Hi all!
I've asked a couple of my doctors (including my surgeon's office) about this and neither seem overly concerned so I wanted to see if this is something other people are dealing with and I just need to suck it up. I am almost 4 years post op gastric bypass, 150 lbs. lost. I'm also a slightly unusual case because I was and am Type 1 diabetic as well. I have regular bouts of dizziness and lightheadedness, sometimes just from standing and sometimes just at random times. My blood pressure does tend to be on the low side since surgery, though not dangerously low. I have always had iron-deficient anemia but it is mostly controlled with supplements. All of my blood tests are in the normal range or very close to it, so it's not a vitamin deficiency. So my question is... do others deal with the same problem? Do I just need to accept that it's the way it is and deal with it? I just wonder if I should be concerned about it. I also cycle regularly and worry about getting dizzy while riding. It hasn't happened yet but if it does, that could definitely be dangerous.
Thanks for any insight!

I have similar feelings/experiences and also have pernicious anaemia, one time thought I was having a stroke because my face went numb and I fell backwards onto the floor which was quite scary, even more so as I was on a trip on my own and no-one to help me.

Like you my bloods didn't show anything of concern and doctor was dismissive and put it down to me being dehydrated. I have upped my water intake, cut back on my coffee (from 3 or 4 large cups down to 1 or 2 a day) and included electrolytes when needed and it seems to help reduce the frequency, now it is more just if I am fatigued. I am hoping that it won't happen too often and like you I am not sure what else, if anything, can be done.

I have the issue with lightheaded and dizziness when I first stand. I am about 20 months out from my surgery with 140 lbs down. When I talked to my Dr, they reduced my dosage for my heart rate and blood pressure. This has not gotten rid of it, but made it much better. From what I understand, my blood pressure was much lower than it used to be and when I would stand, my body would send blood to my legs leaving my brain a little low due to reduced pressure. After a few seconds or minute, the blood returns.

It’s called Orthostatic hypotension. Your blood pressure drops on changing your positioning to sitting, sitting to standing. Doesn’t necessarily occur every time you move though it can be annoying.

All my life I had a tendency to lower blood pressure ( it’s in my family)but since my surgery it’s become an every day thing. My BP sits around 80/60 but it can be lower. My vision narrows with mine and when I have a very bad bout (so when my blood pressure really drops low) my hearing is affected. Thank goodness quickly passes.

Some tips. When getting up, wait before moving. Some say if you march on the spot or wriggle your toes before moving helps. It never does for me. When my vision stats to narrow or I feel it coming on I stop moving. I also reach for a wall, chair, table or even a person to ground me. I also will bend at the waist so the blood doesn’t have to fight gravity as much to get to my head. Keep hydrated. Sometimes increasing your salt intake a little can help too.

PS - they even put me on medication for mine for a while and it did absolutely nothing.

Edited August 14, 2025Aug 14 by Arabesque

Yes it happens to me too especially in the mornings. I grab on to anything until the tweety bird flying around my head flies away. I have to especially careful in the shower. Washing my hair can bring it on ? I have to sit on the seat now to do it.

17 hours ago, summerseeker said:

Yes it happens to me too especially in the mornings. I grab on to anything until the tweety bird flying around my head flies away. I have to especially careful in the shower. Washing my hair can bring it on ? I have to sit on the seat now to do it.

Oh yes me too. I can get it reaching up to an upper shelf at the grocery store. Had what could have been a terrible accident in a fabric shop. I reached up to get some cord from an upper shelf. BP dropped so I grabbed the shelving unit to ground myself but it to start to topple towards me. Don’t know how I managed to push it back & stabilise it (it was large - tall and wide) but if I didn’t I would have squashed underneath it. Yikes!