Blood pressure problems...

Hey all,

I have a problem that I've been dealing with for months now and I brought it up at my last OB appointment only to be laughed off and excused off - but all the excuses don't match up.

When I'm laying down reclined on my back but also to the side, or even straight on my left side I feel this sensation like I'm getting lightheaded and feeling as if my blood or heart isn't doing what it should. Like when you get up quickly or climb stairs and you feel faint and lightheaded. Well I brought this up to my dr. because for about 10 years I've also been battling off and on some eating disorders (anorexia for 6 months and bulimia off and on but mainly when I'm dieting too strictly). Never consistently and that's why I quit my last diet even though I was close to a good weight for my height. Especially since we wanted to try to have another baby and I didn't want that to even be something to worry about while pregnant - diet and weight crap. So I do worry that I have stressed out my heart and my have problems because of it. I've brought it up at other appointments and they've recommended dieticians but have never followed through with who where or when. Earlier in this pregnancy I used to have palpatations as well, but good amounts of potassium through my food helped with that.

So when I brought this up the dr. said "you're getting up too quickly" I said "NO. I'm actually laying down when this happens" "Oh, then your blood sugar is dropping" "NO. It happens regardless of when I last ate and even more so 1/2 hr after eating." and then they don't say anything more and I feel scared that this issue isn't going to get cleared up... Oh and then she said "well, this pregnancy is going to be unlike any other and there are going to be so many different things you haven't dealt with before, blah blah blah blah." uhm, yeah ... I know. But at what point is ignoring something like this going from being an idiot to being dangerious?

My theory is is that it's the effect of baby A pressing on my vena cava while moving around. I can't feel her as much and although i was told I have an anterior placenta I never really knew where - and I'm thinking it's around my left side where she is. So when she does move around in position to press on it, I don't know it fully until I'm dizzy and faint.

I just want to know if anyone else feels this and possibly has a similar theory or feels like I should look into it further.

My blood pressure is great, always low and I know I need my salt because on that strict diet without any salt except natural sodium in the food, I had dizzy/faint spells. I do get dizzy and faint feeling when I climb the stairs or get up too fast sometimes, but this sensation happens more frequently than that. Sometimes one after the other 3 or more times in a night. I don't dare get up and move around when this happens and if I feel it coming on, I immediately lay down.

 

Hi bernice - this is "andrewsmomma" from the babycenter boards.

I wonder if your blood pressure just gets too low for you when you lie on your side. Have you ever had your BP checked while lying in that position? Side lying is not for everyone. You may just need to find another position, maybe with your head more elevated, that works better.

 

QUOTE(allboys @ Nov 4 2007, 04:18 PM) [snapback]480684[/snapback]
Hi bernice - this is "andrewsmomma" from the babycenter boards.

I wonder if your blood pressure just gets too low for you when you lie on your side. Have you ever had your BP checked while lying in that position? Side lying is not for everyone. You may just need to find another position, maybe with your head more elevated, that works better.


hey you!! How are you?

Your thoughts sound very plausable. Sometimes I'm laying almost fully on my back with pillows to prop me up a bit but not enough, and also to my side and it happens. I've never tried just sitting up. But lately I feel like my chest is being crushed when I lay down on my sides and I've noticed I feel a lot better when I sleep elevated more. It's a difficult position to find comfortably but so worth it. Except for the extra pressure on the hips, but I'd rather sleep well and not have problems breathing. I haven't noticed any falling in my blood pressure when I'm laying this way and I will definitely try it out when my next episode comes up. I actually don't know for sure if this happens more when I'm laying down than when I'm sitting up, but I definitely feel it more when I'm laying down - so that may be the culprit after all. Thank you!!

 

I was always able to lay on my side with my other pegnancies, but never with this one since pretty early on. I sleep in a recliner every night, if I'm on my side, I get the same way - sick and lightheaded. I'm on Procardia now for PTL which makes my BP even lower, I can't imagine laying on my side now.

