[Ocean1]

Hi all hope your all as well as poss :wink2:

So i went back to my GP to have a talk about these funny turns i keep having where i go all floppy, dazed, pale, light headed, not able to move etc.... and she reckons symptoms like this are often due to either Low blood sugar or Low Blood pressure Im pretty sure its not blood sugar as iv tried eating/drinking sugary foods when i start to feel funny and it doesnt really help although i do sometimes get low blood sugar. So my gp gave me a blood pressure monitor to use and record my Bp when i have a funny turn, however as we all know lupus can be so changable and i havent had any of these funny turns over the last 2 days since i got the monitor I however have still been checking my Bp throughout the day and it is low, an average is 100/68, according to my booklet thats normal/low but not dangerously low which it says is below 90/60, the lowest i have recorded yet is 84/54 and its never been over 120/90

Anyone else get low blood pressure? is it lupus causing this? how do i get it higher?

Thanks for reading,
bex x x x x x x x x

 

[Phlox]

Hello Bex,

Have you recorded what you are doing when your BP becomes low? For example, is it when you get up from a chair or when you sit up from bed? Does it happen when you have suddenly changed direction or position or when you have walked up the stairs? Are you feeling particularly hot or cold, or emotional in some way?

I am suggesting these things as they may give some clues as to the cause.

I suffer from bouts of Low BP but they tend to happen under certain circumstances, so I can be sort of prepared! However, I have ended up on the ground a few times, including in the supermarket!

Try to make sure that you drink plenty of water every day and keep a calm as possible, and put your head between your knees when it happens. Sorry if you know all this already!!

All the best.

 

[jhmom]

I also have low BP and have these spells where I almost pass out. I am still unsure what caused my spells weather it be low bp/sugar. To increase my BP, my doctor suggested I increase my sodium intake by eating soup, drinking gatorade, etc.

I hope you find some answers soon.

 

[Ocean1]

Thanks for the replies

Phlox iv not noticed that there is any change before low Bp, im usually ok getting up from sitting etc, not particularly stressed or hot/cold the only time iv noticed my Bp drop is after eating a meal. Other than that it just seems to drop randomly :worried: and it stays low for hours even when i lay down flat

Yeh my Gp did recommened increased salt and fluid intake, doesnt seem to be helping at the moment really.

Any more advice welcome

Thanks again
bex x x x x

 

[LolaLola]

Becks, I can't add anything as the advice you have been given is also what my Daughter was told. She is always about 90/60. Very difficult if she needs to stand for any length of time. She went to a gig once and fainted 7 times. Luckily the Security and First Aid people were very patient and she did have friends with her. Also a problem if she has lots of blood taken at one go.
x lola

 

[pollianna]

I am the same. I went all the way to London from Brighton getting up at 6am to be there at rush hour . I did the whole underground thing. When I got my BP done at the clinic, it was about 60/90. I couldn't believe it was so low after such a journey.

Today at work I could feel the back of my head throb and almost fell down I felt so faint. As far as I can tell there's no way to get it up but I do take salt when I feel so bad if it's handy. I think I read somewhere that high blood pressure is associated with kidney and heart involvement with Lupus so I am not too worried, tho it's so hard to do everyday things with it.

 

[Lily]

Hi Bex,

Having low BP is a real drag at times. I think Lupus can interfere with the autonomic nervous system which controls blood pressure and cause it in some cases.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4463

If you notice it more after eating then it's called postprandial hypotension and can be helped by eating small low carbohydrate meals.

I've always had normal range low BP but when Lupus really dug it's claws in it went dangerously low suddenly quite often during the course of the day with no warning. Mine seems a lot better since my Lupus is more adequately controlled and hovers around 110 over 60. It used to plummet to 80 over 40 at it's worst...........not good!

Here's an article on some of the measures you can take to help out - some have already been mentioned and you have tried some. If it gets drastically low and that starts happening often as it did with me, it might be time to get your Rheumy to address it and look at Lupus as a possible cause.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/hyp/hyp_treatments.html

Good luck,

love
Lily