This isn't vertigo, is it?

[Danestress]

I don't think it's severe enough to be vertigo (I read previous posts on that). I have low blood pressure, and sometimes when I stand up suddenly, I get very dizzy. This happens a lot at church because I am Anglican and we are very fond of the sitting/standing/kneeling/sitting/standing/sitting/kneeling routine:) Often I have trouble focusing on faces when I first stand up. Like I will be working out and when I get up from a machine, I will stand there trying to get my focus and balance, and if someone speaks to me, I can't quite get myself centered on their face. It's weird that happens when I work out, isn't it, since my blood pressure would be a bit elevated then.

 

Anyway, today in church it was so much worse. I was just sitting - not standing - and I felt like the room was spinning. I wasn't nauseous and I didn't faint, and it wasn't as bad as what I gather vertigo is, but it was disconcerting. Afterwards, I felt like I had a residual inability to focus and stay steady.

 

I'm not sick. What causes this sort of thing?

Edited May 18, 2009 by Danestress

[Impish]

Well, a couple of things spring to mind. First, I'd be checking with the Dr further about your low blood pressure. The other things that I think of is the start of an ear infection/fluid in the ear, which would most certainly produce the effects you're describing even sitting down. My other question, which goes hand in hand with low blood pressure is how's your blood sugar? How long ago had you eaten prior to church? Low blood sugar can also produce that effect for some folks. I'd suggest carrying a snack in your purse from now on...even if its a roll of Lifesavers that can be subtly popped during a church service, until you can get to something more sustaining.

 

How long since you've had a complete physical? Does diabetes run in your family at all?

[Starr]

Something isn't right. I'd see a doctor. I have a friend that wrote a song titled, The Episcopalian Blues, something about sit and stand and kneel and pray, pass the plate and listen. :) I'll be praying for you.

[Danestress]

I'm a pretty regular snacker and had a couple of pieces of whole wheat toast with coffee about an hour before church. I'm not one to let myself get hungry.

 

No diabetes in my family, apart from one grandmother who wasn't diagnosed until she was past middle age and was very overweight, which I think means it was the type that is less likely to be passed genetically.

[OneRoomSchoolHouse]

I had the low blood pressure when I was pregnant. I would almost pass out anytime I stood up. I had the same focusing problem too. I was told to drink lots of water and to take it easy. I know that persistent low blood pressure can cause very big problems with your organs and heart.

[ChristusG]

I used to have that problem as a teen and young adult. When I would stand up, my eyes would "go black." Then everything would be normal again within a few seconds. Now I have not had it happen in years. But do you have allergies? When I developed really bad allergies, I have found that I have spells where I feel sort of "spacey" and kind of "foggy". And I'm pretty sure it has to do with my allergies, as I've been tested for all sorts of things.

[elise1mds]

Yup, sounds like low bp to me... I used to have it happen all the time after I quit working out, too. I'd step off the treadmill or the machine and get a wee bit "foggy." I get it still when I've been bending over in the garden or cleaning out the litter boxes. It helps if I make sure I drink lots of water and take my minerals. Good luck :)

[LilyK]

When I was in school, I did an oral presentation on vertigo. One thing I specifically remember saying is that if someone is not sure about having vertigo, he doesn't have it! With vertigo, you will have the illusion that your surroundings are actually spinning. It is usually accompanied by a very bizarre movement of your eyes called nystagmus. Your situation sounds more bp or circulation related.

[SapphireStitch]

My husband has positional hypotension, there's another name for it also but I'm blanking on it. At any rate, it sounds very like what you're experiencing. He has to be careful when getting up from kneeling or lying down, and he has to remember to stay well-hydrated.

 

When he gets out of bed he sits up and then flexes his legs for a minute or so to get the blood flowing. His normal blood pressure is quite low and apparently his system doesn't react quickly enough to changes in position.

 

He doesn't feel dizzy, but he has passed out a few times when he has gotten up too quickly. He also passed out at work one time when he was dehydrated. (That episode forced him to see the doctor and track down what was wrong with him.)

[joannqn]

It sounds like a low blood pressure thing to me, too. Although I'd consider blood sugar issues as well...perhaps hypoglycemia. If I were to eat nothing but a couple pieces of whole wheat toast, my blood sugar would be hitting hypogylcemia levels before an hour went by. My blood sugar drops so rapidly at times that a normal sized, well-balanced meal only lasts me an hour. It's possible you could have similar blood sugar reactions. Hypoglycemia can cause dizziness, trembling, sweating, confusion, intense hunger, and other symptoms. For me, I get the all of the symptoms before I'm hungry.