When You Have Narrow Pulse Pressure, How Close Do The Numbers Get?

[Tammy]

When I'm feeling more 'off' and weak than my normal amount of yuckiness, I notice that my pulse pressure is very narrow. Anyone else have this and how close do your blood pressure numbers get? Right now I'm 98/80. Also, how can a person help this symptom? I had tried Florinef, as I think that's why my cardio wanted me to try it, but couldn't tolerate it.

Thanks

[firewatcher]

The closest mine ever read was 87/80. I often get a 15 point spread, usually in the morning. It is really AWFUL. I find that drinking anything helps.

[Simmy]

That's what I suffer from too - systolic drops and diastolic rises. The worst I've recorded was 96/84, but like Firewatcher, my bad BP's are usually around a 15 or 20 point spread, where my normal is around 40 (110/70). It always occurs when all the other symptoms show up, like tachy, headaches and dizziness, whenever I do something stupid, like stand up.

[Chaos]

My narrowest reading recently was 92/84. My regular monitor won't pick up those really narrow ones and just records as an error. I recently bought a manual one that I can control better and it works for these type of readings.

[issie]

Mine does this too. It is really scarry. My mother in law, who is a nurse, says it is very dangereous. Because your heart is almost at a stand still. There is supposed to be a beat then a rest. When they both are the same or close to it. Not good, not at all good. Make sure your doc. knows you do this.

[firewatcher]

Mine does this too. It is really scarry. My mother in law, who is a nurse, says it is very dangereous. Because your heart is almost at a stand still. There is supposed to be a beat then a rest. When they both are the same or close to it. Not good, not at all good. Make sure your doc. knows you do this.

My doctors' nurses just shake their heads and re-inflate slightly to guarantee the accuracy of the diastolic reading. I have had 100/80 so many times, they consider it "normal for me."

[flop]

My worst pulse pressure was 96/90 durring a TTT. My cardiologist commented that at that pressure there is virtually no forward blood flow so no wonder I felt so awful.

All the usual POTS tricks can help with this (fluid, salt, compression, counter-manouvers, lying down).

Flop

[janiedelite]

I think the lowest pulse pressure I recorded was 11. Usually I'm 11-22 in the mornings or after eating. What I find that helps is maintaining my abdominal tension. Keeping core strength has been helpful. Also, drinking salted fluids (or just lots of fluids) to boost blood volume helps as well as compression, staying cool, and laying down when I feel really badly.

[potsgirl]

I'm also one of those who daily experiences a narrow pulse pressure every day when I stand up. Usually my point spread is between 10-15 points, and it's awfully low - 70/62, about average.

[TXPOTS]

I have noted that pulse pressure is the most predictive measure of how I feel. The more narrow my pulse pressure, the worse I feel and vice versa. The pulse pressure correlates more with my symptoms than heart rate.