Im scared my blood pressure worries will make my blood pressure high?

This is a long long story. Every time I have gone to the doctor I had white coat syndrome. My blood pressure has been elevated.. Since I don't have blood pressure symptoms or signs of anything blood pressure related I have never worried to much about it.

I have been to this one particular dr.. about three times in four years and even another one in the area that all said that it was anxiety and white coat syndrome.. they blew it off ..

The last time I went to the doctor they were all strict and concerned where they had never been before .Funny thing is my bp was higher two years ago when I went in. The nurse that took it said that I had high blood pressure for sure and she went and told the doctor my blood pressure was high. The doctor came in and stressed that I had high blood pressure . I tried to explain I had been freaking out about coming to see her and was nervous.

She checked to see if i had any signs of high blood pressure or symptoms yet could find nothing. She never took it again after the nurse.. this shows me she wasn't concerned but she raised my beta blocker higher than I had usually been used to.

Ok..I started taking this higher dose feeling really tired and not having any sexual desires and to tell you the truth having difficulty in that department. I had never had any problems with that. I felt she misdiagnosed me and I called to ask if she would lower my beta blockers back down to what I was used to and let me monitor my blood pressure.

She called my prescription in as I requested and urged me to take my blood pressure three times a week and then call every week with the results..Ok Ill do this but taking my blood pressure will make me nervous even with it being me taking it. Im pretty sure the nurse used a cuff too small that would have given a higher reading and also if they were that concerned how come they let me walk out without taking it again?

I just don't understand how they go from blowing off high blood pressure readings and saying its white coat syndrome and then next time telling you without a doubt you have high blood pressure and not even checking your blood pressure again while you are there to make sure its ok before you leave and drop dead with high blood pressure..

I have felt fine for a few years without the extra meds and the only reason I went for a visit is a refil of anxiety meds and I had tried to go cold turkey with them and reading about the withdrawal symptoms made me have withdrawal symptoms..

Now I have gotten myself to a place where I really don't want to be.. I have to take my blood pressure regularly and then report to them, but then again if I have a blood pressure checker I will be checking it day and night. I did this with my pulse for a long time until I finally broke myself of it. It was miserable. Also Im afraid Ill find that I have high blood pressure and will make myself have high blood pressure just from the thought of possibly having high blood pressure.. So its kind of scarry . I hope they are wrong and I don't have high blood pressure.. But well Im kind of worried now . Im suppose to get my machine tomorrow.. Ugh..

I think ill have to take extra anti anxiety meds to be able to take my blood pressure..anyway ..Thats what this post is all about worry about worrying about my blood pressure taking ..

Isn't it reasonable to assume if I had no symptoms of high blood pressure and have felt fine all these years ,been in reasonable good condition with no symptoms of illness or dizzyness or anything that would lead me to think I had high blood pressure.. that I probably don't have high blood pressure?

I mean everytime I go to the doctor in many many years they have always known I had anxiety and elevated blood pressure from white coat syndrome. Could it be I have been sick with high blood pressure or had something bad wrong with me that causes high blood pressure and didn't even know it?

Doesn't high blood pressure cause organ shut down or something noticeable ? I haven't felt bad ..just anxiety symptoms and such, but could I had had high blood pressure all these years and now I could possibly die from something that high blood pressure causes.

Doesn't your heart rate go up when you have high blood pressure because mine has always been about 72 when resting and lower.. and never over about 114 to 120 when exercising and working so .. wouldn't that be higher because of high blood pressure. I have been sitting thinking ever since I went to the doctor what if all these years I have had high blood pressure and its killing me and I don't even know it.. Or what if I made a mistake telling the doctor to give me back my lower dose of beta blocker and I really do have high blood pressure?

Also If I really do have high blood pressure wouldn't the doctor put me on a real blood pressure med instead of a stronger beta blocker? My heart wasn't beating that fast when I was there ,just my pressure was up from stressing and sitting and waiting for 2 hours and 40 minutes.. and being told I had high blood pressure.. What gives. something doesn't feel right about the whole thing. I just worried worried worried now and frustrated and scared about the whole thing.. Someone have some input here? Thanks in advance.

