dizziness/blacking out

[SandraD]

I don't know if it's my diet or what.

Everytime I get up from lying down (in bed) or from relaxing on a couch I get dizzy and blackness comes in waves, then have to sit down. I sit for about 30 seconds, then I get up SLOWLY and that takes care of it. Does anyone know if that means I'm lacking something? I take vegan multi's, microalgae, antioxidants, fiber and cranberry extract. I thought I've been eating well.....

Any help? I'm getting worried...

[Risker]

I think it means you're lacking a trip to the doctors, don't try to look for possible reasons on here, it's definately worth checking out.

The reason I say not to look for possible reasons on here is that any suggestions will probably only give you more things worry about.

We always imagine body problems to be worse than they are, don't worry about it (But still visit a doc!).

[Seaside]

Ok, I'm not a doctor, but its most likely that you have low blood pressure, rather than a lack of nutrients. I have low blood pressure myself, though I don't often get dizzy, but I can if I get up too fast. Mine is hereditary, and not problematic. I'm not aware of any dietary factors that influence this for better or worse. If your dizzyness is something that has come upon you suddenly, you'd better get it checked out. Only a doctor can confirm this, and give you medication if you need it.

[nervine]

eat more salt

[Seaside]

Salt doesn't work for me. I've tried it.
How much salt do you eat SandraD? Do you keep track of it, or try to avoid it?

[fiamma]

In Italy you can get your blood pressure checked in a pharmacy - it sounds like what you have might be related to that. In any case I'd ask your doctor. All the best.

[treehugga]

It would be due to lack of oxygen to the brain which can be due to any number of health issues such as: low blood pressure, pregnancy, hunger, low blood sugar, medication. lack of certain vitamins & minerals - iron B12 etc, overtiredness etc. This is why you need a blood test to determine the cause- there are too many could be's!!

[herbwormwood]

Ok, I'm not a doctor, but its most likely that you have low blood pressure, rather than a lack of nutrients. I have low blood pressure myself, though I don't often get dizzy, but I can if I get up too fast. Mine is hereditary, and not problematic. I'm not aware of any dietary factors that influence this for better or worse. If your dizzyness is something that has come upon you suddenly, you'd better get it checked out. Only a doctor can confirm this, and give you medication if you need it.

Sandra, get yourself an appointment with a doctor or a nurse immediately... as soon as possible, Monday Morning at the latest, even if you have to take time off work. What if you blacked out when crossing the road or decending a staircase?
I had exactly that thought (low blood pressure?)
some years ago, after having similar symptoms, so I made myself an appointment to see the nurse to have my blood pressure checked.
The nurse just looked at me, without even looking at my eyelids or anything, and said, "you are anaemic, Herbwormwood, I am going to do a blood test."
Preposterous, I thougt to myself!!!
The same day I got a phone call from the doctor asking me if I could get myself over to the hospital for some blood transfusions. I had 4 pints transfused, and got a prescription for iron supplements to take home.
I suffer from a medical problem but I had not realised that I could have been anaemic. Duh!
I now get regular blood tests for anaemia and get ferrous sulphate as required. I also take extra care to eat iron rich food, I stopped smoking too.

[Tigerlily]

I get like that when I don't eat enough food.

[SandraD]

thanks for the suggestions.

I do kind of have lower blood pressure. My mom is an RN and she said I'm on the lower end of normal for my size. I did give blood about a month ago, and the blood doesn't replenish itself for another month. Maybe it's the combo of giving blood and having lowish blood pressure?

Anyway, I don't have a doctor yet, I just moved out here in August. I am going home (Chicago area) for Thanksgiving. Maybe with my mothers help we can figure this out (she's very informed on vitamins/minerals), plus she could take me to see a friend of the family who is a doctor.

but I never get dizzy when I'm active, it's only when I've been lying down for awhile. So I don't think it will happen when I'm on a staircase or anything.

[Klutz]

I've had that my whole life...well, at least as far back as elementary school. My father has it, too. He also has had it since elementary school.

When I first came to Korea, I was pleased when it slowly disappeared. Thought I'd outgrown it or something. Went back to America for a week's vacation and it started up again towards the end of the week.

Years later my dad told me that his doctor told him that he really, really needed more salt and that it was likely the cause of his dizziness. My father has a thing against salt. Considers it to be almost evil, so he has always avoided it and prefers not to have ANY at all. (Ever eaten boiled pasta with no salt added? That's how he likes it.) It made sense to me because Korean food is super salty and I was eating local food back then (pre-vegan days).

