Hi All- Does anyone know anything about causes that can bring on light-headedness (NOT dizziness/vertigo) that I haven't already thought of? I began to experience severe (not capable of functioning) light headedness during pregnancy (which the doctor said was uncommon but not unheard of). I dismissed it during pregnancy and the first year after my daughter came -- assuming it had to do with hormones/sleep deprivation. 3.5 years later I still have it. I have been to my doctor (switched twice because they were dismissive)and sent to a few specialists. All my tests are "normal" and no one can seem to find a reason for it. Out of desperation, I went to an accupuncturist (for relief during my prelim exams). She was able to relieve the symptoms, but couldn't tell me what she thought was causing it.
A bit more: it is hard to diagnose partly because it seems to 1) have occurred when a few things happened at the same time (new house, pregnancy, etc) and 2) it is chronic but not constant. It comes for about a week or two and then might go away for a month or two. It makes it difficult to know if any changes I make are affecting it. The one thing that seems to generally help is sleep.
Thanks for all the great responses! I had been tested for everything from iron, thyroid, blood sugar, etc...and have done accupuncture and crano-sacro therapy as well as western docs....just as a little more background.
As it is, beginning in February I started getting new symptoms (that may or may not be related to the previous ones). Numbness in my face (not paralysis), weakness in my arm, aching joints. I was tested for MS, and it was negative.
I am know looking into whether I have a food sensitivity (such as nightshades or wheat) and am in the middle of a really inconvenient elimination diet. Any other insights are appreciated!
Try drinking a lot of water. That seems to help me. Even if doesn't help, it is still a healthy habit.
Have you read anything on anxiety disorders? It seems like a possibility - pregancy, being a mother and shool are all big stress factors. I was having some similar unexplained bouts at one time and I think it was stress related. I was in school at the time and have not experienced it in years now. Since the doctors aren't finding anything physical it may be anxiety. Unfortunately if that is a possibility I don't have any recommendations to solve it. Just thought you might want to look into it.
Good luck!
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Look into POT syndrome, positional orthostatic tachycardia. My sister-in-law just got diagnosed with it. She complained of headaches, lightheadedness and fatigue. They recommended that she increase her sodium intake.
D., maybe you've already thought of this and it's not the problem, but you said that you are a student. Are you getting enough sleep (sleep deprivation) and/or are you eating enough throughout the day (low blood sugar).
I know that when my girls were little, (16 months apart) it was hard to stop to make myself eat sometimes. You just get busy and forget. I would get light-headed and sometimes headachey. If so, it was suggested to me to eat more often during the day. Small snacks of protein and carbohydrate (complex is better, it takes longer to process and evens out your sugar levels for longer periods of time.)Whole grain crackers or bread with cheese, peanut butter, deli meat, etc. will do. Just a thought. Good luck!
Hi there D.! I first want to apologize for this response being so long-winded, and secondly, I didn't check for grammatical errors--so if some of the sentences don't make sense, bare with me lol.
I too have this problem, and my main reason is I run an extremely low blood pressure (sometimes dangerously low). It didn't become this low until after the loss of weight that occurred after gastric-bypass surgery. But even prior to weight gain, I typically didn't go above 110/70. When I became pregnant with my third child, post surgery, I had a horrible time with the light-headedness. I would seriously even get "black-out" vision. It happened most when I stood up after laying or sitting for a while, but it could happen if I turned around too quickly or bent over too. It was very scary and I spoke to my doctor when it started happening frequently. He determined that it was my blood pressure that was the main cause and for me to increase my salt intake. Since I wasn't a fan of very salty food (as in table salt), I opted for sunflower seeds (which I LOVE). And quite honestly, that seemed to do the trick. So I make sure that I eat them regularly (not a bag in a sitting mind you), and my bp stayed above the 90/50 mark for the most part since then.
Now, with my fourth pregnancy (and final), not only didn't I start having the bp problems again, but I also became VERY hypoglyemic, anemic, and iron deficient. My 3rd and 4th child are 4 1/2 years apart. Anyway, those issues were all related to the gastric-bypass surgery, but it can happen to anyone. Has your blood ever been tested for these? Having your blood-sugar drop can be very scary and cause sudden light-headedness that you are describing as well as an overwhelming feeling of weakness. And your blood count being low (low hemoglobin) will also cause light-headedness in addition to weakness and overly tired. The randomness of when it occurs with you can be related to diet too. There are so many things that could be going on....
