Abdominal pain then chronic lightheadedness

[geejohnny60]

Started about 6 months ago wiith slight abdominal cramping that was enough to not want to eat. It would come and go never getting too severe. About 4 months ago, it began to occur more frequently but no lightheadedness. Flash forward to about 2.5 months ago, the lightheadedness began. It was sporadic, as well as the cramping. About 1.5 months ago, the lightheadedness became almost a daily thing as well as loss of appetite. Went to gastro Dr, gave me meds for acid reflux. Nothing. Went back and got another for antibiotics...almost done with them and I noticed the cramping is less, still with no desire for food. Bloodwork is fine, no blood in stool. I can almost deal with the loss of appetite by forcing myself to eat, but the lightheadedness is annoying. I'm a 58 yr old male, in great shape, no meds, or alcohol use. Have a colonoscopy sheduled, but what does that have to do with dizziness? I remember it got worse when I moved to a house with a well system, which I did, but rarely, drink without  filtration. I did move for other reasons, but it persists.

[jemma116]

Great to know that you are on the road to recovery and that the B12 is helping.  You must have been very low on the B12 to be getting 2 shots a week.  

Lack of B12 can cause sensations of pins and needles.

I presume that you are still going to have a colonoscopy, so I do hope you get on OK with that.  If you still get the cramping and the colonoscopy shows up nothing, ask for a breath test to check for Helicobacter Pylori.  Blood tests for that do not show accurate results. Sometimes a stool sample is used.

Glad to hear that you feel great.  Let us know how you get on.

Best wishes.

[geejohnny60]

Thanks for the interest. I actually figured out what the issue was. Turns out that I lack the "intrinsic factor", which means I'm unable to absorb enough vitamin B-12 from the foods I eat. My bloodwork revealed the B-12 issue, but I didn't connect the dots, so I ignored it. Began eating a lot of food containing B-12 as well as twice weekly shots. After less than a week of this routine, the lightheadedness is fading. It may take up to several months, but as of today I feel alive for the first time in months. Thanks for the input!

[Caryopteris]

A slow GI tract bleed could cause anemia and dizziness.  

[jemma116]

Gastric problems can cause light headedness.

As you were given an antibiotic, I presume that you must have had an infection of some sort .

Cramping with feelings of nausea and feeling light headed, can also be from urinary infections and if you have a kidney stone that starts to move and cause irritation and infection anywhere in the urinary tract.

It may be worth your while to get checked out to make sure that you do not have any worms or parasites or protozoa  that may have been missed through the filtration system that you may have ingested.

Best wishes.

[silverfox67]

     Have you checked the house for mold of any kind?  A lot of us are allergic to mold and it causes dizziness, headaches and respiratory problems.
     Is your blood pressure okay?  That can cause dizziness as well.  A lack of Magnesium or Potassium can also cause dizziness or lightheadedness.
     Might want to see your doctor again - have him address the dizziness/light-headedness this time.  Most doctors tend to focus on one problem at a time.
     Wishing you the best