Dizzy

[Eric]

I swam this morning then went down to the beach to play volleyball, where I am now. The weather is very hot. I felt fine after the swim this morning at the gym and after the one volleyball game that I played, about an hour ago. I went in the water after the game, rode a couple of waves, came back to sit down and after about 10 minutes suddenly felt very dizzy, to the point where I felt nauseous. I had to close my eyes and lie back in my chair because everytime I opened them my I felt like I was on a carnival ride and I was getting motion sickness as the ocean and volleyball court were spinning rapidly around me.

The heavy spinning lasted about 5-10 minutes, then slowly disipated. I was pretty out of it. I am sitting out this game and feel lightheaded, tired and slightly nauseaus.

I think I drank enough liquids and I ate a big breakfast this mornig after my gym swim. After my head slowed a bit I had a Balance bar and drank more liquids. I took my usual dosage of Tenormin (25mg) this AM and last night my 320mg Diovan and 10mg Norvasc.

Any ideas what could have caused this?

 

[temp69]

I'm no doctor, but 320 mg diovan...

I'm no doctor, but 320 mg diovan...

...seems like alot. what's your blood pressure? does it take that much diovan to get it down? anyway, i've had several doctors tell me diovan can cause dizziness. if it happens right after or during exercise and keeps happening you might go see your doctor, as that's a symptom.

good luck!

 

[DLStepp]

For what it is worth - I told my cardiologist that I had been dizzy and he asked me if I meant dizzy or light headed. In his description dizzy is when the room spins and light headed there is not the spinning sensation. He said dizzy with spinning is usually ear or brain related and light headed is more likely heart related. I was actually experiencing light headed and he was not to concerned about it.

 

[msiwik]

dizzy

dizzy

Eric - Starting around the six month mark, I started to experience short bouts of dizziness - one happened this week in fact, accompanied by a wave of nausea. In searching the threads on the site, it seems like a fairly common thing with no discernible pattern or cause - others may have a different or more insight that might be helpful to us. Mark

 

[Der Biermeister]

Eric - I've been dealing with much the same this past week. I had been pushing myself a week ago doing 7 miles walking per day. Right on through the week end and also last Monday. Tuesday morning, I did my 4 miles before worki, and at the end of it, coming up a long hill, I got very dizzy and almost passed out. I had to stay put for about 5 mins before I could slowly walk the rest of the way home. I took my bp and it was quite high - which I think I was scaring myself. Also, I noticed a LOT of PVCs -- maybe 6 or more per minute.

Got in to see the cardiologist on Thurs. They ran an ekg and confirmed all my PVCs (no concern though). My bp was high -- and while I hoped for a medication reduction - they doubled my Toprol from 50 mg to 100 mg. The explanation being that these bp meds cannot cause dizziness IF your bp is high. It is only when you bp gets too low that the dizziness can occur. Well - I suspect otherwise, because I am on so many damn meds that I think just the chemicals themselves are screwing me up - never mind the bp.

I also have no explanation for my PVCs as all my blood work came back good, Even potassium, of which I thought for sure would be dangerously low. That'll cause PVCs as a prelude to sudden death. BTW, I DID read in one of the articles on PVCs that if you get several per minute, that can cause dizziness.

So -- here I am this morning, just in from a 3 mile walk in which I felt light-headed the whole time. Just finished taking my bp and it is 126/78. PVCs are still active.

I sure as heck don't want this to become the "norm". With all pain gone, and my breath back, I prefer to push myself when walking to get hr up and to help lose more weight.

 

[Granbonny]

Eric

Eric

I got dizzy..reading your thread. Gosh all that exercise in one day..plus it being hot on the beach? I see you are only 9 months ..post-op..Do you do that much everyday? Never been dizzy in 4 years...Maybe it was the meds?......With 4,555 posts on VR.Com..have read where many just tend to overdo it...Cannot rush your body healing from this major operation... Most report..feeling normal at 6 months..some post it took them a year to feel normal again..me, being one of them..Let us know how you are feeling, now. Bonnie

 

[Eric]

Thanks for all your responses. They make a lot of sense. I may have overdone it, I may be over medicated, it could be an inner ear thing as I swim a lot. All I know is that spinning was scarry and completelt disorienting and left me weak and tired.

I'll call my cardio tomorrow and inform him and see what he says. I went out and played again today and felt fine.

 

[Marguerite53]

Hi Eric. Will be interested to hear what your cardio says so please get back to us. So glad you are feeling better.

I am 2 months post op and experiencing exactly what you are but almost want to call it double vision; it's just pulling things around so . I had an episode just today, while at the pharmacy waiting to pick up my Diovan! It first came upon me 4 weeks ago, though, when I started driving again. I almost pulled over, but maintained (was running late for an appointment). I thought about it......why had it started then? The thing I came up with was that since I was driving alone, I had the car stereo turned up high and was singing at the top of my lungs. Well. I don't think I was breathing anywhere near properly. Gulping in lots of air, but never fully exhaling. I started slow, methodical, deep breathing and sure enough the sensation went away. Stubbornly, but it went away.

I'm also wondering if it had something to do with bp. If the bp were unstable, suddenly, going up and down...? Maybe as a result of the poor breathing, low oxygenation? You were so active when yours came on; were you breathing properly throughout, or maybe playing more intensely at the end there, and not exhaling as deeply.

Anyway, like I said. I'm very curious to hear what your doctor says. It is not a fun experience. The reason I haven't mentioned it to anyone is that it has resolved fairly readily, and resembles migraines (or supposed migraines) that I'd had long ago.

In the meantime......exhale!

Marguerite

 

[Tom Harrison]

I've asked the same question in the past. I am four years post op following an aortic valve replacement with a stem repair and have had a fairing general recovery. I do aerobics several times per week, eat well, take my warfarin regularily (no other meds). Have had several periods of dizzy spells with one instance of blurred vision. These don't last more than a few minutes and happen every three to six months. Also have a minor "lack of sensation" or tingling in my hands. My doc's don't seem to concerned but I find it all a worry. Have not kept any kind of record of them so don't see any pattern. Not sure if INR's were low or high at the times, or if I had over exerted myself, or what?? have any of you noticed any kind of pattern??

 

[Karlynn]

Your description of how the spinning stopped when you closed your eyes made me think inner ear. When my allergies are bad, or if I get too much water in my ear, I get the spinning. When I close my eyes it stops, I open then and around we go again.

Sounds like it also may have been a little from columns A - C too.