How can I raise my blood pressure slightly?

Pretzels. The salt will help and they aren’t as bad for you as potato chips or fritos.

@zenvelo I hate pretzels. What about unshelled salted pistachios ? Or cup of soup?

There are so many pre-packaged foods full of salt, it will be very easy to find something. A cup of soup surely works Also any salted nuts.

Chinese takeout. You won’t need to leave home.

I have a feeling salt isn’t going to help. You already eat a lot of salt from what I can gather from what you gave said previously about your diet.

I probably mentioned before that my blood pressure is low when my thyroid is too fast, but I know you have had quite a bit of tests run, so I assume they checked your thyroid and it’s normal. You might have some tricky autoimmune stuff going on that affects your blood pressure. The body doesn’t always function well unfortunately. Maybe there are meds you can take if it gets very bad. Is your heart rate fast?

@JLeslie When I go to the emergency room my pulse is 279.

Check out this and if it doesn’t work watch a Trump speech. THAT always raises my blood pressure.

Have you tried talking to my mother?

@RedDeerGuy1 Your pulse was 279??? Was that just from the stress of being in the emergency room? I sure hope so. What is it normally?

@anniereborn I don’t know

Increase water and salt. Crossing your legs will help as will tightening your leg muscles. Do you get sick feeling if yo u have to stand still for a while>

@MollyMcGuire I get stressed out and I head to bed until I recover if I go outside.

See, that’s what happens to me. Fast pulse, low pressure. Not 279 though! Is that even possible? When my heart rate is 85 I feel it.

Did they check your thyroid?

I wouldn’t have thought raising your blood pressure is actually going to make any difference to the symptoms as orthostatic hypotensjon isn’t caused by low blood pressure.

@JLeslie Yes that is possible. A good friend of mine’s pulse was that high and she got sent to the ER. Mine is often as high as 100, but I have problems with anxiety.

This is a question that should be put to a doctor. Do you have a general practitioner? Having someone you see at least once a year for a checkup would be beneficial.

@anniereborn Have you had your thyroid levels checked? Everyone with anxiety should. 100 is very different than 200. My heart rate gets above 100 when I exercise, that’s normal when you exercise, but over 200 seems incredibly fast to me. I don’t know much about fast heart rates though.

@LostInParadise The OP says his doctor told him to consume more salt.

@JLeslie , Not clear if the doctor was from ER or regular doctor. This seems to be a sufficiently serious incident as to merit a followup examination.

One more thing. Staying hydrated is important if your dizzy when first standing up. Also, lack of activity can increase the likelihood. Do you exercise at all? Even walking.

@LostInParadise I’m pretty sure the OP has been to several doctors based on previous health Q’s, but I can’t answer for him specifically regarding this. I didn’t get the impression he is running to the ER about his blood pressure, but I don’t really know.

Sodium intake directly influences blood pressure levels.

Your doctor’s side effect free solution is perfectly valid.

@JLeslie Yes I have had my thyroid checked. My doctor says a pulse of 80–100 is normal.

So, I have a heart condition that also causes rapid heartbeat and low blood pressure (amongst other things). The only advice my doctors gave me short of surgical intervention is more salt and more water. I actually haven’t paid much attention to my salt intake, but I am very aware of my water intake and that seems to make all the difference. I drink 8–16 ounces of water when I first wake up, and usually a little over 100 oz a day. You should be drinking an absolute minimum of half your weight (e.g 250 lbs : 125 oz), though I push for more.

If they haven’t already put you in a Holter monitor, I would suggest bringing it up. 279 is very high and it’s worthwhile to know what you’re usually sitting at.

279 is impossibly high to the point where I don’t believe it. As a rule of thumb someone’s maximum heart rate is 220 minus their age (so if you’re 40 your maximum would be 180). Now it is possible to see heart rates over 200 during extreme exercise for a moment or two but it is unsustainable because it doesn’t physically give the heart a chance to fill with blood before the next contraction.

@anniereborn I’m not a doctor, but if you feel your heart racing or pounding I would say it’s not normal. If yours is that fast and you feel fine, then I think it’s fine. That’s my non-medical take. It sounds to me like you don’t feel “normal” you feel anxious. Does that mean you feel your heart even when you’re just resting?

What was your TSH? Do you know. Not that you should tell me, I just encourage you if it’s on the low side of normal to consider that might be affective your mood and heart rate. My heart is pounding while I’m still in “normal” range, but it’s not normal for me.

@JLeslie I have a GP that I see at least once a year and a psychiatrist that I see twice a year. I have PTSD, Bipolar Disorder and Panic Disorder. I am on meds for this. Let’s not derail this thread too much here.

I got the results from my physical. Everything perfect except my cholesterol 5.9 units, which is moderately high , but not bad. I just have ortho static hypotension and an unknown mental illness.

@RedDeerGuy1

Just out of curiosity, is your physician the one diagnosing and treating your mental illness?

@Darth_Algar Yes he was my intake psychiatry doctor and long term doctor from the hospital for brain injury and mental illness. Where I stayed five months as a patient in 2012.

I hope he’s got psychiatric training. Otherwise it’s like a proctologist trying to diagnose heart disease.

My father has hypotension as well and he is using some coffee because it has rich caffeine that can push up his blood pressure. I don’t think that salt can help. But actually, things you eat can have a direct impact on your health, so you should consult to your doctor one more time and ask for his advice.

I also experienced low blood pressure but I don’t use any medicine . The only think that I use is to take some lemon juice with some salt and sugar. Also, I usually have my blood pressure measured. Now, my blood sugar is quite ok but I still use lemon juice to keep my body hydrated.

Dr. suggested that I buy compression stockings. what do jellies think?

If the Dr. recommended it, go ahead and follow the Doctor’s advice.

my psychiatrist said that i shouldn’t. told me to try otger things first.

If your Doctor and Psychiatrist are in conflict, please ask them to discuss the best course of treatment for you.

Update: I have compression stockings 30–40 units. Will see if they work.

Update Will talk to an eye doctor. I haven’t made an appointment yet.