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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by CareBear04 on January 10, 2005, at 23:55:29
hi everyone-- i think i asked questions on this topic before, but if anyone could respond again, i'd really appreciate it.
my blood pressure has been stuck between 70 and 80 systolic for more than a month. i was seeing my doctor every week for awhile, and it was pretty worthless. the nurse would take my BP, the dr would come in and take it again, and every couple of weeks, he would listen to my heart. they ran a few tests, and there are no answers as to why it's so low. my next appt isn't for almost three weeks. in the meantime, i'm walking around constantly dizzy and sometimes black out for maybe up to a minute, though i haven't fallen at all. i have always managed to hang onto something or lean against a wall, so i've been okay. still, it's kinda scary and pretty unpleasant. the dr just says that i need more protein and more sodium, but i think i must also be really volume-depleted and dehydrated. i was in the african desert over the holidays and hardly drank anything, so i can't see how i could not be dehydrated. it seems like a quandary, though-- dehydration can cause low blood pressure, but i guess so can low sodium. if i drink more water, the sodium levels will go lower... which way will BP go? it can't be healthy to have BP this low. cold hands and feet are not even a concern anymore; i'm wondering whether, in the long run, my organs will be getting enough blood and oxygen. whether it's the meds or the BP, i can feel my brain cells dying off, and i'm getting dumber by the day, no exaggeration. no one seems overly concerned or interessted in an answer except for me since i'm the one who is disabled by all this dizziness. does anyone have a clue as to what's going on or any suggestions for what to do now? thanks so much. any input would be much appreciated!
Posted by Fallen4MyT on January 11, 2005, at 0:18:17
In reply to blood pressure again, posted by CareBear04 on January 10, 2005, at 23:55:29
CareBear what kind of doctor do you see? Have you seen a cardiologist? Your reading is not all that bad IF you were not dizzy as you are symptomatic I would get another opinion on this. As to the water salt issues crank them BOTH up ...the salt will help hold the water in...eat more balanced meals and salt a lot...drink a lot of water ...and juices. The dizzy stuff I know as I have an inner ear disorder and get so scared when the room spins...you do not want this to go on as you may end up with a vestibular (sp) issue from the chronic hypotension or get hurt falling etc. A neurologist may not hurt either. I wonder what tests you doctor ordered. Too much fluid without enough salt will send you into what I had once...over hydration and I escaped it but it can cause brain damage and heart attacks cause the brain swells so PLEASE SEE ANOTHER DOC and get a lot of fluid and salt into you ...maybe even GARORAIDE IN YOU. Sorry on the spins and hope this helps some
> hi everyone-- i think i asked questions on this topic before, but if anyone could respond again, i'd really appreciate it.
>
> my blood pressure has been stuck between 70 and 80 systolic for more than a month. i was seeing my doctor every week for awhile, and it was pretty worthless. the nurse would take my BP, the dr would come in and take it again, and every couple of weeks, he would listen to my heart. they ran a few tests, and there are no answers as to why it's so low. my next appt isn't for almost three weeks. in the meantime, i'm walking around constantly dizzy and sometimes black out for maybe up to a minute, though i haven't fallen at all. i have always managed to hang onto something or lean against a wall, so i've been okay. still, it's kinda scary and pretty unpleasant. the dr just says that i need more protein and more sodium, but i think i must also be really volume-depleted and dehydrated. i was in the african desert over the holidays and hardly drank anything, so i can't see how i could not be dehydrated. it seems like a quandary, though-- dehydration can cause low blood pressure, but i guess so can low sodium. if i drink more water, the sodium levels will go lower... which way will BP go? it can't be healthy to have BP this low. cold hands and feet are not even a concern anymore; i'm wondering whether, in the long run, my organs will be getting enough blood and oxygen. whether it's the meds or the BP, i can feel my brain cells dying off, and i'm getting dumber by the day, no exaggeration. no one seems overly concerned or interessted in an answer except for me since i'm the one who is disabled by all this dizziness. does anyone have a clue as to what's going on or any suggestions for what to do now? thanks so much. any input would be much appreciated!
Posted by CareBear04 on January 11, 2005, at 10:38:16
In reply to Re: blood pressure again » CareBear04, posted by Fallen4MyT on January 11, 2005, at 0:18:17
thanks so much, fallen! you've been so helpful. i haven't seen a cardiologist ever. i've seen a neurologist, but never about the dizziness. it was just after a bunch of lithium toxicities and i was scared that the brain damage would be permanent. i still don't know if it is. one doctor did suggest the inner ear problem as a possibility, but one that he didn't want to test for yet without ruling out other things. my dad suggested an MRI, and the dr. (a primary care dr) said maybe down the road. i'm so glad to hear that you didn't have any damage from water intoxication. it's scary to think of something like that happening from something as benign as drinking fluids. i still don't understand, though, how one gets low sodium and dehydrated both. it seems like sodium should be high when you're dehydrated and low when you're overhydrated?
thanks again for your post! you're great!
Posted by Fallen4MyT on January 11, 2005, at 16:30:43
In reply to Re: blood pressure again » Fallen4MyT, posted by CareBear04 on January 11, 2005, at 10:38:16
Hey ya Carebear anytime I know some odd stuff :) and use to work in the medical field. BTW, a neurootologist, would be best to be frank BUT MAY BE HARD TO FIND SO I would see a cardiologist and ENT both they can help you with the diet and fluids. And get rid of the dizziness for you. I know it seems odd but one can have low sodium chloride and be dehydrated still your doc...well to let you go on dizzy and all thats not right and can be dangerous ...I know I have that stupid spinning stuff but get it tended to..in some cases they have exercises to get it of it for some folks.....If you got an MRI and all that with the same doc you see now reading them after a radiologist does; seems to me a dead end. I would allow a specialist to come in on this to help you out once and for all. Also till you do please move and get up very very slowly and when dizzy standing IF you can bend your knees a tad it will help stablize you.also move your head slowly too..Please see someone else? And let me know how it went cause I am concerned. And yes lol who would have guessed one could drink tooooo much water hahaha I ended up in the hospital trying to be healthy by drinking exrcising and all that :-) I was out the next day. Trust me for now...eat lots of salt and drink water and gatoraide and juice...eat too :)
> thanks so much, fallen! you've been so helpful. i haven't seen a cardiologist ever. i've seen a neurologist, but never about the dizziness. it was just after a bunch of lithium toxicities and i was scared that the brain damage would be permanent. i still don't know if it is. one doctor did suggest the inner ear problem as a possibility, but one that he didn't want to test for yet without ruling out other things. my dad suggested an MRI, and the dr. (a primary care dr) said maybe down the road. i'm so glad to hear that you didn't have any damage from water intoxication. it's scary to think of something like that happening from something as benign as drinking fluids. i still don't understand, though, how one gets low sodium and dehydrated both. it seems like sodium should be high when you're dehydrated and low when you're overhydrated?
> thanks again for your post! you're great!
Posted by Racer on January 15, 2005, at 9:49:05
In reply to blood pressure again, posted by CareBear04 on January 10, 2005, at 23:55:29
You excrete sodium in urine, so you can get dehydrated and lower your sodium at the same time. As for what to do about it, Gatorade really is your friend. I swear, cross my heart, that it's not just yucky stuff. I used it all the time when I worked outside in the summer, and it kept me from getting sick. Without it, when I just drank water, I'd get sick as a dog by about noon. With Gatorade, I was OK. (In summer, I'd freeze a bottle of it, and drink it as it thawed. Lovely treat on hot days.)
My other question for you, though, is how you're eating? Do you need more protein? Or do you just need to eat more in general? I ask because I get quite dizzy and my BP drops when I'm actively restricting my intake. (My temperature also drops.) If you're working on an eating disorder, whether you discuss it with anyone else or not be honest with yourself, that can also lower your BP. If you're worried about the BP, but also practicing ED behavior, be aware that this is a trade off for you, and be honest about which is more important to you.
Good luck.
Posted by CareBear04 on January 15, 2005, at 14:44:08
In reply to Re: blood pressure again » CareBear04, posted by Racer on January 15, 2005, at 9:49:05
dear racer,
thanks so much for your response and advice. it stuck me as so caring and bigsisterish, and it was nice.i drs are telling me a lot that i need to eat more protein and I need more salt. i guess protein helps keep water int he water, but what about salt? what is the mechanism by which salt would be excreted or move intracellular relative to water? i guess i've never heard a low sodium dehydratd state,. here's another question-- the last few days since restarting lithium at a small dose, i've been peeing all the time! think happened to once before when i was on 1800gm for awile, but i had huge thirst to compensate for the lost. right now, i'm not drinking muhc, but i'm excreting really clear, dilute urine. will this make my sodium lower?
thanks again!!!
Posted by bimini on January 19, 2005, at 10:36:54
In reply to Re: blood pressure again » Racer, posted by CareBear04 on January 15, 2005, at 14:44:08
My BP fluctuates, standing up will cause a drop, pulse then increases and BP rises to adjust to needed level. This also happens all of a sudden while standing for no reason. I have explored inner ear and visual causes for vertigo, BP fluctuation is not the only cause.
I reported a sudden increased desire for protein to one Doc and he made fun of me. I also overspiced and oversalt for the average taste all my life. But I did't drink nearly enough fluids.
I was diagnosed with a heart valve defect after EKG's, ultrasounds and Holter monitoring. Some of the tests measure how efficient the heart pumps through. The cardiologist recommended constant hydration and increased salt intake, cardiovascular exercise and reduction of stress. He warned about alcohol lowering BP and doing anything fast.
Hope this helps.bimini
Posted by CareBear04 on January 19, 2005, at 19:35:09
In reply to Re: blood pressure again, posted by bimini on January 19, 2005, at 10:36:54
hi bimini,
thanks for posting. can i ask what age range you were in when you got all this testing?i have problems with orthostatic hypotension and tachycardia, too. at its worst, i've had pulse changes of 50 points when going from lying to standing. my resting BP is pretty low, and i walk around dizzy a lot. the other day, when i got up from lying down, i blacked out, hit my head on the wall, then slammed my butt into the hardwood floor... not fun! but even with these troubles, the drs rely on the fact that my heart is young and has so far been healthy, so i haven't had extensive monitoring or EKGs unless i'm in the hospital. my drs, too, have told me to take in more salt, more protein, more calories. i think i'm constantly dehydrated, too, which can probably make hypotension worse, but my body seems to have adjusted really impressively to volume depletion. in the hospital recently, i had gone for about ten days prior without eating or drinking much of anything because of a throat problem. the labs didn't show any evidence of volume depletion; the only indicator was the fact that i needed about 10 days of continuous IVs. since you say you're often dehydrated, too, do you know which lab tests will confirm dehydration? none of my drs outside of the hospital have requested urine tests, nor would i be able to provide a sample if they did.
anyway, your post was really informative. thanks!
Posted by bimini on January 20, 2005, at 17:37:30
In reply to Re: blood pressure again » bimini, posted by CareBear04 on January 19, 2005, at 19:35:09
Hi CareBear,
I received spinal damage and a concussion in a car accident at age 45, this is now over two years ago. While in the hospital no tests were done and I was sent home when my finger found my nose.
After recovery didn't go very well I received X-rays, MRI of brain and spine, EKG, EMG, ultrasounds and blood work.Autonomic dysfunction was caused by trauma and diagnosd as dysautonomia.
I don't know what tests check dehydration.
bimini
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