Dizziness after eating?

If anyone's followed my posts, you'll know I've had a difficult recovery from my 2/2 surgery -- dehydration, kidney infection, extreme weakness. I'm almost 7 weeks post-op, and a new problem had popped up during the past week.

When I stand up after eating (not overeating), I often (not always) get light-headed and need to hang on to something (like my husband) for a few minutes until it passes. It sometimes happens when I'm not eating, although not as bad.

I'm about 40 pounds down from my high weight and on high-blood-pressure meds, but is 40 pounds enough to make a difference in my dosage?

This problem is annoying and somewhat worrisome. I thought I'd check with my buds here to see if there's a simple explanation before I call my surgeon.

psychoticparrot

Yes 40 pound lighter is enough to make a difference. You should check your pressure before taking any and all blood pressure medicine. You should also ask the doctor who prescribed the medication for parameters, so you will know when to not take the medication. Make sure you stand slowly from now on.  

Zee

The surgery alone can make a significant difference in your blood pressure, even without waiting for any weight loss. My blood pressure basically went from super high to completely normal a week after surgery. And yes, 40 lbs can make a difference. Do you have a home blood pressure cuff to check your blood pressure? I would definitely check in with your PCP or whoever is in charge of your blood pressure meds.

In the meantime, try pumping your legs like you are riding a bicycle for at least 30 seconds before standing up. That can help with orthostatic hypotension. I am not saying that is what you have -- not a medical professional! But it seems to be a common-ish side effect for recent wls patients, and I have seen people mention this as helpful. Good luck!

Thank you! That's really all I needed to know! I (or rather my husband) has a blood pressure cuff. I'll start taking readings at regular times and see what the story is. Then I'll contact my family doctor.

You guys .... 

psychoticparrot

Losing 10% of your body weight will often require a change in your blood pressure medication.  Monitor your bp and call your doctor on Monday.

There is also this odd little reverse blood sugar deal that can happen. It's one of those 1% (probably even less) of all surgery things ( you mentioned after eating). It's like being a diabetic in reverse. You body produces so much insulin you get low blood sugar after eating (versus it making your bs higher).

Its an outlier (and I think perhaps mainly with RNY), but worth mentioning.

I hope things start to settle for you soon.

Yes! I begin BP meds at 32, and never went below mid 80s on the bottom. 3 weeks after surgery, I had dizziness when standing. When I checked my BP it was 100/60. I began tracking and haven't been on BP meds for almost a month (per my GP).  I am 38 pounds down and feel great! The only advice they gave me was to stay hydrated, because dehydration makes it go even lower. Call your doc and keep sipping!

Thanks for the additional advice. I'm nearly certain the problem is my BP, but I'll mention that reverse-sugar effect to my doctor too. I had a real sweet tooth before my surgery.

psychoticparrot