10 Things You Should Never Do Before a Doctor Appointment—and 4 Things You Should

Don’t drink coffee before a blood pressure test

If you’re going in for a regular doctor visit, you’re probably going to have your blood pressure taken. So it’s best to avoid coffee right before your appointment because it could affect the results. “Using coffee or other caffeine such as energy drinks or colas within an hour of having your blood pressure measured can make the number artificially higher,” says James Dewar, MD, vice chairman of family medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). “The same goes for tobacco products and over-the-counter decongestant medications.” But if you know you have high blood pressure, your doctor may have told you to avoid drinking coffee all together.