Need advice - low BP/glucose levels?

[Rahjah]

Hi,

I don't know if this makes much sense but I'm trying to understand what could be going on - and wondered if you might have some understanding to offer?

I have quite low blood pressure which makes me very dizzy and faint. It's gotten quite extreme now, such that I'm on sick leave from work and can't stand up for more than 20 minutes on a good day.

Doc said to eat basically a diabetic diet- to avoid sugar highs because they will make it worse. This a.m I had the 2hr GTT and the sugar made me sooo faint and a bit ill. I got through it ok, but I've been cactus all day.

I don't understand how glucose affects BP? DOes the reaction I had today to the glucose suggest I could have GD? I guess I'll find out when the results come back...just wanted to see if anyone else gets this stuff?

I'm 28 weeks.

Thanks.

[smelly]

HI Rahjah

I can't answer all your questions about blood glucose levels and BP but might be able to help with some of them.

I also have low blood pressure - usually it is around 50/90 but has been known to be as low as 30/75. When I was pregnant I started fainting at about 4-5 months and my OB told me it was pretty normal to feel a bit light-headed during those early-middle months. Oviously fainting was a little extreme though. I ate a low GI diet too, because one of the dietitians at work told this might help. I can't remember why though sorry. My OB also told me to wear standard support pantyhose or pressure stockings to help keep the pressure on the veins in my legs so that blood didn't pool in my feet. Does that make sense? Hot weather also makes fainting worse, because your blood vessels dilate (and this reduces blood pressure further). So try to stay in the airconditioning if possible.

The fact that you felt ill and unwell after the GTT may not mean you have GD. I actually handled that test fine (and didn't have GD) but know heaps of others who felt terribly sick afterwards and were also fine!! And yesterday I learned that a friend who breezed through the test DOES in fact have GD. I know it's only a small number of people but it doesn't sound like the way you feel after the test is an indicator of the results.

Hope your blood pressure improves a little as the pregnancy progresses. It must be quite debilitating to be on sick leave from it. I certainly never reached that point and found it did get better as I got closer to term.

Sorry I couldn't be any more help, and good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.
Smelly