Is Low Blood Pressure/being Extremely Cold

[SLB5757]

Hello all!

Still trying to figure out my symptoms and work my way through m different episodes on my own before my My 18th gastro appointment.

I am always extremely cold...to the point of feeling like I am freezing, and also have extremely low blood pressure. Well I do not know if extremely low is the word but it runs 90 something over 60 something consistently. Yesterday at my eye exam the assistant took my bp 3 times and was concerned bc he had never taken a lower bp. When I asked him what it was he said he "could not discuss it with me because that isn't their policy, but that he had never seen one lower". So, my question is should I be happy that I do not have high bp? Should I be concerned that it is so low, and is this why I m always so cold? Also, Does this have anything to do with being celiac/gluten intolerant?

Just trying to put the pieces together. I was hoping that after a while being gluten free maybe these symptoms would resolve. Im literally freezing 99% of my day.

[shendler]

Could you have raynauds? Open Original Shared Link

I was diagnosed with having it in my hands/arms/legs/feet recently.

[Ahorsesoul]

I had these same symptoms along with a low temp, dry skin/hair and fatigue. Finally found a doctor that said I needed thyroid even if my blood test was on the low side of normal. Now I'm on Armour Thyroid. my bones are no longer freezing, my skin is soft and my hair does not split. My temp still runs low as does my BP.

[tictax707]

I have really low BP pretty regularly as well, AND I have raynauds. I think as long as you are not fainting, the low BP is ok. How much salt are you getting per day? The low BP may be related to not having enough salt...

[TrillumHunter]

Being anemic can cause this as well. This is very common in people with celiac. You need a ferritin test as well as a CBC.

Other signs of iron anemia- chewing ice, shortness of breath, dizziness when you change positions, and unrelenting fatigue.

Some folks do have low bp, but if this is a change for you, it isn't normal.

[koolkat222]

Hello all!

Still trying to figure out my symptoms and work my way through m different episodes on my own before my My 18th gastro appointment.

I am always extremely cold...to the point of feeling like I am freezing, and also have extremely low blood pressure. Well I do not know if extremely low is the word but it runs 90 something over 60 something consistently. Yesterday at my eye exam the assistant took my bp 3 times and was concerned bc he had never taken a lower bp. When I asked him what it was he said he "could not discuss it with me because that isn't their policy, but that he had never seen one lower". So, my question is should I be happy that I do not have high bp? Should I be concerned that it is so low, and is this why I m always so cold? Also, Does this have anything to do with being celiac/gluten intolerant?

Just trying to put the pieces together. I was hoping that after a while being gluten free maybe these symptoms would resolve. Im literally freezing 99% of my day.

I have the same- low blood pressure, and I'm always cold. You didn't mention your pulse. Mine is always high. Makes me think my heart isn't working as efficiently as it should. I'm wondering how common this is in others with Celiac.

[sandsurfgirl]

Classic hypothyroidism symptoms. If your doctor isn't checking your thyroid with those symptoms, I would say get a new doctor. Those are textbook.

The person who posted that the doctor said even if the thyroid is low normal to take thyroid has a BRILLIANT doctor. A doc like that is so hard to find. The ranges for thyroid are far too broad so you can be low normal and have terrible symptoms. They call it subclinical hypothyroidism, but lots of docs won't treat. There are some efforts to change the ranges of normal but I'm not sure when that will happen.

Hypothyroidism and celiac are best friends. They love to hang out together and make us miserable.

I would demand to get a thyroid panel and a full iron panel immediately. My bp can run that low at times, although the top number is usually more to 100, not 90. The lower number is often 60 or 50.

[Linkj57]

I too am cold all the time and have low blood pressure. I just had full blood work done last week and my thyroid was fine and I'm not anemic. I don't know if it has anything to do with being Celiac. My doc also has Celiac and he didn't say anything about Celiac when I told him of being freezing and tired all the time. My blood pressure runs in the 90's sometimes and last week when I went it was 100 over something. The doc didn't say anything about that either. It is an interesting coincidence tho. There very well may be a connection.

[Ahorsesoul]

The person who posted that the doctor said even if the thyroid is low normal to take thyroid has a BRILLIANT doctor. A doc like that is so hard to find.

Thanks her name is Dr Karen Vrchota from Winona, MN. She sure was a lifesaver for me.

