White Coat Syndrome? - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

blues1986 · 05-14-2009, 08:49 PM

I am a 22 year old male who is in decent physical condition. I have been to my doctors a lot recently because of a small issue. It became clear however after a few trips that my blood pressure was high. I began to get stressed every time my doc took a reading and said "it's still too high for someone your age."

Well, school ended and I went back to my doctor for a post school checkup only to see my blood pressure was still way too high. My doc then said she wanted to do full blood work and do an EKG.... so what does my doctor do right after telling me this??? She took my blood pressure!!! It was 162/90!!! Highest reading I have ever seen for my self.

The kicker is, before this school year started I went for a routine checkup, and I was at my normal reading... and that's when I was 10lbs heavier. Only after my small medical problem did I become stressed and hated going to see my doc.

I have a blood pressure monitor at home which is always considerably less then what my doctor is telling me my BP is. A nurse at my school's clinic finally told me that it probably is white coat syndrome, which finally makes sense.

Anyone else suffer from this?

KD86 · 05-15-2009, 06:22 AM

blues:

My mom has the same problem. She does normally have high blood pressure, but when she went to the doctor it was very high. She bought a blood pressure machine and used it at home. Her blood pressure is lower than when she was at the doctor.

I too have this kind of problem, but only when the doctor started talking about shots and needles. My pulse and blood pressure are usually pretty good when the nurse took it. My doctor went to take it and noticed that my pulse was racing and my blood pressure had gone up. She did this right after telling me that I needed to get a tetnus shot.

This is a normal thing. Some people just get freaked out at the doctor.
KD

Titchou · 05-15-2009, 07:40 AM

Try dropping by the fire station every so often and getting a BP check. And keep a list of it so you can show that to your doctor.

reg12 · 05-15-2009, 05:27 PM

Also be careful when going to the doctors. I have a problem similar to that. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and they ran all this blood work and EKG, just to find out they girl had used the wrong cuff on me. The doctors have the standard ones normally hanging on the machines and the ones for men that they have to go and get. My blood pressure changes from 140 to 116 when they use the right one. If you have your arm tense it will increase also. The doctor told me the correct way to do it was for him to hold my arm so it would not be tense. I have found the regular ones in the drug stores or the ones that measure your forearm do not work on me also. I have one for home sized for my arm and I take my own, so I know what it should be when I go in. I have had the nurses aids argue about that. I let them take their reading and then have them get the right cuff, so they can see the difference.

blues1986 · 05-15-2009, 05:50 PM

Well 24 hours later my blood pressure is steady at 122/75. Can there be this much difference from day to day? 160/90 to 122/75 in 24 hours?

My blood pressure monitor at home was just checked and was considered accurate.