Scared of my BP monitor.

[Kinok Powell]

Hi all,about 5 years ago i had a dentist appointment for an extraction.Along with a lot of people my age i only go when it is absolutely necessary.I sat in the chair feeling extremely nervous then the dentist produced a BP monitor.I knew by the way my body was reacting that it would be high and it was.188/85 then 170/80.She refused to pull my tooth and ever since that day i have had a phobia about having my BP taken.

From that day on any trip to the Docs,Dentist or Hospital is a nightmare. The thing is at home on mine or the wifes monitor my BP is ok.135/70 to 125/70 with a pulse of 55.

I know this is called. "White coat syndrome" but it will not go away. Are there any more sufferers out there and how do you cope please?

Cheers,KP.

[CharlieH]

MOVED to Health forum.

[1FinickyOne]

I had it at the dentist once too... and a couple of other places. 

 

I relax, close my eyes, some deep breaths and it goes down... meditate if you can... 

 

I usually give it about 5 minutes... 

[samtam]

I have it too. When I take myself each morning it's around 120/82, but at the hospital it goes up dramatically. I'm fearful when I get my jab, it will be through the roof.

 

But yes, deep breathing should bring it back down. Not always the easiest thing when, as I expect for the jab, there will be people waiting and milling around.

[lopburi3]

I am normally at least 50 points higher in hospital and have had issue for decades (can't count how many BP units I have gone through believing mine must be wrong if doctor/drug store/supermarket readings were so much higher).  And have been through half dozen or more BP medications by doctors who only believe what they see.  

 

As example my Covid BP Friday was 170/180 although was 115 prior to leaving home and down to 101 an hour after returning home.  Showing doctor list of home readings and medications list helped get a not to worry you can have shot.

 

My current doctor has come to terms that really only need minimum medication and have dental done in same hospital so they aware (had tooth pulled 2 weeks ago but only about 156 as I recall).  As said it only gets worse when they make a point about it.  An understanding doctor seems to help drop it some but can take time.  Relax does not seem to help much.

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

Mate, you're not alone. My home BP is normal but always sky high at the hospital. It doesn't help that those stupid full arm machines make you lean forward at an awkward angle.

 

I have severe anxiety attacks anyway (childhood issues, don't ask), hospitals are a trigger. The worst was my Work Permit checkup in 2017. I call it the "2017 Great Panic Attack Event", something like 210/120. Just the thoughts going through your head when the cuff is inflating is enough to spike your BP.

 

Since then I sedate myself with Alprazolam a couple of hours before going, and skip the morning coffee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 27, 2021 by Led Lolly Yellow Lolly

[impulse]

Find a dentist with an ugly assistant.  If you can in Thailand...  BP will drop like a rock.

 

Edited June 27, 2021 by impulse

[Dmaxdan]

I'm the same.

In fact, when I go and see a doctor here, I now leave my wife outside because they don't talk to me but speak to Thai her 

And she has this annoying habit of saying to the doctor "ooh, aah, OOH, AAH!" with me then saying "what, what..... WHAT!!!"

Blood pressure off the scale again!

 

 

Also, I'm not ashamed to confess that I'm dreading getting vaccinated for Covid, if or when it actually ever happens simply because I'm genuinely nervous of the possible......"implications" with the vaccines and I know they will check my BP before hand.

I know I'm going to be pretty hyper on the day so that will more than likely send my BP sky high meaning they will sent home to come back another day...

[IvorBiggun2]

The OP suffers from 'White Coat Syndrome'. I do to. Nothing to worry about. But in saying that he will. It's a form of anxiety.

Edited June 27, 2021 by IvorBiggun2

[Denim]

Pretty common. I would not be surprised if hospital BP monitors are calibrated differently to the ones we have at home.

 

To deal with the problem I arrive for appointments at least 20 minutes early and practice deep breathing exercises for 5 minutes just before the reading is taken.

This always brings my blood pressure down to an acceptable level. Plenty of youtube videos by doctors giving instructions on how to do these breathing exercises correctly.

 

Another tip is if using a hospital in Bangkok is to leave the car at the hotel and take a taxi to the hospital.

 

[tomazbodner]

I have 2 identical BP meters as my hospital... Philips and Omron.... but at home they show considerably lower numbers than in the hospital. That's pretty common, if you walk there, and then seeing all the medical staff... it is very normal.

 

What you should do instead is get BP measured daily and write it down. Assuming you don't have some noname rubbish from Aliexpress, most are fairly accurate. You will however see variations even at home, where the readings can be +/- 10 within a couple of minutes.

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

never experienced a dentist taking BP.... just go to a high street dental clinic.....

[The Hammer2021]

I take my own every morning and evening. I find hospitals stressful  and at the hospital  it's always  higher.  They can test  you at 5 minute intervals  until it goes  down...BUT perhaps  you do have high blood pressure ! For years I cheated my tests, when it  was too high, I took Valium before the test.

