why do i feel lightheaded sometimes after meals even when im sitting down

[jbiz]

why do i feel light headed after meals and sometimes i feel so even when im sitting down and not even eating. I did an ECG and an echocardiogram on my heart it was normal, but somedays i feel light headed especially during mid-day, even when im sitting down. My heart races sometimes but it`s mainly caused by me worrying if im gonna faint or die. It sometimes is accompanied by slight head aches, it lasts for anytime betweeen 15mins-1hr. I was a chronic smoker but i have stopped smoking for 3 months now, so would this be a reason?


This discussion is related to Light headedness after eating..

[myers64]

I have the same problem. When you eat your blood pressure drops because your body sends a large amount of blood to your stomach to assist with digesting your food. Most people in good shape or good health don't notice this blood pressures drop because the arteries adjust for it, on the other have people that are out of shape do feel it in the way of sudden dizziness or tired  or worse fainting.  People that have artery hardening, arthritis, nerve problems feel it more because the arteries don't react or react fast enough. You should see your doctor about this and monitor your blood pressure after eating if it continues or gets worse.  it can be very dangerous and be telling you something is wrong.  

[Tdunkan21]

That sounded exactly like me.. turns out I had GASTRITIS.. Crazy how your digestive system can control how your whole body feels.
I had an upper endoscopy to find this out. Still dealing with it 9 months later.. hoping it goes away soon

[lak3rz]

2 Possible cases to look in to,

Adrenal fatigue ( adrenals are a big part of controlling how your body handles glucose and main symptoms are thirst and reactive hypoglycemia  )


Leaky gut - a lot of information on the web on how to help this

[s4w]

I also suffer very badly with this and almost pass out, I have all the test done at doctors and A&E and all said I am fit and healthy, I do not feel fit and healthy when this happens.
I have discovered that tomato juice stops the dizziness in about 45 min otherwise; it goes on for about 3 hours.
Now whenever I feel it coming on I pop in a pub and buy 2 small bottles of tomato juice, make sure you ask for the bottles this is so you can check the date on them as a few pubs have a slow turnover of the juice so it could be out of date, as I ended up with food poising and went back to the pub and found the juice was 14 months out of date, they swiftly removed all the bottles from the shelf.

[donatella88]

Hi Scooter76, I get exactly the same symptoms you described! Have you found what the issue might be?... I've had this for years and no one knows what it is... Please reply :-)

[BrianTD]

As someone who's going through this and seems to have found a shaky handle on the situation, i thought i'd chime in with what i've found out and seems to be working for me:

My problems seem to be a low (as i write this almost zero) tolerance to salicylates, and amines to a lesser extent, and the biggest improvements im having came from changing my diet (which i've spent most of my life being told was very healthy in the first place).

This website http://fedup.com.au/ has been the most comprehensive source of information i've found so far, but i continue looking which is how i found this thread. A good doctor and/or dietician are extremely useful in helping with this, and also extremely hard to find. Bad sources of information (on the net and in doctors) are everywhere, it can be very hard to figure out who's advice is worth listening to.

Keep in mind, i'm only speaking for myself, this may not be the answer to everyone else's conditions/symptoms here. But the more i research this, the more massive and yet unheard of this seems to be, and the better i feel as i fine-tune my diet. Good luck.

[joejoe333]

Check for Hypochlorhydria!  That was my problem.

[joejoe333]

I have been lightheaded since Nov/2012, especially after eating. twice to the ER.   CT scan, heart, stomach all ok. "there is nothing wrong with you Joe" all the Dr's would say ;-(   New Doctor says Gluten is the cause.  Will get back to you on this in a few weeks.  If anyone here has discovered a cure, please call me at 916-712-2002.  You would be my BFF!   All the best,  Joe

[bigden345]

I am 59 and smoked for 45 years never tried to quit.In Jan. I decided to quit. I went through hell for 14 weeks. Light headed spacey feeling for hours at a time. I had to sleep to make it quit. After 14 weeks I noticed an improvement but now the cravings were starting. After all said it has been 5 months and I am now starting to enjoy the benefits from quitting. I will never start again as I don't want to go through that hell again. Lets hope I have Quit in time and get to enjoy a long healthy life.

[tj7918]

I have had these symptoms but only before eating maybe its a lack of protein or my body is metabolising everything too fast because I was a little overweight then I started doin things to increase my metabolism. When I was at the weight I wanted about a year later (I wasnt going for drastic weight loss Im 180lbs now with about 25lbs of titanium after a car accident) I started smoking and I fear that it increased my metabolism too much because I was showing signs of hypoglycemia and then I quit and they went away but the feeling of like an instant fatigue and weakness if I dont eat certain things afflicts me for the most basic of tasks like even putting my hair in a ponytail my arms become tired within seconds. what Is wrong?

