Anyone had this? It's a bit disconcerting, DH is worried and I'm starting to be

[turkeyontheplate]

I've been on two medications for hypertension for 17 years, since I had acute pre-eclampsia with DC1 and my blood pressure never returned to normal. I was very overweight until recently, I've lost 5 stone (through diet and exercise, sensibly, no crash dieting!) but I still have about 3.5 to lose. Recently I've been feeling dizzy a lot, especially when standing up, I've actually stumbled and had to lean against DH a couple of times. It always goes away after a little while and I don't have any other symptoms of illness.

DH thinks I might be anaemic, but I don't have any other symptoms of that either. He's worried (which is unlike him) and keeps asking me if I'm OK. I'm wondering whether my blood pressure has come down because of the weight loss. Dr Google seems to assume I must be starving myself because I've lost so much weight - but I'm not, I eat sensibly. It took me 3 weeks to get an appointment with my GP about my insomnia, so unlikely I'll get another before Christmas now. Has anyone had this?

It really sounds like the obvious answer is you may not need to be on as much of the anti-hypertensive as you are now, or you may need to try a different one. These symptoms are absolutely classic of that. As you've lost weight it may well've brought your blood pressure down. Either way, well done!

You need to see your GP for an accurate BP reading and advice.

You can have a BP check in any pharmacy. Most surgeries now have a Height, Weight and BP check machine that you can just walk in and do yourself. No appointment necessary.

If you can't get an appointment at the doctor, pop into a pharmacy. Our local boots offers medication reviews and blood pressure testing so at the very least could give you some initial advice. But mostly, as others have said, it sounds like your weight loss has had positive benefits and you can now reduce/cease your blood pressure medication.

You can buy a blood pressure machine, quite cheaply from the chemist.

When you feel a bit dizzy try eating something salty as salt raises your blood pressure. When I suffered with low blood pressure this really helped me. This is a short term remedy until you can get a doctor appointment.

Seems like you’re getting it sorted but yes, this happened to my father (not the pre-eclampsia 😂). He had high bp, lost a stone and a half, was able to come off medication for high bp.

Congrats on your epic weight loss!

It could be an inner ear infection! Please go and speak to a pharmacist - they can check for this and your blood pressure. They can also dispense some antibiotics if you need them .

It does sound like you blood pressure could be too low now. My MIL lost six stones and came off all her blood pressure medication. There is a lot less of you to pump the blood round now. Well done on your weight loss and I hope you get sorted out if it's your blood pressure or something else.

I know it might be blood pressure related, but I was dizzy and thought it was my sinuses. The gp told me we have 5 little crystals in out ears that sometimes float around and this causes us to be dizzy. There's a way to move your head to reset the crystals. Some gp's do it there also info on Google about it.

I had this and it was low blood pressure (and particularly a strong drop in blood pressure when I stood up). Never really got to the bottom of the reason but it's better now. I did start taking iron as I was a bit anaemic too - but the GP didn't think that was bad enough that it could be causing the faintness.

Does sound like you could do with a med review. If you have to wait for GP could you get your pharmacist to do a Medicines Use Review (MUR) taking account of your weight loss? They might be able to advise whether it's urgent to see your GP or not? This is a link to the Lloyds Pharmacy website explaining it, but any pharmacy should be able to offer it:
www.lloydspharmacy.com/en/info/medicines-check-up

I lost weight while taking anti hypertensive meds and got very dizzy dur to postural hypotension. The GP stopped my meds but unfortunately I remained hypertensive off meds so started another, Amlodipine, and have been ok since.

I second getting your own monitor and doing some random checks at home including during a dizzy spell. Write them down giving date and time (maybe 5readings over a week) and show your GP. More accurate than a one off in the surgery.

You also mention insomnia. Have you been checked for sleep apnea? Random bouts of dizziness can be caused by it. Weight also plays a huge part. Some people get sleep apnea because they're overweight but some are overweight because they have sleep apnea (like me).

It sounds like postural hypotension to me.

Your blood pressure needs to be checked in lying and sitting. There is a set protocol to doing this properly that needs to be followed to get an accurate result this explains it well here

I think it's probably a sign that your blood pressure is too low. I have had low blood pressure my whole life and have got that light headed/dizzy feeling when standing up for as long as I can remember!

I lost 5 stone and asked my doctor to review my blood pressure medication and now I take atenolol only rather than that and amlodipine.

The doctor said it is something they should do more often as lots of people are over medicated.

As others have said, your symptoms are typical of low blood pressure.

Go to your local pharmacy and ask for your blood pressure to be tested, most of them do that and Lloyds and Boots definitely do, you don't usually even need an appointment. Then buy a blood pressure monitor, they aren't expensive.

Make an appointment with your GP to discuss your findings and your meds may need to be adjusted.

Go to GP surely?!!

our doctos has an emergency apt service where you have to call early in the morning,you speak to triage nurse and they can then get your first available apt.they always have some open that same day too.i think this would be very much needed in your case.
you need help.this is very real and possibly dangerous symtoms so you are well within needing quicker apt.

Skinandbones yes! my auntie had this for her vertigo.did they do the head moving test on you?they did on her.they can mimic the movement and crystal dislodge to show you the feeling then howto right it cu its often only on one side.she felt like the woamn did witchcraft on her haha

I had this when I lost weight. Had various tests including a tilt table test where they stress your blood pressure by giving you certain medications that lower it anyway and then tilt you up and down on an adjustable table. They watch your BP while doing it and they could see that my BP struggles to adjust itself up again from a stress (like the drug they gave me or - in every day life from something like standing up too fast). It’s called vasovagal syncope.

It’s just something I’m prone to. Advice is to drink more water and eat more salt ! Def see your GP and see if you can get tested.

I had exactly the same, bad pre eclampsia before my son was born & been on two BP meds ever since. It does sound like your meds need changing.

Chemists sell cheap BP monitors,I have one that was £15 from Lloyd’s, or they’ll take a reading for you. I had to go every week to the practice nurse to have mine checked three times each visit, standing, sitting & lying, till they got the dose right.
Just something else, have you had your thyroid checked? One went to pot after the pre eclampsia & been on meds for that ever since too. Often I feel dizzy when that’s not right.