Anybody know anything about low blood pressure?

[Marge]

I find lots and lots of info on the internet about high blood pressure and not much about low blood pressure!
Under Kaiser's "Heart Failure Management Plan," I'm supposed to call in to a nurse practitioner in the morning once a week with my blood pressure and heart rate (also to tell her if I've gained any weight, or have swelling, or SOB, etc.). Usually my BP runs somewhere between 100 to 115 over something in the 60's. Yesterday it was 80/51.
In the afternoon, the NP called me and asked me about the "low" blood pressure, and if I was feeling OK. As a matter of fact, I had been feeling fine all day -- no light-headedness or dizzy feeling, or any of the other things supposedly possible with low blood pressure. I had driven around all morning -- to the lab for a blood draw (for the coumadin), done errands, gone to lunch with a friend, etc. So I told her, and she said, Well, OK, if I was feeling OK, but to check my machine (batteries) just in case.
As a matter of fact, the batteries are fine & I am sure the machine is OK.
I am just wondering, though, is 80/51 really that low, or something you would be concerned about? As I said, there's not much on the net that I've found about low BP -- or about how "low" is "low."

 

[Peggy in Alaska]

Hi:

If you search "low blood pressure" you should come up with plenty of stuff. All I know is that it is called hypotension and the numbers are 90/60. I know that athletes can have lower blood pressure.

I'm sure someone will have more on this for you soon.

 

[Nancy]

Joe's doctors were concerned when his pressures got that low. They did not do anything about it, just kept an eye on it. There is a point when pressures are too low to perfuse your organs, hence the nurse's questions. I would guess as long as you were able to do normal things, it would just be a watch area.

I don't know how low is too low. Hopefully others will answer that.

 

[Der Biermeister]

technically - a systolic below 90 is considered "shock", however that is often not the case in many people.

The sine qua non of AI is a low diastolic pressure and wide separation for total bp.

My diastolic now runs around 40 and my systolic is 160. They are trying to bring that down with more bp meds.

DB

 

[Cris N]

80/51 is on the low side, especially compared to your "normal' reading. You said you checked the batteries, have you taken your blood pressure again? I have a home machine that I generally use twice a day. I freaked out the other day when I took it and got a reading of 196/120! I took it again a minute later & it was 134/72. Most of the home machines rely on a microphone to "hear" the blood moving... and they do make mistakes sometimes. But, if you are getting a consistent reading similar to the 80/51 you probably want to get it checked out.

Cris

 

[strawberry]

technically - a systolic below 90 is considered "shock", however that is often not the case in many people.


Mine is "normally" 80-90/50-60. If it's over 100 I know I'm stressed. I have to tried to find out if there is any such thing as too low. A friend of mine who is an EMT also pointed out the "shock" number and said they would be putting pressure pants on me if they found my normal readings and didn't know better.

When I had a hernia repair, it went down to 50/38 and the doctors coudn't believe it. I do get lightheaded/grayouts when I stand up though.

I think it's all a matter of what you are usuall at, and like mentioned, the difference between the two numbers.

 

[McCln]

There are times when at home it is low and at the doctor's office normal. I am usually at 80 for the top number, then at 120 at the doctor's office. You can live with low blood pressure. Talk with the doctor about taking a stress test. Good luck.

 

[debster913]

It might be your medication, but just to be on the safe side, check with your Dr to make sure it's nothing else. I have low blood pressure too. The nurses at my other doctors offices express concern, but my cardio says it's normal since I take Atenolol every day.

 

[PJmomrunner]

Are you a little person? I have been told that smaller people generally have/can tolerate lower BP's as not as much pressure is required to perfuse.