[reiny5]

i know im replying to myself but i forgot to mention a few things..my dizzy head ( my funny feeling head) can last up to like 2 months without going away....and it afects my sleep when i feel like this i cant sleep..in order to sleep i have to have on lights or have the t.v on. im always thristy and starving..sometimes i go like a week or two without these symptons then it starts again badly for a week or two sometimes for longer (months) then it goes again. i think thats it if theres anything else ill re-post..thanks for reading ...and suggestions or anything please email me @ ***@**** you

[reiny5]

i feel the same way...i'm 25 and it started about 7 months ago but i get numdness with mine as well..my arms, mouth and sometimes legs...its scary... i always think im going to pass out or worst...been to the doctor and nothing..the last time i was there they found that i was consuming something i was allergic to...but if that what was causing this feelings i would b alllergic to everything...i feel for you i wish there was an answer to what were going through.   I know this wasnt an answer but i just wanted to say that i feel the same way and your not alone.

[mschinr]

Add me to the list.

I can sleep all night, wake up fine, eat breakfast, and about 1/2 hour later be so tired my eye won't focus. Luckily I am self employed at home so I can lay down. I will sleep an additional 2-3 hours and experience "sleep paralysis" during this time....even if I wake up my body won't respond. Eventually I do wake up and move, yet have a confusion that last about another hour or so. Any other meal doesn't effect me....just breakfast. It doesn't matter what I eat either.

My blood test come back normal. Blood sugar is normal. It's weird. No one take offense but I am glad others have the same problem.  

[rockinreel]

I get light-headed after eating sometimes (lunch only), but I do know all or at least partially what causes mine.  Two cups of coffee for breakfast, not enough water after drinking the diuretic (coffee), then drinking something like Diet Coke or unsweetened ice tea for lunch.  I feel like my head is nervous and it has given me anxiety.  If I know all this, why don't I quite drinking caffeine?  It "ain't" that easy for me I guess, but I will have to.  I recently discovered this through tests of my own.  Hope this helps someone.  

Water:  When I drink more water, I do feel better, but I never sip it all day like one should.  I guzzle it, meaning I'm already really dehydrated and thirsty.

My next approach is to quite caffeine entirely.  Keep water handy as if I'm toting my coffee mug around.   If I get the symptoms without caffeine, then I'll buy a blood sugar level tester and test after lunch.

[zewdhai]

Hell Scooter,

How are you doing? I read your post today b/c I have the same  symptoms with me these days. Did you get any solution so far. Please let me know b/c it will defnitely help me much.

Thanks,

[curlyred9]

Hi,
I really feel for you.  I started having near syncope episodes at 28, have seen several heart specialists, all of whom decided it was anxiety.  All the tests, some of which were pretty rotten, came back negative.  One of these specialists also wrote in my notes that he thought i needed to see a psychiatrist due to my 'appalling levels of anxiety'.  He should try spending 32 years dropping to the floor in shops, etc because you think you're going to faint - yep, I was anxious, alright!!!!!

At the age of 60 I changed to a female GP, and happened to mention it (I'd given up any hope of getting help) who instantly said that it was an electrical fault that could be treated by drugs or a small op.  She referred me to a brilliant specialist who confirmed the diagnosi simply by me wearing an ECG machine for long enough for it to catch an episode.  I've been on the tablets for 18 months, has never happened since!!  Thanks, to those arrogant idiots who've ruined half my life.  Keep fighting till they get to the bottom of it.  I wish you the very best of luck - and an excellent GP! x

[Tygrsep]

This looks to me like you are going to a panic attack, so have your levels of serotonin check and start working on your stress. I hope this could help.

[EllensburgPaul]

I have had almost all these symptoms and I found my answer.  I had all the heart tests done, I had multiple blood tests done, I monitored my blood sugar, etc.  The ONLY thing I could do was stop eating wheat.  I have been tested for celiac, but I was clean.  However, after 2 weeks of not eating wheat my symptoms went away.  Before you get too skeptical....I was on anti-depressants, I had been diagnosed as having IBS, I wore a belt heart monitor, I had panic attacks that were near debilitating ( I was stranded on a canyon hwy once and had to be taken to hospital by hwy patrol), I started getting severe migraines...I am telling you people, I had all the same symptoms and this came on pretty suddenly...I do not have hypo tendencies either.  I rarely ever went to the dr. my first 30 years and I have been about 20-30 times in the last 6 years.  As soon as the wheat cleared my system I was off meds and in the clear.  Every now and then I will eat something with wheat at a family dinner and almost immediately I have stomach cramps, get headaches and experience dizziness and heart flutters, which produce light panic attacks.  Then I have to remind myself..."YOU DON'T WANT TO LIVE LIKE THAT ANYMORE!!!"  Gluten tolerance is rarely discussed but it is very real and can develop over time.  Try it...it's not hard and with all the recently diagnosed celiac patients out there these days, gluten free food is very easy to come by.  Not only that, but you will drop some lbs along the way.  I am a very big guy (muscular and fat :) so losing the 40 lbs was just an added plus.  340 to 300.  Believe it or not my ideal weight is actually 245 so I am not as far from my goal as you might think.  DO IT!! YOU WILL FEEL BETTER!!