[Bobbijo6681]

I also deal with lower blood pressure, constantly being cold, and low body temp. The only time that I am not cold is when I am sleeping. I have never taken my temp when I first wake up, but I am a furnace when I go to sleep. My boyfriend laughs about it all the time because he never has to worry about being cold when I stay over at his house. I do have a very low B12 level and it is climbing after taking my supplement everyday, but the dr told me this could be sypmtoms of a low B12.

I really like my GI dr who has been working hard with me to find a dx and get me feeling better, but at my appointment yesterday he really tried my patience. Although I am not obese I can stand to lose a few pounds so in changing my diet I am thrilled that weight loss is one of the side effects for me, but he is concerned that I have lost 15 pounds in 10 weeks. My thoughts are "duh you took away all of the unhealthy stuff" but because my liver #'s are continuing to rise slowly I have agreed to further testing.

I am hoping that I find the thing that will finally make me "all better" but grow more and more frustrated everytime I go to the dr office.

I hope you continue with to see positive changes with the diet, and who knows maybe you might warm up too!!

[sunnybabi1986]

Eh, Some people just have lower blood pressure naturally...my bp has always run pretty low, around 85/60, and I've had every test you can think of run, with everything coming back normal. It probably runs in families, because my mom and sister also both have low bp. We're also cold a lot as well! But we've all been tested and we're all normal. I'd definitely get some tests run, like everyone else suggested, but I wouldn't be overly concerned, as long as you're not passing out or anything.

BTW, I wouldn't call 90/60 extremely low, my doctor said it's normal for some people to have lower bp, 90/60 is not really extreme. Good luck!

[Mack the Knife]

I've had low blood pressure all my life. It usually is somewhere around 90/60. I get dizzy when I stand up suddenly and faint sometimes during hot weather. It seems to be genetic because my mother and grandmother had similar blood pressures.... mind you, we also have a family history of thyroid problems. So who knows?

I am always freezing. I've tended to be cold most of my life but it has been particularly bad this last 18 months. I think this was caused by Coeliac (I was diagnosed in January), a 15kg weight loss, and super low Ferritin levels. I've been gluten-free for three months now and I'm still freezing. I just went in to get my iron levels re-checked so I'm hoping they've improved. It doesn't feel like they have though.

[Reba32]

I would also suggest thyroid issues, and/or electrolyte imbalance (low sodium, postassium, magnesium)

make an appointment with your doctor to have your TSH, T3 and T4 tested, but in the meantime make sure you get at least 1/2 tsp of salt per day (read food labels! mst packaged foods are FULL of sodium), plus a magnesium supplement and half an avocado per day should take care of the potassium.

[CaraLouise]

ditto everyone else, i have low blood pressure, low body temp, and am cold all the time. i have raynaud's too. i also try and add extra salt in my diet because if not then i am really dizzy.

[JAMR]

I also react to cold temps, especially cold water that causes cold urticaria (hives), red itching weals. My reactions get milder when I cut out gluten, however I imagine it will take a long time (1-2 years) to be toally free of this reaction. I also feel the cold intensely, it does not appear to be raynauds, more like my skin is thin and brittle and does not insulate me very well (I am also very lean). Once again whrn my diet is working off gluten (and asociated foods like soy, lactose and others) my tolerance of cold improves, my skins gets more flexible, less dry etc. My assumption is that the skin is one part of the problem of coldness and internal compromises of other organs etc are the other part. Bottom line seems to be that overall symptoms improve over time, however look for other foods that might be causing issues, and be aware that other organs get compromised in the process, and might need to be treated independently.

[SLB5757]

I also react to cold temps, especially cold water that causes cold urticaria (hives), red itching weals. My reactions get milder when I cut out gluten, however I imagine it will take a long time (1-2 years) to be toally free of this reaction. I also feel the cold intensely, it does not appear to be raynauds, more like my skin is thin and brittle and does not insulate me very well (I am also very lean). Once again whrn my diet is working off gluten (and asociated foods like soy, lactose and others) my tolerance of cold improves, my skins gets more flexible, less dry etc. My assumption is that the skin is one part of the problem of coldness and internal compromises of other organs etc are the other part. Bottom line seems to be that overall symptoms improve over time, however look for other foods that might be causing issues, and be aware that other organs get compromised in the process, and might need to be treated independently.

