Battling with dizziness/lightheaded episodes

[newsam1154 36]

Hi all, hoping someone can help shed a little more light as I’m at a loss here. Up until the last three months, I have had no issues - but since, any time in a public setting, I will get sick to my stomach, dizzy, hot, and light headed. Yes, I take my Vitamins and follow a good diet my surgeon recommends being a year out. I have an appointment set up with my surgeon however they are leaning towards an anxiety issue. My thing is, I don’t feel anxious? And these episodes have happened in familiar places around familiar people.

I’m just at a loss and it’s becoming almost crippling.
Any thoughts? 😭

[Arabesque 6,494]

Hypoglycaemia? Just a suggestion. I get symptoms very similar to yours when I have an episode plus cold sweats. Does having something to eat or drink help? I find even some Water or a cup of tea can make a difference. I can have them after I’ve been active or after I’ve been in a shoe store trying on shoes.

The most awful episode I experienced was in a cafe during the covid years. Full blown symptoms & the other people in the queue all literally stepped back from me - way back - like backs against the wall. I’m sure they were thinking: Unclean! Unclean! I asked the girl at the counter for some juice. She pointed to a refrigerator over by a far wall which was where a lot of the people had congregated. She wasn’t going to help me either. Dragged myself to their bathroom to sip water from the basin & sit on the toilet to recover. I should have said it wasn’t Covid but hypoglycaemia, like diabetes, & I needed fluids like juice. Maybe someone would have helped me then. Should say I had this before surgery. Just random episodes so nothing new for me.

[catwoman7 10,874]

it's good to have it checked out, although this far out from surgery, the usual culprit is low blood sugar. I started having issues with that at about two years out. I went in for a workup and they tested everything - glucose, blood pressure, ears (it can also be due to an imbalance in your inner ear), even urine (not sure what that test would have been looking for with that, but whatever..). Everything came back normal, but I noticed it again about two weeks later. It was a couple of hours after I'd eaten a piece of cake at a retirement party. I usually just eat a couple of forkfuls, but that time I'd eaten the whole piece. So i let my PCP know. She said the problem was probably low blood sugar, then - it's just that my glucose level happened to be normal when I had the workup. She suggested I just eat something about every three hours - either a Protein or, if a carb, then pair it with a protein. Seems to have resolved the issue for me.

[newsam1154 36]

11 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Hypoglycaemia? Just a suggestion. I get symptoms very similar to yours when I have an episode plus cold sweats. Does having something to eat or drink help? I find even some Water or a cup of tea can make a difference. I can have them after I’ve been active or after I’ve been in a shoe store trying on shoes.

The most awful episode I experienced was in a cafe during the covid years. Full blown symptoms & the other people in the queue all literally stepped back from me - way back - like backs against the wall. I’m sure they were thinking: Unclean! Unclean! I asked the girl at the counter for some juice. She pointed to a refrigerator over by a far wall which was where a lot of the people had congregated. She wasn’t going to help me either. Dragged myself to their bathroom to sip Water from the basin & sit on the toilet to recover. I should have said it wasn’t Covid but hypoglycaemia, like diabetes, & I needed fluids like juice. Maybe someone would have helped me then. Should say I had this before surgery. Just random episodes so nothing new for me.

I'm honestly afraid to eat or drink because I'm afraid it will throw me into DS. For an example, the other night my brother took us out for dinner. I had one sip of water and it was all downhill from there. But I've never had this issue at home. I'm really open to any and all suggestions, so next time it happens - would gatorade or like a Protein Bar work?

[newsam1154 36]

3 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

it's good to have it checked out, although this far out from surgery, the usual culprit is low blood sugar. I started having issues with that at about two years out. I went in for a workup and they tested everything - glucose, blood pressure, ears (it can also be due to an imbalance in your inner ear), even urine (not sure what that test would have been looking for with that, but whatever..). Everything came back normal, but I noticed it again about two weeks later. It was a couple of hours after I'd eaten a piece of cake at a retirement party. I usually just eat a couple of forkfuls, but that time I'd eaten the whole piece. So i let my PCP know. She said the problem was probably low blood sugar, then - it's just that my glucose level happened to be normal when I had the workup. She suggested I just eat something about every three hours - either a Protein or, if a carb, then pair it with a Protein. Seems to have resolved the issue for me.

