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You don’t get it — I was not on any BP medication. Here’s a scenario: I’m admitted to a ER, unconscious, and based on this bogus medical record the ER staff assumes I’m on some BP meds. Oh gee, mistakes were made...couldn’t be helped.
.
That scenario is meaningless.
In the ER, you will be treated according to your current blood pressure reading.
The problem with those bogus readings is that they become part of a medical record. It’s almost impossible to correct or delete medical records, even if they are wrong. Some years ago my former dentist started taking vitals at each visit. Their wrist blood pressure gauge showed an extremely high reading which was recorded in my file. I told the dentist that the reading was clearly wrong because I’d just had a physical with normal BP and it differed from my home BP readings. She blew it off and joked it must be the coffee. Six months later they put the same monitor on my wrist and again it gave a high reading. The hygienist commented that I should get that checked since the previous reading was also very high!
We moved and my new dentist also takes vitals. On the first visit they wanted to know what BP medication I was taking. I said none and they looked surprised, “Are you sure? Your record shows above normal readings.” These incorrect BP readings are now part of a permanent record, and there is nothing that I, as a patient, can do about them.
OK, so, a high reading gets noted. And? Subsequent readings will also get noted, lower, higher, the same. If you are this freaked out about it use a BP monitor that makes a record and/or transmits it to your GP. There should be a trend. More important than any one reading in isolation.
I'm one of those who often has a slightly higher BP reading at the start of appointments that resolves to a lower reading shortly after. My GP notes it in the chart; the good and the bad. She checks back through the record on subsequent appointments and knows to re-measure it. That's what a record is for. I tell new providers this so they'll do the same. The record is made up of data points. Its not a bogeyman. Do you really believe a permanent medical record of an isolated test is this much of a threat? If so, there's probably more going on here than white coat syndrome. The amount of paranoia on this thread is astounding.
Last edited by Parnassia; 11-24-2019 at 01:43 PM..
OK, so, a high reading gets noted. And? Subsequent readings will also get noted, lower, higher, the same. If you are this freaked out about it use a BP monitor that makes a record and/or transmits it to your GP. There should be a trend. More important than any one reading in isolation.
I'm one of those who often has a slightly higher BP reading at the start of appointments that resolves to a lower reading shortly after. My GP notes it in the chart; the good and the bad. She checks back through the record on subsequent appointments and knows to re-measure it. That's what a record is for. I tell new providers this so they'll do the same. The record is made up of data points. Its not a bogeyman. Do you really believe a permanent medical record of an isolated test is this much of a threat? If so, there's probably more going on here than white coat syndrome. The amount of paranoia on this thread is astounding.
Right? What amazes me is the assumption on the part of some that if they don't like the numbers, they *must* be wrong.
Exactly! The idea is not to find out your lowest possible BP as if you were in a coma but to find out what it reasonably is under reasonable circumstances, that is, what is "typical".
As for the OP, having an elevated BP after walking down a "long hallway" may not actually be elevated - it's probably his normal unless he is asleep whether he wished to know that or not.
Walking briskly, swinging my arms as PT advises me for knee rehab. In an earlier post I posted a couple of links about how blood pressure is supposed to be taken and this was not it. I could probably post dozens more links that say the same thing.
That is exactly what my last PCP always said. According to him, if your blood pressure is elevated from the stress of a doctor's visit, it'll also be elevated under other stressful conditions.
Well, that is probably correct, but many of us are not in those stressful situations much...that is, if we are lucky enough to have that type of control over our lives.
I would be classified as a "highly sensitive person" and very shy and private in certain ways. That doesn't mean I can't give seminars to 200 people and/or deal with vast numbers of important decisions. But when put into a small room and asked rapid fire personal questions I definitely feel some stress (not off the charts, but definitely fight or flight).
I just finished a book which touched on intelligence services and interrogation. They did note that people feel extremely vulnerable when seated in a room having questions asked of them. So it all makes perfect sense.
I've notice that medicine has become a little sneaky and judgmental. There are now "one size fits all" standardized ways of dealing with patients which some may find intrusive. As one example, at a recent visit the NP tried to spring a drug test on me (I am a grandfather and married 47 years and no history and responsible for many lives and millions of dollars)....never had a drug test in my life except when signing up for a million dollar life insurance policy.
I flatly refused, but it got my back up...so now I may not visit as much and I feel a bit more adversarial when going. When my doc came in the room he laughed and threw the drug test cup into the trash.
The system sucks. I like my doc...but that doesn't stop the system.
I'm almost thinking of going to the "executive" type of GP...may do it someday even tho on my own dime.
I would hate to hear that your health is in danger because your home unit did not agree with the higher reading of the doctor's.
In almost all cases a person's blood pressure will heighten sometimes significantly just by being in a doctor's office or simply from leaving your home and making your way by any means of transport to your doctor's office.
Get " another opinion" with a comparison from a pharmacy blood pressure machine and see if that reading is accurate to what the doctor's says or what your home unit says.
It is a new thing in my community where the doctor takes 6 blood pressure measurements with a machine to ensure accuracy.
I completely trust all of my doctors. They are my angels.
Aha. Well, that explains this thread doesn't it? You are now hyper-sensitized. Still doesn't justify your generalized OP rant. Your personal experience doesn't permit you to walk in anyone else's shoes. It happened...five years ago.
Aha. Well, that explains this thread doesn't it? You are now hyper-sensitized. Still doesn't justify your generalized OP rant. Your personal experience doesn't permit you to walk in anyone else's shoes. It happened...five years ago.
I know others who have the same complaint. I am happy for those of you whose blood pressure is measured correctly. Hyper-sensitized? I don't think so. It is easy to track my blood pressure. Relaxing at home, put down the newspaper, reach over for the blood pressure cuff, see its still a little on the low side, why not?
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These incorrect BP readings are now part of a permanent record, and there is nothing that I, as a patient, can do about them.
