Amazing Drop in Blood Pressure

[adagray 1]

I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this after getting lapband surgery. My doctor had set expectations w/me that I should not expect to get off any of my meds right away... that it would take time to lose weight and then retest and adjust medicines (maybe in 6 months or so). Well, for the past few days I have felt very tired and yesterday I was feeling a little dizzy as I was trying to get some housework done. It occurred to me that this could be a sign of low blood pressure and I hadn't tested mine for awhile so I took it and it was 88/65!

Now, normally I am around 140/90 even with taking 60mg of lisinopril (high bp med) per day. Seems like every time I go in, they up my dose because they could just never get it to stay down. So, I am blown away by the drastic drop. This morning, I decided to just test my BP before taking my med and it was 113/79 so I skipped my med today (my doctor did say this was OK if I got a low reading). I retested a couple more times and it is staying in the healthy range w/no med.

Of course, I am ecstatic if this really means my high blood pressure has already been cured by the lapband, but its just so hard for me to believe. I've been on high bp meds for over 10 years and I had borderline high bp when I was a teenager. I'm kind of in disbelief that it could just go away like that. I have been on many many diets before and my high bp never just went away.

So, I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this? And, a part of me is wondering if it could have something to do w/some of the other things I've given up... like artificial sweeteners, caffeine, etc.

Edited March 7, 2010 by adagray

[Cocoabean 430]

Wow! That is great! My surgeon took me off my BP meds when I had my surgery. I haven't looked back since. Now my normal is about 110/70!

Wahoo!!!!

[JoJo1 0]

I have lost over half of the weight I want to lose, and my doc put me on BP meds about a month ago. I was worried about the meds because I don't like to take anything. He said I was 176/90. I started to take the meds but was feeling dizzy in about a week. I decided to ride it out because I figured it would take awhile to get used to lower BP. Then after two weeks I just couldn't take it any more so I cut them in half. Now this is about 2 1/2 grams of lisinopril. It was better but in a few more days, this was also making me dizzy. I stopped taking them, and I have an appt with my Doctor tomorrow. I don't know why my reading was high that day in his office, but I do not think I have High Blood pressure. I don't have a home BP monitor I have considered getting one, but I don't know what kind is accurate. Any advice on this?

[Jachut 487]

It depends on so many things, not the least of which is why you have high blood pressure in the first place.

For myself, I never had high blood pressure, although at about 130/80, I was pushing the high limits of normal. I had my blood pressure checked for a pre employment medical back in January and it was 116/68, so it has dropped quite a bit.

DH is on bp medication, his normal unmedicated bp is about 140/90. He's been banded 2 years and lost about 80 lb and his bp has not dropped at all, and he's still on medication - although I'd hazard a guess many doctors would never have considered his blood pressure high enough to medicate in the first place. Needless to say, he's probably one of those people that would have high bp, whether he was obese or not. He's no longer even overweight and he still has it, so logic would tell you that many people can be banded, lose a ton of weight and not come off their meds, whilst many are much lucker and ditch their meds forever.

[btrieger 21]

I said the same thing yesterday. I am getting light headed every time I stand up. No weakness or drowsiness other than that. It is either low blood pressure; low blood sugar or a combination of both.

I am taking meds for high bp and my blood sugar has always been perfect.

I've eaten nothing in 4 full weeks besides Protein shakes and 6 6 oz fat free yogurts.

My blood pressure could shoot back up when I start eating normally again. So, I am waiting it out. I have a blood pressure cuff around here somewhere.

PS. I hit my 50% point today and didn't realize it until now. Down 97.5 with 97.5 to go.

[adagray 1]

The blood pressure monitor I use is made by Omron. I think that is the most respected brand. I recommend getting one w/a cuff that goes around the arm. I have a wrist one too, but I took it in to compare to my doctor's reading and it is not very accurate. The arm one is very accurate. You can buy one at costco or a drugstore. For anyone who takes high bp meds, I think its good to have your own monitor. My readings can be a lot higher in the doctor's office (what they call 'white coat hypertension').

Bob, the funny thing is the only other time I have seen a really low BP reading is while waiting for surgery in pre-op. I wonder if the 'no eating' causes your BP to drop.

I've been reading up a bit on high/low BP and found several articles that talk about how 'inflamation' can cause high BP. Many things cause inflamation, mostly an unhealthy lifestyle. So, it could be that even though I haven't lost a lot of weight, my blood pressure is coming down because maybe I have less inflamation due to the drastic change in lifestyle. I'm sure it is a shock to my body that I am suddenly eating very little, healthy foods, and exercising. I know sugar in the diet causes inflamation and I'm eating hardly any sugar right now.

Anyway, whatever is the cause, I'm very very happy. Hope it stays down. :->

[Mickey527 0]

I also had great success with the drop in BP.

My blood pressure was ridiculously high, at one point I was hospitalized with a BP of 210/190. this was during a really tough time at work and I came home with a terrible headache that wouldnt' go away. My friend made me go to the ER where they immediately gave me nitropaste. That brought the BP{ down but the headache got so bad.

My B/P before the band was normally 140/90 on meds. the only time it was lower was when I was on chemo and slept all the time.

Since losing the weight I had to stop all meds because it is now 110/68.

I see my cardiologist this week to make sure it is still down and if I can toss all my meds away.

