coat syndrome.

[Kimberleaf]

I always have normal blood pressure, but when I go to the doctor my heart rate immediately spikes into the nineties and my blood pressure goes up 10-15 points. Like someone mentioned, there is a protocol that's supposed to be followed but rarely is. It's going to be higher just from the lack of correct measuring and even higher with anxiety.
My sister-in-law (doctor) says that a true measure of your blood pressure is how it is when taken at home. She told me of the guidelines listed in the other post (sitting down for a while, arm at heart level etc.) and it's been normal every time I do that. :shrug:
So, I started applying some bergamot essential oil to my wrists before an appointment. Studies have shown that inhaling it reduces blood pressure. I will sniff it while driving and sort of discreetly in the office and it has really helped! It keeps my bp in the high normal range or just over normal, even when I'm super anxious. If the bergamot smell starts to fade before they call you back just add a bit more. The key is to sniff it repeatedly for a bit before the appointment, not just a few times right before they take you back. Hope that helps!

[Weasley123]

Mine is ridiculous because of my phobia of medical tests and doctors/hospitals. I had to have a 24 hour one to prove i could have surgery as it was too high in my pre op. Even having it on in my home and feeling it click on every few mins (with me eventually ripping it off at 2am because I couldn't sleep) came out at an average reading of 139/89, and that was doing relaxation techniques and everything.

One way to get it down slightly in the doctor's surgery is to take a big breath when they are attaching the cuff, then breathe out really slowly when they are taking it. I can't talk otherwise it goes higher. My anxiety just can't deal with the white coat syndrome.

---------- Post added at 20:14 ---------- Previous post was at 20:13 ----------

Mine is ridiculous because of my phobia of medical tests and doctors/hospitals. I had to have a 24 hour one to prove i could have surgery as it was too high in my pre op. Even having it on in my home and feeling it click on every few mins (with me eventually ripping it off at 2am because I couldn't sleep) came out at an average reading of 139/89, and that was doing relaxation techniques and everything.

One way to get it down slightly in the doctor's surgery is to take a big breath when they are attaching the cuff, then breathe out really slowly when they are taking it. I can't talk otherwise it goes higher. My anxiety just can't deal with the white coat syndrome.


That's me to a t. I'm terrified of med tests. I do sometimes worry I could have high blood. But no way in hell could I ever get a 24 hr test it be sky high from anxiety

[Beckybecks]

I always have a high BP reading when I go to the Doctor's. I'm just so anxious about being there and then about what the BP will be.

Some years back after three visits and high BP readings the Dr said that it was routine to put anyone on BP meds if they had 3 high readings in a row. She put me on medication and a year later when visiting another Doctor in another country, he said why not try doing regular readings at home, am and pm to see if your BP is actually high. Turns out it wasn't at all and I didn't need the meds.

Now whenever I have to see a Doctor I explain to them about my anxiety and they know to expect a high reading. They understand because many of their patients have this problem. Some Doctors actually sit and chat with me for about five minutes and do more than one reading just to make sure. They know that if we're relaxed they'll get a correct reading.