Question:
have any of you had any trouble with your pulse rate & blood pressure dropping very l

my daughter had wls in july 2004, she has lost 170 lbs & looks great, but recently she passed out & we was in las vegas & the dr. there said that all her test came back good, but her heart rate was very low. he wanted to put a pacemaker in her immediately. we didnt let him do it, so we came home(louisiana) and she went to a cardiologist & he did blood work again & put a heart monitor on her for 24 hours. that was all the test that he run on her & he put her on anti- depressants. he said the anti-depressants would make her heart rate go up. 2 days after she went to the 2nd cardiologist her blood pressure bottomed out at 80/50. they wont even let her go back to work yet cause her heart rate was 60 today & her blood pressure was 100/60. it is still low. i was just wondering if anyone else has had any similar problems. this is the 1st problems she has had since her wls. she is 34 years old.    — sherrian4 (posted on April 18, 2006)

April 18, 2006
Sherrian, First off let me say CONGRATS to your daughter & a WAY TO GO on her phenomenal weight loss. I had this happen quite a few times when I was only a few weeks post. My partner (who is an EMT) says that they take alot of post-surgery patients back to the hospital due to "bradying down". This is where your heart rate & B/P drop. The standing theory is that our bodies are so used to being overweight & having to work so hard that our hearts don't know what to do with the "excess" (all that work that it used to have to do.) I would consult a Gastric specialist, I would also ask that specialist if there is a certain cardiologist that they work with (most of them have one that they consult since so many Pre-surgery patients tend to have heart problems). Sounds like she needs a med to increase her heart rate & cardiac output, or something to just regulate her heart (like cardiazem). Glad to hear that you held your ground & didn't let them insert a pacemaker. Too many surgeons just want to jump & fix the symptoms & not take enough time to find the actual problem. Pacemakers are good, but not for every problem. I hope that things turn around for your daughter. She worked long & hard to get where she is, I would hate to see things go down the crapper for her over something that should be fixable. Keep us updated on her progress. Good Luck & keep your chin up, My thoughts & prayers will be with you & her, Ciao 4 now, Berta 8-)
   — Roberta Murray

April 19, 2006
I am 3 years post-op and went through the same thing for about a year. My body has now regulated itself (I'm assuming) and rarley do I have problems with that now. I say this to say that I wouldn't do anything drastic (like pacemaker -- I am also glad that you didn't go that route), maybe try the meds... something that will be temporary since this might fix itself with time. Good luck to you and your daughter!!
   — dl_roark

April 19, 2006
Pretty common during the fast loss phase, I once saw my BP lower than hers, and by that time I was feeling a bit better. Is she getting enough liquids dehydration can cause such troubles. She should call her WLS surgeon, for futher advice
   — bob-haller

April 21, 2006
Hey there, I have a similar issue and it could be the same issue you are seeing. It is calle dNeurocardiogenic Syncopy. It happens when your blood pressure and heart rate drop. It gives new meaning to "Your Heart isn't listening to your head. " :) It was diagnosised by a Cardiologist and he did a tilt table test. It is very very common. I would seek a cardioligist and ask for this specific test. I went years undiagnosised because halter monitors never picked it up as it was incident based. Good luck to you.
   — Rodeodreams

June 2, 2006
My BP has gone to 80/40 and I've come very close to passing out. I've learned to quickly drop my head as low as I can. So far that has kept me from passing out. Don't know what to do about it, so I can help you.
   — Danmark