How low is too low?

[franksolich]

Talk about a world turned upside down; a month ago, the blood pressure was in the stratosphere, myself headed for a massive stroke.

It went into a slow but steady decline during the rest of August.

But then last night (Saturday night into Sunday morning), I checked it at 3:00 a.m., getting a reading of 110/62.

And then just by random chance, I checked it again at 5:15 a.m., a little over two hours later.  It read 101/57.  Considerably alarmed, I checked it again two minutes later, getting 100/58.

The internet's a lousy place to get medical advice, but it's a holiday, no one is open, and besides, to get medical advice I have to drive 40 miles one way, or 60 miles another way, or 75 miles a third way, and so rather than seeking medical advice, I'd just like to know--generally, usually, most of the time, how low should the blood pressure get before one calls 911?

By the way, I finally got a cellular telephone, but I haven't figured it out yet.  Remember, I've probably made less telephone calls (such as they were) in my whole entire life, than most people make in a single week, or even a day.  I'll be passing along the number, via personal message, to Delilah and Mr. Wiggum, as soon as I figure out what the number is, so that there's always a real-life contact with me.

[bijou]

Have a look at this fact sheet. It does seem that low blood pressure is a major worry if you are also having symptoms, but if you are worried get it checked out, I worry about you Frank so take care.

 http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/low_blood_pressure.html

[JohnnyReb]

110/60 is excellent......my doctor wishes mine was that low....it used to be.

[franksolich]

Have a look at this fact sheet. It does seem that low blood pressure is a major worry if you are also having symptoms, but if you are worried get it checked out, I worry about you Frank so take care.

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/low_blood_pressure.html

I'll have it checked if this persists more than a few days.

I went to the web-site, and the only thing that seems to apply is high blood pressure medications working too well.  I have been assured by medical professionals that what I'm taking is practically baby aspirin, compared with most blood pressure pharmaceuticals; after five weeks, I'm getting "weaned" off of them, for which I thank God.

[MrsSmith]

Talk about a world turned upside down; a month ago, the blood pressure was in the stratosphere, myself headed for a massive stroke.

It went into a slow but steady decline during the rest of August.

But then last night (Saturday night into Sunday morning), I checked it at 3:00 a.m., getting a reading of 110/62.

And then just by random chance, I checked it again at 5:15 a.m., a little over two hours later.  It read 101/57.  Considerably alarmed, I checked it again two minutes later, getting 100/58.

The internet's a lousy place to get medical advice, but it's a holiday, no one is open, and besides, to get medical advice I have to drive 40 miles one way, or 60 miles another way, or 75 miles a third way, and so rather than seeking medical advice, I'd just like to know--generally, usually, most of the time, how low should the blood pressure get before one calls 911?

By the way, I finally got a cellular telephone, but I haven't figured it out yet.  Remember, I've probably made less telephone calls (such as they were) in my whole entire life, than most people make in a single week, or even a day.  I'll be passing along the number, via personal message, to Delilah and Mr. Wiggum, as soon as I figure out what the number is, so that there's always a real-life contact with me.

The only time I've seen low blood pressure to be a major problem, the person in question was bleeding out.  Are you bleeding somewhere, Frank?  Could you have a bleeding ulcer?  Are your stools black and tarry looking?  If you're losing blood somehow, you need to make that drive!!!!

[franksolich]

The only time I've seen low blood pressure to be a major problem, the person in question was bleeding out.  Are you bleeding somewhere, Frank?  Could you have a bleeding ulcer?  Are your stools black and tarry looking?  If you're losing blood somehow, you need to make that drive!!!!

Not at all, madam.

When this originally happened, on Sunday evening, August 2nd, I was geysering out blood like Old Faithful, and the blood pressure was recorded at 86/44 on the ambulance.  In the emergency room, after they had staunched the bleeding (arteries in the upper chest and lower throat), was when the blood pressure skyrocketed.

Stress.

The previous blood pressure reading--I do this once a month, or used to, because I'm trying to avoid those ailments of affluence and the too-easy life, that killed much of my family way too early--on July 3 (almost a month earlier), had been 115/75, which is what it had been pretty much all my own adult life, and circa those numbers are what I'm aiming for.  Not too high, not too low.

I've always considered this a gift from God, managing to avoid what afflicted everybody else in the family, and until this past month, managing to avoid it despite the intense stress and trauma the deaf have in daily life; it can be horrendous.

[delilahmused]

frank,

Is there anyone at your doctor's office you can call or email? An advice nurse or something? It might just be your blood pressure medication and I'm guessing your body had been at rest before you took the reading? Have you been getting plenty of liquids? Dehydration can cause a drop in blood pressure and often when you're on blood pressure meds you need to increase your intake. Have you had any kind of an infection? Even a mild cold or flu (especially now that you're on meds to lower bp) can cause a drop. It could also be an allergic reaction to a medication. Just be careful of dizziness, that could signal not getting enough blood to your brain. Sometimes blood pressure can change briefly depending on the circumstance. My stepfather would get high readings every time he went to the doctor and they wanted to put him on bp meds. He insisted he was fine. He bought a blood pressure monitor to use and home and sure enough, his bp was normal, it would just spike at the doctor's.

Cindie

[Ralph Wiggum]

Sorry to hear, Frank.  I know little to nothing about how to best treat low blood pressure.  I have the opposite problem (damn genetics!).