Version July 2025
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What is low blood pressure? —
This is when your blood pressure numbers are lower than expected. Low blood pressure is also called "hypotension."
If your blood pressure is too low, you might have symptoms like feeling weak, tired, dizzy, or lightheaded. Or you might only notice symptoms when you move from sitting to standing. This is called "orthostatic hypotension."
Sometimes, low blood pressure can cause you to fall or faint.
Which medicines can cause low blood pressure? —
In people with high blood pressure, doctors prescribe medicines to lower blood pressure. This is what the medicine is supposed to do, but sometimes it causes lowers blood pressure too much.
Other medicines can also cause low blood pressure as an unintended side effect.
You might also have problems with low blood pressure if you take medicines to treat conditions like:
●Chest pain caused by heart disease (called "angina")
●High blood pressure or heart problems, including diuretics ("water pills")
●Kidney disease
●Parkinson disease
●Depression or anxiety
●Erectile dysfunction (problems getting or keeping an erection)
●Pain
Tell your doctor or nurse about your low blood pressure and any other side effects. Do not stop taking any medicine without talking to them first.
You can ask your doctor if there is another medicine that is less likely to cause low blood pressure. You might be able to take smaller doses more often. Or you might be able to take your medicine at night instead of during the day. This can lower your chance of feeling low blood pressure symptoms and might lower your chance of falling.
What can I do on my own to help manage low blood pressure? —
You can try these things:
●Stand up slowly, and give your body time to adjust. This is especially important when you get out of bed in the morning. Start by sitting up and waiting a moment. Then, swing your legs over the side of the bed and wait some more. When you do stand up, make sure you have something to hold onto in case you start to feel dizzy.
●Limit activities that could make you overheat or sweat a lot. Examples include hot showers or strenuous exercise. These things can make low blood pressure worse.
●Make sure you drink enough fluids, especially in hot weather.
●Move your legs often if you need to sit or stand in 1 position for a long time.
●Sit or lie down with your feet up if you feel dizzy or like you might faint. Take extra care to protect yourself from falls.
●If your doctor recommends wearing compression stockings, wear them as instructed. This can help blood flow back to your heart and brain.
●If you feel faint, do not drive a car, operate machines, or place yourself where you could be harmed if you fall. Talk with your doctor about when it is safe to drive, work, and go back to your normal activities.
●Avoid or limit alcohol.
When should I call the doctor? —
Call for advice if you:
●Faint or feel like you will faint, and also have any of these:
•Chest pain or discomfort, or severe trouble breathing
•Feeling like your heart is beating very fast, very slow, or abnormally
●Feel very tired, or have trouble standing up
●Have signs of dehydration (when the body has lost too much water), such as:
•Very tired
•Very thirsty, or a dry mouth or tongue
•Muscle cramps
•Dizziness
•Confusion
•Dark yellow urine, or not urinating for more than 5 hours
●Check your blood pressure at home, and it's consistently outside the range your doctor recommended for you
Patient education: Side effects from medicines (The Basics)
Patient education: Managing dizziness from your medicines (The Basics)
Patient education: Managing higher risk of falls from your medicines (The Basics)
Patient education: Preventing falls in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Blood pressure measurement (The Basics)
Patient education: Checking your blood pressure at home (The Basics)
Patient education: Orthostatic hypotension (The Basics)
Patient education: Syncope (fainting) (The Basics)
