I know exactly what you mean Whirly.I recently had a medical with my GP for my application to the Metropolitan Police and he was shocked that my BP was 160/92.I am male,32,over 6 ft and quite a determined drinker lol!! He did however say that he suspected it was due to tension in the surgery rather than high BP per se.Still I didn't believe him and ended up so worried I was going to be ill that I actually FELT ill.So the only solution was to get my own BP monitor and take my own readings over certain periods.The result being that I now KNOW that my normal BP is actually quite low compared to the norm (last reading yesterday was about 117/70 and am glad that I don't have one of these gp's that gives you pills on the basis of one reading (though I have never met one of these as my AME is excellent and has always asked me if I am tense after he has taken a reading....never thought much of it until now...probably the same thing as the police medical but the AME had the good sense not to get me worried about it.
One thing which I find quite strange is that BP can change so much over just a few minutes that I would dare to say that one-off BP readings must not be a reason to pull someones ticket.Rather use the 24 hour method if there is doubt.
Another interesting thing is that because I have my own machine I no longer have a fear of my own blood pressure or having it taken so I am hoping that this will go some way to alleviating the "white coat" syndrome.
Interestingly enough,I have discovered that a doc does not need to be present for this to happen as when I first got my machine,the first 3 or 4 readings were as high as during the medical but ater a few tries I had calmed down and they never ever reached those heights again...It was fear of the results that influenced my BP reading...not the presence of a medical person.
I have also cut right back on the drinking and given up cigs totally and also do weights 3 times a week.I took my BP immediately after a heavy weights workout last week and it was 10 lower (systolic) than my supposed "resting" BP in my GP's office.
Best wishes and relaxing thoughts,
Beet