I recently posted and am after some tips as I am getting anxious every time I have to take my blood pressure AT HOME! I can’t seem to relax for the first reading and it shoots up to crazy levels ( this morning was 160 /83 ). However, after calming myself down, I got it to 126/76 - why is this happening ??
It happens every time! It’s even worse at the doctors !! I am getting myself so worried that I can’t seem to control my anxiety before taking a measurement. Any tips or advice would be much appreciated xx
I am on medication already to lower it but .....
JLT
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JLT1974
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I’m sorry to say - you are common!!! Same as I used to be. But I’m not now, and what I do is as follows.
1. I don’t have a monitor at home, if I did I would be taking my blood pressure all the time and getting anxious.
2. My doctors surgery has a blood pressure machine and I go in once every three months and take it there. I sit quietly reading for ten minutes before approaching the machine, then put my arm in the cuff, close my eyes and breathe quietly for at least thirty seconds, then take the reading. If I don’t like it, I take it again after some more quiet breathing.
It’s normal for your blood pressure to fluctuate. It’s part of your body’s defences, if attacked, to have higher pressure so that you are ready to run away from the lion that’s coming to get you. Sadly, we don’t have lions to run away from but your body still does it.
Can I suggest you take your pressure just once a week? Then the other one hundred and eleven hours of the week when you are awake, you don’t have to think about it and tell yourself you can wait until then.
I understand. When my hypertension was first discovered and before treatment started I had to have my pressure done six times over a period of three days, and the nurses let me in early to the surgery to have it done so I found that stressful.
When you have decided what time of day you are going to do yours, say to yourself that it will only take fifteen minutes (that’s including relaxation time) out of the sixteen hours that you’re awake, just part of your daily routine, you can do something nice the rest of the time. Do be reassured that thousands, or even millions, of people have had their high blood pressure diagnosed and are still alive and kicking twenty or thirty years later.
I’ve had it diagnosed - I’m just making it worse by panicking when I have to take the readings. That’s the issue. I can feel it when I put on the cuff and can’t seem to relax. My readings Today were 164/85 but then they dropped to 128/76 - this is how stressed I get.
Im taking two blood pressure tablets plus a beeta blocker. This is all getting on top of me To be honest x
Hi again JLT. You aren't alone in the way you feel, it really is common for people to get worked up prior to taking readings especially if they are worried about it. Have you tried the guided meditation videos or the relaxing music I mentioned before? If you haven't give them a go, you never know, they might just work- they certainly have for many people. . Good luck. xx
This will be a good book for you called Healing Hypertension: A Revolutionary New Approach 1st Edition!
I have been struggling with the same thing however i found some great tips to work. Do not check your blood pressure out of anxiousness because you are going to get a false reading and upset your self with the result. I see that your blood pressure is normal when you are calm but when you get anxious it goes up which is normal. when you are in a state of panic then your body is trying to protect you from danger which releases a chemical that causes stress levels to rise. The reason you panic is because you do not want a negative reading which is understandable. You have something called white coast hypertension which means that your B/P rises in hospital settings and it is normal at home when you are calm. I do not believe you have high blood pressure you just need to express yourself to someone you trust and release those hidden emotions that is causing you to stress. practice deep breathing and think positive, do not listen to that negative voice in your mind that says you B/P is high. That is a self filling prophecy. I hope this helped you God bless you.
Ah thank u - but if I have white coat hypertension why is it high at home too when I check it ? I have to literally calm myself down after the first reading to get it to an acceptable reading ( if that makes sense ??? )
It sounds as if your bp is OK now since it settles at home.Could anyone else take it for you at home?If not a friend suggested keeping the machine out and taking it at random points in the day when walking past.After a while she relaxed about it and things settled showing well controlled bp.What was your bp without meds?Mine was scarily high...244/133 in hospital.I was scared it would go up like that again and it took me a while to trust the meds.But tell yourself you are being treated but bp goes up and down and anxiety shoots it up, especially in us hypertensive folk.Keep calm and carry on as they say.😁
Tha ks for coming back to me - uncontrolled it was between 150 and 165 - then it shot up during a major stressful time to almost 200/130 !