I'm not an expert, but do have a medical assistant degree and work in a hospital. With all of the medical issues that have occurred with me, I made it a point to do as much research as possible. I eventually ended up seeing a hemotologist who had me get a blood transfusion during pregnancy as well as IV iron infusions (medication called Venofer). Needless to say, it resolved my weakness and my hypoglycemia aleviated quite a bit. My bp didn't vary much (mostly in the 80's over low 50's and mid 40's), but having the other symptoms improve was awesome. Hope you found this information useful.
Since you have stated it comes and goes, have you thought of seeing a chiropractor? I have started to go to one and the way he explains it is he is a nerve dr, not a bone cracker. Maybe you need some adjustment and then who knows.
Hi D.
I was wondering if you tryed a chiropractor.
When I was pregnant with my daughter I would get lightheaded alot the chiropractor helped just after like two visits. Hope you find some answers it is so hard to have the doctors dismiss your symptoms. Good for you that you are willing to try natural medicine. :)T.
Have you had your thyroid levels checked? I was having severe dizziness (especially in the mornings) along with random joint pain in my pinkies and toes. Ask your doctor for a thyroid test....I have been on meds now for about a year, and haven't had the problem since. Good luck!
I have no idea how to help, but I am currently going through this very same thing. I have also had "tests" ran on me, but everything always comes back normal. My husband seems to think that it is stress, but I don't feel so stressed out, that I would be fainting! Please let me know if you find any answers to this.
Maybe you should see an ear specialist and make sure you don't have fluid in your ears. I know this can cause light headedness from experience. Just a thought and good luck finding the cause.
Has anyone ever mentioned hypoglycemia to you? This may or may not have anything to do with what you are going through but the symptoms sound very similar to what I have gone through... basically it is low blood sugar. I have been able to control it through the foods I eat (I prefer natural remedies to medication and it has been successful.) What happens is that my blood sugar dips a bit and I start to feel a bit "spacy." Then if I eat something with protien (i.e. cheese, nuts, or peanut butter for a snack) then I can keep it from getting out of control until I can eat a good meal that includes meat, cheese, or peanut butter.
OR if I end up not having something like that handy and I snack on something with starches or sugars in it then it becomes like a yo-yo where I eat and it goes up (spaciness goes away) but then I "crash" a short while later and get tired (sometimes) and light headed and it is hard to concentrate... sometimes bad enough to make me afraid to drive.
Anyway, what has worked for me is having a small snack 1/2 way between meals that has protien as that helps to stablize the blood sugar... the trick is to make sure you are eating moderate to small meals but to eat more often to keep the sugar levels stable rather than "binge and bust"...also avoiding (or at least reducing) caffiene and pop.
I was lucky enough to have a Dr. that has this issue as well and shared his secrets to stablizing it without medication. Maybe ask your doctor/chiropracter/nutritionist/acupuncturist or whomever you think might be open to discussing hypoglycemia as a possibility. It can be hard to diagnose because sometimes it doesn't show up on those diabetes tests but still be an issue.
Good luck... hopefully it is that simple.
T.
Ck for fibrolyis,diabeties,thryoid and heart troubles and your ears and brain functions, my sister did this and had brain high levels and thyroid woes and diabities.
I get really scary bouts of lightheadedness at times too. I had it check out as well with normal results too. I have figured out that it is happening most often when I do not have enough water. Also happens if I over do it when it is too warm outside.
One thing you could try is to increase your sodium intake. I had some bouts of lightheadedness with my first pregnancy and after. My Dr said to drink fluids with sodium...one suggestion was to drink gatorade. It helped me. Otherwise, make sure you're taking care of yourself, eating right, getting enough sleep, etc. Hope you find a solution!
I started getting very bad light-headedness and dizziness at the start of my second trimester of pregnancy. My doctor said I might have low blood sugar. My husband and I took a natural childbirth class (Bradley method) and they suggest eating a LOT of protein during pregnancy. When I made a concerted effort to eat more protein throughout the day (writing it down and using a chart to add up protein), the headaches/light-headedness/dizziness vanished. It was amazing. I'm now nursing a four-month-old, and I find that if I forget to eat protein and eat often, I still get the same symptoms. I would recommend aiming to eat high-protein meals and snacks throughout the day.
