High blood pressure at doctors

[nungi]

My blood pressure is very high when visiting my doctor but much lower when I take it at home. Anyone got any tips on how to lower it when the doctor takes it. Tried to relax and breathe deeply and steady. And I read a book to calm me down while I wait to see the doctor. Dosent help. Doctor wants to increase dose of pills because of this.

[Happyrosie]

I’m assuming, nungi, that you have your pressure taken outside the doctors surgery, so you KNOW that your pressures are lower outside. If this is the case, take your pressure at home (same time of day, after sitting down for ten minutes, take at least three) and keep a record of the average including your pulse. Do this for say two weeks.Then present your doctors with the facts.

If I’m wrong and you only take your BP at the docs, then I can only suggest that you:

: Rest for ten minutes (then you have to get up and walk into the docs room, which just puts your pressure up!!!

: When you have sat down and the cuff is on, close your eyes and breathe SLOWLY in through your nostrils out out through slightly pursed lips and NO TALKING.

I have found that this brings my BP down by at least ten systolic points.

[nungi in reply to Happyrosie]

Thank you I will try your last suggestion. I do take it at home and I write it all down, the times I took it and the days but my doctor just says its got to be low when I'm at her surgery not just at home, she dosen't seem to be very interested in what it is at home

[Happyrosie in reply to nungi]

Hmmmm..... I know what I would do in your position, and that’s twofold.

The first is to suggest a 24 hour monitor.

My own doctor is quite happy for me to send him the readings I take (I used to use the machine in the surgery, but when Covid happened I bought my own). I don’t actually see him, and had one annual review over the phone with a senior nurse (specialising in pharmacy) and my second has just happened - by me having a blood test and sending him my home readings

My second suggestion is to ask to see another doctor in the practice

[nungi in reply to Happyrosie]

I might try suggesting a 24 hour monitor, see what she says to that. I don't really want to see another doctor. I hate taking drugs and hate the idea of increasing the dose of the one I'm taking [candesartan], but it is a low dose so I might just have to accept it. It just seems silly to me to increase the dose just because blood pressure only goes up when I go to the doctor. I could suggest to her one way to stop it going up is to never go and see her, haha. Anyway thank you for your help, its nice to talk to someone about it.

[Happyrosie in reply to nungi]

You say you hate to take medication. I used to think that too, but I’ve since told myself that my body isn’t quite doing what it is supposed to. So the medication is replacing what my body should have manufactured all by itself. Taking this attitude has removed any stress/worry/discomfort/ that I had about taking them.

[nungi in reply to Happyrosie]

that makes sense Happyrosie

[peter999999999]

easy way is to refuse to let her do it,simple and give her your readings.

[nungi in reply to peter999999999]

Now that's a great idea, Peter, but somehow I don't think my doctor would be too happy about it.

[peter999999999]

well its your body,ive refused and gave own readings,they accept them

[Motherinlaw]

I am exactly the same, my blood pressure goes very high at the doctors but reads very good at home. My doctors are happy for me to give my readings from home and wouldn't dream of giving me BP medication because of the high readings in the surgery, which is commonly known as white coat syndrome. One of our doctors even said the amount of patients in the past they have given BP meds to when there was no need was scary. Perhaps a 24 hour monitor is the answer, I would certainly question the doctor before taking any more BP meds. Good luck.

[nungi in reply to Motherinlaw]

thank you for replying. My doctor seems to think my blood pressure must go down at the surgery no matter what it is at home. I am wondering if she really understands "white coat syndrome".

[Ukscorpio]

I could not agree more. My readings are +20 in the surgery. However my doctor accepts that and we are going off my home readings. Combined with weight loss and exercise I’ve got the dosage down to 5 and I’m hoping to get off them altogether at some time. I wondered if it’s worth taking your machine into the doctors? It might complicate things a little more if the readings are different, but if they are the same it will prove that your results at home are valid and the surgery attendance is creating the problem.

[nungi in reply to Ukscorpio]

taking my machine to the surgery is an idea to think about, thank you,

[Port01]

Hi Nungi, its a well known fact that your blood pressure is higher when in a medical situation. the name for it is "white coat syndrome". I agree with other replies that it is best to do your own readings in a quiet, calm situation at home. Relax for a while before taking at least 3 readings a few minutes apart and ignore the first which will always be higher. A little trick I use is to switch my hearing aids off before relaxing, much quieter and calm. If you buy your own pressure machine the instructions will probably show 2 sets of possible ranges for what average BP should, showing the expected difference between medical and non medical situations. Hope what everyone has said is a little reassurance.

[nungi in reply to Port01]

Yes what everyone has said has given me ideas and me feel better.

[Motherinlaw in reply to nungi]

I take my home blood pressure readings to the doc's along with my BP monitor so the doctor can use mine at the side of his to see mine is working ok, and that both readings are true, they've always matched and they are always sky high at the doc's and same the few times I've been in hospital. At home through the day they do go up and down which is natural, but no where near as high as they do with the white coat syndrome. Thank goodness we can monitor at home, and save ourselves from taking unneeded meds.