Low blood pressure but told to take aspirin

[dinksandbinks]

Hi all,

Has anyone ever been told to take aspirin to avoid pre-eclampsia, even when they have low blood pressure?

Since 8 weeks mine has been at max 92/58 and mostly is well below 90. I’m consultant-led due to IVF pregnancy, and was told to take aspirin daily, but my blood pressure fell further and I kept fainting (plus I had bleeding, and a gastric ulcer...) so the midwife told me to quit the aspirin. Felt so much better without it, but got a hard time at the last consultant appt, where they insist my blood pressure is high.

Has anyone navigated this flipping annoying minefield? How did you keep the consultants off your case? I swear I will end up with high blood pressure if they scaremonger every time I see them. I’m otherwise completely healthy, normal BMI, never smoked, active, healthy diet...

Advice welcome!

[FancyNewBeesly]

Yes. I was high risk for PE (twins) and was given it despite low BP (didn’t stay that way though!)

[Astrid2]

Why are they worried about preeclampsia with your BP as low as it is? There's no reason to be concerned about it. It's only if BP is above 150/90 with protein in urine. Have you had PE before?

[dinksandbinks]

Thanks for your replies!

Fancy Can you remember when you started taking it? And when your BP started to go up? Could you do anything to manage the side effects?

Astrid The only indication is IVF pregnancy, I’ve never had high blood pressure, nor has anyone in my family. My mum has chronically low blood pressure too, and fainted all through her pregnancies. No protein in any urine samples so far, but I’m only 21 weeks.

I’m just not sure what to do - I’ve had repeated bleeding episodes throughout this pregnancy, and the midwife said aspirin can make them worse. Plus the fainting and the ulcer flare up... I feel wretched when I take it.

The clinicians at the hospital have been less than helpful, one telling me YOU MIGHT DIE and the other rolling her eyes when I asked if the risk of pre-eclampsia for IVF was associated with higher rate of twins/ multiples.

[FancyNewBeesly]

I started about 16 weeks when I first saw the consultant but it was a very low dose and i was told it shouldn’t affect my bp but it is a blood thinner so I’d be concerned about that. I felt so rough anyway I’m not sure what could’ve been the aspirin!

[FancyNewBeesly]

My BP was low until about 24 weeks I think

[Bluebirdsky]

High blood pressure is one of the symptoms of pre eclampsia when you actually have it but having low blood pressure now doesn't mean you aren't at risk of getting pre eclampsia in pregnancy.
There are a number of other risk factors for ore eclampsia including weight, family history, having your first baby or first with a new partner, certain medical conditions and I believe that IVF pregnancies are one of this risk factors (not sure of the evidence behind this sorry). If in doubt I would talk to your doctor or midwife again and ask for the reasons it has been recommended for you.

[dinksandbinks]

Thanks Fancy, really grateful! I’ll see how mine goes over the next few weeks. Hopefully it stays low. I’m tempted to get a home blood pressure monitor so I can keep track of it.

[dinksandbinks]

Thanks Bluebird. Midwife and hospital are in total disagreement about whether I should take it. Midwife says no, hospital says yes. The only risk factor the hospital mentioned was that it was an IVF pregnancy, but a lot of the research I’ve come across points to that being down to a higher rate of multiples for IVF; I couldn’t get an answer from the clinician whether this was true or not.

I might just see if it starts to creep up and play it by ear. If I take the aspirin I can’t really work as I faint so much and can’t eat due to the ulcer, so it’s a tricky balance.

[Fakingit36]

Did they give you a BP cuff to take your pressures at home? I am PE high risk and am taking my own BP every day. Now at 20 weeks an it’s still normal range but up slightly from being really low at first. Yes, also taking a small aspirin a day. I’m in the USA.

[BlueeSpottyTiger]

I had preeclampsia with my dd so I'm consultant lead with this baby from 20weeks. So far no one has mentioned anything to me about asprin.
My bp is usually 110/57-65 ish.
I do wonder if thats something they will recommend to me later on as I'm only 17+1 atm.
I bet you felt awful being dizzy all the time. I get it alot and it's horrid. Xx

[dinksandbinks]

Hi Faking, I did ask, but they said I could buy one... not exactly flush with cash, so was a bit miffed at that! Surely if it was a problem that needed management, information is useful? I think I will buy one to reassure myself though.

Blue thanks, that’s interesting! I’ve been consultant led from 12 week scan and beyond. Both hospital clinicians (different) have given different stories about how effective the aspirin is. Also given different stories about why they want to induce me at 40 weeks (an argument for another time...).

Being dizzy and fainting was horrid, as I’ve really struggled with sickness and acid reflux too, and had a few incidents of fainting while throwing up. That was not fun!

I think I’d be more confident about the aspirin being worth the side effects if they could at least get their stories straight about my treatment.