Lightheaded-why?

[buckcm]

Ok, I am lightheaded. It is not a feeling of being just tired, but the fact that I can't get over it. I feel better when I get a decent amount of sleep, but just being tired is not the problem.

symptoms:
-lightheaded all the time (in the sense you can't think clearly and can't react emotionally with other people well; you're in a fog)
-tired
-feel weak/shaky (especially true after exercising, even something as light as shooting a basketball)
-dry mouth in general; worsens during sports and during indoor soccer in the past weeks. I play indoor soccer once a week. I drink a lot of water. Seriously, I can't keep my mouth from drying out while playing indoor soccer despite my efforts to devour the water fountain. I get this disgusting taste in my mouth and my saliva thickens.

I am thirsty often. I always make sure to drink before classes in school; I drink a lot at home.
-during my last indoor soccer game, I was nearly blacking out near the end. We play two 20 minute halves. I sub out enough. I might have played 3/4 of the time. It did go into some over time (an extra 5-10 minutes). Especially going into over time and during it, I was blacking out. Everything was a blur. It was to the point I couldn't really play or think (the whole game was like that, but it gets worse and worse as it progresses).

I am no in great shape now but am still better than most. I had these symptoms in the fall during soccer season, even at the end where you are in your best shape (and I prepared for the season by running in the summer and playing some).

I had episodes even in junior high where I would lightheaded to the point of being unable to respond; happened during soccer and basketball.
-tight legs. My legs feel the same as when you finish a tough workout; except, this is pretty much all the time. Even walking is not a good experience for me. The tightness is seemingly concentrated in my calves. However, specifically during exercise, I can really feel the tension. My legs feel slow and unresponsive during sports like they are filled with lactic acid (Kreb's Cycle/cellular respiration stops, basically; my thought is oxygen is not available enough?). I have been told that maybe my muscles are not keeping up with my growth. I am not overly tall, but I have been growing through highschool (currently 11th grade, 16). The reason why I don't think it's just my muscles being not quite full in length is the fact that my legs become red/white spotted during exercise. It's like they aren't getting blood.

Oh, and this is really crazy. My feet, especially at the beginning of an indoor soccer game, are cold/clammy even though I had been inside for a time (2 hours before my last game) before starting. When I got to kick the ball, my foot feels numb and pulsates oddly. So, are my legs not getting enough blood or something?

My lightheaded problems were definitely around in junior high but not as bad I don't think. I did not experience muscle tightness like I am now.
-low blood pressure. Ok, I take after the one side of the family. It is notorious for having low blood pressure. However, I haven't heard of anyone having my problems. I haven't had my blood pressure tested in a few months, but it's been traditionally low. There's diastole and systole I know; the first number is around 113 I'll say on average. I don't remember having this over 115 ever. The 2nd I am not so sure about but 60s (I believe I've had 112/50s even) is nothing new. So, I would guess at 112/65 for my blood pressure (the 2nd number has definitely been lower though).
-heart. In August (6-7 months from this post), I had en EKG where my heart was tested. My doctor didn't like how the one part of the arch was forming on the beat. I went to a cardiologist to be safe. She checked me out to be ok. A test confirmed my heart to beat at 48 time/minute. I am an athlete so it was fine at the time.

However, my heart rate is terrible now and was through the soccer season which followed soon after that test which recorded me at 48 beats/min. During the season, I easily got tired doing anything. My heart was definitely not beating at 48 times/min. Now, it beats consistently over 60; 70+ is not atypical for me now.

I get tired very easily. I walk up steps, and my heart is thumping heavily (note: this happened when I was running/playing a lot, too).



Any thoughts? I eat well if not too much sometimes. I never forgo meals. I eat at the same times every school day; I eat less on weekends (though I wouldn't say always or generally) since I'm not on a schedule, might wake up late, and am using less energy by just sitting around more.

I'm 16; 11th grade and am male. I am what you might call a good runner. I like to run, but in the 9th grade track season (spring) or 9th grade soccer season (fall) I noticed my muscles were tighter in my legs (now, I was growing more but still). I am not doing track this spring for the first time since 7th grade. From 10th grade until now, I have increased problems with running such as the same lightheadedness becoming worse and worse.

I also want to note how disappointing running is for me. I haven't done it for a bit now, but when I did try a few months ago it was awful (and for a year or two leading up to that). If I try to run up even a small hill, not only do my legs become extremely tight, but my heart beats out of control. Seriously, just a leisurely warm up pace and I am want to turn around. I can be dedicated to something, but not when its that bad.

Thoughts?

[buckcm]

I should definitely get tested though? I don't want to annoy my parents with this... However, we have a couple nurses in our family. I definitely am going to ask them about this. Their opinion might persuade my parents.

Yeah, I just signed up to the forums. This one looked good enough. It definitely is annoying. Do you have any possibilities to what could be the cause? From some things I looked at, I thought it might be diabetes.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
Tough life for a 16 year old!! I can understand your frustration. In your case please get your thyroid functions, electrolytes and blood sugar tested. I would suggest you get the blood levels of the following checked if they have not already been checked: potassium, calcium, sodium, vitamin B complex, or vitamins B1, B3, or B6 and Vitamin D. Get your kidney function, parathyroid gland function and adrenal function tests done because these affect the electrolyte balance in the body.
Hope this helps. You need a comprehensive investigation taking all these points in consideration.  Do discuss this with your doctor and get yourself examined. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!