If you are told you have high blood pressure

[49er]

If a doctor insists you have high blood pressure and need to go on medication, ask for 24 hour blood pressure monitor to make sure. That is exactly what I did and it turned out mine is completely normal and all the consistent spikes at the doctors' offices were strictly "white coat" hypertension.

This happened even after I calmly sat in the office for 30 minutes trying to relax. Obviously, I failed miserably. LOL!

Just wanted to pass this on so no one gets put on bp meds needlessly since so many of them have alot of side effects.

49er

[Jay Aitchsee]

I agree 49er, recently I've developed a case of "white coat" syndrome myself. Going to certain doctors causes my pressure to spike about 30 points. Mostly these doctors are ones where I've been stressed over the handling of my health records and each time I visit I work myself into a snit. Anyway, my solution was to buy an inexpensive home blood pressure monitor, a ReliOn from WalMart, to monitor myself at home. I kept records of multiple daily reading for about two weeks, all of which were quite good, and then took the results back to the Doctor along with the monitor. She took my pressure and we took it on the monitor and they both agreed within a couple of points (it was high). This satisfied her that it was her office causing the stress and there was no more talk of possibly high blood pressure.
These home monitors are relatively inexpensive starting at about $30.

[49er]

I agree 49er, recently I've developed a case of "white coat" syndrome myself. Going to certain doctors causes my pressure to spike about 30 points. Mostly these doctors are ones where I've been stressed over the handling of my health records and each time I visit I work myself into a snit. Anyway, my solution was to buy an inexpensive home blood pressure monitor, a ReliOn from WalMart, to monitor myself at home. I kept records of multiple daily reading for about two weeks, all of which were quite good, and then took the results back to the Doctor along with the monitor. She took my pressure and we took it on the monitor and they both agreed within a couple of points (it was high). This satisfied her that it was her office causing the stress and there was no more talk of possibly high blood pressure.
These home monitors are relatively inexpensive starting at about $30.

Hi Jay,

I did buy two home monitors that I returned because I mistakenly thought they were inaccurate when I kept getting normal readings which contradicted the doctor readings. I wish I had done what you had suggested but unfortunately brain fog interfered.

What also threw me off was when I had it taken at a fire station, it also tested high. So I guess I also have "EMT hypertension." LOL!

But prior to the last visit at the PCP, I had tested it at CVS and I had one of my lower readings which indicated to me there wasn't a problem. Then when the reading was taken at the PCPs office, it was high again and that is when I requested the 24 hour blood pressure monitor.

And to be fair, when I thought I was going to have surgery a few months earlier and this high blood pressure kept showing up, both the PCP and I were under pressure to resolve this situation immediately. I just wasn't thinking clearly.

In retrospect, I probably always had normal blood pressure and was simply dealing with white coat high blood pressure due the stress of resolving my pap therapy issues.

49er

PS - I now realize taking blood pressure at CVS is not a good idea since those machines are known to be inaccurate. Needless to say, I have had alot of learning experiences.

[Jay Aitchsee]

I did buy two home monitors that I returned because I mistakenly thought they were inaccurate when I kept getting normal readings which contradicted the doctor readings. I wish I had done what you had suggested but unfortunately brain fog interfered.

That's kind of funny. I almost bought another, too, since my reading were so good! Consumer Reports did a test a while back and found these monitors to be surprisingly accurate. The report I remember was some time ago, I don't know if there's anything recent.

I think everyone should have a home monitor, but probably the most acceptable test to most medicos would be the 24 hr monitor as you had done.

In any event, the point you made initially is the most important. Do not accept blood pressure meds (or any meds) without verifying the need.

[flyingwithoutwings]

Wow, for me it's the opposite. I take my blood pressure at home and it's high. I go to the doctor and it's fine. Go figure. I guess I stress myself out.

[49er]

Wow, for me it's the opposite. I take my blood pressure at home and it's high. I go to the doctor and it's fine. Go figure. I guess I stress myself out.

Very interesting flyingwithoutwings how we are all so different. I got stressed big time taking my blood pressure at home due to worries about it being high but it never spiked. That should have been an obvious clue but for reasons I previously alluded to, it wasn't.

[LSAT]

My wife has the white coat problem and her doctor knows it. She has her BP taken by the nurse when she comes in and by the doctor before she leaves....big difference. Always near normal when she leaves.

[BlackSpinner]

I now have one that records and will keep 2 users data because I have to keep track of Dad's BP so he can adjust his meds accordingly. We have to balance the swollen ankles with the BP using diuretics.

[chunkyfrog]

The in-store testers were a nice backup to double check, but the new machines in some places are a huge PITA.
We.were lucky to find an old style in a hy vee, but I will not use the new machines at wal mart.
You have to jump through too many hoops to get a simple reading, it's just not worth it.

