I must have the worst case of white coat syndrome ever. I purchased Resperate because it has been shown to be effective with white coat syndrome. I have been using it for about 6 weeks and I believe it is helping, but I still suffer. I also take lisinopril 20mg/day. I am 46 yrs old. Prior to starting either of these, my bp would be as high as 170/100 in a doctor's office. During the bp measurement my anxiety level was very high. I have a 15 yr history of this, but only recently have I been getting numbers this high. I am a commercial pilot and have to pass flight physicals every 6 months in order to work. This is part of my anxiety, worrying I won't pass. I have more anxiety having my bp taken at my flight physical than I do flying a planeload of people around a thunderstorm! Recently I have barely passed the bp measurement. I sought treatment and was started on the lisinopril and also started the Resperate. When my wife (a nurse) takes my bp at home it is great - 120/78 consistently. But when I go to the doctor it spikes up to 140's/80, which is dramatically lower than it used to be. I find myself even worrying about what it will be at the doctors for several days before my appointment. So the therapies are working, but I am still very frustrated with the anxiety response I have when having my bp taken in a doctor's office. I even have anxiety using the bp machine at the Safeway store, but never at home.

Can anyone relate? If Resperate cures white coat syndrome, how does it do this? How does one get beyond getting anxious when having the doctor or nurse or machine measure their bp? Should I go to the clinic every day to have the nurse check it, so I get accustomed to it and "deconditioned" to this phobic response? Or should I measure it less frequently and just try to forget about it? (which would work until about 2 days before my next flight phyical, then I'd start worrying about it ). Maybe hypnosis, or seeing a psychologist?

My goal is to go to the doctors office and be so confident and sure that my bp is normal that I don't even think about it. Like having my weight, height, visual acuity, hearing, or foot size measured. I dont' have any anxiety with those.

I have read here on this forum of many others with this white coat syndrome that now no longer suffer from it , in part because of Resperate. I believe this product is working for me but I still have this anxiety. I want to eventually post here that I no longer suffer from white coat syndrome. Can anyone offer any help or suggestions that have worked for them? Thanks!

jimbo,
I feel your pain! That's my story, except I'm not an airline pilot. (I love planes, though, and have sky dived. I'm the coolest cat on any flight in turbulence.)
I posted on the forum about the same thing, basically. I'm fine doing anything else. But bring out that blood pressure machine at the docs and it's anxiety city.
I only got the Resp@rate to cool down my white coat anxiety. If you see my east vs west post, I noted in there that at the acupuncturist my BP was 115/70. Whereas at the western doc's it was 159 over something. But I felt my heart thumping and panic rising at the doc's. I didn't at the acupuncturist's.
I hope the inventor of Resp@rate feels our pain, too. You and I know there's a HUGE market of white coat-fearing otherwise normal people out there who would love a way to end their ordeal.
I've also recently bought a little gadget called a stress-eraser. It's the size of a deck of playing cards. It measures your pulse and tells you if you're stressed or not; and then you use it and learn how it feels to not be stressed.
Of course, you and I aren't stressed in regular life. Just for those two minutes at the doc's! Let's talk. We're gonna fight this and win! :-)
Angel

Unfortunately I am in a similar "boat". My blood pressure at home this morning was 110/70. At work it was 130/80. At the doctors office it was 150/90! I too could feel my heart beating faster just before the doctor took my BP, but couldn't calm down. I even used the Resperate 1/2 hour beforehand. Oh well, I will just keep trying. I have been using Resperate for about 8 weeks now. I am still hopeful that I can get rid of the white coat syndrome.

Let's all check in from time to time and say/see how we're doing. Maybe one of us will have a good tip.
I'm determined to be "The Master of My Domain" to borrow, tongue in cheek, from Jerry Seinfeld.
I am glad both of you wrote, jimbo and JBC.
Angel

Jimbo, your idea of going to the nurse every day to get used to having them take your BP sounds interesting. If I lived close to a hospital I think I might try something like that. But I don't, so it would be a major incovenience for me to attempt this.
Today I tried visualizing my BP at 120/80 and replaying the Resperate music in my head. It didn't work for me but maybe you can give it a try.

The FAA AME manual says: "The average blood pressure while sitting should not exceed 155 mm mercury systolic and 95 mm mercury diastolic maximum pressure for all classes." There really is no pass or fail upper limit. Keep using the Resperate, You'll see result soon.

