Postural Low Blood Pressure

Mahes Visvalingam
Post-retirement postings

Please note that this site is under construction.

Some Experiences with Natural Medicine
and related observations

Postural Hypotension (low blood pressure) : Vitamins B1 & E

What is it?

Some people feel dizzy or light headed when they sit up or stand up from a lying down position. But, people with postural hypotension experience this to a serious degree. Any sudden change in posture requires a rapid change in blood pressure, which does not occur in some people. They may faint or black out when the brain does not receive enough blood. So, the body in its wisdom forces a supine position to facilitate rapid blood flow to the brain.

Hypotension is not a disease. Indeed, when I went to the GPs clinic to double check that my Omron blood pressure monitor was not malfunctioning, I was told that I was lucky to have low blood pressure. Blood pressure tends to rise with age and I was less likely to get strokes and other conditions associated with high blood pressure. There is a history of strokes running through generations in my family - so it was reassuring. But, hypotension does cause problems, such as slow awakening in the morning (i.e. not being fully awake after getting up), unsteadiness with posture change during cleaning, gardening etc.

The causes of hypotension are varied and not known for certain. Indeed, hypotension may be the norm for some people without causing unpleasant consequences. Blood pressure can be low after prologed illness. It is often accompanied by low blood sugar, low basal metabolism, anaemia, or hypothyroidism. I need to read up more on this. But, for now I will continue to relate my experience in case it helps someone else.

My problem
After an extended period of physical and mental stress, I found that my symptoms were getting worse. Could it be age-related or was it just due to over-stretching myself? I often found myself going straight to bed for a few minutes on going up the stairs. One morning in March 2006, I fell down the stairs on getting up too quickly and had to lie flat on my back on the floor in public on another occasion. I was lucky in just spraining my wrist while trying to brake my fall down the stairs, but decided to see the GP again. My tests for blood sugar, thyroid function. heart, and iron proved negative and I was told that I had a condition that Victorian ladies suffered from, which made them faint at the sight of blood for example. I have only fainted once, that was when I took Trillium anti-histamine tablets for my hayfever. Low blood pressure is not life threatening and since I avoid medication, we left it at that.

It was only March and I still had the hay fever season ahead, during which I have flu-like symptoms for 5 - 6 weeks making me even more accident prone. I cannot tolerate hot humid weather these days and was ill for all the 3 weeks I was in Malaysia in June 2005 although this may have been caused by an allergic catarrhal reaction to continual fumigation of the aeroplane. I have some methods for coping with hay fever, which I will cover elsewhere, which includes Vitamin B1 (thiamine) supplements. Fearing that things were getting worse, I undertook a web trawl and found that the condition described by my G.P. had a name - syncope (do a Google search for more information); the University of Maryland page provides a helpful summary. I do not think that I have syncope myself.

Possible cures?

Around August 2006, I started taking St John's Wort tea for my restless legs. During that autumn, I also decided to use up the out-of-date 500iu Vitamin E tablets in the fridge, which helped my varicose veins. In January 2007, while ploughing my way through Rodale (1973), I came across his notes on both varicose veins and postural hypotension (p 175-177)- this was the first time that I had encountered the latter term. He reports that in an experiment, reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine Vol LXIX, 1942, a number of volunteers agreed to live on a diet in which there was no thiamine (Vitamin B1). Without exception, the volunteers suffered from personality changes as well as physical symptoms. Most importantly, they all developed low blood pressure. As soon as they took some thiamine, the symptoms began to disappear. Now, it is well known that when stressed the body utilises a lot of thiamine (which is the most unstable of the B vitamins; it is water soluble and is not stored in the body). So, Rodale's report made sense.

Rodale also points out that the blood vessels are made of protein and that they will waste away and become flabby if there is insufficient first class protein in the diet. First class protein from meat is also a source of thiamine. He also points out that starches and sweets must be accompanied by thiamine so that the body can utilise them - and the intake of thiamine must correspond to the intake of starches and sweets. So, he recommends a diet rich in protein.

In March 2007, I came across the following report by Rebecca A. Clay. http://www.acc.org/media/news/sept99/altmed.htm. She reported the case study of Mr Miller, aged 72, who was treated at Chicago's Loyola University Medical Centre for heart disease. Following surgery and science-based treatment, 'Mr. Miller felt he experienced little improvement—in terms of quality of life (he continued to experience syncope) and his cholesterol level remained high.' His cardiologist, Dr. Olshansky, then suggested "alternative" therapies, each designed as a complement to the "standard" medical treatments. To combat high cholesterol, Mr. Miller began taking soy protein; for the neurocardiogenic syncope, Dr. Olshansky recommended St. John's wort. A regimen of antioxidants and vitamins also was suggested. Mr. Miller's cholesterol levels dropped to an acceptable level and, for the first time in nine years, there was regression of carotid atherosclerosis seen on carotid Dopplers. The syncope stopped. Mr. Miller was a happy patient, felt substantially better, and developed new faith in the medical profession.

Tentative conclusions
Soya is rich in Vitamin E - the Nature's Aid Vitamin E supplements are extracted from soya and sunflower. Soya is also a first class protein. Vitamin E raises blood pressure and has other beneficial effects on blood circulation as noted on my page on varicose veins.
Thiamine is another of the great healers. The intake of this needs to be increased either through the diet or supplements when we are stressed or after an illness.
St John's Wort - stimulates liver function and helps the body eliminate waste products and toxins. But, it will also eliminate interferon and other medications. So, beware.

Caution: Unless you are well informed by reading and discussion, you should consult a medical professional before taking these supplements.

Not only did these help my hypotension, they also alleviated my varicose veins and settled my restless legs.
I tried all three of them and have not had giddy fits for some months. But, hay fever in 2007 and other allergies may bring back the postural hypotension; But, these experiments demonstrate that the body is extremely resilient and that it can recover with a little help from nature.

August 2007

I did not have a single dizzy spell during this hay fever season (mid May to late July). Unfortunately, I forgot to monitor my blood pressure. Also, I have been complicating matters by taking Saw Palmetto during the hayfever season since it seems to have cleared my sinuses, throat and lungs. My hayfever was less troublesome than it has been for the past 35 years - but it could have been due to the exceptionally wet weather in June and early July. Others have reported that they too have got off lightly this year. I had not been taking St John's Wort nor Thiamine - but had just continued with organic Vitamin E 500iu and then 400iu and the occasional capsule of Saw Palmetto.

September 2007

When I ran out of Vitamin E capsules in late July, I stopped this as well for about 5-6 weeks. I now find that my circulation has become sluggish, my legs heavy and my head is beginning to feel thick again. My postural hypotension seems to have been most helped by 400-500iu organic Vitamin E. I cannot draw any definitive conclusions at this stage. I will update this page after further experiments on myself.

Your experience

If you have found some other treatment which has worked for you, please let us know through the web log on Hypotension and Syncope.

Related topics:

Varicose veins; restless legs syndrome

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