Now that I'm vegan and eat my own food almost exclusively (eat out maybe once every five months or so), I have to be careful to include enough salt in my food. For a while, I tried to cut back because I don't think I eat a healthy amount of it (my opinion only) and within days, I was getting dizzy spells. Now I just listen to my body and consume as much salt as I crave.

Oh, just thought of this. When I was a kid, I had a major thing for salt. Would sneak the table salt shaker into my room and shake little pools of salt into my hand and then lap them up. My sister and I both stole a salt lick block from our grandfather's cows and within a year, we had eaten it. Perhaps even then my body was trying to tell me something?

As for it not being dangerous, that depends on how bad you have it. I, too, thought it wasn't dangerous as it only happened when I stood up from a lying or sitting position. Didn't even have to be quickly....I could do it slowly and it'd still happen sometimes. Anyway, I figured I wasn't about to do that near the edge of a cliff or anything, so I'd be safe. Well, one day in the shower, I was rinsing my hair by holding my head upside down. I had my head very low, almost to my knees, because I liked seeing my hair swirl at the bottom of the bathtub. Then I turned off the shower, squeeze water out of my hair, wrapped a towel around my head and stood up to get out. I woke up later on the bathroom floor with no memory of how that happened. Not sure how long I was out, but my body was dry and *I* hadn't dried myself as the only towel in the bathroom was still wrapped around my head. Luckily, I didn't seem to have hit my head or anything and other than being scared (I lived alone then) I was fine.

If it's not salt, then get yourself to a doctor and find out what it is. Safety first.

[fiamma]

Oh, just thought of this. When I was a kid, I had a major thing for salt. Would sneak the table salt shaker into my room and shake little pools of salt into my hand and then lap them up. My sister and I both stole a salt lick block from our grandfather's cows and within a year, we had eaten it. Perhaps even then my body was trying to tell me something?

Klutz it's so funny that you mention this - I remember taking a stock cube from my Mum's kitchen when I was a kid and eating it a little bit at a time

[pavotrouge]

My advice is also see a doctor, Sandra.

There can be a lot of reasons- but it's been proved wrong that the amount of salt consumed does change anything about the blood pressure.

Are there problems with blood pressure in your family or even a history of strokes, heart attacks etc. ? I don't say this to scare you, but better check.

I've also had those problems in my early teens (I've recently learned that a lot of people do), and when I turned vegan and didn't get enough calories and protein.

[Pascale]

Sandra, that actually sounds pretty normal. A lot of people get a little dizzy if they have been laying down for a while and get up really fast. I think it's because there isn't a lot blood in your head since you had been laying down, they you get up and it takes a minute for the blood to fully come back. I used to black out a for a minute after getting up from laying down, but I don't have it so much anymore. I would recommend seeing a doctor though if this isn't normal for you and you're worried about it.

[herbwormwood]

It certainly is "normal" for people who are either anaemic or have abnormally low blood pressure, to feel dizzy when getting up from sitting or lying, so I would still urge Sandra to get a blood pressure check and an anaemia check.
Just to be on the safe side.
A lot of women have anaemia, omnis as well as vegans, its very common, it does not mean anyone is a "bad vegan" or anything along those lines.
Altho if you gave blood recently Sandra, do you get a small blood sample taken first? I think anaemia may show up in that because obviously its not recommended for people to donate blood if they are anaemic!

[SandraD]

When I gave blood they also took like 4 or 6 sample tubes to test. They said no news is good news and I haven't heard anything.
Well, I'm not anemic, I just have lower blood pressure, not low, lower (lower end of normal). Doctor/Nutritionist saw nothing wrong except that I'm not getting enough protein.
You have to eat ALOT of things to get the protein that is in one serving of meat....it's pretty hard!

Thanks everyone for your thoughts/ideas/opinions!

[absentmindedfan]

You have to eat ALOT of things to get the protein that is in one serving of meat....it's pretty hard!

Incorrect. Combine beans/pulses with grains and you'll be getting the perfect protein. Drink and eat soy which has all the amino acids (building blocks of protein) we need in it, and eat nuts and seeds. If getting the same amount of protein from one serving of meat was difficult I wouldn't build muscle so easily and vegan bodybuilders wouldn't exist without eating 15,000 calories a day.
If you really worried, seach for vegan bodybuilding tips on www.veganfitness.net

[Pascale]

You have to eat ALOT of things to get the protein that is in one serving of meat....it's pretty hard!

