Wondering about blood pressure and losing weight

airforceman1979
airforceman1979 Posts: 94 Member
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
Okay I've lost a lot of weight I still have a lot to lose my blood pressure dropped so low that they had to take me off of one of my blood pressure medicine and it's still on the Lower side 120 over 60 I I have a plan to see my cardiologists I was just wondering if other people have had similar issues
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Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    Mine dropped from prehypertensive to solidly normal after I lost 60 pounds, but I wasn't on meds. I've seen quite a few people on MFP report being able to reduce/discontinue BP meds after weight loss, though.
  • Chadxx
    Chadxx Posts: 1,199 Member
    Even at my heaviest, mine was never bad, typically about 122/80. Recently, it was 110/72 and that was about 75 pounds down with about 50 more to go.

    Not needing to take blood pressure medication isn't an issue. It is a positive step.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    edited November 2016
    airforceman1979 wrote: »
    Okay I've lost a lot of weight I still have a lot to lose my blood pressure dropped so low that they had to take me off of one of my blood pressure medicine and it's still on the Lower side 120 over 60 I I have a plan to see my cardiologists I was just wondering if other people have had similar issues

    I can't call this an issue really. Getting a drop in BP is one of the reasons people with high BP are told to lose weight. So yours dropping seems just right.

    Actually low BP is below 90 to 60. 120 to 60 is just right I think. Mine drops to below 90/60 sometimes.
  • VeganRaptor
    VeganRaptor Posts: 164 Member
    Just keep an eye on it with your doctor :) Getting off blood pressure medications is a good thing, it means you're getting healthier! As long as you don't end up being off all your medications and still having harmfully low blood pressure- but that's pretty unlikely.

    I often have issues with low blood pressure around 85/50, but it's been checked out by the doctor and is mostly okay. Just keep getting your medications and blood pressure reviewed regularly :)
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    How many BP meds are you still on?

    Sounds like great progress
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    That's a good thing- hopefully soon you won't need any medication for your blood pressure!

    I've never taken meds for it but mine was starting to get somewhat high when I was at my heaviest and not exercising. I started exercising and lost some weight and even though I need to lose some more weight my blood pressure is now perfect.
  • duddysdad
    duddysdad Posts: 403 Member
    I was taking a double dose of BP meds plus a beta blocker. Even with those, my BP was still regularly around 140/120. I lost 160 pounds, but gained back 50, then lost 20. So I am down to 130 pounds lost from my original weight. The last time I had my BP taken it was 103/56. That is an awesome BP and is nothing to worry about. My doctor was very happy about it. My resting pulse went from 120 to around 85, which still needs to come down, but I don't exercise, but if I did I am sure it would be even lower. I am not on anything ATM to get my pulse down, which is what the beta blocker was for. I am sure if my doctor was worried about it, he would put me on something.
  • airforceman1979
    airforceman1979 Posts: 94 Member
    I take Verapamil do to rhythm problems from heart attack which they can't take me off of and a long-lasting nitro pill the help the arteries
  • Pawsforme
    Pawsforme Posts: 645 Member
    My understanding is that low blood pressure isn't a problem unless it causes symptoms (feeling faint, etc.). When I was younger my normal BP ran around 95/55 and it was never a problem. I always felt fine.
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    Unfortunately my raised blood pressure is connected to my anxiety rather than weight, so no matter how much weight I lose or how much exercise I do I think it'll always be higher than it should be. I'm just hoping to get it down enough to not need beta blockers anymore.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Pawsforme wrote: »
    My understanding is that low blood pressure isn't a problem unless it causes symptoms (feeling faint, etc.). When I was younger my normal BP ran around 95/55 and it was never a problem. I always felt fine.

    When I was younger, prone to low blood pressure, and ate less salt I would feel dizzy if I got up suddenly. My blood pressure is now Normal to which I attribute eating a fair amount of salt.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    Thats awesome, congratulations!! It is way better to have BP on the lower side! Mine is always around 100-110/70-90
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    When I lost my first thirty pounds I started getting symptoms of low blood pressure. When I lost further I negotiated myself off my medication as long as I promised to continue to test my BP weekly, which I do. I might need help in the future but for now I enjoy the "holiday".

    When I started exercising regularly my heart rate dropped too. ❤️
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Pawsforme wrote: »
    My understanding is that low blood pressure isn't a problem unless it causes symptoms (feeling faint, etc.). When I was younger my normal BP ran around 95/55 and it was never a problem. I always felt fine.

    When I was younger, prone to low blood pressure, and ate less salt I would feel dizzy if I got up suddenly. My blood pressure is now Normal to which I attribute eating a fair amount of salt.

