Calling all those with low blood pressure issues! Friend me! (Or comment so I can start a group)
Options
qubetha
Posts: 83 Member
Hi all :-)
This is a special call-out to those struggling with chronic low blood pressure. We face unique problems when trying to lose weight and I would love to build up a community of like-minded people who would like help with low blood pressure issues specific to weight loss and exercise or who have come up with ways to tackle the myriad of associated problems that can sometimes make CICO tough to implement......I am pretty sure I am not alone here!
While I appreciate ALL comments (and I really do, I love this community), please try to hold back if you are only commenting for the following reasons:
1. You don't think it is possible to have blood pressure that is too low (and are especially horrified that some might treat it with medication)
2. You have high or normal blood pressure and would just LOVE to have the problem of blood pressure that is low or even too low (please don't.....just please)
3. You think anyone complaining of low blood pressure is just being a cry-baby and using it as an excuse for failing to implement CICO properly.
But having said the above, if you still feel really strongly about commenting please feel welcome, I only ask that you do so respectfully.
If there are enough of you out there I am considering creating a group especially for those with low blood pressure and their supporters! Let me know in the comments below :-)
This is a special call-out to those struggling with chronic low blood pressure. We face unique problems when trying to lose weight and I would love to build up a community of like-minded people who would like help with low blood pressure issues specific to weight loss and exercise or who have come up with ways to tackle the myriad of associated problems that can sometimes make CICO tough to implement......I am pretty sure I am not alone here!
While I appreciate ALL comments (and I really do, I love this community), please try to hold back if you are only commenting for the following reasons:
1. You don't think it is possible to have blood pressure that is too low (and are especially horrified that some might treat it with medication)
2. You have high or normal blood pressure and would just LOVE to have the problem of blood pressure that is low or even too low (please don't.....just please)
3. You think anyone complaining of low blood pressure is just being a cry-baby and using it as an excuse for failing to implement CICO properly.
But having said the above, if you still feel really strongly about commenting please feel welcome, I only ask that you do so respectfully.
If there are enough of you out there I am considering creating a group especially for those with low blood pressure and their supporters! Let me know in the comments below :-)
1
Replies
-
I have very low blood pressure. It is partly a genetic thing and partly a function of being in very good shape.
Yes, I am overweight, but I am actually VERY fit.
I've not had big problems with BP + exercise lately. Staying very well hydrated and watching electrolytes seems to help me.0 -
azulvioleta6 wrote: »I have very low blood pressure. It is partly a genetic thing and partly a function of being in very good shape.
Yes, I am overweight, but I am actually VERY fit.
I've not had big problems with BP + exercise lately. Staying very well hydrated and watching electrolytes seems to help me.
Yes I think the people who can keep the symptoms under control do very well :-) I'm doin ok at the moment too but I did struggle with it for many years and wanted to offer support to anyone in the same position now. I'm sure you have become an old pro and can offer many suggestions yourself!0 -
May I ask if there are any risks associated with low BP? Other than the obvious of fainting and hurting yourself? And how it is related to the process of weight loss? I have low blood pressure myself, which occasionally makes me very dizzy, but I am curious how others experience it.0
-
I have had low blood pressure for years, my norm being 98/50. My doctor said that people who are extremely active, and especially those who run, often have low blood pressure. He is not worried at all.
I don't know what you mean when you say:We face unique problems when trying to lose weight
Can you please elaborate?
If I eat too much, I gain weight, if I eat too little I lose weight, and eating just about right I maintain. So, low blood pressure has never been a factor in my weight management.
As for a group, I might check it out.
0 -
May I ask if there are any risks associated with low BP? Other than the obvious of fainting and hurting yourself? And how it is related to the process of weight loss? I have low blood pressure myself, which occasionally makes me very dizzy, but I am curious how others experience it.
The biggest challenge for me has been dizziness/nearly fainting. I work out very hard though.