I'm definitely going to give this a try. Maybe I think I'm doing good but I'm not? I have two phone calls into my surgeon but no answer yet. I do go to see him on the 7th of April but I have A LOT of social events between now and then and I'm beyond nervous this mystery ailment is going to ruin things.

[catwoman7 10,874]

1 hour ago, newsam1154 said:

I'm honestly afraid to eat or drink because I'm afraid it will throw me into DS. For an example, the other night my brother took us out for dinner. I had one sip of Water and it was all downhill from there. But I've never had this issue at home. I'm really open to any and all suggestions, so next time it happens - would gatorade or like a Protein Bar work?

do you dump? I never have. If you do, just limiting (or avoiding) sugar and fat should prevent that.

[Sigh 192]

Sounds like hypoglycemia -i had a few episodes like that in thepast,even to the point of throwing up. I could feel the sweat rising up my neck. It sucked. Good luck figuring it out,

[Arabesque 6,494]

11 hours ago, newsam1154 said:

I'm honestly afraid to eat or drink because I'm afraid it will throw me into DS. For an example, the other night my brother took us out for dinner. I had one sip of Water and it was all downhill from there. But I've never had this issue at home. I'm really open to any and all suggestions, so next time it happens - would gatorade or like a Protein Bar work?

Not eating or drinking is the worst thing you can do if it is hypoglycaemia. Any electrolyte/energy drink will help (I usually use hydralyte but forgot it the day I had the awful attack). I also used to carry a Protein bar. What do you mean by DS?

I sometimes experience stress induced foamies. It’s become a bit of a learnt behaviour when I go out. And can occur an hour or so after eating. I had a couple of experiences when I was out which caused me to start worrying it might happen again & then it often does. It’s like getting anxious tightens everything up & … foamies. Only started last year- 3 years out. I know it’s me & am working my way through it. Have spoken to my surgeon’s colleague about it & she confirmed my thinking.

[newsam1154 36]

7 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Not eating or drinking is the worst thing you can do if it is hypoglycaemia. Any electrolyte/energy drink will help (I usually use hydralyte but forgot it the day I had the awful attack). I also used to carry a Protein Bar. What do you mean by DS?

I sometimes experience stress induced foamies. It’s become a bit of a learnt behaviour when I go out. And can occur an hour or so after eating. I had a couple of experiences when I was out which caused me to start worrying it might happen again & then it often does. It’s like getting anxious tightens everything up & … foamies. Only started last year- 3 years out. I know it’s me & am working my way through it. Have spoken to my surgeon’s colleague about it & she confirmed my thinking.

Dumping syndrome; the racing heartrate, cold sweats, looking to see where a bathroom is because I know I'll need it. I've never thrown up, however the nausea is so bad sometimes, I'm down for the count for about an hour or two trying to handle it with Dramamine. I know it's for motion sickness but it tends to help, the nausea anyway. It's become all very overwhelming.

[newsam1154 36]

17 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

do you dump? I never have. If you do, just limiting (or avoiding) sugar and fat should prevent that.

Yes, but not all the time? I think too my worry causes the sour stomach which then spirals me out of control. I'm just hoping to get some answers here soon, but I truly appreciate your insight.

[Not sure 48]

I’m going through something similar, I get lightheaded, start to lose focus then vision and finally I have passed out once. The current thought is my resting heart rate is low like 42bpm and sometimes my body is not reacting fast enough when I make sudden movements. I have a holter heart monitor scheduled soon.

[Arabesque 6,494]

Oh of course, dumping. That only occurs if you eat certain fats, fried foods or sugar. It can occur with high processed simple carbs & some dairy products but is less common. Theses are foods you would generally be avoiding now anyway. Try eliminating any you may be eating to work out which one/s upsets you if you think it is dumping.