alexseanchai | (no subject)

So I just had possibly the worst several minutes of my life. I got out of bed (after one in the afternoon, yeah, sue me) and I got dizzy. Spinny room in pretty colors, headache, and everything. This happens, I'm told, because my blood pressure is too low, and because I really don't like salt, which I need to eat to get my blood pressure higher. Usually leaning against the nearest convenient vertical object for a couple seconds is enough for the dizzy to go away. This time it didn't. That happens sometimes too, but it's never more than maybe thirty seconds, so I wandered downstairs anyway, went to get a cup of water, and faceplanted into the kitchen island because the pretty colors were so intense I couldn't see the damn thing.

Stayed there a minute or two. Decided I'd rather sit this out, so I headed for the basement where I've made my little nest. Halfway between the kitchen island and the stairs I fell down. I never fall down.

Stayed on the floor till I could see again. Got to the basement and realized I had to go to the bathroom. Back upstairs it was. Yay stair rails. Crashed into the bathroom door and fell down again.

I'm fine now, I think. But damn that was scary. Now I just want to know why, and should I call my parents. (Everybody but me and brother is off camping this week, and brother probably didn't hear the thuds, certainly didn't come to investigate for which I am fortunate because I am not wearing pants, and wouldn't know the answer to 'why' any more than I do.) I Googled 'causes of dizziness' and it's both lightheadedness and vertigo but mostly lightheadedness. I'm not dehydrated, I'm not sick, I haven't eaten yet today but I've done that before and this has never happened to me before, there was plenty of salt in my ramen yesterday, my only allergies are to meds I haven't taken since I was tiny, if I was bleeding I'm pretty sure I'd know, I have not been hyperventilating or using mind-altering substances, my stress levels are fairly low all things considered, and I think I forgot my Celexa and Abilify last night but that's happened before and again this has never happened before.

So. Thoughts?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That used to happen to me, and my doctor attributed it to mild anemia/iron deficiency and recommended that I try to eat more dark green vegetables and red meat.

In other words, time to go pick some kale? And raid the freezer for dinner, and if it turns out it actually is an iron deficiency I'ma be pissed because I have been trying to go vegetarian dammit.

Kale, spinach, romaine lettuce...

Yeeeah, I once mentioned trying to give up meat for Lent, and she went "Do me a favour. Don't."

Yay fun. Not that I dislike kale or spinach or romaine lettuce, you understand.

Have acquired pants and a tuna sandwich containing a truly disgusting quantity of salt. If the problem's blood pressure, I should be fine. Plenty of beef in the freezer, but it's all in quantities too large to be worth thawing considering there's only two people eating. Bah. BAH I SAY.

1) Inner ear problems (including but not limited to infections)
2) Side effects of medications

Both things I have to go talk to a doctor about. Goody.

If you don't like salt in itself, can you eat salty foods? Soy sauce as a flavoring has about 960 mg (40% RDA) per tablespoon, for example...

I really suggest you call your doctor, but falling down twice in a day is a *serious* symptom that something is wrong.

Been to emergency room. Doctor figures it's part low blood pressure, part meds, since Celexa and Abilify both have dizziness as a side effect.

The colored lights seem to say migraine to me (and I get migraine-associated vertigo), but I think it would be good to get it checked out sooner rather than later.

Feel better!

I do not recall ever having a migraine, but they do run in the family...

Been to emergency room. Doctor figures it's part low blood pressure, part meds, since Celexa and Abilify both have dizziness as a side effect.

As a mom, if my daughter were having those symptoms, I would want to know!! I once had vertigo, fell, and broke my nose. The same thing happened to another friend. And then it's blood everywhere and the ER.

If you are feeling better, you can have someone take you somewhere for a blood pressure measurement. And yes, it could be migraine, allergies, medication reaction, inner ear infection, or low BP. Unfortunately, yes, I think a doctor's visit is in order.

Hang in there. Feel better. Take care!!!

Been to emergency room. Doctor figures it's part low blood pressure, part meds, since Celexa and Abilify both have dizziness as a side effect.

Oh, and yes, I did call my mother. Apparently wherever she is has no cell service.

Edited 2011-07-03 02:09 (UTC)

Someone above mentioned it, but that sounds like iron deficiency to me. And if you want to go vegetarian...well, sometimes it just doesn't work health-wise, but I hope you are able to, so you might try iron tablets of some sort.

I hope you're able to figure it out and feel better! That's scary.

I had blood work done at the hospital, so I think if I were iron-deficient they'd have seen it and told me, but eating more dark green leafy veggies can't hurt.

That's scary. :( I'm glad you're okay.

I get dizzy spells when I'm having my period sometimes, and sometimes if it's really hot, and a couple times with what might have been really intense pain? I don't have low blood pressure or anything, it just seems to happen.

When it does, I try to sit or lie down as soon as I realize I'm getting dizzy (preferably somewhere cool, or I splash water on my face/neck/wrists), because if I try to walk I fall down, and I can't hear or see anything, and...yeah. But then it usually passes after a couple minutes? I think the longest dizzy spell caused a twenty-minute gap.

<333333 I think you should tell your parents.

Parents already know. Mom is freaking out about the possibility of having to pay the emergency room fee, because apparently Tricare is run by morons.