When is BP too low?

[kickingandscreaming]

I have always fun high BP.  It's probably the cause of my kidney failure.  My systolic (unmedicated) runs in the 160's 170;s (diastolic always low/normal).  With meds it came down to 150's.

Since my A fib incidents i have been taking Metoaprolol to slow and regulate the heart.  It has also dramatically lowered my BP.  These days it's mot unusual for my BP to be 100/49.   As a former high BP person, these low numbers scare me.  How low is too  low?  This new med is a beta blocker and it makes me pretty tired and low energy too. 

Yesterday, I went walking with my dog. It was a very suddenly hot, scorching day.  And I almost fainted twice and then got dizzy several times.  Was afraid I wouldn't make it home safely.   I considered if it was from low BP and I drank a lot of water and had a bit of salt.  Then I realized that I had forgotten to eat and had nothing since breakfast until 4-5pm.  Once I ate something, I felt MUCH better,  But I'm still not sure how to recognize whether it's my blood sugar or BP.

[kristina]

Dear K&S,
Please make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible to find out what is going on with your BP
and please tell him that yesterday you felt like fainting and dizzy whilst going for a walk.
Hopefully your doctor can quickly find a more "gentle" BP-medication, which does not lower your BP too drastically.
Please take great care and I send you my best wishes from Kristina.

[Michael Murphy]

I live in New Jersey but I recognize a couple of signs of low BP.  If I stand quickly and I feeel dizzy or  I have trouble coordinating I know I am having a low BP incident.  If every one else is warm or hot and I am cold, low BP.   If I think it's low BP I have a home unit and I take my BP and check.  Since I want it to read accurately I periodically take my home unit to dialysis and compare its reading to their readings,

[kickingandscreaming]

But are there some numbers that are actually too low?  Or is it a purely individual thing?  Today, I lost my bearings 5 or 6 times and found myself on the floor.  Knocked over some big pieices of furniture.  My back is now killing me and I'm afraid to do anything as I'm not clear what the triggers are yet. Today, my BP isn't particularly low (126/53)  and yet my head goes swimming and I lose balance and coordination.  Very scary and foreign to me.  And unrelated to time and process of dialysis.

[smartcookie]

If this lower blood pressure is new change, it could be your body getting used to that blood pressure.  I would ask your doctor what is too low.  I don't want to give you a number and it be wrong.  to tell the difference between blood pressure and blood sugar, you probably just need to test your blood sugar level.  If that is okay, then it probably is your blood pressure.  I am concerned about you finding yourself on the floor, though.  Please call your doctor and get an appointment or call your dialysis center. 

[Charlie B53]

I am told 100 is too low.  Those first few months while my clinic had my dry weight so low there were a couple of times that my BP was that low.  They were afraid to hook me up as pulling any water off could further reduce BP's.

There is also always the possibility your dizzyness may be caused by something else, like an inner ear problem beginning to rear up.

I fully agree that you need to see you Dr and let them check you out.  Just to be sure.

Metoprol can be 'adjusted' depending on how you react.  Your Dr may elect to reduce your dose a little.

[Michael Murphy]

When I started dialysis i was told 32 ounces of fluid and they were very aggressive in fluid removal. Basically I felt like crap, but I followed directions.  After dialysis I went to my monthly doctors appointment with my nephrologist.  When the medical tech came in she took my blood pressure 3 times then ran out. Now this is a huge joint practice, the buildings they occupy are larger than most hospitals.  So the doctor rushes in takes by BP and asks how I got there. Told him I drove.  He looked aghast then called for transport to have me taken to urgent care.  Then told me my BP was 75 over 48 and I needed a iv of saliine.  After one bag they still were not happy but I insisted on leaving to go home to chicken soup and bed.  That's how I learned 75 over 48 was to low.  Next dialysis session my dry weight was raised 4kilos.  And I was taken off fluid restrictions.

[Charlie B53]

LOL  Felt like crap, but you followed directions.

I was sort of like that my first couple of months when the clinic had my dry weight set so low.  But my pressures never got any near that low.  I was only down to 100 once prior to treatment.  Because I got lazy and had quit taking my pressures at home I didn't know it.  It was only when the Tech pointed it out that I started making noises about raising my dry weight.

I didn't know near enough then.  Still don't.
But I am learning.

[Michael Murphy]

One of my fellow patients was complaining about how bad his cramps were from his last session I said I had them stop if when my hands began to cramp. In amazement he didn't know he could tell them to stop.  He thought he had to put up with the cramping.  I think  he was going to have his dry weight set to the weight at which he started to cramp.  What's amazing is what no one tells the patients.

[Charlie B53]

One has to wonder if the Techs have an office 'pool' with the daily winner the Tech who can take off the most total out of their combined patients.

Weekly winners get a bigger prize!