Dizzy standing up?

I'm on keto diet and intermittent fasting. I lost 8 kg in a month and a half I feel great until I have to stand up. I get dizzy every single time. I lose my vision even for few sec. I had this happening before the diet but not often. Now it's all the time, every time. It's affecting my life. I've tried to find some answers on line but it could be more reasons for this. I'm sure that is diet related. I'm really considering quitting the diet over this. It's horrible. Did anyone had experience with this and how did you fixed it?

Replies

  • lx1x
    lx1x Posts: 38,330 Member
    edited August 2020
    If it happens every time.. go see a doctor..


    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthostatic_hypotension
  • Mithridites
    Mithridites Posts: 600 Member
    My first thought is you may be anemic, especially with your age, gender and the rapid weightloss. How is your iron intake? How close to 100% over the last month?
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,740 Member
    Orthostatic hypotension can be caused by dehydration. High protein low carb diets cause the body to lose a lot of water, which can dehydrate you. More salt may help. Taking electrolytes in your water may help.
  • netitheyeti
    netitheyeti Posts: 539 Member
    I've had this happen when I skipped meals (like skipping breakfast) or if I just wasn't eating and drinking enough to support my activity. Not saying this is 100% the issue but your exact diet (IF and low carb) is basically what made MY dizzy spells much worse/more frequent when I gave it a try. Making slight adjustments to my diet fixed it for me, but if it happens a lot I'd see a doctor
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    It could be a number of things. In addition to those mentioned already - perhaps a drop in blood sugar level.

    It is possible to lose weight without keto, without IF. Do you have reasons to do either, other than wanting to lose weight? Making sure you are not eating too low (minimum 1200 cals per day if you do not exercise, more if you do exercise) and that you are staying hydrated, getting electrolytes are good steps to take while making arrangements to see your doc. But also consider that making so many changes to your food choices is not the only way to lose weight.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    debela725 wrote: »
    Guys your the best! Thank you so much for replying. I think you are all right in a way. You've made me think and rethink what I was doing wrong. And read more about possible causes. First. Yes I have borderline anemia but I stopped taking iron supplements because I eat food rich in iron on this diet. I thought I don't need them. I guess I'm not absorbing it well. Second. I had no idea I was losing weight to fast. I'm just not hungry that much any more. And I was eating until full. Third. I'm really struggling with drinking water. I forget. My mouth are not that dry as in the beginning and I forget. Before diet I think I drank one glass per day. Soo. Here is my plan:1. Get back on iron supplements. Hope they don't cause constipation. That brings me to my second 2. Drink more water with some sea salt and monitor how much do I really drink. I'll write it down. 3. I'll increase my calorie intake. If those 3 don't work I'm going to visit my doctor. Guys I'll post in here is it working or not. Thank you so much.

    I'm anemic and have taken many forms of iron. Iron bisglycinate does not upset my stomach. This brand is marketed as non-constipating. Since I take vitamin C to bowel tolerance I wouldn't know about constipation. Vitamin C also helps you absorb iron better.

    https://www.amazon.com/Solgar-Gentle-Iron-Vegetable-Capsules/dp/B00013Z0QA
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    Another vote for taking vitamin C if you take iron supplements. For the past 10-15 years I have been low on iron. So when I'm on top of it, I take a supplement 4-5 days a week. If I'm not on supplements consistently, I get rejected when I try to give blood.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    @psuLemon Sending you a smoke signal. @psychod787

    This happened to me when I transitioned from eating all of the gummy bears and leaning towards more protein. My knees would buckle right out from underneath me and I fell a couple of times. Skinned my knees up. Light headed and swoony. It was my blood glucose. I wasn't conducting keto or IF or Paleo. Blood glucose, get it checked.
  • stevehenderson776
    stevehenderson776 Posts: 324 Member
    Go see a doctor.
  • peggy_polenta
    peggy_polenta Posts: 325 Member
    on keto or low carb, you lose a lot of salt. your electrolytes are likely out of whack. you should be salting all your food. also, eat a pickle or take a sip of the pickle juice.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    If you are certain it is diet related and are set on sticking to the current food limitations, I'd highly recommend using some supplements to ensure proper iron and electrolytes.

    The weight loss reported is rather high, but not complete insanity so it'll really depend on a lot of details. Given the rate, I think you could safely add some nutrition without drastically slowing loss, such as maybe two eggs for breakfast. Also, definitely hydrate. Hydration is a must.

    However, there could potentially be other factors at play here. So, if some changes don't cause the problem to go away, you may need to see a doctor. Dizziness when standing up may be related to an autonomic nervous system issue. Basically, you don't have enough blood to fill your body. If you did and you sat down, you'd pop. So, when you're sitting down, the blood vessels in the lower body expand. When you stand, they contract, forcing blood upwards. If this doesn't happen, suddenly your blood pressure drops rapidly and not enough blood reaches the top (your brain) and causes dizziness and even fainting.

    Try some changes and report back to us regarding any results!