Low Blood Pressure, Anemia?

[Gismobabe]

For the past three weeks I have been suffering from exhaustion and breathlessness. I always thought that it was just my uterus cramming my lungs but after a dizzy spell yesterday I took my blood pressure and it was 92/55 and then 88/42. Today it was slightly better but nowhere where it should be.

I think I might be anemic and this could cause the low blood pressure. I take adequate iron with my vitamins and started Floradix Iron today.

Does anyone of you have any recommendations on what to do to get my iron levels and my blood pressure to where they should be (and no I am not small and skinny ;-) ???

[no5no5]

92/55 isn't bad.  That's about what my normal blood pressure is when I'm not pregnant, and pregnancy is supposed to lower bp a bit.  Though I do sometimes have symptoms, I don't usually have them unless my bp gets a lot lower than that or I have accompanying tachycardia.  88/42 is definitely low, but not necessarily a problem unless it is the cause of your symptoms (which it may or may not be).  My advice is to try to increase blood volume, which you really need to do anyway in pregnancy.  So, drink lots & lots, avoid caffeine, increase salt, and make sure you get enough protein.

When you say you were dizzy, can you describe what you mean?  Was the room spinning?  Did your vision change (and if so, how)?  Did it improve if you sat/laid down? 

[Gismobabe]

When you say you were dizzy, can you describe what you mean?  Was the room spinning?  Did your vision change (and if so, how)?  Did it improve if you sat/laid down? 

The outside part of my vision turned black and I thought I was going to faint. Much what I had when I was a teenage girl, growing to fast!

[no5no5]

Originally Posted by Gismobabe 

The outside part of my vision turned black and I thought I was going to faint. Much what I had when I was a teenage girl, growing to fast!

Oh, okay.  I only ask because "dizzy" means different things to different people.  Yeah, that sounds like a low blood pressure issue.  Did it happen when you stood up or were you up for a while before it happened?  I assume you felt better after sitting or laying down?

[HawaiianBlesing]

90/60 is clinically hypotensive and can effect someone who is not used to this type of pressure.  Seeing you normally run in the 120's....I'm going to guess that you have had a significant blood volume shift.

I second the PP about avoiding caffeine and increasing your salt and fluids.

Change positions slowly.  Any quick change from lying down to standing will definitely give you that head rushy feeling and could cause you to black out.  Move slowly from lying to sitting.....let your body regulate then slowly get up and see how you feel before moving.

IF you get seriously dizzy you may have to sit back down and try again. 

Hopefully your body adjusts soon. 

[tourist.]

I don't have any advice, but wanted to say I feel your pain. :) 

I've had two episodes this pregnancy that had me nearly passing out.  Both times I was standing up for a good amount of time before everything started to go dark.  The first time I barely made it to the couch and it took me a long time to be able to get up - that was not cool!  The second time (at about 17w?) was not near as bad but I still had to lay down, and I'd try to get up only to find myself blacking out again. 

I do tend to hover around anemic, and started taking iron at around 18w.  I have felt dizzy much less often, although sometimes I can feel it's still there depending on what I'm doing.  My blood pressure has been running a bit lower than usual for me too.