I also have a very low resting heart rate and I find that none of the exercise + heart rate charts work for me at all.0 -
I have had low blood pressure for years, my norm being 98/50. My doctor said that people who are extremely active, and especially those who run, often have low blood pressure. He is not worried at all.
I don't know what you mean when you say:We face unique problems when trying to lose weight
Can you please elaborate?
If I eat too much, I gain weight, if I eat too little I lose weight, and eating just about right I maintain. So, low blood pressure has never been a factor in my weight management.
As for a group, I might check it out.
Well it really depends heavily on the underlying reason for the low blood pressure. Not everybody has all the problems but many have at least one. low blood pressure is rarely the cause of problems but is often very closely associated with issues like digestive and GI problems (IBS and similar) and is also heavily linked to problems with tachycardia which can make exercise a real problem.
The tachycardia is often due to problems supplying sufficient blood to the body's organs (thus the heart rate is driven up to compensate) which often means your muscles and brain can't get suffient oxygen during exercise (sometimes even just moving around the house!). You don't neccesarry pass out or feel faint (although the this is also often a problem) but you can still feel pretty darn awful to the point where exercise becomes torture. Some choose to label this sensation "fatigue" others prefer to describe it as tachycardia. Others just say it sucks. Really depends on preference because all are probably technically true.
Low blood pressure can also make it tough to stay in control of your appetite in similar ways to a thyroid condition since the low blood pressure triggers the body's "fight or flight" mechanism and elevates adrenalin levels In order to raise heart rate (and drive blood pressure back up again). High levels of adrenalin can really muck up your body as those with thyroid conditions can attest to! Not to mention that it can make you ravenously hungry.....
Finally, And this is by no means a complete list, a large number of people with chronic low blood pressure also have joint problems and suffer frequent dislocations and have to exercise differently to accommodate this. I can explain the science behind this (as well as for the above conditions mentioned already but this post is long enough already). Some sufferers are so bad that they are not able to walk unassisted in some way and those who are not so bad still often have to avoid certain exercises that place strain on joints.
Now I must stress, these things are only strongly associated with low blood pressure because they are often seen together thanks to the underlying cause. It turns out that a very large number of the underlying reasons for chronic low blood pressure almost always the cause one of the above as well. The reason I chose to emphasize the low blood pressure part is that for many, low blood pressure was the first and most prominent symptom they noticed. some people have low blood pressure and one or more of the above conditions and had no idea they were connected. I would like to educate people and form a bit of a support group for people wanting to learn more. There is so little information out there on this topic. It's about time that changed!
I am well aware some people have low blood pressure and zero problems. Thats absolutely fine, I'm not worried about those people. But If they are able to offer guidance as to how they dealt with any issues they might have had that would also be great!
2 -
I have had low blood pressure for years, my norm being 98/50. My doctor said that people who are extremely active, and especially those who run, often have low blood pressure. He is not worried at all.
I don't know what you mean when you say:We face unique problems when trying to lose weight
Can you please elaborate?
If I eat too much, I gain weight, if I eat too little I lose weight, and eating just about right I maintain. So, low blood pressure has never been a factor in my weight management.
As for a group, I might check it out.
Well it really depends heavily on the underlying reason for the low blood pressure. Not everybody has all the problems but many have at least one. low blood pressure is rarely the cause of problems but is often very closely associated with issues like digestive and GI problems (IBS and similar) and is also heavily linked to problems with tachycardia which can make exercise a real problem.
The tachycardia is often due to problems supplying sufficient blood to the body's organs (thus the heart rate is driven up to compensate) which often means your muscles and brain can't get suffient oxygen during exercise (sometimes even just moving around the house!). You don't neccesarry pass out or feel faint (although the this is also often a problem) but you can still feel pretty darn awful to the point where exercise becomes torture. Some choose to label this sensation "fatigue" others prefer to describe it as tachycardia. Others just say it sucks. Really depends on preference because all are probably technically true.
