Low blood pressure

[tigertummy]

Has anyone found low blood pressure to be one of their peri symptoms? If so what did you do to help?

Thanks in advance

@HappyR I'm the same. Before this my bp was normal, round 115/70, now its 100/55. Can I ask how old you are? I'm 42 and experiencing peri symptoms. Have you had any tests?

So my bloods came back all normal, no Addisons etc. Awaiting ECG results and now got my table tilt test booked at the surgery at the beginning of April. My low BP symptoms seem to flare up and down even within the day, definitely worse in the mornings though and my HR is still shooting up on getting out of bed. So still getting congratulated by my Fitbit on earning exercise activity points, purely for standing up and getting out of bed! 🙄

@RainyDayCloudsI guess it’s good that your bloods came back normal. Although I can imagine how frustrating it is still not knowing what’s going on. I’m the same as you and have good and bad moments throughout the day. I seem to be going through a really bad patch at the moment. Blood test next week not that I’m expecting anything to show up. It’s so stressful

@tigertummy yes it’s so hard to plan or commit to stuff in advance. Literally some days I can do a nice long walk and feel ok, the next even getting off the sofa to make a cup of tea is hard. So yes it’s very frustrating. Will update again when I’ve seen the Dr. Hopefully we can all get some answers somewhere.

So after tests etc, my Dr has said it’s almost definitely due to my Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and I have symptoms of Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome alongside it. Both often go together and there’s not much they can do except supportive care. I’m not bad enough to need medication at the moment which is good, but need to drink lots of fluids, eat salty food as and when, and can wear compression socks to help. So it’s just self management going forwards really. Bit of a pain no treatment/cure as such, but mostly grateful heart etc is all working ok and it’s nothing sinister. He is referring me onto the Cardiologist for the POTS but only to confirm.

@RainyDayCloudsthanks for coming back with an update. I’m glad you have some sort of resolution although it’s frustrating to not have a simple answer for how to feel better.

I’be just had a load blood test results through and I have low folate, low FSH and low LH. Not sure what any of this means but it does seem that mine is all hormonal

@tigertummy hope you get some clarity and find a way to feel better. Overall, we’re probably still better off having low blood pressure than high I guess as that can be quite dangerous. Just means we’re a bit tired, dizzy and cold! x

It's been a few weeks but can I ask how everyone is doing? My BP now ranges between 105/63 to 110/70. When it's the latter, I feel much better. However the breathlessness still bothers me which I feel when my bp is at the lower end.

I just discovered this thread! I’m also perimenopausal and have been experiencing low blood pressure. As with many of you, it has always been low, but for the last couple of weeks I have been feeling really faint and dizzy at times. I have been measuring and for the last week or so it has been in the 80s and 50s, although I measured it just now and it was 90 and 60, so just low. My symptoms aren’t terrible so I have sort of just been finding it an irritation (it has been mainly irritating in Pilates because I can’t always do the up down stuff without feeling momentarily like I’m going to pass out). Should I be worried, given it is moments of dizziness/faintness, rather than actual fainting?

@phyllidafosset sorry you're going through the same thing. I'm like you, my symptoms aren't terrible but they are bothersome and I'm aware of them. I thought my bp was improving as last week it was around 110/70 much more like my usual bp, but yesterday it was 94/60 and I felt light headed. Sometimes when it's low I also feel breathless. I also have low hb and ferritin which I've been told can cause this too (due to very heavy periods). How's your Hb and ferritin?

Another low BP person here. Back in my early 30s after some spectacular black outs, I had all sorts of tests done and no particular reason was found for it. I put salt on pretty much everything, have a strong coffee as early as I can manage, keep hydrated, always have a few sweets in my pocket and try very hard not to find myself standing still for too long. The morning commute can be a nightmare if it is very crowded and gets delayed but I try and keep my feet moving as much as I can without looking mental, do shallow breathing and think of stressful things!!!!

Mine is definitely worse when I am lighter and since menopause. Hot weather is also a problem. Travelled last year to bits of Asia and it was roasting. I nearly passed out so many times. We'd be walking along and suddenly DP would notice I was no longer there but bent over against a wall - it wasn't good. Spent the whole trip mainlining electrolyte drinks and diving into shops with AC, which seemed to help a bit.

If no underlying reason is found for it @tigertummy it may be one of those things that you just have to learn to manage as best you can.

@Catyln123 Thanks for the reply 😊 I don’t know about my Hb or ferritin. I only know my BP because for some reason, DH bought a machine that measures it. My periods aren’t particularly heavy, they are lighter than when I was younger. I may have to start re-training myself to use more salt. As a kid, salt was unhealthy and I feel like I was told my grandfather, who died before I was born, had a heart attack because of too much salt. I also had a friend who never salted her food when her kids were small, and so I’m very much in a mindset of the less salt the better. Having said that, I love soya sauce, and so hopefully my tastes will be open to conversion!

@MargoLivebetter that sounds horrendous! Having any symptoms is pretty new for me. I remember going to the gym in my late 20s, for an induction, and the guy took my blood pressure and the shock in his voice made me laugh because he said it was really low and I should be careful. I felt totally fine.

I am taking Mounjaro, and have lost weight, but I last weighed my current weight at 40, so although I have lost 3 stone (now on maintenance), the only difference now it that I’m perimenopausal. And I’m fitter!!

I’m due to be going on a lovely far-flung holiday this summer where it will be hot, so I’m now worrying about the impact!

I guess it might be worth getting it checked out, because as well as perimenopause, I guess other things do start going wrong post 50!

Has anyone had the dizziness/faintness go away post-menopause?

How is everyone feeling? I struggle to understand my symptoms. When my BP is low, I feel breathless. I've had more days where I feel fine and the odd days when I have this issue. Today my bp is low again and I feel breathless but yesterday I was absolutely fine, no symptoms and normal BP. Average bp 100/60

@tigertummy I know this post is a bit old but how are you feeling and are you any wiser as to why your BP is low? I'm in a similar boat, BP has been low for months now (98/65) when it used to be 120/70. No health conditions that I know of. Low bp is causing symptoms. ECG etc all normal. Only thing I can I think of is I'm 43 and could this be due to peri?

@Heatherandsage1 I wish I had some sort of sensible update but sadly not. I have a tilt table test today which is the last of many investigations I’ve had done recently and then hopefully the cardiologist will have an insight into what’s going on. I’m still convinced it’s a hormonal thing as I’ve only ever felt like this as a teen and since entering peri but the GP wants to rule out every other possibility

@tigertummy thank you for coming back to me and sorry to hear you're none the wiser.
Can I ask what your main symptoms are? When my BP is low I feel very tired and I also suffer from air hunger, where I feel like I can't get a satisfying breath. Strangely I don't feel that breathless when walking quickly or uphill, but I'm aware of it daily and it bothers me the most. It hasn't really impacted my fitness levels though if that makes sense.
My thyroid normal, ferritin is 60, Hb 12, folate 5 and b12 370. So I don't think it's any issues related to this.

Please update on your tilt table test and I hope you can get some answers

@tigertummy how did the tilt table/cardio tests go? I'm also suffering from low BP during perimenopause