DISSINESS AFTER WLS

I ALWAYS HAD A LOW B/P USUALLY 120/60, BUT AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS POST OP AND AROUND 134WT. I WAS HAVING DIZZY SPELLS AFTER STOOPING SQAUTING AND JUST BENDING. TWICE I BLACKED OUT IN ONE DAY WHILE PULLING WEEDS. CALLED MY SURGEON WES TOLD IT HAD NOTHING TO DO W/WLS. SEEN FAMILY DR. B/P DROPS TO ABOUT 80/40 WHEN STOOPING. SENT ME FOR HEART TESTS ALL WERE NORMAL. CARDIO DOC SAYS THIS HAPPENS W/ELDERLY AND HE NORMALLY PERSCRIBES A STERIOD THAT INCREASES FLUID RETETION AND WHAT YOU DONT NEED YOUR BODY EXCRETES, I WAS NEVER DEHYDRATED, AND GIVING ME A PILL TO INCREASE FLUIDS DIDNT MAKE SENCE ESPECIALLY A PILL WE ALL KNOW PUTS WT. ON U, AND THEY SAID I COULD BE ON IT LONG TERM. I DECIDED TO LIVE WITH THIS HAVE ADAPTED TO BEING REALLY CAREFUL SO I DONT BLACK OUT,AND HOPE IT PASS'S,AFTER MY BODY ADJUSTS TO THE NEW ME @120 NOW. BUT STILL THINK IT IS RELATED TO WLS., ANYONE ELSE W/THIS? ANGEL

Angel Yes!!! This has been happening to me for the past 2 - 3 months, but I haven't seen my doctor for it (bad me, I know!). If I get up out of a chair too quickly, or bend over to get something out of the cupboard and then stand upright I FREQUENTLY get very dizzy, and have blacked out on several occasions. Once, at church, the black out lasted a few seconds and I had to grab ahold of my boyfriend because I was afraid I was actually going to pass out and hit the floor! I think it is blood pressure related......mine is quite low now, too. I am lousy about taking my iron pill sometimes, and have been thinking that might be my problem. The weird thing is that there are days when I don't have this problem at all, and then others when it happens several times a day. I don't know if its technically WLS related....although it could have to do with our bodies adjusting to our quick loss of weight (I'm 10 1/2 months post-op, down 134 lbs.). It certainly isn't age...I'm 36! I would be exploring it with your PCP instead of your surgeon. Perhaps I should do the same, huh?! Kathy 294/160/155

KATHY, I AM 32 SO I KNOW IT ISNT AGE EITHER. WE KNOW IT IS THE B/P. THE CARDIO DOC. SAID THERE ARE SENSORS THRUE OUT YOUR BODY THAT SEND SIGNALS TO YOUR BRAIN ON HOW TO REGULATE YOUR B/P AS YOUR MOVEMENTS CHANGE. IN ELDERLY THESE SENCORS STOP FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND THE ELDERLY ARE GIVEN MEDS. TO HELP W/BLOOD PRESSURE. HE RECOMMENDED THE STERIOD HE SAID IT WOULDNT PUT WT. ON ME BUT I WONT TAKE THE CHANCE BESIDES STERIODS SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN FOR VERY LONG I DIDNT THINK. I DO KNOW IF U ARE DEHYDRATED IT CAN CAUSE THIS AS WELL BUT I NEVER WAS. I DONT KNOW ABOUT IRON BUT MY BLOOD WORK HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD. HOT WEATHER INCREASES THE SYMPTOMS,HE TOLD ME BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS. I HAVE A THREE YEAR OLD AT HOME WITH ME AND IT IS FRIGHTENING IT COULD HAPPEN WHEN IT IS JUST HER AND I,AND I AM LIKE YOU SOMEDAYS GREAT OTHERS IT IS W/EVERY CHANGE IN MOVEMENT. SCAREST----I WAS LEANING OVER OUR IN-GROUND POOL TO GET OUT A FLOAT , THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BLACK OUT BEFORE I COULD GET AWAY FROM IT 10FT.DEEP,JUST ME AND BABY AT HOME. I DONT DO THAT ANYMORE ANGEL

Hi, I was squatting to milk my goats and every time I stood up I almost passed out. I told my doctor's nurse and she said it was the lower blood pressure my body wasn't used to yet. When I squat, it cuts the blood off from my legs and then when I stand up, the blood rushes to my legs, so I almost pass out. She said it can do this if you are laying down and get up too fast also. She told me to make sure I sit on something instead of squatting and that would help. Sure enough, I started sitting on a stool and haven't had it happen since. Every time I try to squat to do anything, (gardening, etc.) I almost pass out. So, I guess what she is saying is, you have to adjust to make your new body happy! I can live with that!