High Blood pressure is known as the silent killer. However the past episodes that I had, I KNEW without a doubt that something was wrong. I felt very foggy headed and my ears felt like everything was off in the distance. It was really obvious to me that my BP was very high.
It sounds like what you really need is to request a 24 hour BP monitor. That way you can have it on while at home and doing your regular things and while you sleep etc so they can get an accurate picture of your blood pressure. I know mine is normally 110/70 or so but if I am in a state it can go 150/94. Anxiety will increase it for sure. What you need to find out is if its the doctors causing it, anxiety causing it or if it it true hypertension. If it is dont panic. It is very managable. I went from being on 4 different medications to control mine at 30yrs old to no meds at all, just by changing my diet and exercise.
You can not be diagnosed with high blood pressure without 3 seperate readings of over 140/90 and it staying that high. Even at that some doctors dont medicate till its a bit higher. Always try diet and exercise first. No smoking, no caffeine, will make a world of difference.
My BP is my biggest worry. I have spent days with my monitor attached to my arm. Funny thing is when I do that the number is not too bad until I keep taking it. Then is gets higher and my anxiety rises and the cycle continues.
It takes years of high blood pressure to cause damage so please try and calm down and ask your doctor for an ambulatory monitor.
Another thing. I was on a beta blocker when I first had my blood pressure issue(after having a baby) it lowered my pulse down to 45 but my blood pressure was 210/115. So unforunately you can have a low pulse and high blood pressure. I cannot take high doses of beta blockers because my pulse goes to low to easily.

Hi Alisonj,

Thanks for your reply. The thing with me is I don't eat salt or very little ,what comes with foods that are canned or etc.. so very little. We use a salt sub here. Also my weight is pretty much under control its within a few pounds of what it should be and sometimes it gets about the exact weight to be perfect and my face tends to look old and haggard.. I try to just maintain just above a super healthy weight so I don't look so bad.. I know this is rather egotistical but my age everything counts lol.. Anyway we eat mostly broiled foods very little fried. Sometimes I have a little desert which normally consist of things that aren't high in calories or sugar content.

I do exercise around here you have to , everything from walking long distances to moving hay and firewood around .. Also do housework and taking care of the animals all adds up. I don't have a regular exercise program but I am active. .

I have about two cups of coffee a day which is way better than what I used to have of 20 and 30 cups a day ..yes really 20 or 30 cups a day for many years. I also drink about 5 litres of water a day maybe more but seem to be thirsty alot. I have told the doctor about my drinking water and the doctor said not to worry its good for you .Ok? lol

I think much of mine has to do with worry although I smoke.. I think my worry about smoking is more destructive than the actual smoking ,pretty much like the anxiety of worrying about blood pressure is probably far worse than the blood pressure itself.

So I guess im my own worse enemy. Since all this has come up I keep having night mares about blood pressure and different things.. So its on my mind. .In my life I never much worried about blood pressure but now im starting to focus on it and to tell you the truth it scares me to death..I should take the attitude if it hasn't killed me yet then it probably won't..

But im going to take your advice .Today i get my monitor and will try to monitor what is happening with my bp and if it stays high then I ll get the doctor to put me on some other med because much like yourself the beta blockers make my heart rate to low.. Thanks for replying and I guess many of us have the same issues.. Its just good we are all here to talk about it ..thanks again. Michael

Ok, my first reading at home being nervous and anxious and a little intimidated was 142/85 .. I stopped with one and will take it tomorrow in the morning before eating and moving around.. Hope I was correct with my thoughts. White coat syndrome only . This was with my meds being back on the lower dose.. Wish me luck..

That is not too bad of a reading at all. Congrats on stopping on the one reading, that is so important.

Thanks Alison,

My wife made morning BP readings this morning and my BP was 130/81 that was the average of three readings taken five minutes apart. My wife is so hyped up she wants to talk to the doctor and nurse right now lol to tell them that I don't have high blood pressure.
My pulse has also averaged about 75 beats a minute as well even from yesterday so Its looking good hopefully. Thank you for your reply and keep wishing me luck. :-)

Oh and those readings are with me smoking.Actually that is about the only bad thing that I do as far as health. I don't drink. I am at a good weight . I don't eat salt ,I exercise and we eat healthy balanced meals but have been doing all this for a long time.

The only things against me is smoking and living at high altitude which tends to make peoples blood pressure a little higher..

stop smoking, for the love of god. out of everything you are doing, smoking is negating. you could eat salt instead of smoke any be way healthier.