profound weakness

[stg088]

I'm at 16 weeks SOC treatment.  Periodically, I get these horrible episodes when I feel incrediby weak and if I remain standing I get dizzy and feel as if I'll faint.  Usually, when this occurs it happens over the course of the morning (several hours) and gets somewhat better after eating lunch (symptoms don't get better after eating breakfast, however).  I've checked my glucose (fingerstick glucose monitor) several times when I'm feeling this way and my glucose is always normal.  When glucose was run from a lab draw about a month ago, it was 55 (low), but I don't recall that I was feeling particularly weak or bad that day.  Doctor's office checked blood pressure sitting and standing - it was ok at that time.
Last Hgb was 10.5, but I've been having these "weak spells" since the 1st few weeks of treatment when hgb was still > 12.
Anybody have any idea what might be happening?

[GreatBird]

I've become dizzy from low blood sugar. You say it happens after breakfast but not usually lunch. Maybe you should take a look at what you are eating for each meal. (BTW--55 is low.) Are you having protein in the morning? How much sugar? It might also to have a high-protein snack mid-morning.

[nygirl7]

I know when it was me it was my hemo - it had dropped extremely rapidly and the lightheadness was from lack of oxygenation in the blood.  You said your last hgb was 10.5 but you don't say how long ago that was...it could have dropped even further and although you said it started when you were still around 12 if you had started upwards of 16 that would still be a significant drop to 12.......that would honestly be my best guess but that is only beause I remember how dreadful that fainting experience really is - it's NOTHING like you see when the ladies on tv put their hand on their head and fall down in the movies AT ALL.  I was actually shocked at how much it hurts inside your head when the world goes black!

My best to you I hope that it is something simple like your hemo - at least that problem can be fixed easily enough with Procrit.