Low blood pressure can also make it tough to stay in control of your appetite in similar ways to a thyroid condition since the low blood pressure triggers the body's "fight or flight" mechanism and elevates adrenalin levels In order to raise heart rate (and drive blood pressure back up again). High levels of adrenalin can really muck up your body as those with thyroid conditions can attest to! Not to mention that it can make you ravenously hungry.....
Finally, And this is by no means a complete list, a large number of people with chronic low blood pressure also have joint problems and suffer frequent dislocations and have to exercise differently to accommodate this. I can explain the science behind this (as well as for the above conditions mentioned already but this post is long enough already). Some sufferers are so bad that they are not able to walk unassisted in some way and those who are not so bad still often have to avoid certain exercises that place strain on joints.
Now I must stress, these things are only strongly associated with low blood pressure because they are often seen together thanks to the underlying cause. It turns out that a very large number of the underlying reasons for chronic low blood pressure almost always the cause one of the above as well. The reason I chose to emphasize the low blood pressure part is that for many, low blood pressure was the first and most prominent symptom they noticed. some people have low blood pressure and one or more of the above conditions and had no idea they were connected. I would like to educate people and form a bit of a support group for people wanting to learn more. There is so little information out there on this topic. It's about time that changed!
I am well aware some people have low blood pressure and zero problems. Thats absolutely fine, I'm not worried about those people. But If they are able to offer guidance as to how they dealt with any issues they might have had that would also be great!
Now I am more confused
Why not state the illness in the title, instead of one of the symptoms if you are not actually talking about low blood pressure but about something else?
Which illness are you referring to? I was under the impression that low blood pressure goes along bradycardia, not tachycardia?0 -
May I ask if there are any risks associated with low BP? Other than the obvious of fainting and hurting yourself? And how it is related to the process of weight loss? I have low blood pressure myself, which occasionally makes me very dizzy, but I am curious how others experience it.
As a general rule, if you have low blood pressure your body has trouble supplying blood to the parts of your body that need it, exactly when they need it. One way of coping with this is to drive your heart rate up, which in turn drives you blood pressure up. Your body uses adrenalin to make this happen which leads to a lot of problems similar to those who have hypothyroidism (who also experience issues with excess adrenalin). Also, during exercise, if your muscles are struggling to get the oxygen they need they will simply tire out and you will generally struggle with making progress in the cardio area long term. People with low blood pressure often see tachycardia (excessively high heart rate) during everyday life and exercise only exacerbates the problem. It's tough to exercise when your body is routinely starved of oxygen. Even when you don't feel that faint, your muscles are already suffering the fatigue of an oxygen deficit. One other area that often doesn't get the blood supply it needs (when it needs it) is your digestive system. A lot of people with low blood pressure have GI issues that can make food choices tough (and life difficult generally).
Small things like eating a bigger meal than usual can also again trigger adrenalin and subsequent tachycardia while the body struggles to cope with the shift in extra blood supply to the digestive area. Sometimes the chronic lack of appropriate blood supply simply cripples the digestive system and you end up sick long term.
And that's just the beginning, low blood pressure is also closely associated (although not the cause of) joint pain and joint dislocation problems....
Many people who have low blood pressure often experience the fatigue or the GI issues or the high heart rate or the joint problems or all of them at once! Most people don't realize these conditions can potentially be linked. I just want to get this information out there!
2 -
May I ask if there are any risks associated with low BP? Other than the obvious of fainting and hurting yourself? And how it is related to the process of weight loss? I have low blood pressure myself, which occasionally makes me very dizzy, but I am curious how others experience it.
As a general rule, if you have lie blood pressure your body has trouble supplying blood to the parts of your body that need it, exactly when they need it. One way of coping with this is to drive your heart rate up, which in turn drives you blood pressure up. Your body uses adrenalin to make this happen which leads to a lot of problems similar to those who have hypothyroidism (who also experience issues with excess adrenalin). Also, during exercise, if your muscles are struggling to get the oxygen they need they will simply tire out and you will generally struggle with making progress in the cardio area long term. People with low blood pressure often see tachycardia (excessively high heart rate) during everyday life and exercise only exacerbates the problem). One other area that often doesn't get the blood supply it needs (when it needs it) is your digestive system. A lot of people with low blood pressure have GI issues that can make food choices tough (and life difficult generally). Small things like eating a bigger meal than usual can again trigger adrenalin and subsequent tachycardia while the body struggles to cope with the shift in extra blood supply to the digestive area.
