Osteostatic Hypotension??

[Rain1272]

Forgive me if I didnt put this in the right area.

When I was a child I had a very slight problem with Osteostatic Hypotension (that is that dizzy or light headed feeling you get when you stand up to quickly from a reclining position or when your bent over or crouching down). It went away somewhere in my teen years. Since beginning LC it has returned and with a vengence. I can count on being dizzy every time I get up from even a sitting position, forget trying to crouch down or bend over so my head hangs down below my heart. Fortunately I havent passed out from it yet though I have come close a few times.

I mentioned it to my Dr. at my last check up (2 weeks ago) she just said to not bend over like that :rolleyes: Previous to LC I was borderline hpertensive. She still put me on a blood pressure lowering medication (due to being diabetic...its for preventative reasons dont cha know :rolleyes:) I havent taken them.

Has anyone else had a problem with this?

[jende]

I am having big time problems right now with low blood pressure. I have text book adrenal exhaustion and I've been feeling dizzy since the beginning of the year. My cortisol is low, hence the low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension. Doesn't it suck? It is a very uncomfortable feeling. My MD doesn't care. She thinks I need antidepressants. My ND measured my blood pressure lying down and then again after I stood up. It usually drops about 20 mmHg when I stand (in a normal person it should actually rise 10 or 15 mmHg). I have had very little success in curing myself so I can't really give you any advice. I also assume we don't have the same issues since you said your problem previously was with borderline hypertension (did I get that right?).

I've been reading a book on adrenal fatigue this weekend and one thing I started doing was to generously salt all my food and I actually add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to all my drinking water. I don't think I was so light headed yesterday or so thirsty. I actually become more and more thirsty as I drink water. This guy said that is due to a sodium/potassium imbalance and I dilute my electrolytes the more I drink (and then experience more thirst as a result). I have to say I felt better yesterday (although one day is not much experience). Also, I weighed myself this morning and even though I weighed the same as before, the scale had my body fat down a couple more percentages than usual. So I'm wondering if this is because I am not so completely dehydrated with the added sodium.

Like I said though, don't follow my advice, with the exception of asthma and allergies, I have all the classic adrenal fatigue symptoms and feel comfortable treating myself as such. I'm definitely not a doctor and not able to give you advice. I do think it is curious that you would take meds to lower your bp when you are having these issues. Is it that your bp is high, yet does not maintain itself from sitting to standing? I just don't understand that. My bp is around 100/70 give or take a little.

When I was in university I had low blood pressure then too (95/60). I used to get complements on my nice low blood pressure :rolleyes: .

[Fhyreworks]

When I was a child I had a very slight problem with Osteostatic Hypotension (that is that dizzy or light headed feeling you get when you stand up to quickly from a reclining position or when your bent over or crouching down).
Has anyone else had a problem with this?

Actually, I've had this for eons, both before and during low-carb. I even get it sometimes when standing up quickly from the sitting position (in fact, more often from the sitting than the reclining position). I've always chalked it up to just that, standing up too quickly. I didn't know it had a medical name, learn something new every day :)

Debbie

[Rain1272]

Jende -

Sorry for all your troubles too ;) Yes, this does suck lol

I'm curious about the relationship of cortisol to low blood pressure. Can you fill me in on this? I don't think I have any issues with my adrenals but anything is possible.

I think the compassion of the medical profession is just overwhelmening :rolleyes: Maybe it has something to do with both of our MD's being female lol. Mine couldn't even be bothered to take my blood pressure while lying down and then again upon rising, so I have no clue as to how much mine is off.

