In the shower I get very short of breath and find it difficult to breathe, my vision becomes fuzzy and black and I find it difficult to stand. Today when I got out of the shower I fell onto the floor because I was shaking so much. My breathing quickened and my breaths were short and sharp. I sometimes have this when I vacuum too - the other day I felt myself getting hot and dizzy and my vision started to fade. I usually "treat" this lightheadedness with sitting down, concentrating on breathing steadily and drinking sips of water. Today however I feel very tired after my shower, my muscles are achey and I still find breathing uncomfortable. I was lying down on my bed and when I tried to sit up my stomach felt sore. Please help!

Hi Eleanor

Welcome to Neurotalk.

It sounds like you may be experiencing Orthostatic Hypotension (aka Postural Hypotension). This is a sudden drop in blood pressure (BP) on standing that can cause dizziness etc. When it happens sporadically and on it's own it's usually not a cause for concern but persistent occurrence can be a symptom of an underlying illness.

It would be worth you getting your doctor to do a Postural BP test. Note if you are stressed during your check up it can be enough to raise your BP back to normal (or above) and hide the symptom - something as simple as bad traffic on the way to the clinic will do it - so try and stay calm before the test.

I hope you find some answers soon.

Hi Eleanor,

I believe you are describing a medical situation which needs evaluation immediately.

You are reporting very serious symptoms.

Please seek immediate medical assistance.

Very Concerned,

DejaVu

Do you have any other diagnosed medical conditions?
On any medications?
Any past injuries to spine or neck?
Any other symptoms or issues?

Hi Eleanor,

Just checking in, wondering how you are doing.
I hope you made a call to someone for assistance.
I hope all is well.

With concern,
DejaVu

I am booking an appointment with my doctor for later this week. Hopefully I shall get it all checked out! Thank you for your help and concern, Eleanor

I take medication for my skin but have been doing so since 2012. I have had trouble with this lightheadedness (but on a lesser scale) since the start of 2014 but I was told it was just due to stress. I have had no spinal or neck injuries and I can't think of any other symptoms - although today I ran out of breath simply talking and my heart rate feels faster than normal. I also seem to be getting hot and headachey but this is probably due to the weather.

Thank you for your advice! Eleanor

Eleanor, make sure you are drinking lots of water.
Keep hydrated in the heat while you wait for your appt..

Eleanor,
I am glad you are okay and have plans to see your doctor.

The ability to breathe is critical to your well-being.
Please don't hesitate to call 911.

Lara just gave great advice about staying hydrated.

Take care of yourself, Eleanor.

With Concern,
DejaVu

The first thing that came to my mind is magnesium, and deficiency. Do you take magnesium...many do not. A friend just came out of hospital and now deals with afib and my thinking is that she wasn't taking enough mag if she took any. I've been taking higher doses for many years. And there is a long post on the vitamin section here on magnesium.

It's vital for all body functions and finding more and more how overlooked it is. Do research on magnesium and your issues, if you care to.