Also, I've read that pregnancy can lower blood pressure, forget why!

 

I used to get palpitations. Sometimes they would really hurt, and make me cough because they rattled my chest so much. It was in the second trimester and the start of the third. I dont get them anymore. I used to also get really light headed. I get none of that now. My blood pressure has always been good. I never mentioned it to my Dr, I always forget everything. lol
Now though, if I lay on my back I get REALLY short of breath, like I am running. Weird how pregnancy affects your body. The amount of blood that you are now pumping around is huge. I think you might be onto something with positions, maybe staying more upright might help.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help, just wanted to let you know I have had similar issues.
Keep onto the Dr if you are worried.

 

I definitely have noticed more problems when laying on my side, but also possibly from my back being out. When I lay on my left I feel like I have a weight on my chest as well. It does it no matter what side I lay on, and it also did it a bit when I was laying reclined.

And to boot, I have a sinus infection that is trying to make it's way into pneumonia and so I just started antibiotics today but it makes me feel like panicking as I have a hard enough time as it is! nose is all stuffed up or switching sides, throat is sore and swelling up and when I breathe it hurts. Also, it's worse at night when I need to NOT panic the MOST. I was using the humidifier and saline washes but it's only helped a little. I keep on waking up with stuff in my throat and feeling like my windpipe is being compressed. Has anyone else noticed a moment in the day when out of nowhere you take a humongous breath of air? I've been doing this every day and I think it's because of breathing more shallow-y... and so the whole infection thing is NOT making me a happy camper. I'm avoding laying on my side like the plague now.

 

Have you ever had your heart checked out??... I have mitral valve prolapse..very minor version, but it can cause heart palpitations and dizzyness. I also have low blood pressure which seems to be genetic. My father has low blood pressure and has passed out at work 3 times in the last 15 years....each time they made him go through dozens of tests to come up with nothing...the only conclusion was that his bp would get too low if he stayed seated in one position for too long. My dh actually almost passed out at my sister's wedding (he was in the wedding party)...and my aunt told us later it was from standing too still...if you stand with your legs locked for too long it can block blood supply and can make you pass out. So I imagine the same things can happen in a variety of positions when you are pg.

I do find that my dizzyness during pg is related to blood sugar as well. I have an instinctive thought that I too need my salt b/c of low blood pressure... and find that if I don't watch to make sure I'm eating enough throughout the day (not tons...but little snacks) then I definitely have more of these episodes....they tend to be worse in my first and second trimesters for some reason. (I've had my share of "almost" passing out moments in front of my classroom for my first pg and in the store for other pgs when I didn't have a snack handy.) And whether blood sugar or blood pressure related, while you are passing out your bp does drop...so sometimes it's hard to tell the difference.

I think your best bet is to go with your instincts on this...try to find positions that feel better for you. And at some point set up an appointment with your regular doctor...not your ob/gyn if you feel like it's still a problem post-pg. Any family doc should be able to listen carefully to your heart, your symptoms and you bp and see if you need a referral somewhere.

 

Hi,
I don't have exactly the same problem as you, since I rarely experience it when lying down, but I have low blood pressure and it usually drops further when you're pregnant, my peri said it levels off at its lowest around 20 weeks then usually starts to rise. Mine is still really low but my body seems to be adjusting to it. It was worse in my first trimester. I would start to feel tired, my vision got weird, I felt really uneasy and freaked out, and like I was going to faint. My OB told me repeatedly it was blood sugar but I knew it wasn't because I tested it with my husband's kit. Plus I was always eating!! Anyway, if I were you I'd mention it to another doctor, if you have a peri, or your primary. I was referred to a cardiologist for the racing pulse the low blood pressure caused. You might be experiencing more symptoms than most people since your blood pressure was low to begin with. Hope your doctor listens to you and can give you some suggestions.

One more thing, they could take your blood pressure at the office when you're lying down...just to see. Although it may not happen all the time which makes it frustrating