Sudden drop in Blood Pressure After Workout

Dear Ask The Doctor: For many years now I have had really good blood pressure. Within the last 8 years, however, I have had lower blood pressure than normal and at times it drops suddenly. I have been told that it could be many different things that will or can be the cause, but today I decided to take my blood pressure before my workout and then take it again after. My blood pressure was 80 over 60 before workout and 80 over 37 after workout. I am otherwise in good health, but have felt flutters on occasion and was having chest pains the other day. I know I need to probably see a doctor for a stress test, but I need to know if I could be in real immediate danger; at this time I do not have medical insurance, at least for two months or so. Thanks for your assistance. Tracy

Dear Tracy: Blood pressure is calculated by stroke volume( amount of blood pushed out by the heart in one beat) times peripheral vascular resistance( resistance in the blood vessels peripherally)  ie BP= SV x PVR. Techinically Stroke volume increases during excercise as the heart has to pump out more blood and thus the blood pressure should also increase. However in your case it is decreasing. This could be due to some arrythymia or heart block which is leading to this condition. More over since you feel flutters and have had some chest pain I would advice you to contact your family physician for further indepth analysis of your condition. You will need to carry out tests like CBC, lipid profile along with an ECG which will show us your heart rythym along with an stress test +/- an heart echocardiogram if necessary. While you may not be in real immediate danger I would request you to see the physician sooner than later. Also I would advice you to refrain from excercising in the mean time since it is that time during which your BP seems to be dropping. Also maintain a BP log and record your BP and symptoms when they occur during the day.