Damn. I hope it’s not a heart issue. I guess I need to get checked out. Hopefully it’s my monitor.
How do you feel? If your monitor were correct and your BP had dropped that much, I’d think you’d feel weak, dizzy, etc.
The only thing I’d find slightly thought provoking is that your HR is 76. That is a touch high. Is that typical for you? If not, and usually it’s lower, then my thought is that your heart is trying to compensate for the low BP by beating faster, in which case it means your BP is too low for your CV system because your HR is feeling it’s not enough and trying to compensate. This can happen in early stages of HF, when the BP is low (unless low BP because of volume depletion) and HR higher - I do not believe it’s HF here, just mentioning how sometimes things shake out. Of course we’re not talking anything major here, just looking at this from all angles.
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The only things that I’ve noticed is that my arms fall asleep quite often when I sleep and I have a little bubbly feeling behind my sternum that feels like there’s a bit of phlegm there but I can’t cough it out although sometimes I can cough out a little. Sometimes in the late afternoon I may experience a feeling like I’ve missed a breath. I probably need to stop anything that lowers my BP, like citrulline and Telmisartan and re-evaluate later. I’ll also go back in to see my doctor for a checkup.
I’ve always had a HR of 80 for as long as I can remember. 76 is low for me.
My most recent blood draw took 10 vials of blood, and the last one they couldn’t fill all the way. I’m not sure if that’s enough of a blood loss to do anything???
OK, never mind then! Still, if I were you, I’d quit the citrulline for the time being just to get a picture of what’s impacting your BP.
And yes, that can definitely be enough to deplete volume. Make sure you drink enough, and recheck your BP over time.
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I took my BP again an hour later and now it’s 110/60 and 74 bpm. I think it may be my cuff having the issue. I’ll have to check with the doctor’s office to compare before I get too concerned.
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Yep, when you get an odd reading, always re-check, that’s the very first thing you do before going any further. Check at different times, and each time do three readings and average them.
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It depends really on the size of the vials and also depends upon how many blood draws you are doing over time. I find I have to supplement with iron because I lose about 28ml of blood each week with the major lab taking 6 vials. (not all 5ml)
I would be curious as to why you were unable to fill all the vials. It can be an issue and I wonder if the two things are related.
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I was traumatised by needles in a near death experience when I was a child, so whenever I have a needle put into me for a blood draw, I get dizzy, I start sweating and my skin goes cold and clammy. Then my veins shrink making it difficult to draw blood. Sometimes I’ll pass out.
Strangely I am OK with injections. But blood draws and IVs are tough for me.
My enthusiasm for longevity and better health gives me the fortitude to carry through the process.
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Why do they need that many vials, however.
I was testing a lot. Or at least that’s what they said.
My 6 vials are used for about 150 tests.
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I donate blood as exposure therapy for needle phobia. Also originated when I was a child - ED doc though I was unconscious from something in my IV drip, so he injected something right into my broken wrist. I screamed, he was so surprised I was conscious that he drew back on the needle slightly, and my last memory was a swirl of blood in the syringe just before I passed out. @DeStrider
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