Lately I keep getting dizzy when I stand from squatting position mostly, though sometimes from chair.
I bought a blood pressure cuff machine. Taken before lunch it's been what to me seems low. I used to always be one of those 110/70 types, before PMR, and when I exercised.
lately lows like 80/66 HR 88, 85/63, 91/68, 101/71 with a surprising HR in the 80s. This seems new to me. I can assume this monitor not well calibrated maybe? But the dizziness causing me to check.
Resarching on Internet, these numbers are considered low.
I don't think I'm dehydrated, though am craving salt and thirsty at times.
Rheumy on Thursday, so I will ask as I hope to get her to take me off Plaquenil and Sulfasalazine. Been on them 6-7 months, Pred 6 mg.
I'm just wondering about PMR and blood flow throughout body.
Just wondered what y'all knew.
I checked those drugs on my professional drug data base and both can cause dizziness.
This really needs your doctor's evaluation.
Thanks Karen,
Yeah, but I've been on them with no trouble (except acid reflux) for quite a while. I'm still losing weight too.
I just wondered about blood pressure readings. Why blood is rushing to head last several weeks. I have been working outside more in landscape.
Just wondered in anyone else experiencing this at some time.
Layne, those are very low BP readings and I'm nt surprised you are getting dizzy spells. Definitely get checked out by your Dr. Interestingly, I never add salt to anything due to a kidney problem and high BP, but a few months ago I found myself craving salt and bought a packet of crisps, something I never normally eat. The next blood test showed reduced sodium levels!
Wow you had reduced sodium. I also have primary Doctor next week so I may ask her to check other minerals, b12, ... Stuff not on the CBC.
I was looking up salt craving and found adrenal gland deficiency can cause. Doesn't our Pred mess up adrenal function? I felt so stupid, I didn't know those glands were near back bottom of ribs, my hubby didn't know either. Ha.
I personally wouldn't try to diagnose this myself- I am a retired nurse-anesthetist- because you might do yourself some harm.
I was taking curcumin, recommended by my pain doc, before we knew I had PMR. It was the worse thing I could have taken because, with PMR, one can get " the anemia of chronic disease" and curcumin chelates iron out of the body. My blood count dropped drastically during the one month I took it.
Doctors suspected I had bleeding somewhere so I underwent colonoscopy and stomach endoscopy. No bleeding found but then I had to take iron.
In the US it is recommended your systolic reading (the first one) should be between 90 and 120 and the diastolic (the second one) should be between 60 and 80. Your systolic is a bit low off and on but your diastolic is fine, higher than mine ever is! My heart rate is normally 72 which I think is OK for women. Although I have had it in the high eighties if I have been doing something just before taking my blood presure and HR. I am addicted to taking my blood pressure and friends of mine are too, we sit round with a glass of wine and pass the BP machine round. It is amazing how you can vary your heart rate when having fun.
Probably a good idea to talk to your doctor about your change in BP and the dizziness though.
Layne, yes the adrenal glands sit on the top of the kidneys. And long term Pred can suppress the natural steroid (cortisol) production of the glands, and interfere with hormones one of which conserves sodium in the body. Wise to get everything checked out with your Dr, and I hope the results are good.
OH dear Layne I hope with all my heart you will find out the route cause of your dizziness and will start the treatment.
I have some lack of balance since the onset of my GCA but I manage it well with massages, daily exercises - no dizziness though .
Wish you well 🍀❤️💛💙
Hi everyone
Like some of you i use to take my BP daily (when 1st husband alive) but in the last 8 years i haven't. When operated on 3yrs back it was a little high for me 110 but yesterday i took it in our local drug store and it was 180 over 85 heart 70 which i usually was 64-68. I tested it again at my mom's who is 90 at it was higher. My only explanation is that the machine literally killed my arms in pain like pre prednisone. I think the pain caused my bp to go sky high thats why my heart rate was normal.
Has this happened to anyone.
Mariane
I have had dizzy spells before too. They would be sparatic. And I also had increased heart rate (up to 112 once). Dr. put me on heart monitor for 24 hrs, but he said my heart was fine. He did give me a blood pressure med to regulate my heartbeat. This was my GP. I would do as you are doing; keep good records (including time of day) and take it to Dr. next time you go.
