Debbie,
I have problems with hypotension, especially when I get up quickly or reach above my head. We have a stacked washer and dryer and it's a constant problem especially if I get up quickly and then try to take things out of the dryer. I have trouble with watering hanging pots, etc. I do take metoprolol for hypertension at half the dose I used to take. When I stopped it completely, my blood pressure went up and still had this problem.

I think autonomic instability and problems like Raynauds are more common among us than generally expected. I know where all the walls and door frames are in the house! I guess I use a modification of your husband's system, do it, but be careful-- but if anyone has a better solution, I would love to hear it. b.

Back in the fall, I experienced a spat of fainting incidents, one in which I really got to know the bathroom floor in our favorite Mexican restaurant. Bleck. I feel that allowing a bit more sodium back into my diet (I had been very careful when first starting steroids) has helped up my blood pressure a little bit, though it's hard to be sure what, exactly, has done the trick. At any rate, it seems to have resolved itself.

I often completely black out when standing quickly and lose the ability to see anything. I agree with what b said about autonomic dysfunction. Hugs.

Thanks all. It sure is frustrating, because I like to try to control things a bit and surely at a loss for these. I've had some pretty severe dizzy spells when waking in the morning, but hoped that they were an inner ear thing.

Hey there...I also experience dizziness when I stand up to fast or when the weather is HOT like it is now....Or if I over extend myself...Have not passed out thank goodness....I do also have low pressure and then dr said my heart rate was to fast so take a med to slow it down which lowers my pressure even more so that may have something to do with it also...Hope yours gets better, I honestly dont know what the answer is myself....Big help right? So many things going on sometimes its hard to know.....Again feel better.....

Hi Deb,
That's pretty scary.
Any recent changes? Plasmapheresis, yes. My blood-pressure used to drop a lot, with any IV-Therapy. That was always fun, for the infusion staff. (With me, the lower blood-pressure did not last, much beyond the therapy itself.)

Maybe? A new med, or a change in dosage? Meds - are a long-running problem for me. I just counted 8 daily meds, that carry the warning: "May cause dizziness or drowsiness". But the worst "dizziness" offender of all these meds - is a blood-pressure/cardiac med. Anytime I get up, or anything involving sudden exertion? Yup - it's kiss the wall (or the floor) time. It's not so bad now, but this sort of thing was a big problem - for a long time.

Don't like those swollen, puffy arms. I went through that, with my legs. It was protein-deficiency, primarily in the legs, and not the arms. But maybe any extremity - could be affected? (Once diagnosed, it required several months to be corrected.)
Lymphedema, maybe? We have a friend who developed lymphedema, after surgery. She gets along okay, but has worn lymphedema cuffs, for many years. - Ross