Higher blood pressure only when standing?

[leecijade]

Hi I am 33 weeks pregnant. During my second trimester I had low blood pressure which I was assured that this was normal to have happen. Now, I have been feeling spacy and faint on a daily basis. My blood pressure while laying down is always around 100/57, sitting it ranges from 108/68-72.. I don't have a problem with it like that. But as soon as I stand up or do any little activity such as, dishes, chores around the house, even just standing in line at a store my blood pressure will rise up to 135/80?? Today I was in the chemist looking at shampoo for not even 2 minutes without feeling faint etc. Then lining up at the bank I got the same way.  I thought that it was suppose to drop while standing up etc. Also everyday I get breathless in the mornings at rest, I will check my bp and it is normal but my heart rate will be up to 109-118 at times? Without doing anything. Doctors don't know what to say to me?

[leecijade]

my bp does not drop when upon standing, it rises..
in the shower it rises, upon standing it rises, walking 5 steps across the living room it rises. all day i feel lightheaded, woozy, spacey and nauseous like i am about to pass out. this all sounds like what happens when someones bp drops, but mine does not drop it rises... that is what is so frustrating when i see these doctors, they start talking about low bp! when mine goes up!!

[ChristineMP]

Some people do have a dip in BP when they first stand up and walk (it is called postural hypotension). Usually, your body will make adjustments and your BP will return to normal within minutes...and normally, BP is higher while standing and definitely during and right after any kind of activity.

Have any of your doctors done what is called a tilt-table test? If so, what were the results?

[leecijade]

Ok.... So I can be sitting down and my bp will be normal. I stand up and it elevates. I go shower I get all faint in there my heart races, I get out to take my bp it's elevated! I always thought and I am always told by the doctors that bp goes down in the shower and it goes down upon standing or standing for a period of time! Well, mine does not! It goes up and it is causing me to feel faint, and headache, nauesous etc.. This is really frustrating me alot!!!! Because I don't get any answers !!

[ChristineMP]

What did the neurologist say? Did he/she do an MRI? Did this just start when you got pregnant? You've seen a lot of specialists and doctors for this to have started with the pregnancy...If your nuerologist didn't do an MRI I would see one that will...

The symptoms I mention for high and low BP  are the medically known/accepted common symptoms of each. When a doctor or nurse hears "I feel faint" we think low blood pressure or low blood sugar ...sudden onset headache we are checking BP and pupils :)

Medically, a BP of 144/78 is high but not high enough that one would expect acute symptoms...chronic problems down the road, yes...immediate danger...no.

BP increases with activity (including walking) and that tendency can be even more pronounced during pregnancy (pregnancy causes blood pressure to act oddly...with my daughter I drove 4 blocks from home to my doctor's office for a prenatal appointment than walked from my car into the clinic and my blood pressure was at a critically high level when they checked it. It went down within 15 minutes but they were seriously considering transferring me to the hospital due to the high BP reading...no idea what caused it...so yes, walking, especially when pregnant, can cause a large change in BP)

Have you actually taken your blood sugar during a spell of feeling faint? If you aren't diabetic, your body can restore normal blood sugar quickly so checking blood sugar at time when you aren't having symptoms isn't going to give the info needed.

For that matter, I would love to know what your BP was when you sat down in the store...odds are it changed considerably between then and when you went to your car.

I am NOT questioning that you are not feeling well...I'm just not sure your BP is the cause.

[leecijade]

Yes I am onto my 6th doctor. That's just general gps. I have seen a cardiologist, neurologist, ent specialist. Nothing!! I have seen alot of different gps and none of them have an answer, I've seen the 6 of them on a regular basis but all up I have seen around 11 gps.. And now the doctors clinic at maternity. It's frustrating and scary

[adgal]

I would suggest you get a second opinion.  I am certainly not a Dr. or even in the medical profession, but it seems to me that this is probably not something to just ignore?  I would probably seek the advice of another Dr.  Best wishes, hope you feel better soon.

[leecijade]

And when my bp is higher then usual I do get lightheaded and dizzy head rushes. So I guess the symptoms are different in everyone. That is how I know when my bp is up, I feel like I will pass out. At the shopping centre the other day I had to sit down I felt very faint and Nausous. Finally made it back to the car where I took my bp and it was 144/78..

[leecijade]

My blood sugar is fine. I know that bp rises upon standing but from walking down the hall in my home, or from my car to the house just little things Like this will raise my Bp from 110/66 to 135/75 sometimes a little bit higher? I know that is not normal to change that much.

[ChristineMP]

The doctor probably isn't too worried because 1) it is normal for standing BP to be higher than lying or sitting BP and 2) your high reading is barely above normal  for most people (until recently, "normal" BP was 120/80...that is now considered pre-hypertensive).

Feeling woozy or faint is usually indicitive of LOW BP. High BP generally causes a headache.

How is your blood sugar? When I feel woozy or faint it is almost always low blood sugar...

[leecijade]

That's the thing though,? I mention it everytime, at every appointment. I even record it and take in the records I have on paper to show them, but they seem to just shrug it off.. It is really frustrating as I am not feeling well and no one listens! I also have 3 other childen at home to look after and it's hard when I'm feeling this way.

[etts]

It happened also to me when I had my last pregnancy(tied already) but I  had history of hypertension everytime I'm pregnant. I delivered my son at 35 weeks as I am experiencing pre-eclampsia. I had lots of medication during my pregnancy to lower down my blood pressure. Ask your ob/gyn about it. have it checked for sure.

Keep posted.

Etts

[leecijade]

I have to add, that once I sit down it goes back to normal! Only when I am up and doing something or just standing it happens. Woozy and faint feeling!