Doctors Visits

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Rodgearing

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Because of my heart rate I have had to see the doctors on three occasions.
I have been given a heart drug ok no probs but
When ever I go back to the doctor or the diabetic nurse my heart rate goes up.
I was advised to buy a heart and blood pressure monitor and take my 'readings' before going to the surgery.
Which I now do. The surgery accept my readings. But I feel a bit of a whimp not being able to control my heart rate.
Anyone else out there with white coat syndrome?
 
Don’t feel a wimp @Rodgearing I feel the same. My blood pressure is always higher at the GP’s. I think it’s natural to feel a bit anxious 🙂
 
Yep, every time, if I really switch off and relax, not easy! I can get it down to a level the nurse is happy with
 
Rodgearing said:
Because of my heart rate I have had to see the doctors on three occasions.
I have been given a heart drug ok no probs but
When ever I go back to the doctor or the diabetic nurse my heart rate goes up.
I was advised to buy a heart and blood pressure monitor and take my 'readings' before going to the surgery.
Which I now do. The surgery accept my readings. But I feel a bit of a whimp not being able to control my heart rate.
Anyone else out there with white coat syndrome?
Click to expand...
You are not alone. I refuse to have bp taken at surgery, the place makes me feel ill. So I bought a bp monitor and every now and then use it. My bp is well in healthy zone.
 
Rodgearing said:
Because of my heart rate I have had to see the doctors on three occasions.
I have been given a heart drug ok no probs but
When ever I go back to the doctor or the diabetic nurse my heart rate goes up.
I was advised to buy a heart and blood pressure monitor and take my 'readings' before going to the surgery.
Which I now do. The surgery accept my readings. But I feel a bit of a whimp not being able to control my heart rate.
Anyone else out there with white coat syndrome?
Click to expand...
You're not alone , I too suffer from white coat syndrome , and like you have my own monitor to take my readings, which I do weekly and save them to an app on my phone which I show to my consultant/ nurse. They are happy with me doing it this way.
 
white coat here too & have to do my own BP readings for visits 🙂
 
Blood pressure has always been really good and never anything to worry about even at the doctors office. The last visit they told it it was quite high. I suggested that the walk to the surgery after being called and rushed in for an appointment within an hour of the call might have something to do with it.

I bought a machine too and have been doing my readings at home a couple of times a day and everything is back to normal. They've asked me to bring the machine and my readings with me at my next visit so they can see it over time.
 
It is amazing. My BP is fine at home. I don't think I get anxious but when taken at the surgery it is always above normal into the elevated range. Thankfully they accept my redings which I take several times a day anyway.
 
Rodgearing said:
Because of my heart rate I have had to see the doctors on three occasions.
I have been given a heart drug ok no probs but
When ever I go back to the doctor or the diabetic nurse my heart rate goes up.
I was advised to buy a heart and blood pressure monitor and take my 'readings' before going to the surgery.
Which I now do. The surgery accept my readings. But I feel a bit of a whimp not being able to control my heart rate.
Anyone else out there with white coat syndrome?
Click to expand...
Yep me too, mine was through the roof when the nurse took it, she was lovely, told me to relax, uncross my legs and took it again and it was fine, we were chatting away when she took it the first time, and I thought I saw 151 appear on the screen! but it was 120/73 after I relaxed x
 
I was diagnosed with white coat syndrome many years ago, and advised to buy one of the arm BP and heart rate monitors. I now do two 3 week monitoring sessions, 4 times a day, and record everything on a spreadsheet with trends. The surgery accepts it happily so I now refuse to have the BP measured at the surgery. One one infamous day my BP was 125/80 at home, and 10 minutes later 210/110 at the surgery. I could actually feel the BP rising as I walked into the surgery.
 
My blood pressure was unusually high during one of my annual diabetes reviews at the hospital.
The nurse said “Don’t worry, most people get high blood pressure trying to find a parking space at this place.”
I didn’t argue but I knew that wasn’t the reason. It was more likely to be because I had just run 3 miles to get there on time and, unusually, they were not behind schedule so I was seen straight away. Parking is never a problem when I leave the car at home. :D
 
My OH is the same. We've got a BP monitor at home, so he usually checks it himself before any appointments, and lets the doctor or nurse know his reading.
 
My BP was high at my last review in June. I told the HCA I’d just been out for lunch with friends, had had two glasses of wine and galloped to get to my appointment on time! She said she would organise a 7 day monitor, I phoned up to say I didn’t want to use it. Not convenient in the summer when you’re wearing short sleeves. I was sent a form to take 4 readings a day, 2 am, 2 pm for one week. I’ll admit some readings were high but I’d maybe just dashed up the stairs etc. I got a call from surgery last Tuesday to let me know GP would call Friday ( yesterday) at 11am to discuss results. Oh dear, I thought, they’re going to up my tiny dose of Bisoperol. GP called, his first words where, what can I help you with? I explained I didn’t make this appointment the surgery did and it’s about my BP. Oh yes, he replied, it’s fine, no further action required, probably white coat syndrome. Yes, I know, it happens every time and I told the HCA that! What a waste of the GPs time and mine when the person who called me could have told me that, or sent a text like they do for everything else! I was a tad annoyed to say the least.
 
eggyg said:
My BP was high at my last review in June. I told the HCA I’d just been out for lunch with friends, had had two glasses of wine and galloped to get to my appointment on time! She said she would organise a 7 day monitor, I phoned up to say I didn’t want to use it. Not convenient in the summer when you’re wearing short sleeves. I was sent a form to take 4 readings a day, 2 am, 2 pm for one week. I’ll admit some readings were high but I’d maybe just dashed up the stairs etc. I got a call from surgery last Tuesday to let me know GP would call Friday ( yesterday) at 11am to discuss results. Oh dear, I thought, they’re going to up my tiny dose of Bisoperol. GP called, his first words where, what can I help you with? I explained I didn’t make this appointment the surgery did and it’s about my BP. Oh yes, he replied, it’s fine, no further action required, probably white coat syndrome. Yes, I know, it happens every time and I told the HCA that! What a waste of the GPs time and mine when the person who called me could have told me that, or sent a text like they do for everything else! I was a tad annoyed to say the least.
Click to expand...
Frustrating - I sometimes thing nobody bothers to check notes first. I was told to take my BP at home after I had been seated for 30 minutes and not eaten or drunk anything in that time, so it was a resting BP. The very last time I had my BP taken in surgery I had walked briskly to the surgery for 10 minutes, got bundled in straight way, cuff slapped on and had questions fired at me all the time. I had previously been told not to talk whilst the BP was taken, so I didn't answer, which "upset" the nurse. Of course, the result was sky high and I had to sit and wait to have it taken a couple more times. That's when I switched to home monitoring and everyone, including me, is much happier.
 
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