I've developed high blood pressure since taking Carbamazepine and wondered
if anyone else has or is it just a coincidence? My partner thinks it's white coat
syndrome as it was first picked up when I went for my pre med and then again
when my GP took it a few days later. I'm worried that they won't operate if it
remains high.
I have white coat syndrome....and I can even "do it" to myself. Somethings I have learned...first buy yourself a BP machine and take it at home as instructed....sit for 15 minutes before taking it. And expect that the first few times you do it...even the first few days you will "elevate" your BP...be nervous. Also if you take it in the morning after caffeine it will be higher. When you go to the doctor's office they walk you down the hall, sit you down, nurse is taking your BP and talking to you....all which is not the right way to do...and it puts the BP up. Now having said all that, yes these TN drugs do elevate your BP...I have struggled with that. And the TN pain elevates it big time too!!! Good luck.
My suggestion would be to go to places that have no machines. See what it is when your not in doc office. Let us know.
Hi Karen,
Thank you for your reply. My partner said exactly the same about
white coat syndrome. I bought my own BP monitor and after I've
been sat stroking the cat or sat chilled out in front of the tv, it does
go down a lot but it's still higher than the GP wants. She did say last
week if you're in pain it would be up. I'm terrified they will postpone
my operation if it doesn't go down. I've upped by Tegratol Carbamazepine
recently to 1600mg a day and just wondered if it was something
to do with that. We'll just have to see what happens tomorrow. Fingers
crossed!
As other's have said, you will need to measure it at different times at home to know if it really is the meds or not. Doctor's office can raise BP, and so can pain, stress, anxiety, lack of sleep etc... basically everything that happens as a result of enduring the TN pain.
Last night after sitting quietly stroking the cat who had curled up on my
knee I took my BP and it was much lower. I was so happy I could have
danced! This morning I headed off to my GP without taking my
Carbamazepine first. I told her that I thought I may have white coat
syndrome and she smiled and said a lot of us have, explaining that she
did herself! The good news is that my BP was well within the normal
range. I rang in my results to the hospital and I'm now going in on Friday
for my MVD. I still find that a short time after taking my Tegretol I do get
a headache and my BP goes up. It could be some of my other
medication not mixing with it so well since my Carbamazepine has been
increased so much, or it could just be coincidence. I've been taking my
BP at home 4 times a day, the same time I take my Tegratol.