I have normally low blood preassure, so when I get up after sitting for long time, I sometimes get dizzy. From my experience ( and again this is individual) any time my blood preassure is below 105, I have to carefull about dizziness. After few seconds it goes away.
Blood preassure can change for many reasons, emotions, weather, dehadration, lack of sleep, being tired, etc. It does not ahve to be always some medical condition that causes it. I hope that it is something temprrary for you too. But if youare going to see doctor, certainly ask about it.. Something funny to make you smile... My wife has normal blood preassure at home, but every time we go to a doctor, just being in the doctor's office nakes her blood preassure go to 160 !
Hi, i am also a retired nurse anesthetist in N.C. you have just given me a big answer to the iron anemia i had in 2013. I was taking circumin but not that regularly and showed up with anemia. Checking it out the doctor found my iron levelwas low - 20- and it was supposed to be 40-150 . I am trying to remember the normal values but i remenber mine was lower than the lowest number. My doctor was also insistent that i had to be losing blood from somewhere. Colonoscopy was neg. My husband did not eat a lot of leafy greens due to his Coumadin dosing and we only ate beef probably once a week. We changed that as well as adding iron. You made a very ineresting comment. Another reason to write down alll the supplenents you take. Very eye opening piece of information. I am sure it was not the only cause but this is helpful. Pat
Thanks Nick,
ha I too raise at the doctors office. Not because I'm nervous I don't think, but often it's the traffic, or sick people in the waiting room. 
You know, the coughers. My new doctor has masked to cover their mouth.
How much Curcumin were y'all taking? I now just add to my eggs, the pill supplement form bothered my stomach. I'm also adding ginger even to my eggs.
i love beef, so I eat it 2–3 times a week. Salmon atleast two meals, and pork or chicken other.
So glad you and Karen figured out when you were anemic.
Because Turmeric is known to be anti-inflammatory, I added the powdered form it to all suitable meals, such as risotto, casserole, shepherd's pie and soups, without any effect on my blood. Taking it in pill form would afford a far greater intake and therefore could have the potential to cause problems but probably mainly in those who already have borderline iron levels. Many herbs are known to be good at reducing inflammation, including ginger, garlic and cinnamon but Boswellia, Liquorice Root extract, Willow Bark, Cats Claw and St John's Wort should be avoided as they could have potential drug interactions with Pred. The bottom line is that everyone should check with a pharmacist whether there is any known interaction between prescribed drugs and those bought over the counter, including all supplements, before taking.
It could well be something as basic and simple as postural hypotension - your BP doesn't catch up quickly enough when you change position suddenly. The answer there is - don't move fast. Stand slowly and then wait a minute before moving off.
I've had similar problems recently - BP all over the place but a 24 hour monitor showed nothing untowards except these occasional BP dips to a similar level to your lows which seemed to coincide with a hot flush!
By the way - not blood rushing to your head - quite the reverse, not enough blood is getting to your brain. And high BP at the doctor's - White Coat Syndrome 
Thanks y'all!!
Report on what Rheumy said about my dizziness and blood pressure:
She said its could be my weight loss (it's pretty extreme), and/or with my craving of salts, to up my electrolytes and water intake. Also, with my weight loss, I should decrease my thyroid meds a bit. And with my muscle wasting, eat more protein as snack in between meals (ugh, that's tough).
And add fish oil with my calcium and D.
Also, it's pretty hot here already in the south, so perhaps I am sweating more outside which could be contributing to it as well.
As a side note, I'm going to do the Forteo daily injections for my now osteoporosis . It's for 2 years. I dreaded adding another drug, but she talked me in to it.
Otherwise all looked good. Will start tapering to 5 mg Pred.
Oh, goodness, I just looked at my labs (they didn't have them and as I was leaving Doctor they gave them to me and said all was good).
But what I read is thyroid higher than usual, still in normal range, but I've never had it this high.
The glucose is 131, again, never been that high. Geez. And MCV, MCH high, are those anemia? Guess since I'm on cusp and she knows we are tapering Pred, then guess no need to mention.
I bet this is obviously contributing to my trouble getting to sleep, dizziness and blood pressure.
Has your doc done PROPER diabetes tests? The weight loss concerns me when you say "extreme".
What "thyroid" is higher than usual and rising? And if the MCV is high - how high?
Have you had your B12 and folate levels checked?