feeling light headed

Hi everyone I am 3 weeks post op. Everytime I bend over and get up I feel light headed and get dizzy, what am I doing wrong? What should I be doing? Sometimes I just sit and feel light headed. Is this normal? Thanks ahead of time, Tara

Hi, Tara! Feeling light-headed can sometimes be a symptom of low blood pressure. Before WLS, did you have high blood pressure and, if so, were you taking meds for it? If so, and if you're still taking the meds, they might be lowering your blood pressure too far. Either way, call your doctor about the light-headedness. Debby

Call your doctor right away, as Debby said. There are several reasons for lightheadedness, some are trivial and some are more serious. Some folks take a while recovering from the anesthesia, and it seems lots of folks are anemic following major surgery. It can be low blood sugar, especially if you have or had diabetes prior to surgery. It can also be a sign of something more serious, such as bleeding from a surgical site or ulcer. Have you noticed any blood in your stool or urine? Is your face pale or flush? If so, get to the doctor or ER immediately. This happened to me, and I almost waited too long. The doctor can usually tell fairly quickly what's causing the dizziness by taking your blood pressure and doing a blood test that checks your hematocrit, or red blood cell count. You can get the blood test back in about an hour in the hospital. Call your doctor. --Steve

Hi Tara, I fully agree with calling your doc. Also, are you getting enough water? You could be dehydrated. I had the same thing, that's why I ask. But be safe and call your doc. Cheryl