I am a 25 y.o. female and I am currently taking a Beta Blocker for hypertension. The thing that bothers me is that at home, even before going on medicine, my BP was normal about 99% of the time. It is only when I am in the doctors office that I begin to get extremely anxious and my BP elevates greatly...usually around the 160/100 mark. However, if I take a Xanax (anti-anxiety) before my appt. it is pretty normal.
Does this mean it could be White Coat hypertension? Does Whitecoat really exist? I am getting married soon and would like to have a baby soon after, and I am so scared of what my BP with all the doctor visits during the pregnancy.
Any info on Whitecoat would be greatly appreciated!
Hi <IMG SRC="http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif"> Yes there is such a thing as "white coat". There are two things that need to be considered:
1) If you take xanax at home and you go to the doctor, is your blood pressure normal at the doctor? I think your answer was yes but am not sure.
2) If it's normal at home 99% of the time-maybe your machine isn't working correctly. You can take your blood pressure monitor to the doctors with you next time and the nurse can use theirs and yours to see if yours is working properly.
If yours is working fine, then I would discuss this with the doctor. Did you tell the doctor that your blood pressure was normal 99% of the time before he put you on the medication and if so what did he say? Did you tell him you're taking xanax for anxiety before you show up? Do either of your parents have high blood pressure? At a young age? Do any of your siblings have HBP?
It would be to your benefit to get this straightened up before pregnancy as uncontolled HBP during pregnancy isn't good. It sounds like, by what you've said here, that you could have whitecoat HBP. Don't stop taking your meds without discussing it with the doctor and making sure your machine works first. Don't be afraid to talk to him about your concerns, because your concerns and his ought to be one and the same. Good luck to you.
Hi Bsharro, I know exactly how you feel! My blood pressure has never once been as high at home as it is in the doctor's office. There really is such a thing as white coat. Have you asked at the doctor's office to have your blood pressure taken a few times during the appointment? Often if it is taken as you are leaving, it will be much lower than it was earlier. My doctor also suggested one way to really get a feel for accurate readings, is to stop by the office frequently, without an appointment, just stop by and have it taken. Often. You then get used to going to the office without all the buildup and anticipation
and it becomes routine. They will see a pattern then of what your bp is without the anxiety. It helps!
And, I agree that it is a good idea to clarify what is going on before you anticipate a pregnancy. Good luck. It'll work out.<p>[This message has been edited by YoursVeryTruly (edited 12-11-2001).]