Extreme dizziness. Anyone had this?

[GTBill]

Last night I woke up not feeling well (4:00am). I got up to go to the bathroom, took two steps and fell into the wall. I was so dizzy I couldn't walk without holding onto the wall. When I laid back down I was dizzy but it wasn't room spinning dizzy (like being drunk for those of you have been there). Right now, 5 hours later, the dizziness has mostly subsided but I've decided not to go to work even though it is a critical day for me to be there.  I haven't taken my riba. My doctor doesn't get in until 10:00am. I know that dizziness is a normal reaction but there is dizziness and there is falling down, unable to walk dizziness and they don't say what to expect.

Q: Has anyone had a reaction like this? I have a hunch that this may NOT be tx related because I had an episode just like this about 10 to 15 years ago and I wasn't on any treatment. However, I have low blood platelets (88,000) and really feel like garbage this a.m.

[nygirl7]

Bird!

Sorry about that - one thing I can't blame on the tx anymore is the lack of live brain cells...it appears I can't even read a thread and keep it in short term long enough to make a cohesive post!

Sorry about that I think it's cause I always think of you as GB that GT is too close! Nah it was just a good rumor!  ;)

[GreatBird]

*I'm* the one with the pacemaker. Not GTBill. Let's not start any rumors here. :)

[jmjm530]

I think I'm on day 3 or 4 of Hyzaar (100Losartan, 12.5 Hydroclorizide) but it was yesterday (day 3 or maybe day 2, who is counting LOL) that I almost passed out. And when I mean almost passed out I don't just mean dizzy (very common getting up fast especially in the beginning) but I had to drop to my knees cause I started to feel myself going out. Actually the bathroom thing with diuretics isn't all that bad for me and actually have been getting up to go to the bathroom at night less. I suppose just more comes out each time. LOL.

[portann]

You started yesterday!

You weren't trying to go to the bathroom again when you got up too fast from bed? Diuretics, gotta love them.

BTW, for those with sulpha allergies, do you know most diuretics are sulfanomides?

[jmjm530]

It's usually LOW blood pressure that makes you dizzy like that, not high blood pressure -- assuming of course that the dizzy spell was bp related which it may not have been. I just started Hyzaar for bp control that contains a diuretic and almost passed out yesterday after getting up too fast from bed. Not uncommon with diuretics especially in the beginning while the body adjusts.

As to the tilt table test, I would not rush into that unless the doctors think it would be very helpful. A lot of people get quite ill from the test itself.

[portann]

115/75 is now considered the ideal pressure with anyone with a family history of CVD.

I'm wondering, though, why you take your lisinopril at bedtime? For many people, that's not advisable and you should check with your doctor or even pharmacist. Your pressure is usually at its lowest overnight with or without medication.

Some people on tx experience lower blood pressure than usual but some have the opposite experience.

It's something you should monitor regularly, in case it becomes erratic. You could head in one direction or the other and require adjusting. My tx nurse never once took my blood pressure reading, assuming my PCP would.

My BP went from normal before tx to 196/ 97 at one point during tx!

I've since been able to get better control with ramipril, except for my diastolic, which is an ongoing puzzle.

Since starting tx, I've quadrupled my ramipril dose to 10 mg but hope I can reduce it once I'm done and increase my exercise. (BTW, 10 mg of lisinopril is equivalent to 2.5 mg of ramipril for HBP dosing.)

The important thing is to monitor your BP because tx may impact it in one direction or the other.