    Mine runs on the lower side of normal (95/65), and I have chronic hyponatremia thanks to a medication I'm on. I've lost my taste for things being overly salty, so it's an uphill battle for me trying to keep my salt intake up. I hide salt in things like my morning cuppa, for example. Anything to get more in.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,224 Member
    My mum lost weight and started getting dizzy, turns our she no longer needed her blood pressure meds and they were dropping it too low! It's a good thing (as long as its properly monitored!)
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Weight loss is supposed to lower BP, and it has. You do have to be careful of too low BP if you're still on meds for it.
  • boothekm1
    boothekm1 Posts: 60 Member
    Weight loss doesn't really affect BP that much. Weight loss is the result of eating healthier and exercising which is what lowers BP. It's normal to get off BP meds after good lifestyle changes.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    boothekm1 wrote: »
    Weight loss doesn't really affect BP that much. Weight loss is the result of eating healthier and exercising which is what lowers BP. It's normal to get off BP meds after good lifestyle changes.

    Weight loss is the result of a calorie deficit. Changing the way you eat or exercising can be a part of that, but you can do it without either providing you're eating at a deficit.

    Being obese does increase the risk of high blood pressure, so weight loss could help someone with high blood pressure even if everything else about their life stayed the same.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    I no longer take a low dose of lisinopril. As of last Saturday it's official. I'd been forgetting to take it for multiple days at a time for several months. My Dr learned that my 118/82 reading Saturday was without the influence of lisinopril, which I had forgotten to take for 5 days, and decided I could stop forgetting to take it. Is it the 85 lb weight loss? The cardio exercise? The healthy eating? All of the above are worth trying.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    I was borderline high when I was at my heaviest and my doctor was insisting on medicine. Once I dropped 40 lbs all my bloodwork and vitals came back optimal.

    Congratulations!

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    edited December 2016
    boothekm1 wrote: »
    Weight loss doesn't really affect BP that much. Weight loss is the result of eating healthier and exercising which is what lowers BP. It's normal to get off BP meds after good lifestyle changes.

    That's interesting.

    I've been vegetarian for 44 years, a pretty healthy eater, and didn't change my diet's composition dramatically to lose weight, mostly just cut down on unnecessary treats and down-sized portions. In fact, before the weight loss, I'd already made other changes to fine-tune the quality of my eating, in a largely unsuccessful attempt to improve BP & blood lipids.

    And I've been active for about 12 years, so didn't change my exercise/activity level much while losing weight (in fact, in some ways, my activity's reduced a bit in the last 2-3 years because I'm not competing anymore, and can't train as consistently because of a torn meniscus - not to mention that I'm aging (I'm 61)).

    I've been overweight for 30 years, and obese for at least 20, while all of the above was going on, and have had pre-hypertension or worse for about a decade (140/80 and - very often - above). May've even been true before that, but I don't have the earlier levels documented. Never took meds for it, admittedly.

    But somehow, since losing 60+ pounds in the last couple of years, my BP now runs about 110-115/60s-low 70s.

    Maybe results differ for those with a stronger genetic predisposition to high BP, but purely losing weight sure seems to have made a big difference for me.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,327 Member
    boothekm1 wrote: »
    Weight loss doesn't really affect BP that much. Weight loss is the result of eating healthier and exercising which is what lowers BP. It's normal to get off BP meds after good lifestyle changes.

    While I have not done any research in this area, and I can only use my own experience, I lost weight not by changing what I eat but only how much. I do exercise more, but the blood pressure drops I have experienced have all been correlated to my weight loss not my exercise. Unless eating healthier has to do with eating at an appropriate calorie level, I would say that weight loss made much more of a difference that healthier eating in my case.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    I was not lucky enough to have BP drop after losing my weight.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    boothekm1 wrote: »
    Weight loss doesn't really affect BP that much. Weight loss is the result of eating healthier and exercising which is what lowers BP. It's normal to get off BP meds after good lifestyle changes.

    Losing weight is the number one recommendation to controlling blood pressure. Weight is the strongest driver of blood pressure.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I went from normal to low normal. Exercise might have an impact too though?
  • gnu4liberty
    gnu4liberty Posts: 48 Member
    My blood pressure is naturally low. If the bottom number goes below 50, I can't do business and start doing light exercise to bring it up.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Yes, losing weight can often result in a drop in BP and a reduction or termination of meds. That's one of the hoped-for benefits.

    That process can have some side effects, since the effect can be the same as doubling your dosage. So people might have to go through a period of hypotension, lethargy, etc, before determining its time for a change. In my case, I got to the point where I started to pass out every time I changed body position.
    I stopped altogether and my BP normalized for a couple of months and then started back up again-with no change in diet, weight, or exercise. So for me, looks like I'm stuck with the meds, but, again, at a much lower dose than otherwise.

    Just don't make any changes without your doctor.
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