BP question

[Jingles]

Anybody know what is considered low blood pressure?

The last 2 mornings my waking BP has been 95/50 and 91/40. It'll go up to 110/55 or so after I get up but I'm supposed to take another BP pill at that time. I will call the doctor tomorrow, but that's tomorrow.

Since I bought a cuff and have been checking, I've seen a steady drop in my BP numbers. I know they are now in the "normal" range, but no one has mentioned how low they should go before I "panic". I don't see one doctor for another 3 weeks and the cardiologist for 2 months.

Should I be worried and call the doctor on call? I have had a few lightheaded moments, but not since Friday night (that one was bad ... felt like the top of my head was sliding off! and I don't know what my BP was because the cuff was upstairs.

[Missy]

Yes, I'd call the Dr. Do you feel faint??

Better safe then sorry Jingles. Could be a sign that things are improving so nicely on this plan that you might be able to have your meds reduced or stopped....but let THEM decide that!

[Gaelen]

Jingles, what Missy said!
If you are feeling faint, call the doctor and tell him what your readings are like. Chances are they'll want to see you before changing meds, but letting the docs (your primary care and/or your cardiologist, whoever prescribed the BP meds) know what is going on is doing your part of the responsible, informed patient/doctor relationship.

[Jingles]

Thanks for the replies. I will call, probably both of them tomorrow morning. My ... well, I don't really know if she's my "primary" care doctor ... she's the internist (that looks wrong in spelling) ... and added the morning BP med ... which she cut in half last week. It was 144/50 in her office and I did tell her about getting dizzy AFTER taking the morning BP med. I talked to her nurse Friday when she called with some test results and asked her about numbers like 104/55 and she said not to worry.

The other is the cardiologist who doubled the night BP meds a month ago which is taking my BP so low in the mornings. That was before I got really serious about PP.

I looked up low BP and the numbers are anything below 90/60. Mine are getting there and I'm not even taking the magnesium supplement PPLP recommends ... yet. I wanted to run that by the cardiologist 1st since the calcium channel blocker he put me on has the same end result.

The bad thing about going in to the doctor is that I have really bad "white coat syndrome". By the time I get off the elevator I can feel my heart rate increasing (not racing, but faster) and can feel my BP rising. :rolleyes: Maybe I can ask for them to come take my BP in my car! :p

Thanks for the advice! :)

[Mitra]

Jingles, if your BP is consistently higher in the Dr's office, then it's important to make sure that you take a record of your readings with you to show them it's not always the same reading - and explain that you feel agitated (or whatever word would describe it better) when they're taking the reading. (I did that the last time I went to the Dr, then felt really daft burbling on when he got a reading of 120/80 :rolleyes:)