You guys have such serious stuff going on that I even hate to bring anything this trivial but I'm a bit concerned that Alan got dizzy for about 10 seconds today.

It doesn't happen often, (I asked him), he said "Oh this happens every couple of months". I said what happens? and he said "well, today I was sitting in the chair (he was in NYC attending some seminar). He was sitting in the chair (not rising up or anything like that), but just sitting , when he said he began to feel light headed. I asked him "did you turn your head or anything?" and he said "well, I don't know what I did but all of a sudden I got light headed and I just gripped the chair and I was fine in a moment".

So we have this dizzy thing happening every few months or so, (the last time he got up fast from the bed, and that lasted for a few seconds), and that was last month or so. But this time, it happened for no reason.

He does have a history of being dehydrated. He DOES NOT DRINK FLUIDS like I do. That much I know. And oh, he is on a no-salt diet for almost 2 years now, every since the stent (and way before, when he got the vertigo and went to the doctor and was told he had Menieres). She there is virtually no salt in his diet.

Now he does take metoprolol (25) once a day. He has never been on blood pressure meds in his life before the stent. His pressure (before the stent) was always 100/65 or thereabouts, so this guy NEVER had any kind of blood pressure thing going on. But when he got the stent we were told that once a stent goes in the body, the body's blood pressure rises, and you need the meds. So he did what he was told.

Now he will be seeing Dr. Fred next week to pick up his plavix. He's going to tell Dr Fred what happened and they'll check his blood pressure.

Oh, he has no headache, his balance is fine. He's inside eating some yogurt and watching tv and seems fine. So this spell (for lack of a better description), lasted a moment or two about 5 hours ago.

But usually, every time he gets a blood test, they always say "you're dehydrated". Can this cause occasional dizzyness??

Thanks much

Melody

well know how the 'intake' and outgo affects how well one functions? Well, IF Alan hadn't eaten, nor hydrated properly for quite a while before his 'event'...it's not rocket science...
As for blood tests? One cannot slurp too much water prior? Unless advised otherwise...You gotta get juice into your veins to get them easily 'tapped'. No ands, ifs, or buts. More juice in 'em, easier the process. Same goes for infusions? Give them 'juicy' veins and the rest is easy..if not problems can occur.
I used to be and maybe still am hypoglycemic...kind of the opposite to Diabetic, but actions, reactions are similar? The key is the getting foods into you that are processed correctly and at the right rates...Too much or little at the wrong times...well KABOOM! Flat out cold or near so...Not pretty at all. Now, Alan's a grown person...tell him to either let you know or let you know when he's gonna be in situations where this mite happen. For me, such situations are kinda predictable...as in no food for key periods of critical times? For my Hypo condition, well, I just tote some crackers and cheese slices [about 3-4] to get me over any 'humps'. For a Hypoglycemic, the processing and sugar/carb curve goes slower with the carbs. For a Diabetic, such a solution would NOT be the best approach...I'm not well trained in that quarter.... I just wish I could be more useful?
Doesn't mean that I don't HATE those passing out sessions tho! Those aren't fun for any reason, wherever and however they happen! Here is to them NOT happening again? - j

Dahlek:

Trying to get this guy to listen to me is, well, forget it.

Today it was snowing, hailing, sleeting, raining, HORRIBLE HORRIBLE WEATHER. I had just left the house to go to the laundry. Alan had told me he was going into NYC. I said "don't think so, look at what it's starting to do". It was only starting at the time, and he would be leaving in 30 minutes.

So as I get to the laundromat (5 minutes from my house), I can't begin to tell you how the weather changed. In the 5 minute walk to the laundromat, the sleet that came down into my laundry bag, well, I could not believe it. I almost slid off the sidewalk but by that time I was in front of the laundromat. Everybody looked outside and we were all going "holy cow, they said it was going to hail, but jeeez". So naturally I call up Alan and I'm saying into the phone (he always lets the machine pick up", so I'm saying "you better be still in the house, because you can't walk with your neuropathy, you'll fall in the street". He calmly picks up the phone and says "of course I'm going, don't worry". I said 'don't worry?, do you see what it's doing outside??" He said "nah, don't worry".

So he left. He came home at 5:30, (it was pouring rainy sleet by then), all drenched. He said "see, what were you worrying about?" I wanted to bang him upside his head.

I cannot wait to see what the orthopedic surgeon says to him on Tuesday. That's when we find out if he gets an operation to shave down the bone thingee under his foot ulcer. So far, he hasn't bled in 5 days and is just wearing the orthotics. I don't care, I want him to be examined by the ortho guy because he's has this thing since May of 06.

It's time already.

God, I sound like a mother instead of a wife.

lol

Thanks much
mel

to Alan's doctor.

Getting a moment's dizziness upon standing up suddenly, is probably due to the blood pressure medication.

But getting dizzy sitting in a chair doing nothing is another. If he bends over to pick something up from the floor,
that is similar to standing up, and may be part of the blood pressure med.