That's not true. I usually end up eating too much protein every day. Beans, nuts, grains, and seeds all have a lot of protein. Even fruits and vegetables have a little bit of protein.

[herbwormwood]

Also too much protein can be harmful. Excess protein is dangerous for people with certain kinds of kidney disease, and has been linked to osteoporosis.
Eating some nuts, seeds, vegtables, grains like quinoa and barley, and pulses like beand and lentils every day will be enough for most people.

[Klutz]

Thanks for ruining tofu for me, herbwormwood! Osteoporosis runs in my family. For years, my mother has been very careful about what she eats and to do weight bearing exercises and take at least a 30 minute walk DAILY (along with all the cycling she does) and she STILL is getting brittle bones and she's just barely over 50.

I had been concerning myself only with getting enough calcium...I didn't know that too much protein could be a problem. I eat so much tofu....I consider myself to have a special relationship with Mr. Tofu, the guy who sells it off the back of his truck and will pass it through my balcony bars for me so that I don't have to go outside in bad weather to buy some.

Hmmmm....wonder if my mother knows about too much protein? She eats a lot of grains, pulses, nuts, and vegetables, but she ALSO eats meat. Do you have a link I can give her?

[fiamma]

Klutz there's loads of info on the Internet - try Googling "excess protein osteoporosis" and you'll find plenty of info - try this link from the Dr McDougall website.

[sandra]

Hi Sandra D, there is a lot of protein in something as simple as baked beans on toast! It's simply not true that you have to eat meat to get enough protein, I haven't ate meat in 30 years and have never been told I am lacking any nutrient.

[SandraD]

well, I've been losing hair easily since becoming vegan. How many grams of protein are we supposed to have a day? it's hard to measure what I'm eating. Obviously not everything I eat has a convenient nutrition facts table.
My hair stylist said "whoa! are you getting enough protein? are you on some medicine or did you change your diet?" I told her I became vegan. We talked about that for awhile, she said it probably wasn't good that I did it cold turkey and that I should've weaned myself.
I've looked online for a list of fruits/veg and their protein content (among other nutrients) but haven't found anything helpful.
I've been eating ALOT of guacamole lately (with garlic, cilantro, fresh jalapenos, fresh chile peppers, lime juice). think the avocadoes are good for my hair?

[sandra]

Hi Sandra, protein is found in a variety of vegan food, lentils, peanuts, beans etc just google 'vegan sources of protein' and you'll find many more. Maybe you should have your hair loss checked out by a doctor, if you haven't already, I really don't think it has anything to do with you being vegan unless you are really not eating a balanced diet.

[flutterby]

I've been losing hair easily since becoming vegan

Have a look at http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11275 thread SandraD.

[herbwormwood]

Protein is not thought to be the problem with osteoporosis, excess protein is, and it has not been conclusively proven anyway.
Its complex beause it depends on the amount of other nutrients in the diet too and their amounts in comparison to the amounts of protein.
But anyone on a vegan diet is unlikely to be having too much protein even if they have a lot of tofu.
Here are 2 links
http://www.betterbones.com/bbbb_charts/protein.htm


http://www.vegansociety.com/phpws/in...N_position=8:5

Osteoporosis is an issue for many people and diet is only one factor. Smoking, inactivity, being underweight, and having a history of steroid and prednisolone use are also very important factors.

[Ava Odoéména]

From what I know of the vegan diet, it takes almost self-violence to become protein deficient. Hair dressers make really bad nutritionists. The view that it is "hard" to get enough protein is simply false - it's everywhere. Even apples contain protein.

Perhaps you suffer from Anorexia Nervosa without realizing it? Dizzyness, hairloss are often mentioned with Anorexia.

[SandraD]

Ummmm....no I am NOT anorexic, nor was I EVER. It was just a shock to my body to change my diet in the blink of an eye (I didn't do it gradually, I wasn't even vegetarian before I converted) when I didn't really know what I was doing or how to eat properly. I'm fine now, and healthy. My body adjusted to my new way of eating and I'm healthier than ever.

[button]

First thing I thought was low blood sugar, because I have the same problem (although not that bad). I hope you get it checked out and get better!