Jimbo-

I read your post with interest and certainly can relate. I am the POSTER CHILD for white coat anxiety. Going to a cardiologist...or even worse...hospital is the most pure form of Neanderthal-like fight-or-flight. I'm not sure there's really anything you can do. My approach is getting to the point of doing home measurements on a consistent basis and then bringing the results into the doctor. if you are concerned about the accuracy of home device (I've had good luck...you may want to research it in Consumer Reports), you can always take your BP at pharmacy machine and check it against your home machine. I'm buying an automated machine because just the act and sound of squeezing the bulb to pump it up sends me off the deep end.

I just started using this...I really hope it helps.

Well, another tip that I've gotten from people who suffer from White Coat is to do a 10 minute session prior to going to the doctor's office or you actually bring the RESPeRATE into the office with you. The only negative I've heard from this is that people waiting around you tend to be nosey & may ask what that is & what are you doing. Hey, it can't hurt to try!
Breathe Easy!
Marguerite (IMG:http://forum.resperate.com/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. It's nice knowing I'm not alone out there with this white coat response. By the way, the last several bps my wife has taken at home were all less than 120/80!! So I definitely think the machine is working. Citation, by the way, the upper limit for the FAA medical is 155/95. If you're over either of these numbers, you don't pass. I know this because it's been my experience.

Here's my plan...I'm going to try deconditioning my anxiety response to having my bp taken in a doctor office. I called several clinics and was told they will have a nurse take a bp on anyone on a walk-in basis at no charge, as a community service. My family doctors office will do this also. I've talked to my doctor's nurse and she is happy to do this to help me out. So on my day's off, or if I'm in the area, I'm going to stop in and have her take my bp. I know from lots of bps at home that my bp is now normal. If the nurse gets a high one, I know it's due to anxiety, not that I'm hypertensive in general. It would be a temporary state, which is a normal body response to anxiety anyway. In time (and it may take months and months) I believe having my bp taken several times a week in the setting I fear most, will result in a deconditioning of my anxiety response.

The reason I believe this can work is that it has been my experience with getting allergy shots. I've gotten these for several years now and I have absolutely no anxiety at all with getting an injection in each arm. When I started, however, I had lots of anxiety. Who wouldn't? Nobody likes getting shots. But with time (6-8 months) getting shots in each arm each week my mind learned, through experience, that getting shots is not harmful and "scarey". I've been desensitized to the experience. I'm hoping the same can be true with having my bp taken. I'll keep you all posted.

How is it going jimbo? I am curious.

oh lawd Jimbo I thought I was the only person that suffered this badly, Doctors telling me "no way can your pressure go this high just from white coat" wanna bet because I can take it 50 times a day and its normal usually 110- 117 over 70 -75.......SO they decided I needed bp med put me on lisinopril I thought I was going to die from coughing, wound up on antibiotics the whole gammit. They can keep all their damn meds. I am going to find another way.
But back to white coat. I have started showing up at the docs office about an hour early sitting outside the office I WONT GO in.. deep breathing etc. So shows my pressure in normal range. SO now they say I have "spiking HBP" meaning I just dont see when it spikes ..ugh whatever....... your anexity level is just like mine come at me with a BP cup and my pressure goes higher then a kite. Been doing it for years and suddenly its an issue.........grrrrrrrr, I feel so sorry for all of us! hopefully we can all find a way without putting the cemicals in our systems....

We actually have a published clinical study regarding RESPeRATE and white coat hypertension. The results show that RESPeRATE is effective in controlling these "spikes" that occur with white coat hypertension.
Breathe Easy!
Marguerite (IMG:http://forum.resperate.com/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

I am now a big believer in cardio exercise. When I was younger I would rather lift weights than doing cardiovascular to build muscles. As I got older (46) I switched to more cardio and less weight lifting. In fact I would go to the gym and not touch the weights at all and I would just do my cardio. My BP reading is always normal after cardio and eventually it starts to rise again after a few hours. This is why I looked at Resperate to further help me control my BP. Also doing cardio really calms your body and mind a lot. I have a stressful work and after my cardio workout I feel so much calmer. I also notice that you dont have to really strain yourself to the point of exhaustion when doing cardio. I still get good BP reading even after a less strenous cardio workout. Anyway I am sure we all agree that exercise is good for all of us so just do it.

I am not a doctor, but Dr Rowena touches this subject lightly & it could be found here: http://www.resperate.com/drrowena.aspx#Diet

Basically, she says: "It is normal for blood pressure to increase with strenuous activity but it should not elevate beyond normal blood pressures ranges. If your blood pressure becomes abnormally high with exercise, you need to be evaluated by your doctor."

