Steph Posted August 28, 2009 Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 I recently started taking my blood pressure at the advice of my doctor (in the evening, first sitting down, then after standing for 10 minutes) and I've noticed something a bit strange. My diastolic blood pressure is almost always low, while my systolic bp is in the healthy range - sometimes it even goes up when I stand (though not always), while the diastolic ALWAYS goes down, although not always by a lot.IE: today's results:sitting:sys - 118dia - 59pulse - 77standing:sys - 106dia - 53pulse - 119(BTW, I used to have bp fairly close to the average 120/70 before I started getting sick.)Is this common? Does anyone know why this might be? I'm seeing my cardio on the 16th, but I often have a hard time focusing enough to ask him the questions I mean to when I'm there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyblu Posted August 28, 2009 Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 I usually have the opposite problem. 100/70 or 90/65 might be a common reading for me although I get plenty of 80/50 or 80/60 readings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firewatcher Posted August 28, 2009 Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 I can only add that the diastolic is the pressure in your veins and arteries when your heart relaxes. Are you taking any new meds? Do you feel any worse than you did? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gertie Posted August 28, 2009 Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 (edited) My systolic is usually 140-159 & diastolic 60-70, pulse 65. It's been that for 25 years. Dr's have wanted to give me med's for high BP but I've always been afraid my diastolic would drop further. Edited August 31, 2009 by flop Systolic and diastolic corrected to avoid confusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potsgirl Posted August 28, 2009 Report Share Posted August 28, 2009 The standard BP is usually thought to be 120/80, with a 40 point gap between your systolic and diastolic numbers. It looks like you may have orthostatic hypotension and POTS...try taking your numbers lying down and then after 1, 3, and 5 minutes standing. OI people will usually see a decrease in their systolic/diastolic when they stand, while it's indicative of POTS for your pulse to jump at least 30 points on standing (but the BP numbers don't drop too much). Your BP numbers are quite far apart, and I'm not the medical person to tell you why. But with mine (I know I have POTS/OI), I get a narrowing range when I stand (and sometimes sitting/lying) like 76/65.Best of luck,Jana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Posted August 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2009 I can only add that the diastolic is the pressure in your veins and arteries when your heart relaxes. Are you taking any new meds? Do you feel any worse than you did?I've recently switched back from Midodrine to taking Florinef again (midodrine didn't help, and gave me headaches; florinef helped a little bit, so my dr. told me I could go back on it until my next appt.), but I wasn't taking my bp before so I don't know if it's a new thing or not - neither of my doctors have told my specific numbers.The standard BP is usually thought to be 120/80, with a 40 point gap between your systolic and diastolic numbers. It looks like you may have orthostatic hypotension and POTS...try taking your numbers lying down and then after 1, 3, and 5 minutes standing. OI people will usually see a decrease in their systolic/diastolic when they stand, while it's indicative of POTS for your pulse to jump at least 30 points on standing (but the BP numbers don't drop too much). Your BP numbers are quite far apart, and I'm not the medical person to tell you why. But with mine (I know I have POTS/OI), I get a narrowing range when I stand (and sometimes sitting/lying) like 76/65.Best of luck,JanaI did what you said, and wow! I got some really weird results.Lying down97/69, pulse 751 min standing104/62, pulse 903 min standing113/63, pulse 975 min standing99/75, pulse 10910 min standing 101/54, pulse 114 Weird . . . the pulse went up in a fairly "normal" way, but both my bps fluctuated oddly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flop Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 I can only give you my guess as to what is happening with your BP numbers. Initially your BP looks like it is trying to elevate to help keep you upright, but then it gets to a point where it can't compensate any more so starts to drop again.In "shock" such as when someone is bleeding lots from a serious wound the BP will be normal, then the HR rises, then the pulse pressure narrows (the systolic and diastolic numbers get closer together) then finally the BP drops. I am not in anyway suggesting that you are bleeding or in shock but just wondering if the same pattern happened to you when you stood up on this occasion.I would do the same readings again several times (different days but also different times of day) and take them with you to your next drs appointment. Hopefully they will help your doctor to see what is going on with your BP and figure out which meds to try.Flop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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