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Low carb, high BP?

sunspots

Well-Known Member
Messages
302
Location
Porthleven, Cornwall
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
My BP, always excellent before, has crept up a notch into 'slightly dodgy' since I've gone low carb. Is this an expected phenomenon?
 
I don't know, mine has got better.
 
BP does not stay static.
If you are referring to one taken at the surgery then I would imagine that you were a bit stressed?
 
Mine has gone down steadily since I've been doing LCHF from a spot reading of 160/90 to a stable 120/70 or thereabouts. But don't rely on a single reading - BP can fluctuate quite a lot, which is why when I was diagnosed they asked me to do two first thing in the morning and two in the evening. I've bought my own BP monitor which avoids the additional stress from having it done in the surgery.
 
Mine has dropped from the 140's and 150's over 80's to 110/80 give or take. I have my own meter and keep an eye on it. My highest reading since low carbing was 137/83 but that was a definite one-off. I'm not sure if it the low carbing that is doing it or the additional 20 minutes of walking that I added. In fact I am now adding some table salt to my meals to try and get it up to 120/80 as it does drop too low sometimes and I can get dizzy in certain circumstances.
 

Are you sure the dizzy feeling is BP related and not hunger, stress, or other benign cause related? 110/80 doesn't seem low in the scheme of things: http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Thebasics/Bloodpressurechart
 

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Well I know the results fluctuate but so far I have had 6 BP checks at different times over the past 8 weeks or so (admittedly 3 this morning as the DN wanted the result to be lower!) and all have been above 130/80. Not awful I know, but not great. Previously I've always been below this, except during pregnancy. (No. I'm not. Chance would be a fine thing...)

It wasn't the heat as the lucky nurse has air con. I was just curious to see if it might be related to the LCHF as they coincide.
 
AndBreathe said:
Are you sure the dizzy feeling is BP related and not hunger, stress, or other benign cause related? 110/80 doesn't seem low in the scheme of things: http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Thebasics/Bloodpressurechart
Click to expand...

Yes I'm pretty sure. 110 or thereabouts is my current norm and I'm fine with it, and I know its in the normal range, but I occasionally experience a sudden drop, which is what causes the dizzy moment. Sudden drops happen to everyone in certain circumstances, but the lower you start the lower you finish. This is one reason why some people faint or have dizzy moments when they stand up too quickly, or if they have a sudden nasty pain somewhere (often bowel related for some reason) I have had these occasional sudden drops for many years, although I have only ever fainted twice in my life, nothing to do with diabetes or low carbing. I just don't want to "drop" too low and out of the normal, even if it is only for a brief moment! I'm probably being paranoid as usual.
 

My GP told me she always mentally knocks 5 off the BP scores to compensate for the White Coat Syndrome. If your first reading today was a bit high then its possible the next two at least would be down to stress and WCS, possibly all 3.
 
If you are worried I suggest you get your own meter, or ask your GP for one of those 12 hour things they strap to you, which average your BP over the time period.
 
Been checking mine since a mini stroke sone 5/6 years ago and with the assistance of drugs has been at the high end of normal right upto diagnosis with Type 2, only used to check 2/3 times per month.

Since I have been on my version of LCHF , my BP has dropped to circa 105/65 on a regular basis checked every.

I am hoping this is due to diet and the extra exercise.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 


That's excellent!
 
Mine is usually around 105-115 over 55-65 and I take the HF part of LCHF as seriously as I take the LC part. Sometimes I feel a bit weak when systolic falls down to 90 but this rarely happens any more.
 
I found my BP fell when I started LCHF.

However when my BP is measured using one of those stupid automated machines that GPs are fond of my BP is through the roof. However my BP taken using the old fashioned pump and stethoscope its textbook perfect.

Despite it being on my notes some nurses and GPs still insist on using the auto pump, which has resulted in the sending me straight to A&E in ambulance before as it measured so high - and they won't listen when I try to explain arghhhhhhh
 
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