Has low iron levels been mentioned or tested by any of the doctors?
Hi, it sounds like vertigo. Check that out on the web. J.
Just a question. Did you move to a brand new house? The chemicals in new carpet could cause those symptoms. Carpeting gives off gases for something like ten years. Actually, it may be any kind of chemical sensitivity.
Another thing...have you ever heard of Meneir's (sp?) Disease? It affects the inner ear, is chronic, and comes and goes. I believe it is rare but can be controlled by a low carb or low glycemic diet.
Let us know what you find out! Symptoms without a diagnosis are very frustrating!
-Anne
D.,
I had and have the same thing. I was sent to many doctors and specialists as I thought there was some physical explaination for the light headness. There has never been a diagnosis of anything other than stress. I was put into a biofeed back group and use this now when I am light headed. It really works. When I was diagnosed with stress, I was very reluctant to believe that this was the case. Until I was put into the group and they attach this counter to your finger, the faster the counter runs the more stressed you are, that thing was like a helicoptor it was moving so fast. Once I learned the biofeed back and calmed myself it lowered the counter and it helped with light headedness, headaches and body aches. Put on calming music and just relax your whole body you will be amazed on how it helps. Good luck, hope this helps.
light-headedness can often be a symptom of low blood sugar. Try eating a small snack (preferably protein or complex carbs) every 2-3 hours.
L. L
Hi D.,
I had the same experience during pregnancy and post pregnancy. During pregnancy I would be at my work desk and had many instances where I would feel the lightheadedness coming over me and I would drop to the floor to lay down right away. After it would go away I would get up again. Like you it was chronic but not constant. My doctor did several tests and I was normal. Then they thought it may be a cardiology thing, it wasn't. Finally my doctor told me to drink some caffine the first thing when I wake up and more later if I am still having issues. I have never been a caffinated beverage person but since I started doing that it only happened one more time in the last 2 months of my pregnancy.
I am now dealing with some light headedness, grrr. So I may have to start drinking caffine again. My dr. said essentially it just gives my tired body a little jump start.
I also was going to a chiropractor during pregnancy and while it did wonders for many things (I love my chiro) it didn't help the dizziness.
Best of luck!
J.
I have a sister who was getting light headedness sometime after she started a diet (it was not an extreme diet). She quit the diet and would still have problems at times. After consulting her doctor and a chiropractor it seems it is stress related. She joined a health club to get on an exercise program to relieve stress with a trainer. Her trainer said it was from not having enough oxygen. You might be breathing more shallowly if you are stressed and not exercising. I would suggest getting some help with an exercise program that will get more oxygen to your brain. My sister's light headedness has almost completely cleared up since exercising.
There are only 2 things I can think of. Low blood sugar and thyroid issues. I would have my thyroid tested if I were you. Mine was normal until my first daughter was born and then went crazy and still is and it's been almost 6 years.
I also can get low blood sugar when I'm overstressed, overtired or haven't eaten in a while. I know it's easy to forget to eat or you may get busy in the morning before you eat and that will do it to me.
Best Wishes,
J.
Mom to 4 and soon one more through another adoption.
Hi D.-
My name is B.- 47 yo mom of twin girls- now 6, med. prof. and wellness coach.
Might be a few things- HYPOglycemia, omega3 fatty acid deficiency (your baby takes your stores and it takes 3 years to build up with supplements- most likely) Some we know get headaches from it too- and it starts during pregnancy like you describe. WE have a supplement - and you'd know in a month. We also have super nutritional alternative products.
I'm heading out of town for a couple weeks but am available via email. My website is http://www.mydietshop.org so check out the Herbalifeline product. My email address is ____@____.com
Sorry- short and sweet- I"ve been in house on call for the last 3 days and playing catch up to leave town.
Thanks and hope to chat with you-
B. Jarmoluk
I do this when I am dehydrated a bit- happens mostly when I stand up, but has occurred when I'm sitting still or walking also- try to get some eletrolites in when you are feeling this way.
Hello, I have experienced exactly what you described around ten years ago not related to pregnancy. What helped me was both acupuncture and chiropractic treatments. Doctors told me it was stress-related. I still feel some of this every time I ovulate and right before my period. I think its related to my cycle. Also trying massage might help. Sometimes our bodies response to stress comes before we intellectulize it.
