Low BP. Am I wasting GP time.

[TippedOverTheGravyJug]

Recently had surgery , the pre op my BP was 109/60. They said on low side.

On being admitted it was 104/56
After surgery 97/52

They kept mentioning it but said as I came in with low BP it's fine.

However for weeks and weeks I've felt drained. To the point I sleep 2 hrs during the day everyday. Asleep far earlier than I used to at night.

Dh said I should see GP but I don't want to be a time waster.

I feel really fatigued and brain foggy all the time

Keeping hydrated, increasing salt intake and wearing knee high compression stockings/socks can help with low BP.

Was there a lot of blood loss during surgery? That can cause post operative fatigue, as can recovery from whatever op you had tbh.

If you have just had surgery and are experiencing fatigue afterwards it may be worth discussing with your GP. Depending on the procedure infection, low iron or just that this is normal for recovery for that procedure could all be factors.

If your BP is typically on the low end of normal it's unlikely to have suddenly started causing fatigue and v unlikely to indicate a problem with your heart.

Some people get sudden drops with BP when they stand and if they start with low BP that can be a problem. I have crazy low BP naturally (90/50 is my normal) so all the advice above re staying hydrated, not standing up fast etc is sound.

But overall low BP is a healthy thing to have.

Oh and the reason they keep noting it after surgery is a red flag for sepsis is BP dropping to 90/50 or below. As that's my baseline and if I am lying down it can easily drop a bit below that when I had an op in Jan I was getting woken every couple of hours to check I didn't have sepsis. Obviously I am glad they are vigilant but I wish I cd add a disclaimer to my notes saying 'normally behaves a bit like a corpse, leave her to sleep'

No you're not wasting the GPs time.
Make an appointment.

Depending on what you've had done, recovery can take months but this is having an impact so it's worth getting a medical opinion. You never know, it might be an easy fix (supplementation or medication adjustment etc.,).

Make the appointment.

Thank you. I shall book an appointment. No blood loss during surgery. The fatigue was prior however BP was noted at the hospital as being on the low side.

I drink loads a day. Probably around 3 litres easily . ( had checks for diabetes but all fine. I drink when anxious and have a drink with me 24/7 crazy I know)

Salt could be increased I rarely eat salty foods and never add salt to cooking.

You maybe drinking too much and adding to the low blood pressure.

If you're over 60 you need 30 ml per kg of bodyweight per day
If you're under 60 you need 35 ml per kg of bodyweight per day.
Rarely does anyone need more than 2.5L a day (as fat tissues does not require hydration and that can skew the amount you need when you do the calculation).

I have low blood pressure too and have wondered about this kind of thing ….

Dont just add salt into your diet.
Talk to a doctor

When I saw a specialist about my low BP (I was fainting a lot) his first words were 'do you think salt is bad for you?'

I got sent away with instructions to season my food properly and start each day with 2 teaspoons of salt in water.

Disgusting but you get used to it, especially when you feel 100% better.

Thank you.

I will 100% make an appointment.

Google Addisons disease. It’s rare but can be easily excluded with an early morning cortisol blood test, which must be done between 8-9am.