I have been on meds since 21/3/20. For March and April it was ok and I had no major fear of the cuff - now all of a sudden it has developed and as soon as the cuff comes near me I can feel myself getting anxious! My pulse races and I have to take three or four measurements to see myself calm down and BP drop to around 130/80 x
I know how you feel but give it time and you will get used to it.Don't worry about your first readings....that's anxiety talking....see what it settles to and go with that.My GP told me to do that and now I get my husband to take it.😁
I’m pretty much the same. I try all sorts of tricks on myself to avoid this effect. Sometimes I take it very suddenly to try to get the reading before there’s time for my BP to go up.
I’ve found the best thing is to take it twice, a minute or 2 apart. The second reading is usually OK. If it continues to be a problem your doctor can give you a 24 hour monitor to wear. I haven’t tried this but it might be worth checking out.
The monitor will drive me nuts - I wouldn’t relax enough knowing that I have it on ! I’m starting some therapy soon to see if they will help with my anxieties so fingers crossed. X
Thanks for your support and advice though - I really appreciate it x
Did your doctor advise a level of blood pressure they would be happy with?
When my GP first asked me to monitor my blood pressure I was given a leaflet to guide me which is not disimilar to the advice in the booklet which came with the BP monitor I have. It suggests sitting for at least 10 minutes with the cuff in place, feet on floor and arm supported, then to take BP, wait 2-3 minutes then repeat , so checking BP three times in total. It also suggested ignoring the first reading.
I record my BP probably 3/4 times per week at different times of the day( this was advised by the practice nurse), I record the average of the 3 readings on a spreadsheet but it can just as easily be in an exercise book( slightly different from the advice GP gave but I take the view that it gives a fair range). I have to say that I have in the past been absolutely obsessed with recording my BP 3 times a day and being anxious when it's different from its normal level. Anxiety doesn't help and is a vicious circle really.
Thankfully my BP is now pretty well controlled after a few stressful times. I take Amlodipine 5mg in the morning and Ramipril 1.25 mg at bed time, this works for me and I find it reassures me that my BP is well controlled 24 hours. I used to take just Ramipril in the evening but after a couple of anxious evening episodes now take the Amlodipine. My worries about my BP being well controlled are family history and having just one kidney(healthy) which I want to look after.
She never said in terms of what she would be happy with to be honest but I know that my anxiety levels are driving them to be high - hence why i try to ignore the first reading!
I am about to start therapy as I know I am developing a severe phobia against checking it at
Home x
I’m glad yours is under control - it looks like I am not the only one who has anxiety which elevated the readings x
Hi again, It may be worth checking with the doctor what level they expectas they tend to be realistic whereas sometimes generalised guidelines can be a bit demoralising. I know it's easier said than done but look at the overall picture not isolated BP recordings.
Hi, yes my worries are also cause of family history. How old are you? I am 35 and am having high bp these days but doctors are asking me to monitor it till lockdown opens up. 150/100
Hi like many of the posts that have come in, I can say I have WCS at clinic or GP visit, BP is always high, I now only do home readings, when they ask for them on when drug changed, otherwise its every 12 months for me, over a period of 5 days I take 3 readings in the morning and 3 in the afternoon or evening, I drop the first as it is always higher, home white coat syndrome is real, from the remaining readings I take the mean of the total.
I have tried sitting quite and taking 3 or 4 deep breaths prior to taking BP, this has helped, but you are not alone with this so don't get to stressed as it only makes BP higher.
Good to know and thanks - that has been the case - stressed and then high readings. Anticipating high readings stress me out and then I get high readings.
I’m practicing by just having the cuff inflate and deflate without looking at the readings as when it tightens I can feel myself getting worked up!!!
Just wanted to clarify my comment, I do have a 12monthly review with GP, but during the period of the 12 months I tend to check BP for myself every 3 months if my meds have not been changed, just for peace of mind.
You are telling yourself it will be high - you need to repeat a mantra before taking it to help calm you - try "I am fine; my bp number may be high but I am fine; I am okay if my number is high to start because I am just a bit stressed; I am fine". Do this a few times while taking slow deep breaths. Then put the cuff on and repeat the mantra twice. Continue to take slow deep breaths. Then take the measurement. My doctor always say to take 3 measurements in a row. Let us know if this works. Tell yourself to be calm that's the key. Good luck
JLT... You are not alone. I wish I had some great suggestions for you, but all I can offer is support. Just staring at my home blood pressure cuff strikes fear into my heart, and raises my pressure to crazy levels.
Just sharing on this website helps me, I hope it helps you.
You can try buying a manual pressure cuff and wearing it around the home for a extended period of time. This helped my sister overcome her bp cuff phobia. Her systolic pressures have gone from 190 to 130.
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