High blood pressure worries complicated by asthma

[Lushchicken]

I am a very very anxious person with severe hypochondria and a doctor phobia. I'm also determined to look after myself and therefore force myself to get regular checkups. Which are always hell, but I'm getting better at coping. Unfortunately, a BP reading this morning during an appointment triggered my HA massively and I don't know what to do.

It was my annual gyno check-up, one of my least favourite doctor's visits. They made me sit in the waiting room for 45 minutes and then took my BP. It did feel a bit strange as they took it over my jumper (supposedly fine?) and quite low down near my elbow. The compression hurt a lot more than usual. Maybe because of the placement of the sleeve, maybe because I was tenser. She got a reading of 120/95. Apparently, it was 120/80 or 120/90 in the past. I'm 38, btw. Doctor lectured me about checking it at home and how this reading was concerning. I told her I have white coat syndrome. She didn't seem to care.

Went to visit my Mum afterwards (who does have BP problems and had them even as a child). I remember playing around with her BP cuff in the past and my result was always completely normal. Same today. Measuring at her place gave me 117/70. I wasn't even particularly relaxed as I was thinking about my earlier BP result.

So where do I go from here? My BP has never been a concern for me, no doctor ever mentioned an issue. But it feels like I've just acquired this new HA and it sucks. I don't trust myself with a cuff, because I can get insanely OCD about stuff like that. An added problem is that I am an asthmatic and can't take most BP medicine for that reason. So I feel like I'm screwed either way. I do meditate and look after my body but my doctor really threw me today :weep:

[MyNameIsTerry]

Nope, rookie mistake there by them. BP should never be taken over clothes and that's one of the most basic things they train them. :doh: That alone can cause a false reading, a raised one. Thicker material will be worse so a jumper is an obvious one to roll up.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/tips-to-measure-your-blood-pressure-correctly



The inflatable part of the cuff should completely cover at least 80% of your upper arm, and the cuff should be placed on bare skin, not over a shirt.

https://www.nursinginpractice.com/guide-…-measuring-blood-pressure



Positioning the patient and equipment
The patient should be in a comfortable, warm environment; tight or restrictive clothing should be removed from the arm and the patient should have been resting for at least five minutes before measurement.

Given that's such a basic part of a very basic daily test I think I would be seeing another doctor for advice.

Why can't you take BP meds with asthma? Loads of people do including myself and my mum. There are different types of BP meds they can try if there is a contraindication. Did this same doctor say this because if so I would be skeptical.

One reading is nothing really because as you say it can be white coat syndrome and that's a high probability with anxious people. It is strange that this dictor expects you to monitor what he/she considers a concernong reading.

For me this all adds up to a crap doctor. I would see another and see what comes from it because this one has made such basic mistakes in even taking the reading.

[Lushchicken]

Thank you so much for your answer! Goodness, that is bad. Something did feel off about taking the measurement like that. I was literally rolling up my thick winter jumper sleeve and the nurse just said: "Oh no, that's not necessary, we can just measure over the jumper." I also didn't rest at all as I was just returning from the loo because of my nerves and she essentially jumped the bp measuring on me. I really don't understand why instead of lecturing me, an anxious person who immediately informed them about her anxiety, about the high reading, they didn't just give me time to relax and took another one with the proper sleeve placement? This is really worrying because those people monitor pregnant women and prescribe hormones :scared15:. I think it's time to look for another gyno. I can always ask my GP to take a proper measurement (now I know what to look for) when I see him in a couple of months.

And the asthma meds/BP thing is something I've heard from my mum. All doctors have been telling her this. And to be fair, she did have a bad attack after trying bp meds and probably didn't try any alternatives as she's very anxious herself. She's very doctor phobic, so it's hard to get her to seek help.

Thank you so much again, things are a lot clearer now!