[SLB5757]

My goodness I do not even know if I am "replying correctly" on here. lol. I think I am messing it up. I am not replying to one person, but to the whole post

I have had my iron checked maybe in November and at that time it wasn't very bad. Is that your Hemoglobin? I guess it was like one point away from the low end of normal. One doc wanted me to take iron, and the gastro who will not do celiac testing said to not take iron because it would only make my constipation-proneness worse.

Every woman in my family has to take a thyroid pill so that would make sense as well, however I had them test that also when I was checked in November. Of course I do not know which of the TSH's tey tested...but they said I was normal their as well.

I had always been told the BP issue is due to me being short and only 100ish pounds and that small people will have low bp's. I only questioned it because I am literally freezing every day. I will wear three shirts, socks, sweatpants (when at home) and sometimes just have to get in a hot bath to get it to go away. At the office I am the only one who uses a desk heater, and it even runs in the summer.

I think I get enough salt as I do not eat healthy and crave french fries and chips quite often. I always salt foods such as potatoes and tinkyada pasta as well. I am definitely not low on sodium I wouldn't think. I eat to much junk for that to be the issue (my bag of fritos and frosty dinner last night),

[Reba32]

excuse me for saying so, but perhaps your junk food diet is part of the problem.

[Sandi575]

I too suffer from the freezing. However, I go back and forth. I am either freezing or dying of heat. the past few days it has been rather warm out - in the 70's and I am still have the heat on. Other times, i can't get cool enough! I overheat very easily. It sucks because there is never and in between. I have had my thyroid checked several times and it is always normal. I don't know if this is related to being celiac or not. I have had all my levels checked and they are always normal. I don't know if maybe it is all part of a larger allergic reaction to other things or what! I have even been checked to see if i am in early stages of menopause which i am not. Anybody have this or just the freezing?

[rdunbar]

ditto everyone else, i have low blood pressure, low body temp, and am cold all the time. i have raynaud's too. i also try and add extra salt in my diet because if not then i am really dizzy.

check out the pink himalayan salt, it has a ton of trace minerals. I put a little in my drinking water. It actually has a hydrating effect.

[SLB5757]

check out the pink himalayan salt, it has a ton of trace minerals. I put a little in my drinking water. It actually has a hydrating effect.

rdunbar - I will look for the himalayan salt - thank you!

Reba posted that maybe it is my junk food diet that was the issue, and she may be correct. However, on a typical day I eat grilled chicken and rice/potatoes. I stay away from red meats, and eat steamed veggies quite often. I just get the uncontrollable urges when it is that time of the month. Also, if I have a day where I am up at 6:30 AM, getting two kids ready and off to daycare and then to work by 8:00, pick kids up at 5:00 feed them and get them to a soccer/softball/dance/chinese...etc and then finally home at 8:30 or 9 only to get them ready for bed....then you are right - i sometimes end up eating junkier than I should due to time constraints. Id love to have time somewhere in there to cook, but its not always possible. I do it on weekends for the week but do not always have time then either. I do what I can each week - and hope the next week is better.

[haleym]

I have hypothyroid, very low bp and ALWAYS cold hands and feet! Im on meds for the thyroid and I am still cold, but Im not so dang tired as I was before I was dx'd with thyroid issues. Ha ha people always say it's because Im thin, but that's not true! Ive talked with people of all builds who have cold hands and feet.

But its especially troublesome for me... Im a massage therapist and it drives my patients nuts! LOL

[Reba32]

except possibly the ones who have hyper thyroid and are hot all the time.

[cleanfreak73]

except possibly the ones who have hyper thyroid and are hot all the time.

yes i haven't been tested for celiac but my daughter has it. i have a combo of Graves and hashi's and am usually cold, it does run hand in hand like someone else said. My daughter's gastro doc told her to keep on top of thyroid levels and since I have it....anyway don't take a doc's word for it when they say"normal", get copies and make sure they test 'free" t 4 and 3. tsh doesn't always show a real problem, the frees usually show it, also antibodies for hashi's. You can have a 'normal" tsh and have really low free t's. Usually you have the cold feeling, tired, constipation, joint pain(wait a minute, that's celiac too!) it casn be confusing, uh brain fog too...

[EBglutengirl]

Yes, all of the mentions of thyroid are right on track I think. Thryoid and Celiac issues go hand and hand. Another possible connection that can go along with the thyroid and Celiac is adrenal fatigue -- especially your mention of the low blood-pressure. Often the thryoid can be weak for a long time & the adrenals try to compensate and then they both become weak.

Go to your dr. & check it out.