Vasovagal Issues and Exercise

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chrissyrenee1029
chrissyrenee1029 Posts: 358 Member
edited June 2018 in Health and Weight Loss
So I'm really starting to get frustrated. I really need to get back in the gym. I was doing really well for a while and had a really good routine going with cardio and lifting. After a few weeks, I started having issues after lifting with vasovagal response. Basically, I get extremely dizzy, sick to my stomach and (sometimes) pass out. My doctor didn't seem overly concerned and his only advice was to lay down where ever I am so I don't hurt myself when I start to pass out (this was after I blacked my eye running into a door frame trying to get to the bedroom).

I took a bit of a hiatus from the gym thinking that maybe I had been training too hard and my body just needed a break. Last week was my first day back. I did a mile on the treadmill to warm up and went to the weight room. I managed two sets of squats using just the bar before I started getting dizzy and sick.

I am beyond aggravated with my body. I have the desire and the motivation to do what I need to do, but it's like my body is literally refusing to cooperate.

Does anyone else have issues with vasovagal response? How do you deal with it during exercise? Any tips for preventing it in the first place?

Replies

  • bigjonb4116
    bigjonb4116 Posts: 153 Member
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    i'm not sure if this is relevent, but a guy i know had a gastric by pass and the weight fell off him, but his doctors forgot to take him off his blood pressure medication!! and he was passing out and ultimately just collapsed, and then they realised the problem....
    i have been losing for about 28 months now and have been taken off 2 blood pressure tablets as the weight has come off, i kept asking my doctors to check me regularly for this reason...
    i'm not sure what weight you are coming down from and this may not be relevent to you at all, but to anyone else reading this, it may be something worth bearing in mind if you got a lot to lose and are on blood pressure meds .
  • chrissyrenee1029
    chrissyrenee1029 Posts: 358 Member
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    I'm not on any blood pressures meds...
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    Skip the lifting next time and just do the run, see if you avoid the problem. Maybe the lifting is your trigger? Or maybe it's lifting while standing up (squats). If you find it was the lifting that was the trigger, try changing to a machine where you sit or lay down. Just some thoughts.
  • Pascal56
    Pascal56 Posts: 53 Member
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    I have lower blood pressure and sometimes just standing up too fast can make me dizzy. I've had it happen while lifting too, which is one reason I use machines instead of free weights for most things. I also try to pay attention to breathing when I lift, to make sure I am not holding it since that will cause issues for obvious reasons.
  • Barbonica
    Barbonica Posts: 337 Member
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    Make sure you have appropriately eaten and consumed sufficient liquid prior to lifting. Try to do lighter weights and fewer reps and do not hold your breath. Make sure you are breathing! I know that sounds stupid, but when you are doing something new, or are increasing weight or changing form, it is easy to not get enough air. Especially in squats and deadlifts, if you are doing a lot of reps, and either holding your breath or just using a shallow breath, you can put yourself in a bad place.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    What are you eating before you go to the gym, and about how long before you work out do you eat?
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
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    If you mainly get dizzy or faint during exercise I would recommend you see a cardiologist just to make sure it is nothing heart related. It could very well be vasovagal but other more serious causes should be ruled out first.
  • RaeBeeBaby
    RaeBeeBaby Posts: 4,245 Member
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    I know this might seem like a dumb question, but how is your stress level? My husband and sons have all had episodes of vasovagal syncopy (fainting due to the vasovagal response). Apparently a hereditary thing in our family.

    For my husband especially, these spells have come on during periods of high stress. A few times with no known trigger, but most often when something has happened (immediate response) or long term stress like when his mother was dying.

    All of them are very active people, but mostly doing cardio types of workouts including running. Not sure whether the lifting would be a trigger or not.
  • julie_broadhead
    julie_broadhead Posts: 347 Member
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    It helps to know what triggers your reactions. Play with the squat to see what about it is triggering you. When was the first time this happened? What were you doing?

    My triggers are needles and anxiety. When I have bad panic attacks I vegle out. I also found that I really need to pay attention to what I eat before I go on a plane or have blood drawn. If I am having a day where I feel like I might vegle out, I skip the workout.

    Eat a small snack before your work out and skip the cardio warm up before the weights. Try a mobility warm up like this one:
    https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/blog/injury-prevention/dynamic-warm-up-a-10-minute-pre-workout-routine-for-women/
    At what point during the squat do you start to get sick? Do you get panicked during your episodes?
  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
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    Do you wear a heart rate monitor? do you know your blood pressure? My bp and HR have dropped since improving my diet, I get dizzy. I can tell when they drop
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    Do you have low blood pressure? You might need to add an electrolyte mix(I use Propel packets) when you go to the gym. Try alternating days of just cardio or lifting each day. Try leg machines (leg press, ext/curl) and see if that makes any difference to free weights. When you try free weights, go light and get your form perfect before progressing. Take your time standing up after leg exercises. Find a buddy to workout with. I always felt better when my friend was with me cause she could watch out for me if I got dizzy.
  • peggy_polenta
    peggy_polenta Posts: 310 Member
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    i have this. i usually have the warning sign and as long as i can get down on the floor it will pass in about 15 mins. after it passes, though i become violently ill for about 3 hours vomiting. it is terrible. depending upon the person, this can be brought on by different things. stress or a scare or pain or straining/lifting/pressing against the upper stomach.. mine 95% stress related. i do find that at the gym, i can't do anything that presses against my lower chest. there really is nothing you can do about this except recognize the warning signs and get yourself reclined as soon as they start.

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