Medicine for orthostatic hypotension

Orthostatic hypotension is a fall in blood pressure when standing that can cause dizziness, blurred vision, weakness or fainting. It may be linked to dehydration, illness, nervous-system problems or medicines such as some blood-pressure tablets and diuretics. Treatment therefore often starts with reviewing the trigger rather than adding a new medicine. Some prescribed medicines increase blood volume or tighten blood vessels, but they can also raise blood pressure when you are lying down.

Stand up in stages: sit first, move your ankles, then rise while holding a stable surface. Drink adequate fluids unless a clinician has restricted them, avoid prolonged standing and extreme heat, and sit or lie down as soon as dizziness begins. Do not stop prescribed medicines or increase salt without advice. Keep a record of symptoms, posture, meals, fluid intake and medicine timing for your GP.

Get urgent help after fainting with an injury, chest pain, trouble breathing, a racing or irregular heartbeat, new weakness, speech trouble, confusion or a severe headache. Arrange a GP review for repeated near-fainting, falls, worsening dizziness or symptoms that began after a medicine change. A clinician can check lying and standing blood pressure and look for contributing illness.

Ask what is causing the blood-pressure drop, whether any current medicine contributes, whether a prescription is appropriate, how to monitor symptoms safely, and what fluid or salt limits apply to you.