Posts by forgotten_toolbox

If your primary doc didn't refer you to a cardiologist, then he/she must not be overly concerned, or their office will order a lab work-up and can even order a 24-hour holter monitor. It sounds like their advice was to try dietary and external measures vs. looking for any organic or disease-based cause.

Despite your parents having high blood pressure, it remains that your personal history indicates your blood pressure runs low. Growth, fluid-volume factors, the time of day, activity level prior to pressure being measured, medications, manual vs. machine reading ... can all affect your number. They usually repeat if it seems unusual for you or outside parameters. They usually schedule a nurse visit to follow-up if there is continuing concern.

My blood pressure always runs in the exact range you mention and sometimes even drops lower during the night, as someone else mentioned. I am mostly asymptomatic, though I have the occasional dizziness that would be expected upon sudden change in position, etc.

Make sure you maintain hydration, report all medications and herbs/supplements you might be taking, and follow your doctor's recommendations.

I have heard all of these ideas as being helpful, so it probably wouldn't hurt to try most of them.

Shoes, in the absence of other triggers, was my first thought. Not just heels, but any new shoe or shoe that maybe doesn't fit quite right or changes the way you walk/where your feet and shoes work together.

I had a pair of athletic shoes that were supposedly made for support of some kind, but I had cramps all the time when I wore them. Also, if your shoes require you to "grip" them with your toes/feet (if they're too big and you're trying to "hold on" to them; flip-flops; clogs or open-back shoes) ... those can also lead to cramps.

Increased percentage of body fat means you have more estrogen in your body. So, the poster who seemed to notice a difference in hot flashes when she gained five pounds might have seen some effect of the estrogen ameliorating menopausal symptoms (but there are other hormone replacement options :)

That said, I don't believe there is any correlation between weight and menopause. We are born with a certain number of eggs, and when they're gone ... we're done. You may have started cycling earlier as an child/adolescent if you were heavier. Even so, it would still depend on your genetics. If your mother/other primary female relatives entered menopause at about this age, it wouldn't be unusual for you to follow the same pattern. If, however, your cycle was disrupted by pregnancies, nursing/extended nursing, irregular eating or weight loss that resulted in amenorrhea ... then your eggs may still be "available" and menopause may be later than it might have been.

There are medications and other conditions that can induce or mimic menopausal symptoms, so it's good that you have an appointment with your doc. I don't think 47 is an unsual age to be experiencing signs of impending menopause/perimenopause ... but they could continue for another 10 years. That, plus pregnant women; women "revving back up" with cycles after lactation/nursing; patients who have been through re-feeding for an eating disorder often experience hot flashes as hormonal levels fluctuate. Hot flashes can occur anytime there is hormonal fluctuation ... up or down, and lots of lifestyle and other issues could affect your body's homeostasis.

(I am not a health professional).