Dizziness, numbness, diarrhea, rapid heart-rate.

[AlexanderTheGreat21W]

Hello. Two nights ago I was sitting down and when I got up, I suddenly felt dizzy like I was going to pass out. As time passed, I felt extremely weak and felt like I needed to go to sleep even though it wasn't bed time. Again felt like I was going to faint. The room felt like it was spinning.

Then today I woke up feeling dizzy like I did before bed. Was breathless and felt I was going to faint again. I ate breakfast and the symptoms went away. I felt perfect after eating a brownie for lunch and having a green tea with honey.

Then towards night time the feelings came back 4 hours after my last meal. I felt dizzy like I was going to pass out again. I kept shaking and felt cold even though it's warm. I felt anxious because I didn't/don't understand why my body's doing this. My body was tingling and felt numb. I kept feelings 'waves' go through me and it gave me diarrhea and made my heart race. My stomach also hurt and felt very bloated even though I didn't eat much. I thought maybe I was dehydrated so I kept drinking but it just made my stomach feel worse. I wondered if it was low blood sugar so I had half an apple and a chocolate pudding. It was very hard to eat either. I felt nauseous and felt like I was going to puke. I had diarrhea a couple times, urinated a few times, and had a lot of gas. A couple hours later and I felt better like nothing had even happened.

When the symptoms come, it's very nerve wracking. I don't get what's going on. Please help me out and give me some advice.

[jemma116]

Great.  I'm glad to hear your a better and on the mend.

To avoid stomach bugs make sure you wash your hands after using the loo, wash your hands before eating food, only eat meats and BBQs that are thoroughly cooked.  Wash any raw fruit and veg before your eat them.
And follow the guidelines on storing foods in the fridge.

Thanks for letting us know you are on the mend.
Best wishes.

[AlexanderTheGreat21W]

I was eating, thinking it would make me better, didn't know you were supposed to starve the bug! Thank you for the advice, I had 2 yogurts today that's it (yogurts with probiotics) and I feel a lot better, thank you very much for the advice. It's definitely not low blood sugar I can see now since I starved myself today.

[Erikafox]

Jemma116 is right, as always :). I would also have your glycemic index checked to see if your sugars are at a good level. In Canada we use a system thy measures mmol/L and a normal range would be between 4-6. It's different in the states. It doesn't hurt to check it out. Also, I noticed you eat sugary snacks. That would definite aggravate your glucose levels. Check it out!

[jemma116]

With stomach bugs, you need to starve them out.  
Keep off the milk and dairy.
If you can go 24 hours with not eating, but just drink water or a lightly flavoured drink, that should get rid of it.

With the diarrhea the body is trying to get rid of poisons (bugs), and with you eating it is just feeding them.  Can you remember if you ate anything that may have triggered this off?

Make sure you wash your hands after you have been to the toilet otherwise you are just spreading the bugs about on your hands.

Has your father's symptoms subsided?  

[AlexanderTheGreat21W]

Thanks. It's been 5 days and I'm still having the symptoms. Do stomach bugs last that long? Is there anything else it could be? Even after I eat I still feel like crap so it can't be low blood sugar...

[jemma116]

Hope you are better and have got over it.

Best wishes

[AlexanderTheGreat21W]

Thank you for the help, turns out it really is the stomach bug, you're right.

[jemma116]

This sounds very much like hypoglycaemia.  This is when your sugar levels drop too low giving you the symptoms you describe.  
You may also have a stomach bug at the moment, especially as you are having diarrhea and feeling cold and shivery.  If this is a stomach bug, avoid milk products and just stick to water or diluted juice.  

Although you are doing the right think in drinking lots of water, do not drink more than 3 litres.  Too much water can make you ill too.

An underactive thyroid gland can make you feel cold when it is warm outside.  But I think in your case is it to do with the stomach bug that you have and this too can make you feel dizzy and weak.

Although hypoglycaemia can happen to people who do not have diabetes, it would be worth you seeing your doctor to check you out for diabetes.  

Whether your tests show that you are diabetic or not, you will need to eat small meals and healthy snacks in between to ensure that your sugar levels do not drop too low.  When you go anywhere, take some food with you so that when you start to feel a hypoglycaemic attack coming on, you can eat something before it gets worse.  May be worth getting some glucose tablets too to carry with you as a precaution, some biscuits or fruit.

It would also be worth checking your ears for any problems because that can cause dizziness (to rule this out).

I am not diabetic, but was diagnosed as glucose intolerant.  When my sugar levels drop too low, I experience sensations of extreme hunger with pain, headache and sensations that I want to vomit so I have to eat something really quickly.

Your doctor can take blood tests to check you out for diabetes and it also may be worth you having a glucose test.

Best wishes