And that's just the beginning, low blood pressure is also closely associated (although not the cause of) joint pain and joint dislocation problems....
Many people who have low blood pressure experience the fatigue or the GI issues or the high heart rate or the joint problems or all of them at once! Most people don't realize these conditions can potentially be linked. I just want to get this information out there!
Do you have any links? I am really curious.0 -
My blood pressure is routinely in the 90's over the 50's and my doctor doesn't seem concerned. Mine is a side effect of my heart medication though. Not an intended side effect. She said as long as I feel ok then it's fine. And to pay attention to how I feel when I exercise.
I don't have any problems losing weight though. Could it be because I have 'artificial' low blood pressure as a medication side effect and not as a condition? I have no clue.
I wish I had some tips for you but I don't 0 -
The natural strength to squat what would have been a U.S. Junior record while in high school along with working out very hard probably greatly taxes your body. I wouldn't expect the normal exercise + heart rate charts to apply to someone like that.azulvioleta6 wrote: »May I ask if there are any risks associated with low BP? Other than the obvious of fainting and hurting yourself? And how it is related to the process of weight loss? I have low blood pressure myself, which occasionally makes me very dizzy, but I am curious how others experience it.
The biggest challenge for me has been dizziness/nearly fainting. I work out very hard though.
I also have a very low resting heart rate and I find that none of the exercise + heart rate charts work for me at all.
0 -
Many people who have low blood pressure experience the fatigue or the GI issues or the high heart rate or the joint problems or all of them at once! Most people don't realize these conditions can potentially be linked. I just want to get this information out there!
It can be completely idiopathic too.
0 -
DeguelloTex wrote: »
The natural strength to squat what would have been a U.S. Junior record while in high school along with working out very hard probably greatly taxes your body. I wouldn't expect the normal exercise + heart rate charts to apply to someone like that.azulvioleta6 wrote: »May I ask if there are any risks associated with low BP? Other than the obvious of fainting and hurting yourself? And how it is related to the process of weight loss? I have low blood pressure myself, which occasionally makes me very dizzy, but I am curious how others experience it.
The biggest challenge for me has been dizziness/nearly fainting. I work out very hard though.
I also have a very low resting heart rate and I find that none of the exercise + heart rate charts work for me at all.
You must be thinking of someone else...I don't do free weights.
0 -
Do you have any links? I am really curious.
Probably the best links I can provide center around the autonomic system and what it does in your body. It controls your blood pressure (among other things) and can be divided into two parts, sympathetic and parasympathetic. Ignoring the root cause of the low blood pressure (another topic in itself), when your blood pressure is too low (enough to prevent some organs working the way they should) your body starts trying to raise it again by increasing your heart rate.
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/brain-spinal-cord-and-nerve-disorders/autonomic-nervous-system-disorders/overview-of-the-autonomic-nervous-system
when your body raises your blood pressure the sympathetic nervous system kicks in and starts doing its thing (raising your heart rate to drive up blood pressure). While this is a good thing, the sympathetic nervous system also controls other aspects of your body and unfortunately it's an "all or nothing" kind of system. You can see from the following diagram all the other things that happen when the sympathetic nervous system fires up.
http://www.uic.edu/classes/bios/bios100/lectures/ANS.jpg
When this system is activated long term (in some people with low blood pressure this can be almost their entire waking hours), the systems affected can start to form chronic problems.
Its a complex topic and to be honest, most of the resources out there are medical journal papers and not very easy to read. Most of what I know came from my specialist (Dr Chris Callaghan, Austin Hospital in Melbourne, Australia) and the "easy to read" resources out there are limited....researching how the autonomic system works in itself will give a lot of insight (as well as researching the sympathetic nervous system) but that can also be heavy going sometimes....but I will keep looking! watch this space...