[JoJo1 0]

The blood pressure monitor I use is made by Omron. I think that is the most respected brand. I recommend getting one w/a cuff that goes around the arm. I have a wrist one too, but I took it in to compare to my doctor's reading and it is not very accurate. The arm one is very accurate. You can buy one at costco or a drugstore. For anyone who takes high bp meds, I think its good to have your own monitor. My readings can be a lot higher in the doctor's office (what they call 'white coat hypertension').

Bob, the funny thing is the only other time I have seen a really low BP reading is while waiting for surgery in pre-op. I wonder if the 'no eating' causes your BP to drop.

I've been reading up a bit on high/low BP and found several articles that talk about how 'inflamation' can cause high BP. Many things cause inflamation, mostly an unhealthy lifestyle. So, it could be that even though I haven't lost a lot of weight, my blood pressure is coming down because maybe I have less inflamation due to the drastic change in lifestyle. I'm sure it is a shock to my body that I am suddenly eating very little, healthy foods, and exercising. I know sugar in the diet causes inflamation and I'm eating hardly any sugar right now.

Anyway, whatever is the cause, I'm very very happy. Hope it stays down. :->

Thanks........Good info. I saw that one at Rite Aid and I wondered. I am going to ask my DR tomorrow also but probably won't buy until I reasearch it a little more. I am good at searching for a good price also so again, thanks.

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

Yup, similar to many of you. My doc stopped my BP meds while in the hospital post op because my BP had been doing amazing without meds for 2 days. At about 2 weeks out (about the same time I was allowed to start mushies) I restarted at half dose because I was creeping up and hanging out at the 140/90 range. The half dose has kept me well controlled but now at 35 (ish) pounds down I'm starting to get the light headed/swimmy issues again so I'm likely looking at cutting back again, WOOHOO!!! I had the wrist BP monitors and beg my patients not to buy 'em, they just aren't consistant so go for the arm cuff if you're going to buy one.

Part of it is the weight loss, part of it is the fact that we're exercising (most of us anyway), and part of it is our healthier diets (including less salt from not eating the prepared crap I used to eat) but it all adds up and can be dramatic!

[chrisdirects 0]

I had been on Diovan HCT for about 3 years prior to the surgery, and under pretty good control. The surgeon had me continue the meds since my banding...but I've had at least 3 episodes of being lightheaded...I thought it was low sugar, but now that I read this, I'm beginning to wonder if it isn't low BP instead. I have a wrist monitor here at home, and the readings seem very low, but I also know that wrist cuffs are not as accurate.

OK, that will be another issue to bring up at my postop appointment this morning.

Christine

[LollyMoe 1]

Everyone seems to be against the wrist band for taking your BP. It's funny but when they first came out with them, I had a doctor in Louisiana that was against them too. For several years, I used the arm band and then one day, he suggested the wrist band. I reminded him that he was always against them and he told me that they were more accurate than first thought, if you buy a good one.

Anyway, I retired and moved back to Alabama and have a new doctor. I talked with him about the wrist band and he has no problem with it. He says that "whichever one you start with is the one to stay with for monitoring B/P"

Every now and again, I will recheck my B/P with my arm band (which I am finally use again since the weight has gone down) and the two of them are so close together, it is okay.

Now, on to the good news: I went to my PCP last Wednesday and he has taken me OFF four out of five B/P meds!!!!! B/P is staying around 105/65 After three more months, he plans to remove the last one if my B/P behaves. All my labs were great, no problems there. I have to see my heart doctor for a yearly checkup at the end of the month..it will be interesting to see what he has to say.

[tdtucker 0]

I believe it does happen alot faster for some people. I had surgery 12/09/09 and I was officially off all of my insulin 6 weeks later. Still haven't had any issues. Congrats on your lower blood pressure, that is awesome!

[mkmelissag 0]

For me, this has been the greatest NSV! Before surgery, I was on 4 different BP meds, at really high dosages. I've been working with my cardiologist to wean off of them. As of today, 2.5 months after surgery and 40 lbs down from my highest (consultation) weight, I completely dropped one med (norvasc). Dosage for Metoprolol down to 50mg from 150mg. Diovan is down to 80mg from 360mg, hoping to lose that one at my next check in. Diazide unchanged. This is amazing to me since I still have over 150 lbs to lose! I most likely will never be completely free of meds due to non-obesity related heart issues, but I am ecstatic over how even a relatively small amount of weightloss has caused such amazing improvement! Oh yeah, my swollen ankles are gone too! :biggrin:

I have had a couple of low readings, i.e. 100/58. I'm averaging 110s/65-75, and I have noticed that I get dizzy easier when getting up too fast or bending over.

Re cuffs: I have a wrist cuff and my doc is OK with it. I bring it in with me to test it against theirs every so often, and its never more than a couple points off.

[JoJo1 0]

When I saw my Doctor (my internal Medicine specialist)today, he said it was okay to stop taking my BP meds and I was very happy about it. I never did think I needed them. He believes in having diabetic patients take them even if they don't need them the same with Cholesterol meds. I just said no. I can't deal with the side effects, and I have always thought meds to prevent future issues were stupid. He was initially upset that I went to Mexco to have WLS, but today he said I am doing very well. I had lost 9 lbs since my last visit 5 weeks ago so he thinks it is the reason I don't need any more blood pressure meds. Maybe he is right, but I had trouble with the lisinopril from the beginning so I am not so sure. Anyway I thought I should follow up on this one... Have a great week everyone~~~~