Fed up with low blood pressure fatigue

[chicolini]

Hi all, l am struggling getting through the days with symptomatic low blood pressure. I'm not on any medications that could cause it and never had high BP. I take thyroxine for autoimmune thyroid disease, and paracetamol for neuralgic headache and low dose aspirin for migraine aura prevention. I'm 67, weigh 60kg, not overweight, no alcohol etc. I have postural hypotension, and post eating hypotension with big drops on standing and am symptomatic with woozy head and fatigue even when it settles at at 90 over 60. BP most days in the 90s over 60s and often in the 80s over 50s and crashes lower on standing.. it does spike up onto 40s over70s on occasion, appropriately, with white coat syndrome at the doctors or dentist . My resting HR is 50 and around 40 lying in bed relaxed. So BP is not that low really but lm feeling it regardless. I do get a lot of pvcs and pics but not every day, also runs of psvt, again not every day. I had a normal ecg, thyroid levels, electrolytes etc the other day.

I was told it's an aging thing and to keep hydration up and increase salt. I have had excellent hydration for years so that's not a problem. It's difficult to get enough to eat while full of endless fluids !

What can l do to feel better, lm so depressed, dragging myself around like this.

[Tos92]

Hi chicolini

I’m sorry to hear your low blood pressure is making you feel poorly.

Just a thought, has your GP ever carried out checks on your thyroid to rule out hypothyroidism? This can cause low blood pressure. Perhaps worth having a chat with your doctor to see if you can get that aspect of things investigated.

I hope others come by with tips on how to increase blood pressure. I know salt is a common one however, I see that you have mentioned that already.

Good luck.

Tos

[chicolini in reply to Tos92]

Thanks Tos. Yep thyroid is checked regularly as l do have hasimotos hypothyroid. Last week's test was all in range. I do blame thyroid for my slow heart rate and feeling cold, but docs keep saying bloods are in range and no it's not thyroid. But who really knows?

[chicolini]

When the BP dips low on standing, it's really slow to get back up, and lm still woozy for ages while walking about . Usually my HR does increase to try to compensate , as in the above, but not always, sometimes HR doesn't change much from the sitting rate of 50 something, and lm trying to function with both BP and HR low. I've had this problem for a few years but lately l have become noticeably symptomatic with it.

Typical standing bp

[Shar28]

I’d suggest giving the BHF nurses a call. They're brilliant, so informative and they can suggest questions to ask to actually get the info you need. Here’s the link with their contact details/methods

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

Also, although your thyroid has been checked, is that just T4 and TSH or your T3 too? Some people have a low conversion rate from T4 to T3 so even though they have loads of T4 their body isn't making the best use of it. And are you gluten-free? That can help lower the thyroid antibodies count and help you feel better. I’ve been told that at a molecular level thyroid tissue and gluten look similar to the body, so when the immune system attacks the gluten it also attacks the thyroid. (This is different to coeliac disease).

Best wishes to you and your loved ones.

[chicolini in reply to Shar28]

Thanks Shar, yes gluten free for several years now and it has made a huge difference with digestion, even though lm not celiac, but l haven't really noticed help in other ways. But lm sticking with it. I used to always have to ask for t3 , and I used to get t4 as well as tsh tested, when the were only offering tsh. I like to have tsh at the low end of the range and t4 at the high end. T3 was sometimes in range, only just , but mostly just out of range. I have been told told numerous times by the nurses and doctors at different clinics l have been to over the years that t3 doesn't matter and that there was nothing they could do for t3 when tsh and t4 were right on the edge. In the past l have tweaked my meds up slightly to bring t3 into range but it always pushes the other 2 out of range. Because l get a lot of pvcs and runs of tachycardia I'm cautious about overdosing.

So last week when l had my test they gave me a form for tsh and l was refused t3 and t4, and told it's not policy to test them anymore. I'm sick of arguing with them ! 😵‍💫

[Shar28 in reply to chicolini]

Oh dear! It’s not helpful when they refuse tests and don’t give a clear explanation of why, backed up by science. You can get the tests privately with companies like Thriva, which is what I did.

[Cavalierrubie]

l have low blood pressure unless l get stressed and then it shoots up. I was told low blood pressure is nothing to worry about unless it causes problems, which it is to you when you stand up and causing you dizziness. The thing is to get up very slowly and not rush around. I would see your doctor if it is causing you distress as l believe there is treatment available for this condition. It is part of the ageing process unfortunately. You are doing the correct things with keeping hydrated and increasing salt intake. Also never have a too hot shower or bath which can make you dizzy. If you feel faint put your head between your knees. See the doctor if it is interfering with your daily life.

[chicolini in reply to Cavalierrubie]

Thank you, yes I get the same with spikes from stress such as hospital appointments. I have also had temporary high spikes for absolutely no reason, which is weird. Thanks for the tips, sad to give up a hot bath though.. 😭