You are right, I did say I was borderline hypertensive. That was in March of this year, the day before I began LCing. Every time I have been back to either my MD or my dietitian my BP has been golden. Usually right at 120/70 sometimes a wee bit lower on the bottom number. I credit this success to LCing and exercising resulting in weight loss. The reason she wanted me on high blood pressure meds is due to my being diabetic. They (the medical community) is on a kick right now to prescribe both a blood pressure lowering medication and a cholesterol lowering medication to diabetics for "preventative measures" since we supposedly have the same risk factors as someone who has already had one heart attack. This is a one of my pet peeves and easily leads to soap box rants on my part so I will stop now :lol:

I think I use salt less than the average person but I don't go to the point of excluding it from my diet all together. Don't know if that is a good or bad thing ...it just is what it is lol I guess like I did with the diabetes, I am going to have to research and investigate this particular phenomena and self educate and possibly self medicate via herbs and supplements, if required, in order to treat this since my MD couldn't give a rats hiney :p If you find any answers please share and I will do like wise with you. Good luck on treating the adrenal exhaustion.

[cs_carver]

My doctor never takes BP; I might could talk the nurse into taking it two ways.

I have the same problem; worse in the summer. I take a lot of potassium supplements and don't know if that would help or not. (Lite salt on everything; however, I live w/o A/C and sweat A LOT.) I have learned to move carefully when changing elevations.

Do you exercise? I'm thinking some of the solution comes from having more muscles that can help get the blood back up to the heart; there's no contractile power to help get blood out of fat areas.

[Rain1272]

Do you exercise? I'm thinking some of the solution comes from having more muscles that can help get the blood back up to the heart; there's no contractile power to help get blood out of fat areas.


Yes, I exercise nearly everyday anywhere from 45 min to 1 1/2 hours. I understand what your saying about the muscle helping move the blood but from what I have learned in my medical classes that isn't as helpful as you would think.

It actually comes down to valves, if you will, inside the blood vessels and heart that move the blood as well as gravity, muscles play a minor role. Unfortunately there really is no way to exercise those valves. Varicose veins are a result of the valves not working as they should or deteriorating. I guess it comes down to weak valves that just cant compensate for the gravitational shift as well as they should. Gonna keep looking into this. Thanks for your suggestion about the muscles since that got me to thinking about the valves. I'll let you all know what I discover.

[Dodger]

Yes, I exercise nearly everyday anywhere from 45 min to 1 1/2 hours. I understand what your saying about the muscle helping move the blood but from what I have learned in my medical classes that isn't as helpful as you would think.

It actually comes down to valves, if you will, inside the blood vessels and heart that move the blood as well as gravity, muscles play a minor role. Unfortunately there really is no way to exercise those valves. Varicose veins are a result of the valves not working as they should or deteriorating. I guess it comes down to weak valves that just cant compensate for the gravitational shift as well as they should. Gonna keep looking into this. Thanks for your suggestion about the muscles since that got me to thinking about the valves. I'll let you all know what I discover.

I have heard that the more fit you are, the more problems you will have with the dizzyness on rising. My understanding is the the Air Force found out the the fitter the person was, the more problems they had in withstanding high G forces.

[Rain1272]

I have heard that the more fit you are, the more problems you will have with the dizzyness on rising. My understanding is the the Air Force found out the the fitter the person was, the more problems they had in withstanding high G forces.


This seems to correlate to the timing of the symptoms and my increase in exercise, so I guess that must be true. I guess the fat acts as a constrictor of sorts? verrrrrry interesting. Thanks !

[jende]

Rain, I was just thinking that maybe the dizziness could be related to hypoglycemia? Any chance you are experiencing some of that now that you are low carb?

[Rain1272]

I was quoting my Dr. wrong or she gave me the wrong name for this. It is actually Orthostatic Hypotension.

Anyway, I found a couple of pretty good articles on this so here are the links.


http://www.aafp.org/afp/971001ap/engstrm.html
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20031215/2393.html

[Rain1272]

Rain, I was just thinking that maybe the dizziness could be related to hypoglycemia? Any chance you are experiencing some of that now that you are low carb?


Actually no. I am diabetic but typically hyperglycemic(not since LCing though :thup: ). But from what I have just read on the articles I posted, diabetes can be a contributing factor to this...among about a million other things lol

[CindySue48]

I mentioned it to my Dr. at my last check up (2 weeks ago) she just said to not bend over like that Previous to LC I was borderline hpertensive. She still put me on a blood pressure lowering medication (due to being diabetic...its for preventative reasons dont cha know :rolleyes I havent taken them.

