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White coat blood pressure

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nathan72763
nathan72763

can anyone help im in an impossible situation. Im 71 and since i was 22 ive never been able to have my bp taken as anxiety sends it rocketing up. I heard of someone at 24 who had the same despite medication. He was admitted to hopspital where his anxiety bp increased further he had a brain heomorrage and died. The same happened to my mother a few years later.

20years ago i was told ive got stage3 ckd ( chronic kidney disease) and its vital my bp is monitored as high bp could damage my kidneys further  but i was terrified and refused. 

So i went to all kinds of therypy ie hypnotherpists,eft, cbt, reflexology etcetc and im still terrified.

i know i must master this so i bought a bp monitor and each time i used it the readings got higher till fbally i had a reading of 220/140!!! I should be dead. 

Twenty years ago i also bought an omeron and i was fine using it and getting normal readings for weeks when suddenly i became phobic and got readings astonishingly high. So i through it away.

i thought about a 24 hr monitor but im really scared my bp will go ever higher with each squeeze of the cuff i wont sleep and bingo ill burst a vessel. Has anyone got any ideas as i cant get help at all from the medics on this one. Thank you.

1 like, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • MrsO-UK_Surrey
    MrsO-UK_Surrey nathan72763

    Posted

    Nathan, I'm in a similar position to you with CKD3 and high blood pressure, added to which I have only one kidney.  I am just 3 years older than you and my high BP was diagnosed some 13/14 years ago, and CKD some 10 years ago.  I do understand your fear about regular monitoring causing you to panic and hence push your blood pressue up, but you really do need to conquer this fear which is really unnecessary.  Plus if you have been diagnosed with CKD3 for as long as 20 years, it does seem unlikely that your have persistent high blood pressure anyway - surely it would have resulted in a much lower eGFR and more advanced stage of CKD than CKD3.  Do you know what your eGFR is?

    I think the 24-hour monitor is the way to go for you.  Meanwhile, you could try attending a Tai Chi or yoga class or do some form of meditation - the subject of Mindfulness is  coming to the forefront at the moment, and I found it very interesting listening to a speaker on the subject at one of our recent support group meetings.  Perhaps do some research on 'Mindfulness, practice it, and then you should be able to put it into practice whilst your blood pressure is being monitored. 

    • nathan72763
      nathan72763 MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      My gfr is 60. But im a couple points over the urea potasium and creatinine  but they call it satisfactory. Ive tried hypnotherepy cbt eft and just trying to relax but if i try or for one second think about it it rockets. 20 years ago before i became phbic with my monitor id get normal readings then all id have to do is imagine going to the clinic and in a second it would fly up to extraodiary heights. Crazy so im afraid to even talk about it because perhaps its zapping up!!!
  • Nana7
    Nana7 nathan72763

    Posted

    Hi Nathan, I know how you feel. I have white coat also. I was taking my blood pressure at home and I had the same problems with it going up and down.

    My doctor told me not to take it all the time, about once a week or less.

    I take mine now just once a week. Before when I went to take my blood pressure

    I wouldn't want to take it because I was afraid of it being to high.

    I also see a therapist. They can talk it over with you and maybe resolve your issues.

    My Therapist has help me with my anxiety and stress, but I still have white coat.

    Good Luck and let me know how you are doing.

    Nana7

  • lyn1951
    lyn1951 nathan72763

    Posted

    Nathan - Not meaning to change the subject, but for me in some ways it is the same.

    I have a really big big problem with dentists, I was tied down as a child, have tried consuelling, sitting in on family memebers having dentistry, even to passing implements, but as soon as they said your turn, full on panic.

    I have worked with GP, and found the best way for me is 15mg of Valium, which I take about 20-30 minutes before I have to sit in that chair, I'm calm, or should I say drunk, really wobbly trip across office, but couldn't give a damn at that point.

    I have now done this a number of times, and only wish i had figured it out years previous, maybe I would have most of teeth rather than just a few left.

    Under no circumstances would I drive afterwards, I would not be safe, just go home and sleep off all the afteraffects.

    Good luck and best wishes finding an answer for yourself, it is important I'm afraid at our age. I'm 64 nealy 65, with double hip replacements, and husband with heart failure, so dare i say I can realte to where youare coming from.

