Calling all those with low blood pressure issues! Friend me! (Or comment so I can start a group)

bloody88

I have low blood pressure as well. At least for the last 12years that i measured it.

Sadly I haven't read much on the issue, and the only things I know about it are the "fatigue" thing and that people with low blood pressure at a young age are more prone to have hypertention when they get older.
My mother in fact has that, and she is taking medication for increased blood pressure for many years now, even tho she suffered from low blood pressure the first half of her life.
Bookmarking this to read later.

Sophlilcady

qubetha wrote: »

On another note, since I am on the topic of low blood pressure already, if you have low blood pressure plus a high "Beighton score" (ie you have very flexible joints) you may have hypermobility syndrome or Ehlers Danlos (which is when you will start seeing the joint pain and joint dislocation problems). Not everybody who has both low BP and high Beighton will have hypermobility....but a lot of people who do are unaware of it. if you do fit the criteria it might be worth googling the term "hypermobility syndrome" (or Ehlers Danlos) to see if it sounds like you.

To calculate your Beighton score:
http://hypermobility.org/help-advice/hypermobility-syndromes/beighton-score/

Ehlers Danlos and hypermobility syndrome people also have all the GI, heart rate and fatigue issues of many low blood pressure people as well as joint issues on top of that. Much rarer though.

I have chronic low blood pressure, hyper mobilised joints and my brother has Ehlers Danlos. Just now I am wondering why I haven't been tested... Hmm

Sophlilcady

My blood pressure usually sits around 90/50. I get dizzy a lot, breathless while doing nothing, and lack energy. I've finally found a dr who is helping me look at various symptoms I have that are pointing at some possible issues. Having a colonoscopy at the end of the month and eating healthier/losing weight should hopefully give me some footholds

azulvioleta6

LastingChanges wrote: »

Have you tried having coffee or tea to raise the BP a little? My BP is naturally on the lower side, I recently quit caffeine and without it my BP is even lower, causing me to feel tired/weak. (90/50) Curious if anyone with low BP feels caffeine helps them.

Yep...I drink 8 cups of coffee a day!

My doctor seems to think that this is fine/safe.

SamandaIndia

Interesting connections. Me, like mum n my sister, BP 90 to 100/60 with resting pulse of 57bpm; 49bpm when I am fitter. Never connected flexible joints that can't handle cold, GI issues nor fatigue with BP. Low BP connection with cold hands and feet, sure, plus almost fainting, that we connected years back. If I exercise I feel better and so I feel a little disconnected with the new information here. Will read more, thanks for sharing.

qubetha

SamandaIndia wrote: »

Interesting connections. Me, like mum n my sister, BP 90 to 100/60 with resting pulse of 57bpm; 49bpm when I am fitter. Never connected flexible joints that can't handle cold, GI issues nor fatigue with BP. Low BP connection with cold hands and feet, sure, plus almost fainting, that we connected years back. If I exercise I feel better and so I feel a little disconnected with the new information here. Will read more, thanks for sharing.

No no. don't interpret what I said as meaning exercise makes things worse! not the intention. Cardio exercise especially can actually alleviate low blood pressure symptoms and dizziness significantly and is very much encouraged. The only problem is that a lot of people with low BP have a lot of trouble doing enough cardio at the right intensity to make a big enough difference. If you can manage to do it you will reap the benefits and it looks like that is the case for you :-) congratulations!

SamandaIndia

Any solutions for fatigue that apparently is common with low BP??

For me, I find exercising help. I also am trying to eat and take more B12 and Iron (my blood levels tend to be low on these even with me trying to manage those). Looking for more ideas. Thoughts?

qubetha

SamandaIndia wrote: »

Any solutions for fatigue that apparently is common with low BP??

For me, I find exercising help. I also am trying to eat and take more B12 and Iron (my blood levels tend to be low on these even with me trying to manage those). Looking for more ideas. Thoughts?

Unfortunately for those who find exercise tough, exercise is currently the accepted way to combat the fatigue. My specialist has huge problems finding ways to get some of his more severe patients exercising. Many of his patients have to start off lifting cans of vegetables lying in bed! They often have to do this for months before even being fit enough to sit up. It's a slower process when you have low BP (for some more than others) and you have to set your own pace. Be patient and the benefits will start to reveal themselves.

I think the main take home message is to exercise according to your heart rate and ignore anything else. If you hit 165bpm walking at 3km/hr (or lifting vegetable cans in bed) then you need to focus on just doing that and ignore people around you who think you could run 5km@10km/hr within a few months if you just "tried harder". You have to make your own pace and realize that improvement is a loooong and steady process (but worth it!).

I exercise at 65-80% of Max heart rate for a good 20 mins per day and it took around 4-6 months to start seeing the benefit. For some (including myself and several low BP buddies I know), jogging or running will never be possible but also never necessary because it's possible to improve cardio fitness enough to benefit even just walking at a fast pace everyday. It's the heart rate and the duration that matters, not how many miles/sit-ups/steps you achieved.

Strangely enough my fitness tracker can't reconcile my heart rate with my pace and simply assumed that a 160bpm equates to running 8km/hr. Let me assure you, I have NEVER achieved that pace and probably never will lol.

Personally, Once I realized that I needed to work at my own pace and ignore the gym attendants I never looked back. A heart rate monitor is your best friend! I wear mine all day!

SamandaIndia

I am entirely grateful I can say I have low BP, and I don't suffer because of it. Yes fatigued, yes apparently hypermobile but no racing out of control pulse like you and your buddies have. I can exercise and my pulse behaves like medical charts predict it would. Wahoo didn't appreciate how lucky I am.

qubetha

SamandaIndia wrote: »

I am entirely grateful I can say I have low BP, and I don't suffer because of it. Yes fatigued, yes apparently hypermobile but no racing out of control pulse like you and your buddies have. I can exercise and my pulse behaves like medical charts predict it would. Wahoo didn't appreciate how lucky I am.

Even the milder cases (where exercise can be relatively "normal") benefit from focussing on heart rate. The main metrics you seek to improve are lowering heart rate given the actual level of activity (ie walking at 3km/hr, or 10km/hr! for three months but focussing on reducing your heart while you do it) and reducing the time it takes for your heart rate to drop below 100bpm when you stop. When those numbers improve you are well on your way.

A stronger heart means it will be faster to adjust when you stand up suddenly or do anything else that makes you feel faint (less of the dizziness). As a general rule, improving the cardio health will make a much bigger difference to general fatigue and dizziness than building muscle since muscles tend to be "expensive" for people with low BP, requiring increased blood flow when blood flow is already a limited resource.

Runfaster14

So glad I just stumbled on this thread. Frustrated too at a lack of information. Normal BP for me is 80/40. Doctors look at me and start to freak a little but I am breathing so they say that is good....
I have read that low thyroid can also be a cause. I do suffer with GI issues - IBS with constipation which is also an affect of low blood pressure as things just don't move as fast as they should.
I lift weights regularly and if, for example, I am doing deadlifts the first time I bend over to lift the bar I will get lightheaded coming back up. Yeah - a bit of a concern. Then when I set the bar back down and stand back up lightheaded again. Happens daily. Gives me a headache as the blood rushes back into my head and sometimes it will last a while. So my problem is the more I workout the lower the BP goes.

Runfaster14

Also - I never associated the racing heart rate to low BP. Sometimes sitting on the couch for a while my heart will start racing. Makes sense with your explanation. I know when that happens I have to get up very slowly a little at a time or I will hit the ground in an unpleasant way.