[meg0825]

Has anyone been checked for Hypoglycemia? I had all the same problems and this is what my doctor told me was my problem.

Hypoglycemia is a condition characterized by an abnormally low level of blood sugar (glucose), your body's main energy source.

Hypoglycemia is commonly associated with diabetes. However, a variety of conditions, many of them rare, can cause low blood sugar in people without diabetes. Like fever, hypoglycemia isn't a disease itself — it's an indicator of a health problem.

Immediate treatment of hypoglycemia involves quick steps to get your blood sugar level back into a normal range, either with high-sugar foods or medications. Long-term treatment requires identifying and treating the underlying cause of hypoglycemia.

Symptoms
Your brain needs a steady supply of sugar (glucose), for it neither stores nor manufactures its own energy supply. If glucose levels become too low, as occurs with hypoglycemia, it can have these effects on your brain:

*Confusion, abnormal behavior or both, such as the inability to complete routine tasks.
*Visual disturbances, such as double vision and blurred vision
*Seizures, though uncommon.
*Loss of consciousness, though uncommon

Hypoglycemia may also cause these other signs and symptoms:

*Heart palpitations
*Tremor
*Anxiety
*Sweating
*Hunger

These signs and symptoms aren't specific to hypoglycemia. There may be other causes. Measurement of your blood sugar level at the time of these signs and symptoms is the only way to know for sure that hypoglycemia is the cause.

http://www.bing.com/health/article/mayo-MADS00198/Hypoglycemia?q=hypoglycemia&qpvt=hypoglycemia. READ MORE

[Michael011983]

I've had 3 syncopal episodes in the past, both of which I passed out from. The first time was after I took Dramamine for the first time, and the second time was after an energy supplement. I've had a history of ulcers, but ever since my second syncopal episode, I have had many of the same symptoms as you. Lightheadedness, sweaty palms, especially after eating, inability to concentrate, loss of energy after eating, severe abdominal and chest pain, and even coughing and shortness of breath. I have no idea what's been going on, but I saw my doctor and now have to go for neurological and heart tests. I made an appointment to see my gastro, but unfortunately have to wait a month for an appointment. I've been looking up diseases on my own, but who knows if I'll figure out what's going on. It's only been 2 weeks, but it feels a lot longer.

[Gibbz]

The doc told me it could be drug withdrawals. My blood is fine too. If you guys do drugs that's part of the problem. I'm only 18!

[HopeThisHelpsU]

I also have similar symptoms with no relief from docs...I was DEHYDRATED!  I know seems too simple, not the solution, but try this you have nothing to loose except maybe some pain and discomfort.  I was fortunate to be able to talk to a nutritionist at my gym who helped me with this issue.   I truly hope this helps you too!

For 2 solid weeks drink 64 oz of water, plus if you drink any caffeine you have to drink that same amount of water in addition to the original 64 oz.  So, if you drink your 64 oz that day and you have a Venti from Starbucks you add 20 more oz of water, now you have to drink 84 oz!  

This is the recommended method of daily water intake.  The water will give you more energy, help you with digestion especially if you eat a lot of salt (which dehydrates), and help keep skin younger looking.  I know it seems as though you'll be swimming, but force your self to do it for 2 weeks you will be glad you did.  If this helps continue this on the regular.  If you add flavor to your water make sure it doesn't have sugar in it or it doesn't count (iced tea, lemonade, and Kool-Aid don't count!)

Here's a simple test you can do to see if you're dehydrated:
Bend the elbow of one arm and keep your arm straight from your elbow to your finger tips.  Now without bending your wrist or hand, with your free hand pinch the middle knuckle of your straight hand so that the flap of skin you are pinching runs the same direction of your fingers.  Let go.  If the flap of skin goes down back to normal slowly, or worst doesn't flatten, you are dehydrated!  Go get some water!

[NurseBena]

Sounds like you may have an arrhythmia... you should continue to follow with a cardiologist... think about having a stress test, as well as a tilt table test.... You should undergo heart rhythm monitoring with a holter monitior or loop recorder...  this should you to get a diagnosis.. definitely follow with a cardiologist.

[star19752000]

I have had dizzy spells  for a year it only goes if I lie down,I'm not diabetic but I have migraines which last up to 4 days,every 3 weeks,the dizziness comes and goes when at work or at home I'm getting tested for the menopause as my mum started early and my sister,I drink a lot of water as I can't drink tea or coffe due to the caffeine as it cane make my bad heads worse,any answers would be grateful