Hi Folks,

I've been on low carb diet since August and am feeling pretty good with a lot of previous problems gone.

However I have recently discovered that my blood pressure seems to be a bit low (on average about 90/55 or thereabouts). I do get very tired and when it's hot I often get dizzy and faint when I stand up suddenly. I guess this could be to do with the low blood pressure.

Anyway, the point is I know a lot about high blood pressure but almost nothing about low. Does anyone know how low is too low? What the possible problems are and how to raise it?

Any information would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Alison

salt will raise it but then you have to worry about too much salt. Have a look at the bbc's webpage, there's a story about a teenager being told to eat more junk food to increase his salt intake because he kept fainting.
You'd think he could just add a bit to his food instead of eating garbage. But it could just be sensationalist reporting.
Apparently Germans are the only nation that consider low bp to be as much a worry as high.
Giulia

Im exactly the same. Mine is about 90/60 - it is a good thing healthwise and often genetic. I do faint now and again tho. Make sure you drink plenty of water esp after workouts. I have fainted in the shower after exercising a few times and it can be pretty scary! Now i take a bottle of water with me into the shower and if i feel bad i drink most of the bottle and im ok. Regular meals help me too.

Susie

Alison

Whilst I'm not sure about the low blood pressure what your symptoms say to me is a lack of potassium in your diet.

About 6 months after I started low carbing I started getting a bit dizzy when I got up at the gym. Having done some research on this forum it indicated that my potassium levels were probably low. All the water we drink washes our stores out. So I bought some extra potassium supplements from Holland and Barrett. These stopped it straight away and the problem has never recurred. If you don't want to take supplements then use LoSalt on your food. You can find it with the salt in your supermarket and it is mainly potassium chloride.

Hope you cure your symptoms soon as I know it can be quite worrying.

HI folks,

thanks for the replies. I saw that article about the boy who has to eat junk food- I felt sorry for him, I can't help agreeing with you that there must be other ways to deal with the problem than filling him up with sugar and starch.

Regarding the water- I will try increasing intake and see what happens.

Anne, I think you may be right about the potassium since I remember reading now that it's one of the supplements you're supposed to take. I'll give that a try too.

I guess I could increase salt intake but I don't like it much- years ago I took on board all the stuff about a low salt diet and trained myself away from the taste so I hardly use it at all now. I'll have to increase gradually or add salty things and see what happens.

Thanks again folks, this is a great website, a mine of useful information and always someone to help. I really appreciate it.

All the best
Alison

Don't worry about adding salt, just go for potassium. I never use salt in anything, we don't really need extra of that, just potassium.