Please Respond

[Guest veryblue]

Ok I have been talking about this for awhile now, but I am really wondring if anyone else gets low BP readings while laying down and then normal or slightly high when standing...it this POTS or could it be low blood volume from something else? Please I am desperate to know what is wrong with me. I will get readings of about 90 something over 60 something, then stand up and get a reading of 120 over 80...is this just low blood volume....it cant be beacause of blood pooling when Im laying down now can it? What is going on with me? Please let me know if anyone else sufferes from this as well or knows a possible explination. Thanks! Oh by the way my HR is higher 90-80s when this happens and I already have cut back on my beta blockers so that is not the culprit either! Help!

[RunnerGirl]

<< I will get readings of about 90 something over 60 something, then stand up and get a reading of 120 over 80>>

I'm no doctor, but this sounds perfectly normal to me. Blood pressure is in constant flux in healthy individuals and a change of that magnitude is not at all unusual when changing positions.

If you are concerned about your blood pressure, I would recommend a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor that your doctor can then interpret for you. The test involves a cuff that inflates every 15 minutes during the day-time hours and every 30 minutes while you sleep. You keep a log of your activities throughout the day and then the log is matched up against the readings. I had this done and was deemed perfectly normal - even with a reading as high as 165/90 (while driving in DC Beltway traiffic) and a reading as low as 85/48 (while sleeping). This test is often used to distinguish white-coat from true hypertension.

Good luck to you.

[Guest GayleP]

Those readings sound pretty much like my own. My BP is always low while laying down and high normal when I stand. When I'm sitting it can be either high or low.

I think the 24 hour BP monitor is a great idea. I have wanted to try one but my HMO doesn't have one. Or rather the place I'd have to drive to to get one put on is too far away.

GayleP

[morgan617]

heart rate and bp are supposed to rise from lying to standing to accomadate the results of gravity and blood pooling. my doctor can't find a 24 hour bp monitor, says they are hard to come by now. morgan

[Guest Julia59]

My BP readings are 90 something over 60 something all the time. I don't really feel anything other then a little sluggish unless it gets into the 80 over something range.

Your BP readings sound normal to me as far as the normal fluctuations that take place when going from sitting/supine to standing. I don't really have big BP issues with my POTS. Mine are more OI problems. I simply get more symptomatic the longer I stand weather my BP drops or not. It's just more so if it drops into the 80s range.

I've seen far worse happen to many POTS patients then the readings you describe.

If you had blood pooling----I don't think you could tolerate being on your feet for your job-----or be able to play soft ball.

I'm thinking you might want to bring this up to a medical professional----as I don't want to say one way or the other, because many people with POTS can have near normal BPs and still have all kinds of problems with OI.

Julie :0)

[corina]

Hi Veryblue

the way you described it I think your BP is perfectly normal (but notice I'm not a dcotor). For reaching the brains your BP HAS to go up when you're standing. In my case (and a lot of other POTSpeople I think) my bp is just the other way around: about 120/80 supine (and higher sometimes) and dropping when I'm standing up. But we're all different, I really don't know what's "normal" for POTS . I don't know how often you do BP readings. When necessary (in trying new meds and in case of possible danger) my familydoctor comes once a week to do a BP reading. I once bought a BPreader (I'm sorry really don't know the english word for it at this moment, hope you understand) myself that didn't give the right readings. I've thrown it away and don't want to use it anymore. You DO feel when you're BP is a problem so at that point you can warn a doctor otherwise this readings will drive me crazy. Hope you understood what I was trying to say (it's just that brain fog again)

Corina

[morgan617]

there is a "normal" for pots? lol. it's the weirdest disease i've seen in over 30 years of being a nurse. i used to think the curse was the worst. what i'd give now to have that be the worst problem i have. sometimes i think with this illness, we tend to become fixated on things. i know it's very hard not to, (right now I'm trying to deal with my bp and hr dumping) but you have to find some things to just take your mind off it for awhile. we could totally drive ourselves crazy dwelling on every symptom we have or don't have. it changes all the time and though we all have common threads, we still all have different things going on at different times. this is a great place to see something and think oh my gosh, i thought i was the only person in the world that had this! but we need to try and be positive and not obsess on everything either. if you are symptomatic with things, they certainly need to be addressed by a doctor, but if you investigate you will find that some things are perfectly normal. and even tho my hr and bp would be considered normal by some doctors, they are not normal for me and i have symptoms. so i am going to see my doctor. i guess that's the way it works. it's good to have input and validation from others, but if you have real medical concerns, you need to see your doc. morgan

[danelle]

My BP's and HR's both are wacked out. You definately aren't alone. I can range from 80's/40's to 160's/100's and HR 60's-180+. It is unpredictable but mine does do what yours does as well. It's all part of our crazy ANS!

Wishing us all more stable vital signs and symptoms