[flyingwithoutwings]

I went in for a stress test and after taking my blood pressure the nurse said, "I don't think he's going to do the stress test today, your BP is high." She left & came back and said, "I don't think he likes you today, he's going to do the stress test anyway." The doctor comes in, I get on the machine, he takes my BP and says, "See what a calming affect I have on you." My BP was fine. On with the stress test.
BTW, I am on BP meds, have been since I was 40 years old. I just refuse to check it myself anymore.

[Janknitz]

I have stopped allowing the techs to take my BP. They are totally untrained on how to take it properly--they leave the arm dangling down, and surprise, it reads high. One time my doctor was away and I saw another doctor whose tech was properly trained. She held my arm in the crook of her arm with it slightly elevated above my heart, and she did not put her thumb on the bell of the stethoscope (sometimes the pulse they detect is their own!). Surprise--normal blood pressure.

Kaiser is in love with their electronic gadgets, and I stopped letting them use the electronic BP machine a while ago. Again, they let your arm dangle, and the cuff tightens so much it HURTS--that makes my BP higher along with the white coat thing.

So now I refuse to let them take my BP. After I've been sitting a while and feel comfortable with the doctor I will allow the doctor to take it. Too often, they forget But I self monitor, so it's not a big deal.

I take my BP at home and it runs in the 115 over 76 range. At the doctor's office it will run as high 140 over 90. It really ticks me off when a tech (since when do they have medical licenses to make a diagnosis?) tells me I have high BP and "invites" me to a class--everything at Kaiser is a class. You go to this class, sit in a comfortable chair and listen to music, then they take your BP. No thanks, don't waste my time, I know what my BP is when taken correctly at home.

Because of a congenital heart disorder, I see a cardiologist every 5 years. I had a long discussion with the cardiologist last time and he agreed that treatment for my non-existent high BP would be dangerous--I'd be passing out if my day to day BP was much lower. So now I also say "Dr. X is my cardiologist and I'm handling this with him."

Too many people just accept a diagnosis without taking any responsibility for making sure it's correct and accept pills rather than change anything in their lifestyle that might help without dangerous side effects. Not me. Because I eat a very low carb diet, I don't store a lot of glycogen--every gram of glycogen also stores 4 oz of fluid, and that's responsible for some of the hypertension people experience (that's why the first drug they give for hypertension is a diuretic).

[49er]

Yup, I now know to stay the heck away from store in-testers. But again, since they seemed to be confirming what the doctors' readings were providing, I foolishly thought they were accurate. Now I know better.

Speaking of nurses/techs taking blood pressure accurately, the one at the cardiologist's office did not as it was done with my arm dangling. But I decided to keep my mouth shut since I knew I would find out in a few minutes whether I truly did have high blood pressure or not. However, I found it pretty shocking that a nurse to one of the best cardiologists in the area was making this mistake.

Janknitz, I think in light of my white coat hypertension issues, I am going to start refusing to have my blood pressure taken as I don't see the point since it isn't going to be accurate. I will make sure I have a copy of the 24 monitor results in case they want proof:) Or I will do as you have done and mention the cardiologist's name who verified the results as normal.

[sc0ttt]

From the CDC's manual for taking blood pressure:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/nha ... essure.pdf

3.2 Preliminary Steps to Pulse and Blood Pressure Measurement for Adults
Before starting the pulse and blood pressure measurements the subject should have been
quietly seated for a five minute period.

That has literally NEVER happened in my hundreds of doctor appointments.

But I like the drug store machines, they taught me to relax quicker and get into the BP zone.

[avi123]

I am glad to let anyone take my BP. Last time I visited one of my 2 Internists he had a new beautiful young nurse. She told me that she was going to check my BP. I said OK. Then she tucked my front arm under her arm pit. So while sitting on the check-up table I lifted her up about half a foot in the air. She burst out giggling. It was nice!

I had the white coat phobia till about age 40. But none afterwards. It usually happened when a life insurer wanted to know if to sell me insurance at reduced price.

Re edited this:

I should continue taking my 5 mg Amlodipine (generic Norvasc) b/c my BP during one year has been around Systolic= 146; and Diastolic = 73, which is between prehypertension and stage one hypertension.



The "microlife" BP monitor model BP3NA1 that Consumer Reports recommended is sort of ok but it's a bit cumbersome and starts working on its own whenever I put it back in its zipper bag. I am going to check if I have a 6 volt DC adapter to run it on the 120v house current instead of using batteries.

[chunkyfrog]

Relaxing is the key.
Still, some will always have trouble with that.
It is something that can be learned, and is a good skill.