Low blood pressure?

[DivaSkyChick]

Hello,

I just had a weird incident where I nearly lost consciousness on the tube (it was rush hour and I was standing.) I managed to stagger off and get on an escalator and eventually out of the station. It was the scariest experience ever. kept thinking, what will happen if pass out? What will happen to me?

Midwife suggested I might have low blood pressure and told me to see my GP. I have an appointment for tomorrow.

I'm just curious. What can they do about low blood pressure and what could it all mean?

Sorry, should have mentioned that I'm 17 weeks.

low bp isn't normally treated (I think it is in Germany) and I had it a bit during pregnancy. it's quite common.

low blood pressure is more common in the second trimester, and is not neccesarily a health issue ,like high bP, except obviously that you might faint! getting too hot, standing for long periods of time can make you more likely to faint as can suddenly standing having been sat down ...hopefully your doc can put your mind at rest.

i had blood pressure in my boots with all three

it corrected itself after the baby was born

i got dizzy laying down at night (v weird) and headaches sometimes. i think my bp was 80/60 at one time

they dont usually do anything i have low bp usually and pg makes mine worse, you just have to get used to not getting up quickly i was also told that big meals can affect it, its better to have low than high but it just sucks that it constantly makes you feel like you are on a fairground

oh and ask the rude gits on the tube to stand up for you

my bp is 75/50-60 when im not pg and worse when i am pg

I had exactly the same thing at 16/17 weeks.

At its worst my BP was 80/45. The MW and Doc said nothing to worry about and that it's quite common at this stage of pregnancy (especially in hot conditions).

I increased my salt intake - salty crisps and added a bit of crushed salt on my meals for a few days and increased my water intake and it soon came right.

Might be worth keeping your antenatal notes on you for a few weeks - to be on the safe side.

i looked at my old notes - 75/45! they recommended I drink more water

drinking water really helps boost your blood volume

i would go careful with the salt advice as unless you drink an awful lot of water it will create fluid retention and could poss dehydrate you

Low blood pressure can be treated with medication, but 1- probably not while your pregnant and 2- probably not on the NHS.

Google "proamatine" or "Midodrine". I think they are the same thing, but not sure.

I had this also. It was very scary, one minute I couldn't see anything but blackness and shadows then I was out cold on the floor. I tried to avoid standing for too long and also avoided getting too hot as that seemed to make it worse. I carried a bottle of water and a mini fan in my handbag. The first few weeks were the worst but as the pg progressed my bp raised slightly.

Sports drinks are also good (like powerade or gatorade).

I have the same thing and apart from the passing out it's more good than bad. It means you can eat as much salt as you like and are not at risk of pre-eclampsia!! Hooray!! Also people with low bp tend to live much longer than those with high, or even normal, bp. I was advised by my mw to eat more salt and to avoid hot baths as this reduces bp furthur.

DivaSky, haven't read all the posts as in a bit of a rush but I had very low bp with all 3 pgs. I passed out a few times during my last one and ended up in hospital. Was prescribed ferous sulphate for iron which I didn't find particularly good. Bought Spatone from Holland & Barrett which is excellent. Still take it now. DD2 is 11 weeks & I nearly pass out every time I feed her ... but that's another story. Take it easy and every time you "feel it coming on" IYKWIM lie down with your feet elevated or on your side. Where possible of course, not ideal on the tube
Look after yourself!

WOW Thanks everyone for your help. I wonder if I should wear a pregnancy bracelet or something???

Maybe just a sign I can wear around my neck - "in case of black out, please call..."

And Bundle - never occurred to me in the moment to ask for a seat - but later when I got back on (still had to get home!) I clawed my way in front of everyone, saying "Scuse me, i'm pregnant!" the whole time!

Buy one of those t-shirts that says "I'm not fat, I'm pregnant" on and wear it over your coat (or do some random flasher moves and show everyone the slogan)!!