Breathe Easy!
Marguerite (IMG:http://forum.resperate.com/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

I took delivery of my Resperate just under two weeks ago and have used it for 15 minutes every day for 12 days. I had a moderately mild stroke 5 years ago and until then had not been in a doctor's office for 44 years. In the early days after the stroke, I saw the doctor every two weeks. Now I'm seeing him every three months - my next appt. is June 3rd. I've suffered from 'white coat syndrome since my very first visit, and I have a home monitor for BP, which registers in a range of 140/75. In the doc's office, I count myself lucky if I can get away with 165/90. I have on occasion gone to the BP machine in the pharmacy, which is next door to the doc's office. My BP is usually within acceptable limits there and I have the pharmacist witness the reading and sign the slip to that effect. I am fortunate to have retired some years ago to a small village in the interior of British Columbia and the pharmacist and the doctor are my good friends, as is almost everyone else in the village. It's good to know that others are also afflicted with the dreaded WCS - I thought until today I was unique. Thanks for sharing.

I'm a whitecoater and proud of it! Actually, here are a few things that have helped me:

1) Arrive at the doctor's office early. This means you shouldn't be so worked up from traffic issues, finding a parking place, etc. My appointments are normally in the early afternoon. I block out the entire afternoon so as not to be in such a hurry.

2) Take something good to read. The doctor may be running late. That's ok. Just chill. Don't plan some big event right after your appointment - that might not work out. The doctor may be going nuts trying to keep up with his or her schedule but don't let circumstances bother you. Life is too short to let every little thing irritate you. Read your book.

3) I have a prescription for Propanonol. I dont't take it very often. Although it will lower BP, a small dose helps me to calm down a little or perhaps not to get upset as easily. I take 5mg an hour before the appointment. (This may have more psycological effect on me than physical).

4) My doctor at the Mayo Clinic is very understanding. If the nurse gets a reading higher than I would have liked, the doctor will sometimes take a second reading after talking with me a short while. This second reading is always lower than the first. Makes me feel better.

5) I wore a 24 hour BP monitor a couple of years ago that was very encouraging. It verified that my BP was consistantly lower at work, at home, after eating, working in the yard etc, than it was in the doctor's office. This made me feel better and gave the doctor confidence that my readings at home were accurate and that my BP was controlled.

Having said that, I just ordered my unit today. Maybe I'll be able to reduce the medication I do take daily.

Once again, I am not a doctor, but Dr Rowena touches this subject lightly & it could be found here:
http://www.resperate.com/drrowena.aspx#Medical

What she says is:
"It is important to continue taking all prescription medications for hypertension until directed otherwise by your physician. Only your physician can advise you on when it is safe to stop taking pills. Abruptly stopping certain pills can cause serious medical problems. Proper use of the RESPeRATE can lead to better control of blood pressure and, as a result, your doctor may suggest decreasing or stopping medication." Posted: 3/7/2007

Breathe Easy!
Marguerite

Jimbo,

I too suffer from the dreaded "white coat hypertension." I can feel my heart rate increase and I went to high school with my doctor. I got the resperate to try to combat this. I have only been using it for about a week so I'll have to wait and see. I workout and at home my BP is normal but a nurse or doctor and I'm gone. I'll keep trying other things until I find something that works and I'll definitely post it here. Best of luck.

Donnie

I haven't let the doctor take my blood pressure since the time it was 170/?. 20 minutes later I took it at the drug store and it was 129/72. And yes, I checked with the pharmacist if the machine was accurate. Now my doctor wants me to wear that 24 hour monitor, which I think is fair but creeps me out.

I do let the nurse take my pulse, which is good for a laugh. It's alway way up and that's so easy to monitor at home.:-)

I don't think the Resperate will help at the doctor's office but it could help one stay calmer throughout the day. Lots of people seem to report improved sleep if they use it at bedtime.

It is expensive but I think I'll go try it for 28 days.

We actually have a published clinical study regarding RESPeRATE and white coat hypertension. The results show that RESPeRATE is effective in controlling these "spikes" that occur with white coat hypertension. Basically, if you are using the RESPeRATE regularly, then when you do go to the doctor's office, you should notice that your BP isn't as high as it may have been before!
Breathe Easy!
Marguerite (IMG:http://forum.resperate.com/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)