Momentary dizziness can be due to sinus congestion or a plugged up ear.
But it can also be from too low of blood pressure. Or from A-fib..in the heart.
I suggest you have Alan log these episodes with a time of day and where they happen. If it is A-fib, (atrial fibrillation) that can be serious. It is a good thing he is on anti-clotting therapy...that reduces the risk of A-fib.

After I had my baby, and was still in the hospital, they overmedicated my blood pressure which had been elevated. I started seeing spots when I looked at the white walls, and once I fainted sitting up. So they tapered one of the meds off, the hydralazine. I was very happy to see that one go..it was nasty.

As Mrs D said - definatey report to doc - could be many issues.... my "theme" song is "Dizzy" - I get dizzy from my heart med that I have to take for arrythmias so have to get up slow - but since PN sometimes get very dizzy just movimg - and the docs say its an autonomic dysfuction of my heart due to neuropathy - my blood pressure doesnt adjust when I get up and stays low - thus the dizziness and possible fainting.... they sent me to cardiologist for a tilt table - who after just doing the lay down, sit, stand blood pressure testing and seeimg no change in pressure (it should adust to your altititude) - said he didnt need to put me thruogh the tilt table - he knew I'd pass out and throw up - and he didnt want to subject me to that.... instead just be very careful moving...

But again, could be many many issues.... and important to try to figure out what!

Mrs. D.

The day Alan listens to anything I say, well, give me a million dollars. He was fine immediately after this "spell" happened. He came home, ate like a champ, no problems, nothing.

Just now, I told him "the guys on the boards say you have to re-hyrdrate and drink and eat sensibly". Then he says 'well, I cheated yesterday". I said 'you did what???" You can't cheat, you have menieres and a history of vertigo (which, truthfully he hasn't had an episode in over 3 years, but still.....)

Anyway, I said "what did you cheat, what did you eat"?.

Get this. He's at the seminar and he says "well, I had a cookie, a brownie, and a coffee roll" oh, a diet coke too." I just looked at him. The sugar content alone (thank god he's not a diabetic), but really!!

All this (maybe not the coke), but all this has sodium). He's not supposed to have sodium. Because practically everything you buy outside of your house IS LOADED WITH SODIUM, I can only imagine what was in the cookie and the brownie and the other thing he at.

And forget about him telling his doctor. I thought he was going to the doctor today to pick up his plavix. No, he's going to the pharmacy to get it filled.

He looked fine, he said he feels fine (except his psoriasis (ever since he had the ivig last week), well, it's BAD!!!! He has terrible dry skin. I'm always brushing off his clothes. It's like his skin cells are on overdrive.

Before i went to the couch and there were all these flakes all over the couch. I told him. "you better start putting lotion or baby oil on your body". I tried giving him a facial the other day while he was on the computer. I put some baby oil on my hands, warmed it between my hands and put a bit on his bald head and gave him a facial. He couldnt' stand it. (Now who on earth wouldn't like a facial from me, I give good facials). No beauty creams or anything like that, just light massage and applying the baby oil to his face and skin. Very gently. He coudn't stand it. He doesn't go for this stuff (or so he says). So I give up.

I know there is a disease where your skin falls off. I don't think he has this. I once knew an elderly woman (I must have been 17 or so). She was obese, and over 80. Every time she got up, her skin was left behind. Her daughter explained that she had this disease that her skin would peel off.

This is not what I'm referring to with Alan. He has dry skin. He has patches of it on his forehead and he has the psoriasis. This is auto-immune right??

He's tried all the meds for the psoriasis. Nothing has worked. This morning, I rubbed the A and D ointment on the patch on his leg. It's really nasty. It gets all red and scaly, and then it gets better, then it comes back.

I know it's his body attacking itself. It's not the worst thing in the world compared to the pain of PN, this I know.

Oh well. He's at the gym trying to bring oxygen to his blood cells.

We'll see.

Melody

Melody - another thing - salt - when I get very dizzy my docs have my salt load - it helps...

kmeb:

See what I just posted.

What does Salt Load mean??

Thanks, Melody

When I'm having BP problems and get dizzy - the docs tell me to drink salty broth - not being medical person not sure why - but the salt is important in keeping my BP up.....

This intense restriction of the diet, appears extreme to me.

I was on a restricted diet when I was pregnant. No pickles, canned soups etc.
It was 2gm daily max. (this is no longer done in pregnancy BTW)

Please read these:
http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/hyp...a/saltwars.htm

Not everyone is salt sensitive:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/en...indexed=google

http://drmirkin.blogspot.com/2007/06...wer-blood.html

Moderation is the key word. No pickles, canned soups etc...(although new ones are very low sodium now), and things like pretzels/chips, salted nuts.

But without sodium you cannot maintain enough blood pressure to get to the brain. And with working out and sweating, I'd think some sodium is needed.

It only takes one faint to hit the head, and kill you. My husband's mother hit her head in the bathroom, and was dead in 12 hrs, at age 42.