Go to your local Pharmacy and either buy your own BP cuff and stethoscope....or use their automated set up and check your BP at least once a day.....at varying times of the day is best. Keep a record of it and call your doc and report it. If you notice that you're especially dizzy within a few hours of taking your med, call immediately and insist doc lower your dose. If s/he insists on the same dose, ask for twice daily dosing.

This sounds more link your BP med is causing the problem. If you had high BP and now, after starting on meds AND LCing your BP has probably dropped to low. It's too low because of the combination....insist on the med being dropped and staying on LC.

Better yet? Find another doc.

Just my 2 cents.

[Rain1272]

Go to your local Pharmacy and either buy your own BP cuff and stethoscope....or use their automated set up and check your BP at least once a day.....at varying times of the day is best. Keep a record of it and call your doc and report it. If you notice that you're especially dizzy within a few hours of taking your med, call immediately and insist doc lower your dose. If s/he insists on the same dose, ask for twice daily dosing.

This sounds more link your BP med is causing the problem. If you had high BP and now, after starting on meds AND LCing your BP has probably dropped to low. It's too low because of the combination....insist on the med being dropped and staying on LC.

Better yet? Find another doc.

Just my 2 cents.


Thanks for the post Cindysue :bhug:

Though my Dr. prescribed the BP lowering medication I never took it. My blood pressure lowered on its own accord from diet and exercise. She still wanted me to take it despite the fact that my BP is now normal and even after I mentioned the dizziness I was experiencing. I am beginning to think I need to find a different Dr, especially after the Lipitor incident and her reaction to my refusal to continue taking it. As far as she is concerned I am on it. I haven't told her that I'm not.

My father is also battling hypertension and has his own cuff. I check it daily. I was frustrated at my last visit to the Dr due to the fact that when the nurse took my BP it was elevated, which was inconsistent to my own at home testing. I expressed my frustration at this with my Dr. and she said her nurse often reads high so she took it herself and it was normal. I will insist that my Dr. take my BP herself from now on and will also take your advice and journal my at home readings to take along with my blood sugar readings.

At this rate I will be a doctor myself only without benefit of having gone to a bonafide university to get a degree lol :lol:

[Nancy LC]

You probably have "white coat syndrome". That's where you're a little nervous at the doctor's office and it causes your BP to raise. I get that too, especially if I'm rushed or feel a bit stressed about the visit. I'd write down your BP readings at home and present them to your Doc.

And yeah, if you feel you can't be open with your doctor, then I think you need a new one.

[quietone]

I go to a doctor that won't let the nurse take blood pressure as well.

I'm sorry to hear about the low BP. I also had been diagnosed with high BP and refused to take the drugs. but after just a very short time my bp is now normal.

My daughter has very low BP (like 90/60) and she also can experience dizziness when she stands up too fast or bends over. She just deals with it.

I think the low carb has probably just lowered your BP even more. I eat plenty of salt these days and mine is still great. Also, you're not eating a lot of celery are you? That can lower BP

[CindySue48]

LOL My BP is normally very low. Usually no higher than 110/ and usually 90-96/. I remember once going to an Urgent Care for excessive menstrual bleeding. The doc took my BP....then put his hand on my forehead and said "lie down please".....THEN asked me how I felt. My BP was only 72/. I felt fine.....I just wanted the bleeding to stop!

The problem with HIGH BP is that it damages your blood vessels, especially the tiny ones. The lower number being high is much more dangerous....but both are bad. Diet and exercise should help keep you within normal limits, but if not I personally would recomend medication.

[edie]

Rain I have been reading this thread as I too am sometimes troubled with this problem. I became curious when I read you had a Lipitor incident with your Dr. Could you enlighten me as to what happened...nosey I know...lol