Light Headed

Hi Guys

Quick question.  I find that when I bend over or get out of bed I have a few moments of being light headed.  I have checked my sugar and it seems to be OK.  Is this normal? or do I need to talk to my doctor about this?

Thanks!

When I was heavier it took more force to get the blood from my feet up to my head when I stood up.  With weight loss the blood pressure has to adjust to be slower and it will take an extra few seconds for it to get to your head when you stand up.

It will get adjusted in a few weeks.  In the meantime, pump your legs for a few seconds before standing to get the blood moving.

Yes, most likely low blood pressure (I'm having problems too). Make sure to drink lots of fluids and change positions slowly. I'm adding a little more salt to my diet too as my BP has been in the 70's/40's.

I also have low blood pressure since my weight loss, and my cardiologist told me to eat more salt!  - that made me happy, and it seems to help.

best wishes,

Carol

Yep, the official term is 'orthostatic hypotension' .  Just as you described, it can occur when you rapidly change from a lying to sitting, or sitting to standing position, bending over to tie your shoes too quickly can be a prime example. Apparently it's very common in people experiencing rapid weight loss.  I have experienced this as well, and In my post op guide I read this can occur for months, basically until the weight loss slows down (so hopefully not for a good while yet )  For some people it ends up being a chronic thing especially if your BMI is on the lower end of normal.  No real solution was offered to me except to ride it out and try to not get up so quickly.  

Every time I started having orthostatic hypotension issues like this, my doc would cut my BP meds. Now I'm off them altogether but still have this issue. I was told just to get in the habit of standing up more slowly. I do notice it's gotten less frequent as my body has adjusted to its new BP norm. If you're on BP meds, I'd talk to your doc to see if they need to be adjusted.

This could also be a sign of dehydration.  But, I would call the doctor, just in case.

Here are the possible culprits that are typically responsible, but next visit check with your doc:

1. Low blood pressure. I had this as mentioned in the above posts, and I was constantly having issues. Eventually one doc caught on my labs that my sodium levels were too low. The only negative from eating fresh food, and I was never one to cook with salt. Doc said to drink Powerade Zero. That helped, but not enough. Eventually i took a sodium pill here and there, and that took care of it. 
2. Low sugar. Sounds like you checked for this, but keep an eye on it. I also had this.
3. Meds need adjusting. This happened to my hubby. He lost a lot with me, and his metformin needed to be dropped along with his blood pressure meds. Once dropped, he was fine.
4. Dehydration. Drink Powerade zero :)

I have recently started taking CQ10 supplements. My blood pressure is actually normal now! This is shocking, because I am notoriously at 70/40 on a good day, and lower on bad days. Can't be sure if this is the reason, but it was the only change I made recently so it seems likely. 

Good luck!

I've always had low BP, and after losing my weight it got worse to the point where I would pass out completely if I moved too quickly.  Give time for the blood to move upward and you may want to try adding some more salt in your diet to boost your BP.