Low blood pressure/ dizzy spells

I agree with @Packerfan23 . It could be low blood pressure. Is it possible that you are pregnant? I definitely think you should check with your doctor.

lauraemily84 wrote: »

Hi all - so I've reached my goal weight today but want to tone up loose fat if possible. I'm 5ft 4.5" and now 123 lbs which is healthy weight for my height. But I have started to notice I get dizzy spells when I'm out n about usually. I eat often I snack 3 times a day drink lots of water anyone have any advice? I haven't fainted it's more I can feel light headed or sort of loose my footings a bit and look like I trip

I find myself having the same symptoms after a drop in weight from time to time. My BP was up as high as 135/88 and now it hangs around 110/70 but I am 65 and down 55 pounds over the past two years.

I myself almost faint every time I stand up (my docs know about it); my advice to you is to go to the doc just because there can be SO MANY reasons this is happening to you. And that's not to scare you--that's simply to urge you to please see your doc. The most common cause for this is low blood pressure, but you want to find out WHY your blood pressure is low. It could be as harmless as not eating enough salt (correctable with diet changes) to something like a med you take, underlying health problem etc. Just the wide variety of potential causes is enough to be a good reason to see your doc about this.

Also, if you have been on BP meds (or any other medicine that can lower your blood pressure), your blood pressure can dramatically lower with weight loss, so again, please see your doc!

Definitely go get checked out and have tests and bloodwork done. Dizziness is a scary thing and it can be caused by many many things so don't get discouraged on the amount of time it will take to get answers.

I had lost 35 lbs when I started with the symptoms of head rush/tingle and my eyesight would blacken out. This would only happen for a few seconds and only while I got up from playing with my son on the floor. Plus I dropped my sodium down to 1200-1500 because of the high blood pressure that runs in the family.

I had several tests done over a 3 month span: MRI, tilt table test, bloodwork, heart echo ultrasound, treadmill, glucose. A specialist had me do the first two and I had passed out on the tilt table test. (never before had I passed out or felt like I was going to pass out). This just shown my blood pressure dropping really low (it was a fasting test with no water). The doctor said to make sure I keep a salty snack with me to help retain water, drink water, and do calf stretches before getting out of bed.

My primary doc is the one that had me do a glucose test. It shows I have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). I saw a Endocrinologist to obtain a diet to follow and she said no, she thought it was postural hypotension which makes sense since I mainly have the symptoms while standing but strangely only in the warmer months. Same advice, drink water, salty snack, get up slow in stages, 2000 mg sodium/day.

In my case, my symptoms are kind of unanswered. But I feel it's postural hypotension. I still eat 3 meals and 3 snacks like I would if I had hypoglycemia, I just don't pair the foods perfectly. That is the way I ate throughout dieting, too. I'm terrible with water so that may be my problem in the warmer months. Also, My sodium is now 2000mg.

Also, if you feel you get tunnel vision and your hearing plugs up, sit your butt down just in case you do pass out. You'll be closer to the ground if it happens. I was kind of happy to pass out on the tilt table test since I got to experience the symptoms as they were happening. Good luck to you and go get some answers. (Sorry this was so long)

Try eating more sodium in the meantime. Sometimes that can help.. or so I've heard. I'm no doctor.

Could be Benign Positional Vertigo, which is annoying but... benign. Unless you fall over and hit your head of course. I've had it off and on for years.

Yep! I had that problem when I was limiting my sodium. I changed my MFP macros to watch fiber instead and didn't worry about the salt since I have low BP. The dizziness and seeing spots went away! So I agree, do try increasing the sodium.

Are you sure this is low blood pressure? It could be low blood sugar. See if having a snack makes the dizziness better if yes then most likely your sugar is running low, and maybe you need to be eating more. Check with your Dr.

^ That is true, could be a vitamin deficiency also. But make sure you have your vitamins tested at the Drs before supplementing because some vitamins have a limit and having too much causes side effects.

I also have low BP. Even when I was 70 pounds overweight it was low. If that is the issue then just be aware of it. I usually sit upright for a few moments before standing, and when I stand up I stand still for a moment before I start walking.

Sometimes after sitting in a recliner with my feet up I stand up and start walking to quickly and get light headed. I have to stop for a moment unti it's all good. Oh, yea another side benefit of low bp is you can enjoy all the salty stuff without worry.

Most importantly is to see your doctor to rule out other causes. If you naturally have low bp consider it a blessing and just adjust to it. Best of luck.

I agree with seeing a dr. I'm also a low BP'er and have vasovagal issues. I've fainted or started blacking out various times so my PCP referred me to a cardiologist. He ran a bunch of tests. Basically he reminds me that sodium is my friend (I need at least 3000mg/day) and to stay hydrated ... but you have to remember if you drink too much water without enough sodium that can cause problems, too. I also have to be careful not to stand up too fast, especially after exertion. But definitely see the dr to rule out other causes.

I can't tolerate Phenylpropanolamine. It's in most diet drinks and sugar-free foods. I tried Dexatrim in the late 1970's and it caused me to feel faint, light-headed, and dizzy. In the 1980's I had a bad reaction with severe migraines when I tried Diet Mountain Dew. I now look for the Phenylpropanolamine warnings on any sugar-free product and totally avoid Nutrisweet. Splenda is okay with me.

Doctors are usually hesitant to treat low blood pressure, because with some exceptions, it's pretty easy to modify just through minor lifestyle changes. I jacked my sodium and potassium intakes through the roof (relatively speaking), and mine is all but dealt with. However, this does mean that I will likely be having to salt the living hell out of my food and water forever. Morton Lite salt is fantastic (about 45% sodium, 55% potassium).

Mine was already low when I was 265 lbs., and just went down even further as I dropped weight.

For reference, I now tend to run about 5000-6000 mg sodium, and about 3500-4500 mg potassium every day, at a bodyweight of 151-153.