Do I have High Blood Pressure? Or not?

Hi...I joined this community because I have been left floundering. I had to attend an assessment at the hospital last week for a small operation I am supposed to have. My blood pressure was 209/99 and the nurse wrote a letter for me to take to my doctor as I can't have the operation with such high bp. My bp always shoots up at the doctors and hospital, so I bought my own machine a number of years ago. At home it averages 140/75, so my doctor doesn't treat me. I'm 71. But I keep getting heart flutters which make me feel like I'm going to pass out and they scare me. I do suffer with severe anxiety.

[Clop123]

Hi, is it worth taking your home blood pressure monitor in to show them the lower readings when taken at home? Most have a memory function. Just a thought.

[Hidden in reply to Clop123]

I did it a few years ago and they were happy with the results, but I will do it again ..I've an appointment on Friday

[Beefsteak123 in reply to Clop123]

I would suggest you write down the results over several days and show them, white coat syndrome is pretty well known in the medical profession . I think any medic with common sense will be aware of the phenomena.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Has your BP meter been cross checked against one at the GP surgery. A 24 hour monitor might be appropriate because if you hit the higher levels a few times daily it does need treating.

[Jack2019]

my doctor said to me that any reading up to 150/90 is normal if you are over 60 years of age. I live in Canada, so that's accepted here.

[Hidden]

Hi....My doctor has put me on one water tablet a day, just as a precaution. He recognises that I suffer with white coat syndrome. My average bp at home is around 148/78, and I'm 71. I took my own BP machine with me on my visit, and he used it. I told him to press memory which showed a reading of 130/68 which was the reading before I left the house that morning....when he took it again in his office it had shot up to 184/86..... this is what makes it so complicated for him to know what to do. Presumably BP that can go up and down like this is very unpredictable....