Low blood pressure

Just wondering if anyone else has developed low bp since surgery? I've noticed a bit of dizziness when I would get up or if I would stand up too fast, it's been going on since June. At my 6 month post op I mentioned this issue. They suggested I see my GP, I didn't make an appointment right away I figured I would " walk it off" well.... let's just say I had a fainting spell Saturday night and the concrete floor wasn't so soft.

Today my doctor told me that standing for a long period of time can cause you to faint. My body aches but luckily I didn't hit my head, it was really scary and of course it was in front of 50 other people. Just another learning curve. This has been my only major issue since surgery.

I read that happening on youtube. Sorry .. I used to faint when I was younger.. not a good thing.

I'm a month post op and I've had low bp since a few days after surgery. It sits around 90/62. My doctor told me at my one week check up that it would resolve itself but so far no change. I'm still off work but I worry about commuting into the city and coming home to take care of two kids with bp this low. I have my one month check up at TWH on Wednesday and plan on discussing it with the nurse. I'll post what she tells me.

I've had dizziness lately too but didn't think too much of it. Maybe I should...

Maybe look into it, I hope I didn't scare anyone :( I was so excited when I didn't have to take medication for high bp anymore and didn't have any side effects when I had high bp.

Take care Jo!

I'm not 100 percent sure this is what you have...sounds like it, but I am not a doctor...its called Orthastatic Hypertension.

It usualy happens shortly after you get up and take a few steps. For me, my vision goes dark, and I get light headed. Luckily I have never fainted, felt like I have come close. It happened a lot immediately after surgery I didn't think much of it, thought no food, might be a bit dehydrated...(which is one of the causes of it).

My resting blood pressure is fine, but at my one of my appointments they test your blood sugar from a laying down position to sitting up, and then my blood pressure was not so good. They say it usually means your dehydrated.

I could buy that for the first few months, I really struggled to ge****er in, but the last few months I'm drinking my 8 glasses a day. I mentioned it at my six months post op appointment, and the doctor said get up slowly. I did mention, when I was on vacation for a week and had a lot of salty goodness, I did not have one episode of this. He said low sodium could be a reason for it as well.

I've heard this is very common the first year after surgery, it usually goes away from what I've heard, not always, but usually.

It's annoying for sure, I'm just trying to 'live' with it, and hope it gets better and happens less. I will definitely take it up with my GP down the road if it continues.

Hope you don't have another fainting spell, and it gets better for you.

Take care.

I have this as well due to low blood pressure. When I start feeling this way I up my fluid intake and even swap meals for protein shakes to get the extra liquid. The other recommendation I got from the dietitian was to increase my salt intake. She said our post-op diets tend to be naturally low in salt and that can throw us off balance as well.

Thanks Meg!

I'm thinking a lot of it is low sodium as well. Funny, salty goodness stuff was my weakness before surgery, so kinda weird to be low salt these days.

My doctor recommend me having soup broth to help, but I hate the taste of the soup broths out there. I'm hoping as I get further out, and perhaps can have a more balanced meals down the road it will get better. There's not many things I like to add salt too, and the salty things I like aren't good for me.

I will try your suggestion of swaping out a meal for a protein shake on really bad days, and see if that helps. I generally try and up my fluid intake on really bad days too. Some days are better than others.

Again thanks for the advice.

My salty go-tos are pickles and ham (or other deli meat). My dietitian also recommended Triscuits but I try to stay away from crackers if I can -- slippery slope for me ;)

I love dill pickes, haven't had them since surgery. There's a thought lol

Cheese and crackers are a staple for me, but I have been getting the unsalted tops, perhaps I should get salted. Unless they are ritz cheese crackers, I can handle crackers lol

Thanks.