White coat syndrome.

I was never more pleased to read a post. Have felt so alone with this. Have had white coat syndrome since having my first child in 1978! Had preeclampsia which meant a monitor was left on my arm for ages at a time.
I have been known to get to the doctors for a check and sit there sobbing in front of her. Always felt very silly but couldn't control it.
I now take my BP once a month at home and take the results to the surgery when I have a check up. My previous doctor sent me for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, it has worked wonders, I can now go to the surgery and although I still feel concerned I no longer cry, shake!!
I use the mindfulness technique taught me at the CBT sessions which helps you to relax. I'm on one tablet a day, last reading was 130/79.
I wonder if it's something you have to learn to cope with? I don't think it will ever leave me completely. Emotional Freedom Therapy (tapping Therapy) is something I found useful too. Your posts have really helped.

It's interesting and very helpful to know many people have this problem. A GP once dismissed my home monitor readings, so next I went I took my home monitor and asked whether he would kindly use his practice one then mine. He was amazed to find they both had the same normal readings. Was I grateful to my Tesco home monitor that was £20 at the time. They offered me a 24 hour gadget thing but I declined as I said the mere thought of that thing bleeping away would send anyone's BP up. If you do have high BP though, there is a great gadget called Resperate. It's expensive but it teaches you how to lower your BP by breathing exercises.

even though I'm on BP pills mine still goes as high as over 200 and 100 ,my GP knows its white coat syndrome so tends not to mention it and leaves the cuff on while we chat ,she then takes it agin just before I leave and it usually comes down quite a bit .I have a monitor at home and only take it now and again ,I think taking it too regulary can be counter pro ductive and as my GP said ,blood pressure changes by the second so worrying if its up on the first reading might just make it go up further

My oh suffers with this we record it at home and it's fine . I hate having b/p taken machine always pumps up 2or 3times it really hurts fingers go blue ?

I had mine taken on Wednesday at the dental hospital and it was 148 over eighty something, which I thought was a bit high but the nurse seemed to think was okay - she put that down to white coat syndrome though i wasn't stressed at all and it has been higher when I've taken it at home. I had my blood pressure machine checked against the one at the surgery the day after they had theirs calibrated, and it was pretty accurate. If mine went above 160 I think I'd be on the phone to the surgery, because I would panic - which would send it even higher!

For some reason I always check my BP during Holby. Those monitors and drips seem to remind me. Recently in hospital my BP was 155/80 (but they'd just barge in, wake me up ,check drips, do stomach injections and wonder why it was high!) Back home it was 124/70.
Am now wondering if home machine is accurate -oops there goes my BP again!

Pity I can't blame white coat syndrome for a high reading when I 'just pop on the scales'!

It's so good to hear other people have the same problem. Thankfully I've now got a sensible doctor who has told me to monitor at home and has given me a 140/85 level to keep below. I think he's set it reasonably high so I don't panic about achieving it! Even so as some of you say, I have to do a couple of readings to let it drop down.

I monitor mine at home as I really hate going for any sort of medical appointment and always get really wound up beforehand. Hate it when they say "just pop on the scales" too!

My bp was 190 over 90 when I had it checked in June. The nurse was a bit panicky and called the doctor but she said not to worry and to come back next day. It was still high and the nurse was panicky again and I had to reassure her that it was white coat syndrome. I can't take my own bp because the machine freaks me out so I had a 24 hour bp monitor fitted at the hospital. My bp came out as an average of 130 over 70 which is acceptable in an OAP. This is the second time I've gone through this over the years and I expect next time it will happen again. I try to do deep breathing etc., but my body won't listen and goes into panic mode.

I have it too and my gp lends me a monitor to test myself at home when needed.

DH has it too and it causes a real problem when he goes for hospital visits. He had a 24 hour BP monitor but those readings were high too because he knew exactly when it was going to take a reading and was waiting for it. I think getting a home monitor and taking your own regular readings and keeping a record of them is a good way to go so that if anything crops up you can present your own readings for the GP or hospital to look at.

Yes I have it too....knowing it is time for a medicine review BP and other blood tests leaves my stomach churning as soon as the appointment is made am a gibbering wreck by the time the dreaded time has a rrived

If I remember rightly, our resident medic, Galen, has mentioned that she has the same problem too!

I did not realise this condition was so common. My BP is usually on the low side so I need to be carefull getting up quickly.

Just say the words "doctor, hospital, surgery etc" and my BP goes through the roof. I definitely have white coat syndrome. Even getting the home machine out of the cupboard produces a sweat, so that's pointless too.
I think it's because I don't like the thought of someone doing something to me and thereby get wound up. Also I'm a bit of a perfectionist and it infuriates me that I cannot control it myself, despite as Teetime mentions being a sensible, calm person!

Your brother's reading sounds high, but I'm not sure what the answer is to get him to see his GP.

My cousin is a GP and uses the "let me check your blood pressure while you're here" line to give himself thinking time about how to treat the concern the patient has come to see him about! Surely he is going to get lots of people with a raised BP reading when they have come to nervously discuss their piles etc? Seems daft to me to wind the patient up more.

When I was in my 40s, I decided to go for one of those well woman things. The first thing they did was take my BP. There were two nurses in the room and when they looked at my reading, they gave each other a concerned look. I asked what was the matter and they told me to stay calm (as if I could!). They took it again and said that I was to go directly to my GP for an emergency appointment. By this time I was expecting an imminent stroke or heart attack. They said my reading was 210/108. I went to the doc and she took it again but didn't seem concerned. She said 'take a week off work and try to relax'!!! I asked her if I was about to have a stroke and she said 'not because of your BP you're not'. After the week off work in a constant panic, I went back and she said it was still high. She put me on tablets and it's been fine since. It shoots up if I have it taken by a medical professional. I have bought my own machine and check it from time to time, noting down the readings to take to the surgery. They seem happy with that. I am still here to tell the tale despite thinking I was about to be a gonner.

That is a high BP for white coat syndrome and it's certainly something your brother should be having looked at. Probably a 24 hour tape would give a better picture but even these can cause anxiety and hike the BP up a bit.

Keeping an eye on it at home is also a good idea, monitors are fairly cheap now and very reliable.

I find that, if I go to the GP because something is worrying me, I am anxious to try and explain myself properly and then she says 'let's check your BP while you are here'. If I am anxious, it's going to be high isn't it?

I had a 24 hour monitor recently and my BP was o.k. when I was in bed but slightly high during the day so I now take a low dose pill.

I do my readings at home too. My GP suggested doing it every day for a couple of weeks so I get true readings.

Yes, I have it too however much I tell myself to relax, not quite that high but nearly, so we bought a monitor from Boots for home use.

They threatened to admit me when I fractured my ankle simply because my bp was high, which made it worse of course!

DH has it and its quite irrational as he is a very knowledgeable man (he coached me through all my nursing exams) and very pragmatic however he cant stop his B/P going up when a doctor or nurse approaches. He has done the 24 hour thing at home and now does his own readings and phones them into the GP who is well aware of this.

I have it too and been told that my heart rate escalates every time it is checked at the hospital. Considering what I have endured over the last year you would think my body would be over itself now

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Upper-Arm-Digital-Blood-Pressure-Monitor-Personal-Medical-Health-Care-BNIB-/252629948959?hash=item3ad1eb1a1f:g:3lgAAOSwHMJYHIQy

My husband has it and we have a monitor at home so we can keep an eye on and it's fine as long as he isn't sitting in the doctors office . You are right to be concerned but it's easy enough to monitor it yourself and keep a record to show his GP.