with all my run arounds with the doctors lately over my blood pressure my anxiety has gotten worse to the point where now im anxious just taking my blood pressure at home which is causing my readings to be higher than they usually are..140's/86-94im taking meds for my anxiety but was wondering if i should lay off the home machine until my anxiety subsides?..this is driving me nuts because my home readings are usually 122-138/79-88..

Dutchman,

I'm going through the same thing. I've severe white coat syndrome at the doctors, and am also very nervous when I take my BP at home. My first readings are always high till I calm down. There is always the "what if" "will the number be high"? etc. etc. I wouldn't wish this hell on anybody.


thanks for replyin Melvi.. just imagine if you had general anxiety to begin with along with the fear of it being high...its like a double whammy... to think only barely over a week ago i had no worries at all on my home readings and they were under control so the doc took me off meds i was never taking to begin with.... usually my first reading is the best one, then i try my hardest to calm down so my readings will come down which only makes things worse....ugh!

Even your nervous numbers aren't that high. My advice: Lay off checking your bp for a while. If you have to do it, try some deep breathing before doing it, or maybe do it soon after exercising, a time which is relatively anxiety proof and usually produces good results.

I have read that you can take your BP 3X's in a row waiting 10 minutes atleast in between takes and than take the average for your number if it's running high the first try.The object is to relax and maybe do some breathing in between time to consentrate on bringing it down.

I do this when my first reading is high. Than I do deep breathing and relaxation for the next 10 minutes and the 2nd take is always usually right where it should be.

Am I correct that what the drs are concerned about is the high bp that will not come down even with breathing and relaxation and that kind of thing?

Try something like an OHHHHMMMM chant when testing at home. Or think of the color BLUE.
Anything except thinking "God, I hope it isn't high!" will help. That, "Please, PLEASE, don't start beeping yet" mind set can always get my numbers up too high.

Worst is if a phone rings midway during my OOOOHHHHMMMM! :D:D

That's an interesting problem: A doctor puts you on a hpb medicine because your bp goes thru the roof when you're very anxious. But when you're very anxious the med won't work anyway.

thanks everyone for your tips and support. Me too, I am paralyzed when I need to take my own blood pressure. Right now I have my monitor on my dining room table, ready to be used, the problem: it's been there for the past 2 weeks now and I have not used it yet. I keep looking at it.

Linda,
Theree's no need to stay with the left arm, Actually I think alternating is a good idea.

What I do is 3 readings: LRL and record only the middle systolic and middle diastolic. The next day I take my three reading RLR.
THat way any weirldly high or low readings go out with the bathwater.

I've never used a wrist monitor so I don't know the mechanics. The upper arm cuffs can be used on either arm.

I use an Omron wrist monitor. I had read that readings (wrist or arm) were more accurate on the Left, as that is the side with the heart. However, I tend to go for the Right side. My Left is usually a few points less than the right.

I use Lenin's method unless I get a really good (low) reading on my first try. I figure if my Right is usually higher, and I get a low reading there, I'm all set. (why mess with a good thing? LOL)

Which brand wrist monitor do you have that says it can only be used on the Left?

Ginny

I use Lenin's method unless I get a really good (low) reading on my first try. I figure if my Right is usually higher, and I get a low reading there, I'm all set. (why mess with a good thing? LOL)



Ginny

Ginny, That's CHEATING :D:D.
I know how tempting it is to stop after one good reading, and I have, ON RARE OCCASION :jester: , done it myself. But really you should do the same methodology every time.
After all, you don't want to accept a good first reading and keep trying if the first is bad. THat's like the guy who loses the coin toss and says "best 2 out of 3. :D"