Low BP

[Guest guest]

Low blood pressure (BP) is common in chronic liver disease. My BP prior to

tx was around 80/60 most of the time. This came on gradually and was never a

problem until I bled from an ulcer (due to arthritis meds) and from varices

prior to my tx. That is the communication referred to in his post that

mentioned my experience. It sounds as if your PSC is pretty severe and it

would be good not to risk falling from any significant height. In addition,

strenuous work or heavy lifting could bring on a variceal bleed and that

should definitely be avoided if at all possible as this could lead to death

if the bleeding isn't controlled ASAP.

Speaking of being dizzy and light headed, we were out with friends for

dinner last week and this happened to me during the main course. I was

sitting on the bench seats against the wall and decided to lie down until

the sensation passed. After a few minutes I sat up but it came back a bit

worse so I lay down again. I thought about what might be happening and was

concerned about the possibility of another GI bleed. So when I didn't start

to feel better I asked my friends to call an ambulance. It was probably the

most strange way of leaving a good restaurant ever seen in a while. This was

a group dinner and there were a few MDs at the dinner; guys I knew and

worked with who decided to try to assist me. Caroline told them to go away

after the ambulance got there so that we could go to the hospital as soon as

possible! After a 6 hour stay at the ER including an hour or more wait in

the hallway outside the ER waiting to get into the ER, nothing much was

found except that my BP was quite low. So at 4 AM I was released home.

Late last year I discovered that my BP was elevated, perhaps because of the

antirejection meds I'm taking (cyclosporine and prograf are both known to

affect the kidneys and cause hypertension). In January I was started on an

antihypertension medication and perhaps this is what caused my dizzy episode

last week. I stopped taking it over the weekend and I've been in touch with

my Hepatologist about alternative meds for my BP. Hopefully they won't cause

further problems, but we'll have to wait and see.

--

Aubrey

MD, PSC 1981, Psoriatic Arthritis 1986, UC 1991, LTX 10/5/98

[Guest guest]

Aubrey,

I'm sorry for the recent emergency health incident. I hope you all get the problem resolved quickly. I also have really low blood pressure, which is often 80ish/50ish. I frequently get dizzy spells or head rushes as we sometimes call them. I've always had lower blood pressure than normal, but it's been lower these past few years than it used to be. The only time I've had high blood pressure was during and immediately after my third pregnancy and I had toxemia during the last trimester. I just blew up like a water balloon!

Please take care of yourself--don't know what we'd do without you.

Cheryl Berg, Idaho 45Married 25 years, 4 children, 2 grchildrenPSC 01, UC 00, Fibromyalgia, hypothyroid,hiatal hernia, ulcer, gall baldder removed '93disability (retired English teacher)

Low BP

Low blood pressure (BP) is common in chronic liver disease. My BP prior totx was around 80/60 most of the time.

So when I didn't startto feel better I asked my friends to call an ambulance. It was probably themost strange way of leaving a good restaurant ever seen in a while. nothing much wasfound except that my BP was quite low. So at 4 AM I was released home.In January I was started on anantihypertension medication and perhaps this is what caused my dizzy episodelast week. -- Aubrey MD, PSC 1981, Psoriatic Arthritis 1986, UC 1991, LTX 10/5/98