# Blood pressure: how low is too low? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 12, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-how-low-is-too-low/239639 "2004-04-12T18:43:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-how-low-is-too-low/239639/1 "2004-04-12T18:43:34Z")
Apparently I need to eat more sodium or something; I went for a followup this morning for something which has nothing to do with my blood pressure, but my doc always checks it anyway. It was 80/50. Now my BP has always been on the low side, but usually more like 100/80. I guess it’s better than having it sky-high, but a) what are the possible reasons for this; b) should I worry about it; and c) could it have anything to do with why I’ve been feeling generally rather lethargic? I thought it was just because my sleep patterns have gotten rather irregular, but maybe that, too, is tied to something else I haven’t identified yet. It was actually kind of nice in a way to know there may be some sort of physical explanation, and maybe it’s not all in my head. If it continues, I will talk to my primary doc (I would have talked to my doc this morning, but she’d been up all night delivering a baby, and I was running ridiculously late for work anyway), but I’d like to have an idea what to ask my regular doc about. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-how-low-is-too-low/239639/2 "2004-04-12T19:12:09Z")
IANAD but YES low blood pressure can make you feel lethargic!!! Directly after giving birth my BP plummeted to like, something over 30. (Blood loss or something, I don’t remember but they told me it was normal and I’d be okay in a while even though I was totally zonked out and asking them if I was about to die because I felt so weird.) I couldn’t even hold the baby **with a nurse’s help** because I was so weak. Talk to your doc. It’s probably better to have low BP than high but I’m sure they will be able to gauge just how big of a problem this is and what to do about it. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-how-low-is-too-low/239639/3 "2004-04-13T00:02:22Z")
80/50 can be just fine as long as the person is not feeling light-headed or passing out when standing, moving, exercising, etc. Many healthy people are perfectly adapted to that sort of blood pressure. Of course, many people with pressures which are normally higher and who are rapidly exsanguinating (bleeding) also can achieve that sort of BP, but they usually don’t feel so hot when they do. If _you_ think it’s a problem, query your doctor. QtM, MD ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-pressure-how-low-is-too-low/239639/4 "2004-04-13T00:09:08Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Of course, many people with pressures which are normally higher and who are rapidly exsanguinating (bleeding) also can achieve that sort of BP, but they usually don’t feel so hot when they do. > > QtM, MD Medical information served up with wit. You’re an asset to the profession and to SDMB. It’s almost enough to make me want to move to your state and commit a crime. 🙂