    • nathan72763
      nathan72763 lyn1951

      Posted

      Hi Lyn yes ive done vallium 30 years ago i had to have a minor op they gave me 10x5 mg vallium and my bp still went up finally i was dismissed i had a bladder stone which fortunately disolved i dont think i could ever have an op im the same with planes ive taken vallium and its made me feel drunk but still scared its mad as if i fight through it.
  • hails63112
    hails63112 nathan72763

    Posted

    Hi Nathan 72763

    I am exactly the same as you, I had a traumatic experience in the GPs surgery a few years ago and it left me with a phobia of the BP machine! I am 38 yrs old and had BP diagnosed about 4 years ago, I have had some horrible experiences with the medi

    Cation! Haven't had my bp taken in the doctors for ages as the Last time I was hypertensive crisis! I have had panic attacks and anxiety all stemming from this experience, I have had cbt twice, take anti anxiety medication and I have just completed phobia councelling which has helped me, I can now take my bp at home but I am not calm and it's never below 135/90 , it can go right up to 190/120 as I panic, I have been prescribed propananol but I don't like taking it now as it causes me significant weight gain and bad dreams! My GP does not worry, he said that he wants me to deal with the anxiety! I ring the surgery with readings that I do at home and hes happy at the moment, it really helps me to either take propananol - you may not be able to have if you have kidney problem though, try covering the machine screen in paper so you can't see the reading, this helps me calm down, I do it 3 times whilst it's covered and then write the readings down half hour later wheN I am relaxed so for me it takes away that instant panic and fear of dying on the spot! Hope you find something that helps you, you are not alone suffering from bp phobia! Good luck

    • nathan72763
      nathan72763 hails63112

      Posted

      Oh hails thank you im not alone any more. My doctor said im in an impossible situation but it hasnt killed me so its better to forget it as everytine i give it thought it might spike. So once again i tried to do that and then came the blood test and they say kidney injury is caused by bp.

      my kidneys have been affected fo 20 years so i never drink and eat vegan food i hope that helps. My gfr is 60 which isnt bad i take a litre a day of herbs to clean and repair my kidneys from an old fashioned real herbalist.

      ive also had cbt eft hypnorherpy refexology for years and nothing helps.

      ive got a prvate medical doctor and for the first time i asked him whether i should take the advice of my nhs doctor and forget it and he said no its vital i sort this out!!!!!

      now i feel really traumatised because as usually im left abondened with this nightmare my bp is much higher than yours when i get scared its been as high as 220/140 at its worst.

      when i was 22 they were going to hospilise me for bp but i ran away and never went near the medics for 20 years then i was given a wrist omeron monitor and i got normal readings for 6 months so i thought i had sorted my phobia so i went for medical and my bp went throgh the roof!! The doc sent me to spychatrist who read mr the riot act that i must never do my own readings but must see the doctor daily and if things didnt calm down id be admitted to hospital. It was then i got phobic with my machine so i threw it away.

      again for 20 i kept away from the medics but 2 months ago i bought another omeron which sat on my table for a month i was too scared to use it. Finally i did it and it was 210/130!!! 3 x later it was 160/96. I went out a drove like hell all day to forget it. In the evening terrified i hit it again this time it was down to 140/94 i was getting happy but the next one it krept up until the 5 th was 220/140 i just when into panic meltdown for sure my arteries would burst like my mother and friend. 

      That was a month ago and ive not been near the dammed thing but now this private guy gas wrecked it for me.

      ive looked every where for help they wont even tell me if i do a 24 hr would i die mid stream or would i sleep through it!!  They say theyve never heard of such a case as me as mine is not normal white coat.

      well theres you hails and although your not as severe as mine there are simlar reactions.

      i dont know what the answer is. I had a very stressful childhood and its been a curse all my life. Weve got to keep on tho blessings to you and thank you so much for your humanity ive never met this before in such truth.💙💙💙💙

    • AlexandriaGizmo
      AlexandriaGizmo nathan72763

      Posted

      Hi Nathan do you take BP meds or are you refusing to take them because of your fear.

      My other half has been on them for 18 years no problems and his was at crisis point when first diagnosed but now its averaged out at 130/80 so good, I on the other hand suffer with white coat syndrome but think if it was averaging your numbers I would ask to see a specialist and get some meds sorted that worked for me.

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