White Coat Syndrome

I have developed "white coat syndrome" over the last couple of years. Everytime I get my blood pressure checked at the doctor's office it is always (alarmingly) high....for a woman of my age and stature. It all started a few years ago when I had a regular Dr.'s appt. scheduled and happened to have received news of a car repair that was going to cost us thousands of dollars before the appt. My blood pressure was high. Understandably. But because of family history and that I was taking the pill which can elevate blood pressure and cause blod clots, my Dr. was a little alarmed. And that, in turn, alarmed me, as they said they wanted me to come back to get it checked in a month. I think I was a little freaked out anticipating an appt. solely for the purpose of monitoring my blood pressure. It was high again.....and that has been the story ever since....

So, something has clearly clicked in my brain where I begin to feel nervous hours before a scheduled Dr.'s appt. I try to put the thought behind me, but it stays prominent in my mind. I arrive at the Dr.'s office, my heart is beating hard and fast, I feel a pressure in my chest, I try to take deep breaths - to no avail -all with the anticipation of taking my blood pressure and fearing a high reading. I have been even more freaked out in light of this pregnancy and knowing high blood pressure and pregnancy is not a good thing.

So, though I am growing this little life inside me, the focal point at the Dr.'s office these past few visits has been my high blood pressure readings and whether or not I have prehypertension or not. I was instructed to take my blood pressure at a different location a few times before my scheduled appointment yesterday....the first time I take it, it is a little high . The second, third, fourth, fifth readings (and so on) are all just fine....117/78 or 113/74. Yesterday, at my appt. it was 146/85....the second reading a few minutes later was 132/82.....and then on my way home I stopped at the pharmacy (the wave of stress associated with getting my blood pressure taken completely gone post appt.) and it was 113/73.

My midwife and OB-gyn both agreed that right now, there is no cause for alarm ....I seem a likely candidate for whitecoat syndrome and we should just throw away the first blood pressure reading....in the meantime, I am still instructed to check my blood pressure away from the Dr.'s office every two weeks....just to be sure....but really can't help but feel like I am a headcase. My mind is clearly affecting my body in this weird way....and now I am wondering if there is a way to cure myself of this Dr.'s office anxiety I have developed? They are such nice nurses and Dr.'s, too....not at all scary or threatening. So, in addition to caring for this developing life, I am also going to try to figure out a cure for whitecoat syndrome....I have so many Dr.'s appts. ahead of me and I would really really love for it to go away!