Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Need Health Advise - Feeling Lightheaded

I

iMetroid

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 25, 2006
79
0
Baltimore, MD
Out of all the forums I read and hang out at, you guys seem to be the best with health issues. I'd appreciate some advise on my current situation.

I've been sick for a little over a month. Not with the same thing, but a bunch of smaller things one after the other. I've never been a good eater, so I don't think my immune system is in the best shape right now. That's probably why I kept getting sick. Two weeks ago, I went out for the first time since before all of this started. I went on a hike a little under five miles. At the time, it felt great to get out!

But then there was the next morning...

It was Sunday. I had church. My morning was pretty normal. Didn't feel bad at all. Actually, I still felt great from the hike. I sat down in church, and when I got up to sing - I felt a little dizzy. At first, I thought it was just a head rush. So I waited. It didn't improve. Steadily, it got worse and worse. At one point, I felt like I was on the edge of passing out. I panicked, and my heart starting racing. Seriously - never panic. A racing heart makes it much worse. It wouldn't stop, so I had to be driven home in the middle of the service.

It didn't stop after that day. Every time I get in the shower, I get dizzy. It also happens when I stand still in one place for too long. I've found that it happens less after I've drank V8 or something sugary. Since it didn't happen until after the hike, is it possible that I'm low on something?

It's crucial that I get this straightened out before Sunday. I'm not going to miss our Easter service. I really don't have the time to go to the doctor. Do you guys have any ideas about what's going on and/or suggestions on how to improve it? As I said, I feel much better after I drink V8 or something sugary. Would caffeine help this, or should I avoid it?
 
me_94501 said:
It could be something like low blood sugar or low blood pressure or it could be something more serious. I would suggest getting it checked.
Click to expand...

Could also be too much exertion and sun after a month inside.

---

But diagnosed by internet. :eek:

Edit: Sorry, but a 5 mile hike after a month of being sick may lead to severe fatigue and a sunstroke rather quick.
 
Could be a lot of things. Mono comes to mind. Some sort of lingering viral. A 5 mile hike if you are out of shape will make you dead tired the next day. It could be diabetes. It could be all sorts of nasty things. It could be nothing.

See a doc. He'll do tests for the obvious things.
 
Definitely see a doctor. Not because I believe your symptoms are alarming, but mainly for peace of mind. You can exacerbate a minor problem by developing an anxiety response for any change in your general feelings. Light-headedness can be caused by too many things. Simple tests can determine the cause quite easily.
 
Dizziness can sometimes be caused by fluid in the inner ear (where your balance is controlled). Also, if you take any medications, it could be an indication that you might be on too much.

Definitely consult a doctor. Feel better!
 
A racing heartbeat when standing up can also be a sign of dehydration or blood loss. Get yourself to a doctor immediately!
 
iMetroid said:
I really don't have the time to go to the doctor.
Click to expand...

IJ Reilly said:
Get yourself to a doctor immediately!
Click to expand...

macmama said:
Definitely consult a doctor.
Click to expand...

SMM said:
Definitely see a doctor.
Click to expand...

MongoTheGeek said:
See a doc.
Click to expand...

me_94501 said:
I would suggest getting it checked.
Click to expand...

Airforce said:
Make time for a doctor.
Click to expand...
See a pattern, here? :) Really, you should go see a doctor. How much time would that take?
 
please visit your doctor ASAP...

as someone who has dealth with unexplained fainting spells, i'm going to recommend that you please take the advice of everyone here and see a doctor as soon as you're able. you may have a severe condition, or you may be just fine. in my case, after an EKG, CAT scan, tons of bloodwork, X-rays, and a lengthy ER visit, i was told it was just one of those things. hopefully you'll be told the same. :eek:
 
I think Mongo hit the nail on the head. Sounds to me like the early stages of Diabetes. See a doctor right away. I don't understand why you haven't.
 
Sounds like diabetes - do you find you need to go to the toilet more often? Like after you've just been for a leak, you find yourself an hour later needing again? That's the most common symptom of diabetes.

How do you eat? Do you eat healthy, plenty of fruit and veg?
 
iMetroid said:
But then there was the next morning...

It was Sunday. I had church...
Click to expand...

yeah, church will do that to you. and then they pass the plate and ask you to pay for the experience. :confused: stay home and watch tv instead, and you should be fine.

but a second opinion from a doctor sounds like a good idea too.
 
iMetroid said:
<health stuff>
Click to expand...

If I were you I'd say you need to sweat whatever you've obviously got out. Start taking long runs wearing heavy woolen clothing to work up a good sweat, but otherwise lots of rest drinking plenty of coffee.

