Its two months now.

[exDancer]

I've been taking my BP at home since February and after initially high readings it setteled down gradually to 125 or so over 80. So two months ago I started cutting down on my meds. My GP was horrified as although she knows I have white coat syndrome, my readings in the surgery are always up to the 200/s over 90 but I went ahead all the same.

I cut down a month at a time, and am no longer taking any medication at all, my weekly average (I test every morning about 10am before my morning coffee but after my breakfast) and for the last couple of months the weekly average in 132/84.

I took my list of readings to my last appointment but was given a huge lecture about the dangers of stopping my pills and threats of heart attacks and strokes. I was given a prescription for all my previous pills which I have not filed yet. This scared me rigid and my BP this morning has shot up to 186/95.

I am now stressed to pieces and uncertain what to do - I suppose I could go back onto these tablets and keep testing for another month or so - or should I continue without them and see if I regain my 'normal' readings?

[123456S]

why cant these people treat us with intellect and compassion ..... we are trying to do our best for ourselves ..... your decision is yours sorry I am not very helpful ...... look after you x

[Carbram]

Well done you. I have white coat too but it just makes the nurse laugh. I have had stroke due to endocarditis not high blood pressure. I think the medicalprofessionis obsessed with numbers. They don't apply common sense . Trouble is it makes us focus too much too . I take a cocktail of drugs but I would rather not. Good luck. Stick to your guns if that is what you want. Your GPS has done their duty in deliver on the lecture. The rest is in your hands . I wish you well

[Maxyz3]

Exdancer....This sounds like me! My bp from white coat syndrome too..I am fine at home and am on one med, Verapamil 120. (No side affect with this one) I took my Reading last month and wrote them down ..Since Nov. 10th until yesterday 12/03/ 2016 they average 135/75. I am 67yrs.old and( a nervouse nelly) in the Dr.s office last week it was 157/80. He put me on another damn pill called Clonidine HCL 0.1 MG. He said to take it at night. It is the god awfullest tasting med I ever took! not counting DRY mouth and bad taste lasts all day all from a tiny pill. I think i will only take it the night before going to my DR. IT IS BAD! My bp with this awful pill is the same...maybe 132/70.

Last week my Dr. claims he heard a "Thump Sound" in my heart while listening for a split second with his stethascope..to me he did not hold the stethascope long enough to hear anything.. this sound sent me for an Echocardioagram last week (my bp was 200/85 when I got to the hospital for the test) everything was good except I have .."Mild diastolic dysfunction is present (impaired relaxaction pattern) I am next having a 2 part stress test this Tuesday morning done by a Cardiologist. I know my bp will be up on the morning of the test for sure! Oh well it is what it is..I am so sick of worrying about my bp..it causes me such anxiety ! I plan on bringing the list of bp measurements to my DR. and shoving them in his face. He doesn't buy white coat syndrome.

[Maxyz3]

Do what you need to do with the meds..but sounds like you were doing good for a long time without the meds..It sounds like the lecture got your Adrenalin up and caused your high numbers which don;t seem to bad considering getting scared all to hell by your Dr.

Contine on the course of no meds for a while..you will know when it is right to increase them and if you want to increase go gradually. I think we only need a Tranqualizer..because of these Dr.s. Carbram- response below is EXACTLY how it is.

[rocheen]

What did you do to reduce it. I don't like taking bp meds. Did you just stop or gradually cut down.

[exDancer in reply to rocheen]

I cut down gradually, and took an average over the weeks. When I averaged less than 140/90

[exDancer in reply to exDancer]

That message posted by itself I swear(!) and I hadn't finished ....... to continue. After 3 weeks at 140/90 or less I reduced the pill I thought was causing my legs to swell and luckily my BP stayed the same. Sp after a month I cut out the other one but my BP rose a bit then gradually dropped to my goal of 140/90 again - so I put therise to anxiety when I was testing.

I now take my readings every Sunday (admittedly after a lie-in and when I'm feeling relaxed and Sunday(ish) and I now average 130/80.

I'm also been able to stop taking the two reflux medications I was on, and I have gradually lost the irritating dry cough I'd developed. If you really want all the details I can look through the box of pills in the bedroom and let you know the drug names.

[rocheen]

You don't know what the meds are doing to you. They raise cholesterol etc and god knows what else. I know there is a risk if you don't take them but there is also a risk if you take them.