0 -
Oh and most doctors are still catching up on the science behind low blood pressure. My sister is an MD working in ICU and through her entire degree just one hour of class time was put towards the topic of low blood pressure. She's an expert now but even she was amazed at how much a person can be physically affected by long term low blood pressure. Most doctors wouldn't be concerned because low blood pressure will never kill you....it can just make life suck....and they literally were never taught about the connection in Med school anyway.
To be honest I'm kind of disappointed that I appear to be on my own in this. I just look like an idiot with an agenda now. I thought there would be at least one or two other people who have heard of this and could back me up. I guess it's more unknown than I thought. :-(2 -
DeguelloTex wrote: »
The natural strength to squat what would have been a U.S. Junior record while in high school along with working out very hard probably greatly taxes your body. I wouldn't expect the normal exercise + heart rate charts to apply to someone like that.azulvioleta6 wrote: »May I ask if there are any risks associated with low BP? Other than the obvious of fainting and hurting yourself? And how it is related to the process of weight loss? I have low blood pressure myself, which occasionally makes me very dizzy, but I am curious how others experience it.
The biggest challenge for me has been dizziness/nearly fainting. I work out very hard though.
I also have a very low resting heart rate and I find that none of the exercise + heart rate charts work for me at all.
I think that was mama that squatted.
Just to stay on topic, I also have low bp and it has been a definite concern a few times.0 -
Now I am more confused Why not state the illness in the title, instead of one of the symptoms if you are not actually talking about low blood pressure but about something else?
Which illness are you referring to? I was under the impression that low blood pressure goes along bradycardia, not tachycardia?
Because the underlying cause generally results in the same sets of symptoms. The list of causes is huge, the list of symptoms tends to be the same over and over. It's partly because your body handles low blood pressure in much the same way regardless of what caused it and it's your body's response that often causes all the grief, not the underlying cause. A good side example is your immune system, you get a temperature, the sniffles and you feel crap when it's fighting something off and the reaction is strikingly similar regardless of whether it's a virus, bacterial or an allergy to pollen. This is kind of similar.
0 -
I have low blood pressure that only affects me negatively if I get up from a sitting or laying position too quickly (orthostatic hypotension). I have blacked out a few times and actually gashed my chin on a counter. But I've learned to prevent that by just getting up slowly or sitting on the floor if I get a head rush.
I also was a little unsure how low bp could affect weight loss. But no one thinks you're "an idiot with an agenda," OP. I definitely understand that blood pressure can be dangerously low.0 -
camillemilton1 wrote: »
I also was a little unsure how low bp could affect weight loss. But no one thinks you're "an idiot with an agenda," OP. I definitely understand that blood pressure can be dangerously low.
Lol thanks! I guess I feel like I am living in bubble here, having come from support groups where everybody knew all about the science and I didn't have to explain myself! I'm not used to the pressure ;-)
The reason low blood pressure might affect weight loss is via a number of ways. I'm told adrenalin has a pretty strong influence on weight but I'm not too well researched on that particular aspect. The other ways it can effect weight loss is through GI problems that can make healthy eating a bit miserable (I guess any illness makes weight loss harder to keep up) and issues with fatigue and excessively high heart rate can significantly impair a person's ability to exercise. Add to that the joint and dislocation problems that a lot of people Have together with the low blood pressure and exercise can become all but impossible. So you can get stuck in a rut, ravenously hungry with the food you do eat ending up making you feel sick and then on top of that you struggle to exercise. Loads of people with these issues still find a way to lose weight, just like people PCOS and hypothyroidism also manage to overcome their situations.....they have support groups so why not the chronic low blood pressure people?
That was my reasoning..
0 -
What is considered low? I'm usually 90/60 but sometimes a tad higher or lower.
My son has Addison's disease and low bp can be a symptom.
I didn't know it could cause GI issues. I'll have to read up on that.1
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 390 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 922 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions