Low Blood Pressure can cause anxiety too as well....

[PoppyC]

After finding out that dehydration can cause anxiety symptoms, I have done some research and found out that low blood pressure can cause it too amongst the following symptoms:

Dizziness, or feeling like you’re standing on a rocking boat
Fainting
Changes in mental status (difficulty concentrating, confusion) or a sense of "impending doom" or anxiety
Changes in breathing patterns (fast, shallow breathing is common during an episode of low blood pressure)
Nausea
Suddenly feeling cold or clammy, or a rapid onset of pale skinAll the above is me! Yayyy...I may have an answer for my anxiety yet! I have very low blood pressure.
Does anyone know how to raise blood pressure because if I can do that plus drink loads of water then maybe my anxiety might go!:yesyes: failing that I will just keep taking the meds :wacko:

[cwoz82]

As long as i can remember getting it checked i have had low blood pressure - how low i don't know, but thats what the doctors have always said...My mother has it too.
I am on medication for anxiety, as i have panic attacks the topic of low blood pressure as opposed to anxiety has never come up until recently when when my medication caused my blood presssure to "plummet" and i felt almost constantly giddy and faint so they have lowered my doseage, however i have felt in recent weeks my anxiety getting worse...you have me wondering now, is it as simple as the lowered medication or is it that my blood pressure is low and causing these symptoms...i'm due to go back to see my doctor anyway in the next week so will put this suggestion to her and see what she comes up with...would be lovely if it was something so simple!!
However i know from when my blood pressure plummeted that they can't do anything medically to raise it, only thing i can tell you is that blood pressure gets raised during exercise and exercise helps to regulate blood pressure, thus this may help a bit but take it easy!
:yesyes:

[nomorepanic]

Poppy - I used to have high blood pressure and was on medication for it for 3 years.

When I got ill last September and went to hospital the blood pressure dropped really low. They had to stop the medication.

It never went back up! They have no idea why.

I was on Ramipril for the heart but that also lowers the blood pressure and when I used to stand up I felt very faint and knew that the blood pressure was going too low.

They took me off Ramipril and told me not to take it again until the top reading was over 100. I am back on it now but take it just before I go to bed so if the blood pressure drops too low it will be overnight so I won't notice.

Odd isn't it??

I am not sure how you raise your blood pressure to be honest. I have had to get used to mine being low after being high for so long!

[tayside lassie]

all i know is drinking a glass of water or having something salty to eat will raise your bp but only temporary ..

if its really low then your gp would need to give medication to raise the pressure

[PoppyC]

Hi Nicola and cwoz82 :)
Thanks both for your replies. Its interesting isnt it.
Do you still have low blood pressure now Nicola? I get dizzy feelings when I stand up from sitting down. It must feel strange after having high blood pressure to go to having low. You must notice it more.
I dont of any ways to raise blood pressure either although somewhere I once read that eating really salty foods helps - but that cant be a good thing can it?
I have done something maybe I shouldnt have today and that was bought a blood pressure monitor from Boots - not sure if this is a good thing or not because I know I will be constantly checking and panicking if it drops lower! :wacko:

[nomorepanic]

I have just taken mine and it was 111/74 so that is quite good for me and not too low.

I wouldn't go down the eating salty foods route as we know that too much salt is bad for the heart.

Don't get obsessed with the blood pressure monitor thing. I have one as I used to have do readings for my doc when I had HIGH blood pressure.

Now I just do it occasionally to make sure it isn't too low.

[Southern_Belle]

Hi,

I also have always had really low blood pressure. That is normal for me. The only time the doctors were worried was when the lower number dropped into the 50's and they said that they didn't know how I had driven the car to the doctor's office, I was dehydrated and they hooked me up to an IV bag. Not fun!!! I do not exercise right now but when I did doctor's would look at me frantically and asked it I exercised so I always got the impression that exercising lowered your blood pressure, but I could be wrong. If it is normal for you, I think lower is better than higher. I have learned to not get up fast and never lean over. I will be wondering what your doctor says. Good luck.

Take care,

Laura

[kath135]

I sufferer from low blood pressure and my doctor said It was a good thing? She's never been negative about it and never said I should try to higher it. However when I joined the gym my fitness trainer was quite shocked by it and asked me if I felt ok! when I told im that it was normal for me he told me not to train. so i did'nt go back.

Mind you I did'nt take much to stop me.