Dizziness and headrushes

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Rina

Rina

Joined
Aug 11, 2011
Messages
92
I have sever crohns and often when I get up I get a really quick headrush, my vision goes fuzzy to black, and I get very dizzy. When this happens I have to drop to the ground the regain my vision and let the head rush pass so I don't faint or fall over. I drink plenty of water and I don't know why this always happens. Is this a problem for anyone else? :sign0085:
 
Dear Rina,

I've posted a reply to a very similar thread elsewhere on the forum... but I too suffer with light-headedness and dizzy spells, especially during a flare-up. For me the problem has been related to low blood pressure, and sometimes slight anaemia (due to the Meds I am taking, in particular the 6MP) — have you had these checked recently? If this is an ongoing problem, it is really worth going back to your Doctor and having a chat with them.

Best wishes,

Tony.
 
If it's directly related to standing up, it's called orthostatic hypotension. When you stand up, your BP is dropping rapidly, causing the dizzy spells. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthostatic_hypotension

I would see a doc about it, but in the meantime you can try reducing it by making sure you get up slowly. It might help to get up more often so that your blood doesn't stay at "rest" for long. Are you on any medications? This can be a side effect of antidepressants.

Hope you get it figured out and feel better.
 
Yes, I've experienced exactly what you've described as well. My doctor thinks it's due to my low blood pressure and iron-deficiency anemia.
 
Thank you for the replies! Yes, I have low blood pressure, I'm not sure what it is exactly. I am on humira, one shot every ten days, and zoloft 100mg. I experience fatigue as well, and I am in a very bad flare up so I spend a lot of time sleeping and sitting because I am In Too much pain to do much else. This could explain my body being in rest too much. I have asked my doctor many times but he doesn't seem to have an answer for me...
 
P.s. It is so nice to have people who can relate to my experience! I've never met anyone who gets what I'm talking about when I describe this symptom, I. New to this site, and this is awesome!
 
Is the Zoloft working well for you? It might be worthwhile trying a different antidepressant to see if that's aggravating this? I don't think orthostatic hypotension is necessarily pathologic, just annoying, so that might be your call. Maybe get a second opinion if your doc doesn't seem to know much about this.
 
I have also had these spells ever since I was younger. I have told my family doctor and my GI doc. and they both did tests and they said it's probably just med side effects and standing up too quickly. What meds. are you on?
 
In my opinion, the most common causes of this for someone diagnosed with Crohn's Disease would be:

1. Dehydration. This is something we don't talk about near enough on this forum. Drink up!

2. Low iron levels (anemia)

3. Vitamin B12 deficiency

4. Drug side effects

There are plenty of other potential causes as well not related to IBD. If your doctor looks at you with that deer in headlights look, get a second opinion. In my opinion, a few tests should be performed.
 
Be sure to get your hemaglobin checked. If it gets too low you'll have to have a blood transfusion. Also if it remains low for an extended period of time you could develop other problems in any one of your other organs due to them not getting the nutrition they need.
 
This happens to me as well. The doctor has said its either my lexapro or lamictal causing it. It's gotten worse since I've been on those drugs, but its always been a bit of an issue.
 
to add to the chorus of anemia. i know a combo of anemia and low bp can make dizzy, light head and occasionally fainting. Now that i am doing better, it's gotten better but when i was flaring i did my fair share of fainting. if you can have something with sugar in the morning before doing anything active and carry around something sugar with you for when you start feeling off.
Good luck
 
Yep I can relate to this also. Does it happen when you have not eaten for a few hours? Because that is when it happens to me.
 
I never get really really dizzy, but I do get light headed, and feel I need to sit down and can't move my head very fast. I haven't check my blood pressure, but it is normal during regular times. Sometimes it is that I need food, but I am also anemic. I also get what I call sleep headaches, when I need to sleep. These are on the top of my head and relieved by sleep only. My B12 is ok. I am on Asacol and Cimzia. I hope this gives some help
 
It can happen at any time. I don't believe it is the zoloft, because it happened before I started taking it. I do have low blood pressure, so that could be contributing to it. I had my vitals checked a few months ago, and I was low in iron, but not enough to be classified as anemic. I was worried I would become anemic soon, so I spoke to my nurse and she gave me a few shots of insulin over the course of several weeks. This was awhile ago, so it's possible that since then I could have become anemic again. It doesn't make a difference if I have eaten or not. It is really starting to worry me though, because it used to only happen when I was in my house, but now it happens at any given location. Tyhe other day I was taking I yoga class, and we got up quickly from downward dog into tree pose (hands and feet on ground to standing position) and I tot the horrible feeling I might faint, I sort of staggered to the ground, and everyone around me seemed to think I had just lost balance. I didn't want to start a scene so I let them think so. I have a dicters appointment tomorrow so I hope we can get this straightened out and maybe I can have my vitals tested again. I JUST remembered that my doctor did come up with the theory that it could be a reaction to getting of prednisone. I was on it for about a month and a half and weened off it slowly. I hated the drug, and my doctor wanted me to get back on it but I refused. It makes me anxious and waked out... Anyways, hopefully my appointment goes well tomorrow!
 