[madmen]

forget the name but some old school blood pressure meds regulate heart beat pretty much after one dose. take some the day before your next appointment and again on the day. 

 

Who the hell takes blood pressure at a dentist when many are totally freaked out already 

[Golden Triangle]

I had an extraction a few months back, paid a private hospital for the privilege of a general anaesthetic, had my BP taken prior to the operation, it was very high as one would expect, afterall, at close to 68 it's not a procedure they like to use, but stuff that, I'm sh!t scared of dentists so it was worth the risk as far as I can see.

 

The other thing you can do, which I've done a couple of times, is take your home machine with you and if need be scroll through the memory & show the staff it's because of the situation, good luck ????  

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

I had my wisdom teeth yanked at Sriburin Chiang Rai hospital 6 years ago. Can you imagine what that did to me? (other than making me look like Don Corleone for a week).

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

Find a dentist with an ugly assistant.  If you can in Thailand.

 

 

Nope, not possible. You have to wear blinkers.

[offset]

Simple to deal with I never let them take my blood pressure I take 3 readings in the morning take a picture of each and show them to who ever wants them, they need to be dated and timed

[elwood]

My doctor at the local hospital always writes manual BP on my appointment slips, as she knows of my white coat syndrome - especially with those arm all-in monsters!

I also take home reading results for the previous week to show the nurse and doctor.  

[Sheryl]

You can train yourself to lower your BP a bit through relaxation techniques which you can then use when at the doctor. 

 

Take your BP then after that take several long, slow, deep breaths, concentrating entirely on the feel of the breathe coming in and going out. Do that for a few minutes then retake your BP. 

 

Practice this daily, you will get accustomed to it and then be able to do it at the doctors. Just tell them this always happens on the first reading and to let you rest and take it again.

[IvorBiggun2]

What do hospitals expect? To see a doctor I have to walk 50m from a carpark. Climb 2 flights of steps and get my blood test done no sooner than I've sat down. I find that most Thai nurses do not know how to take BP correctly.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=correct+way+to+take+bp&rlz=1C1CHBF_enTH917TH917&oq=correct+way+to+take+bp&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l2j0i22i30l7.13255j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_vULZYLyjMpe-3LUPjreiqAc29

Edited June 28, 2021 by IvorBiggun2

[guru]

Funnily enough I usually get high bp  readings at hospital when they use the device which you have to insert your whole arm in to. The doctor was so concerned she was talking about bp medication until she got the traditional device that wraps around your arm and it read normal. Something about the size of my arm and the fit. 

[Kinok Powell]

11 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

You can train yourself to lower your BP a bit through relaxation techniques which you can then use when at the doctor. 

 

Take your BP then after that take several long, slow, deep breaths, concentrating entirely on the feel of the breathe coming in and going out. Do that for a few minutes then retake your BP. 

 

Practice this daily, you will get accustomed to it and then be able to do it at the doctors. Just tell them this always happens on the first reading and to let you rest and take it again.

Sorry Sheryl,i know that you are much more qualified than i am about medical matters but i promise i have tried absolutely everthing to combat this thing including your breathing technique.Once panic sets in that is it for me until i get back home and can relax.I know it is cheating but the only thing that does work for me is a valium tab taken an hour before my check.

[Saltire]

Same for me, but my local hospital is aware of this 'syndrome'.

 

On arrival my BP is usually higher than my home machine (OMRON) but they have a separate seating area with a sign which says 'sit here for ten minutes and have your BP retaken'.

 

This always works as the subsequent reading is usually in the normal range for me (pre-high).

 

I test every morning and it is never in the High range (140/90) but somewhere between normal and pre high. If it looks near the top of the pre-high range I hit the button again and it reduces. Within 2 or 3 tries, it's back to normal.

 

The printout you can get from the Omron Connect APP is excellent, I've taken it along to an annual checkup and the doctor was quite impressed.

 

 

 

[Kinok Powell]

Thanks everyone for your posts.I read and enjoyed them all,even chuckled to a couple of them.I now feel a kindred spirit with you lot and know i am not alone.Good to know that lots of normal people sometimes feel the way i do and that i am not as "weird" as Mrs KP thinks i am.

PS,i am now in the UK awaiting my 2nd jab. Like most of you i was going to sit this 3rd wave out and hope for the best with the vaccines but then read an article about a lady who was refused her jab three times because of her high BP.That was the straw that broke the camels back so i decided to come back here to get my vaccs.Not a BP monitor to be seen at any of the vaccination sites.So to end,besides the phobia being a pain in the <deleted> it can be costly too.Approx £3000 for the round trip + my board and lodgings here.Once again thanks,KP.