I doubt you're going to be feeling 100% by Easter, so I'd rest-up and give church a miss on Sunday, in fact rest is so important I'd give church a miss for about the next 60-70years.
 
iMetroid said:
It didn't stop after that day. Every time I get in the shower, I get dizzy. It also happens when I stand still in one place for too long. I've found that it happens less after I've drank V8 or something sugary. Since it didn't happen until after the hike, is it possible that I'm low on something?
Click to expand...
The dizziness and lightheadedness could be a symptom of hypoglycemia – it can be a result of you not eating properly and often enough. A few people have mentioned diabetes as a possibility – diabetics do suffer from hypos when their blood glucose level drops below a certain level, and as a diabetic myself what you're describing sounds rather like what I experience whenever I get one.

The dizziness could be caused by all kinds of things, mind – and if you were an undiagnosed diabetic then that would mean that your sugar levels are running high at other times, meaning you're likely to have other symptoms such as a raging thirst, fatigue, dramatic weightloss and blurred vision. If you're not experiencing any of those then it would suggest to me at least that the problem probably lies elsewhere. There are a lot of things that could be causing it, anything from an ear infection to simply not eating enough.

There's only one way to get to the bottom of it though, and I'm glad you've arranged an appointment with the doctor. Good luck, and let us know how you get on.
 
iMetroid said:
Thanks for scaring some sense into me. The appointment is tomorrow (Friday) at 2. I'll post what's wrong with me.
Click to expand...

If you find youself getting thirsty or drinking a lot more water or fluids go to the Emergency room ASAP...

My neice had the same symptoms and kept shrugging it off until she fell into a diabetic coma..

DO NOT wait for that appointment.Get to a hospital ASAP..It won't hurt anything except your pride.
Could be nothing but also could be very serious.
 
princealfie said:
One basic question: Do you drink alcohol?
Click to expand...

Last time I had alcohol was in a medication I took two years ago. I don't drink.

Again, thanks for the replies. I'm having all kinds of problems this morning. The biggest of them being head rushes when I sit up. I'm worried that waiting in a hot room (the waiting room is always hot) for possibly an hour will not be good. I really hope this gets fixed soon. I hate feeling this way.
 
Just got back. With the exception of my blood pressure (a little high), my vital signs were perfectly normal. They gave me a blood test. I'll have the results in a few days.
 
Well I was told by a doctor that when you get lightheaded a lot, to increase your intake of sodium. The increase of sodium will help you retain water. I was told that when you stand up, your blood vessels will contract to help keep the blood from dropping down from your head and that the increase of sodium would help.
 
OK, well I've stepped in a big late on this one, but a few basic (and common sense) principles for all and sunder:

1) Self-diagnosis, or seeking advice from anyone other than a qualified medical professional is down right dangerous. Here's why:
• You'll automatically relate to the most severe symptoms and think you're dying, which will make you hypersensitive (and that DIDN'T say hypo/hypertensive) to the slightest possible problem. In turn, that'll make you paranoid and you'll start getting stress related symptoms, and the problem spirals out of control.
• Someone you know might have had similar symptoms and suggest you take the left over prescription they were given. Taking prescription medication that isn't for you is stupid. I hope that goes without saying.

2) Book an appointment with your doctor if your problems last more than 24hrs. If he prescribes you something, ask if there's a "natural" remedy to the problem as some prescription meds can mess you up. Some people expect pills to fix a problem, and taking them provides a placebo as much as a genuine medical fix. If you've got the right mindset, the chances are you take remedy the ailment naturally. I'm of the opinion that I'll only take synthetic drugs if the doctor says there's no other way.

3) When you feel under the weather for a prolonged period of time, make sure you're getting 8hrs sleep, drinking at least 2 litres of water and eating 5 portions of fruit or veg a day, not drinking caffeine after 3pm, and cut out smoking/drinking/drugs. If you've been taking too much sugar/caffeine/carbs/drink/drugs you'll get a nasty, nasty come-down. But that'll pass, and you'll feel much better. If not, go see a doctor again.

4) Public message boards aren't the place to ask for health advise - see #1. in the UK we have NHS direct which is an excellent service for "on tap" health advise. See if there's anything similar in your area and keep the number in your phone - THAT should be your first port of call.

5) If you feel ill, don't under any circumstances turn to Google or Wikipedia for help. See below...

The human brain is a very clever, albeit annoying at times. Feelings or emotions can and will manifest as physical symptoms if you let them. My heart problems were a prime example. If you worry that you're seriously ill, it'll happen. If you don't worry about it, chances are you'll feel fine within a few days.

Sounds simplistic, but to be honest, the human race has an incredible ability to over complicate things. There's a lot of truth in the "mind over matter" thing for a lot of stuff!

** Get's ready to be shot down following his three year absence from MR ***
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back