P.s. Thank you everyone, if you have any more ideas or related stories please continue to post away:)
 
If you are bleeding in your stools, that could lead to anemia, which could cause the lightheaded, dizziness. etc..
 
Yes, i do have some blood in my stool. Not very much, but I guess it's been happening long enough that it could be affecting me.
 
I'm not a doctor, but I think it would have to be a larger amount of blood loss to cause anemia.
 
Rina said:
Yes, i do have some blood in my stool. Not very much, but I guess it's been happening long enough that it could be affecting me.
Click to expand...

Slow blood loss can be an insidious thing. You may only be losing it like a dripping tap but it can add up over time, add to that the fact that you are female, and I assume menstruating, then your blood loss may well be sufficient enough to cause anaemia. This was certainly something my daughters GI warned me about.

Dusty. xxx
 
Absolutely agree that slow blood loss is a silent threat. Bleeding from the inflammation in your intestines will not show up as bright red blood in your stool. It may make it darker or just blend in. Only a blood test will let you know if you are iron-deficient anemic - and to what extent you are. If you are severely so, your doctor may advise you to get a blood transfusion. At the very least he'll probably advise you to start taking iron supplements.
 
That is true.. If your stool is really dark, that is a sign of blood in the stool. It will not all be crimson red.
 
My stool is not dark. It still hard to know for sure though. Today I had my blood drawn to test my iron levels, I will post my results when I get them! I almost hop I am anemic, just so I know what's going on lol! Is that wrong??
 
It could well be a combo of everything mentioned, do you have low blood sugar ? Just wondering why u were given shots of insulin? Is it evrytime u change position or just now and again, is there a pattern? Hope you get some answers soon I hate feeling dizzy!! If it's constant it might be an underlying infection somewhere but if it's when you just stand up if sounds like postural hypotension or benign positional vertigo.
 
Rina said:
My stool is not dark. It still hard to know for sure though. Today I had my blood drawn to test my iron levels, I will post my results when I get them! I almost hop I am anemic, just so I know what's going on lol! Is that wrong??
Click to expand...

No, it is not wrong. In some ways, when I finally got told I had Crohn's is was a relief just to know what is wrong.
 
You can have symptoms of anemia even if your blood work says you aren't quite there yet but are close and are low on iron. Increasing your iron intake may help along with folic acid (my doctor suggested I take 325mg of iron a day because mine is low as well and now I don't feel as tired). I'd still look into the Zoloft cause even if these symptoms may have started before you started taking it, its not going to help it get any better if its adding on extra fatigue etc. Look into panic disorder as well cause anxiety often comes hand in hand with depression. Keep up the fluids as much as possible in the meantime.
 
I didn't read all the posts, as I've got to go somewhere, but are you on a 5-aminosalicylate? I found that while on Salofalk, I got terrible dizzy spells and head rushes. About a month ago, I stopped taking them, and have been fine :S
 
Buy a good bp machine, very cheap , but worth it. Take it 3times a few min apart, you could save yourself alot of anguish.
 
@nchulefingth No I am not on aminosalicylate
@rob101 no I have not had my ferritin levels checked, what is that?
To everyone, I had my vitals checked and I am, in fact, very low in iron. I will be going in to get mire venfer tomorrow. I believe this could be responsible for the head rushes and I do hope the venefer will help!!
As for being fatigued, I think it's just a result of everything. Anemia, lackmof sleep due to stomach pains at night, poor digestion, and being the middle of a flare up. I cat nap most of the days away lol. I am only nineteen and I feel like I'm someone of old age.
 
Also, I feel like I should continue writing about my what's going on with me. I really appreciate all of the feedback I have received on this thread!
This flare up has been very painful and draining. I had my entire colon removed when I was eighteen, and now have an internal j-pouch. The doctors initially thought I had ulcerative colitis, but after the surgery, my symptoms never got better. I was showing all the signs of crohns.
My 20th birthday is coming up on the twelfth, marking that I have been sick for two years now. Unable to work, only taking one class in college.
None of the medications for crohns are working for me. As of today, I began juice therapy. I am living off of beliers broth soup, vegetable juice and probiots. I hope to heal my system this way.
My doctor wants me to have a permanent illeostomy, I am not ready to get this.
 

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