How to deal with (non-pregnancy-related) low blood pressure?

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I have fairly low blood pressure - most of the time it's 9-6, although sometimes it drops to 8-5 or even (one horrible time) 7-4.

I have taken a whole battery of tests, and there's nothing wrong with me - no anaemia, diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid problems, nothing. Apparently it's just a genetic thing and there's nothing the doctors can do (or are willing to do) about it.

I'm SO tired and lethargic all the time, even though I get enough sleep and rest and eat well and exercise and take salt and hydrate and so on. I feel like the dormouse in Alice's tea party most of the time.

So I was wondering whether any fellow sufferers have found any good coping strategies to deal with this. I realise it's not a serious health problem, thank goodness, but it's making my life shit - I'll be grateful for any tips.

It's not clear from your post how low your blood pressure is. Blood pressure is reported as systolic/diastolic in millimetres of mercury (e.g. 120/80 mmHg). What do you mean by 9-6?

In other countries it is reported as OP stated so maybe not in the UK.

I too suffer from low BP and heart rate at least since being in tge perimenopause. I suffered from it too during my two pregnancies. Had all the investigations that confirmed it but no heart defect, as you, it's just how I am.

Cardiologist said that treatment is same as for low heart rate. No caffeine at all and a LOT of drinking water. Also wearing pressure socks.

I do fing that drinking more helps although I find it hard. Pressure socks help during exercise but ultimately, I had to learn to live with almost constantly feeling some level of lightheadness.

There are some drugs you can take but they come with unpleasant side effects so they are only given in last resort situations.

Oh, sorry, I meant my usual blood pressure is 90/60 mmHg. (Sometimes 80/50).

Thank you for the tip about caffeine, but I really haven't found it made any difference. Wearing tight leggings does seem to help a bit, though - I'm dreading the summer...

Are you under the care of a consultant? What have they advised?

They say there's really nothing they can do, other than suggest the usual: drink plenty of water, exercise, be careful when standing up, etc. There's no treatment. really.

An update, though: I read somewhere that sometimes compression bandages and tights are recommended for circulation problems (including some forms of low blood pressure). So I gave it a try with a pair of (rather strong, thick, tight leggings) which I had lying about.

Lo and behold, it helped! So now it's be leggings all the way for me (at least when I'm at home).

I had this, usually around 90/60 but sometimes lower. I found wearing the granny compression tights helped loads. Not ideal in summer but I lived in them in winter. I didn’t get the super expensive medical ones just high street but the firmest support ones I could find. I put on quite a bit of weight with DD2 which I have yet to lose but it has meant my blood pressure has gone up a little bit to a point where If I stand up too quickly I don’t faint! I’m not suggesting putting on weight- unless you are underweight of course and I do intend to lose mine but I do feel better for it

Thank you, @Huffle! Right now I'm at 80/50 so not very good, but the tights seem to be helping (propping me up, so to speak).

Dreading the summer...

I've low BP too and have found

-small meals better than large (too much blood heads off to aid digestion for big meals so tires me out even more)

-sleeping with a slightly raised head end of bed makes the world of difference. I put a pillow under the mattress at the head end and then my normal pillow on top of the mattress so my head is not low all night. Without it I wake groggy and often lose my vision if I leap straight up out of bed. With it I wake better and can get up without feeling so ill. Other people put a brick under each bedpost at the top end of the bed, anything to create a small tilt. If I'm away for work and don't have that I realise how much I benefit from it when I wake the next morning!

-get up slowly in the morning and have an extra pillow nearby so you can move from sleep mode to up quite gently.

-salty snacks rather than aiming for a low salt diet.

My low BP is a bit postural so crouching down looking at a low book shelf then standing straight up would make me see black for a moment, yours might be different but hope this helps!!

Plenty of water and I always have salty snacks with me. If I have been sat down in a car, I always have to eat something salty and drink some water before I stand up incase of fainting

I have this, and often do the fainting, have spent many times lying down on the floor at work.

I was advised by my cardiologist to drink a lot of water - but frontload it so it is at the beginning of the day.

He also got me having salt to the point of having 2 teaspoons of salt when I woke up in cordial. It is completely disgusting but you get used to it. Also I immediately felt well as soon as I started doing it. Don't be afraid of salt in your diet either - add salt to food, have salty snacks. Prior to this I thought salt was bad and basically had a salt free diet.

Move around a lot - fidget when you are sitting down, cross your legs, when you are standing squeeze your bum - anything to keep blood moving out of your legs and back to your heart.

No big carby meals - make all the blood go your digestive system and you end up being worse. I have done a quit sugar, low carb diet and I do feel loads better.

Try to get fitter - however anything that involves lifting weights or moving your arms above your head will probably be impossible. Rowing or recumbent bike to start out if you are really struggling. I have found getting fitter a big help but yes to start with I found my heart rate all over the place and anything arms in the air I was very wobbly.

Finally support tights or stockings which he said had to be all the way up to the groin, not just socks under the knee. Also proper Level 2 compression. I felt so much better with all the above steps I never bought the tights for which I am very grateful.

This is his team website:

stopfainting.com/

Oh and there was medical treatment if all that didn't work - but it did for me so we didn't go there

Thank you so much to everyone! I will definitely give all of these a try.

I also find the sock to help me. Great advice about raising head in bed as my worse time temds to be first thing in the morning as my BP and rht is especially low at night.

The medication to raise BP has many secondary effect and can a tuslly make you feel worse as BP can be upped but then suddenly shut down.

Drinking a lot of water is supposed to be they key advice. Consultsnt said up to 3l, which I find almost 8mpossiblecto do, especially as now in menopause with not the best bladder!

It's 10am and I've already had about 6 glasses of water just to get me going. But then less as the day goes on - it's the focus on the morning that is making the difference to me.

Plus water without salt isn't as good. The teaspoon of salt was miraculous -but vile--