Dizziness - seeing stars?

[adpsmp]

Greetings - in the last few weeks I've had some episodes of dizziness during the night (after going to bed) and in the morning. It always occurs when I stand up. I never had a problem with this before I got diagnosed with HCM - so it leads me to believe it is medication related.

I haven't blacked out yet, but it did come close - not a sensation I like to feel

Any suggestions?

Andy P

[coffinam]

Hey Andy-

That happens to me too. I don't know what causes it but I find if i get up slowly, ie sit up in bed first, then stand its fine.

[Glen Beamish]

Hi Andy, are you new to Beta Blockers? They will slow your heart rate down and sometimes getting up quickly with a slow heart rate will cause you to get lightheaded.
In my case Beta Blockers slow my rate down to 50-55/min. and then if I go into A-fib which makes the heart even more inefficient, I have to be real careful when I get up.
Im just waiting to go back to the doc so my meds can be adjusted.

[Linda]

Andy - Let your doc know this is happening. Stay well hydrated unless your doctor has given you a reason to restrict fluids. When you are getting up, sit on the side of the bed a few seconds and give your body time to adjust slowly. Then stand. Before you even sit up, try moving your legs around in bed, flexing them a few times to get the blood moving instead of being pooled from lying still for so long. Hope this helps - Linda

[adpsmp]

Greetings - I appreciate the comments about getting up slowly from bed. Makes sense. I guess I'm more concerned about it happening once I'm up. Yesterday I took my kids to an appointment at 8am - I had been up for 1 1/2 hrs and had eaten - when we got called back to their appointment I saw lots of those "pretty stars" when I stood up. I balanced there for a few seconds to get it back together, got a little pain in my head (like an instant headache) and then went on with the day.

No major problem - but, I'm concerned about this happening at a bad time to where I cause injury to myself or someone else.

As far as beta blockers, I take 25mg of atenolol in the morning and the evening. Couple that with: aspirin, niaspan, lexapro, plavix, lipitor, diovan, and trazedone. (Pfizer and Merck send me thank you cards!)

I think it is just getting it all balanced out - my holter monitor said I was ok - but . . . I only like to see stars when I'm outside at night!

Any comments/suggestions?

thank you all very much - Andy P

[Burton Borrok]

Hey Andy,

You are traveling down a very well trodden path. I'll bet most of us experienced this at one time or another.

But I found the cure!!! Yes indeedy, and it's called arthritis. I don't do nothin' fast no more.

To be honest, I suggest you buy one of those little spiral notebooks that will fit in your back pocket - the kind the kids (at least used to) call homework pads. Whenever you have a feeling of dizziness record what brought it on. I think you'll find it is just a few things, like getting up to fast, or some other quick movement. Then avoid that activity - just slow it down.

You are probably right in assuming it is drug related. The doctor might want to try some other meds on you, or you might just become accustomed to the drug(s) that are doing it.

One step at a time,
Burt

[eatwell]

Andy, dizziness/lightheadedness is nothing new to me. I had it nearly 6 months of last year. Much of it was related to growing obstruction, however even after my myectomy/MVR in July, I continued with same symptom for months. Albeit it was lessened. But, it totally perplexed Dr Lever, and stumping him is no small feat. After awhile, it began to ease. I can say now that it's gone. However, just the other day I had it again, short-lived and once again gone. But, why did it occur? Who knows. I pushed my fluids the following day and maybe I was a bit lagging that day. But, this symptom is mysterious to me.

I have been on atenlol for 15 years and didn't have this symptom until last year, so I can't say it's related to that. But, the symptom could be caused by different things in different people.

I sometimes find it worse in a large store like Target or Walmart, something with lights?? I don't find it worse outside at night, but that might be unique to you.

I'm sorry I'm not of much help, just wanted you to know that are others that share that same symptom. One day an answer may arrive. HCM is rather complex...... :x

Hope it eases.....
Laura

[Laoshur]

Andy, everyone seems to have focused on your getting up too quickly and changing positions, but your first mention is of feeling dizzy lying in bed. Befire you talk with the doctors, I think you should carefully analyze what you mean by dizzyness.

Do you mean that you feel like the bed is going round and round or do you mean that you feel like you are blacking out? If you are talking about seeing stars when you get up, well, as many people have commented, that is pretty common and although you may wish to talk to a doctor about it, they probably will just tell you to get up slowly.

If you are talking about the world twirling around, then you should talk with a doctor if it lasts very long because it could be an inner ear problem.

Finally, if you are talking about feeling faint while lying down in bed, well, I suggest you talk with your doc immediately and make sure that he or she clearly understands that this is what you mean by feeling dizzy. Feeling faint while lying down is a much more puzzling and, in my not very well-informed opinion, potentially serious situation, especially if you do not have an ICD.

Rhoda

[adpsmp]

Greetings - and thank you all for your comments. The dizziness I get at night is when I get up to use the bathroom. After my first few steps, I get that "head rush" "seeing stars" type of feeling and have to take a few seconds to compose myself.

The bed doesn't spin - just my head, sometimes, after I get up.

I talked to the folks at CCF yesterday and they wanted me to cut my morning dose of Atenolol in half in the morning. I did that today - but have still had some episodes of uneasiness - into "stars" - today.

It may just take some time to adjust to the new dosing.

It's just really annoying - 3 months ago I was running a few miles on a treadmill - now they tell me no activity except walking (which is really boring for me - thank god for ipods!)

Like I said, though, I don't want to be a danger to myself or my family. It only occurs after getting up from bed, or from getting out of a chair - and it doesn't occur every time.

CCF told me to monitor my blood pressure over the weekend - which I'm doing - and it is running lower than my usual, treated, blood pressure - and call them on monday.

This is all really new to me - I greatly appreciate your comments/ suggestions/ and humor!

Thanks - Andy P

[eatwell]

Andy, I also want to say, they ran a gamut of tests for me at CCF for the dizzyness. This all occured about 2 months post surgery. I did a tilt table test (for orthostatic hypotension), a mixture of weird neurological tests (put my had in ice water, sticking of tiny needles into my skin, blowing into pipes, etc). The million dollar work-up I'd like to say (not that far off :D ). Pretty much all came back normal.

This added to the mystery.

I can say, my seeing of stars was worse before surgery, when I had a high gradient.

I hope you can this figured out and it's indeed related to the medicine.

Frustating, I know......
take good care, Laura

[shirleymahoney]

It is medication and it will sometimes go away with time but you should tell your doctor about it, and let them check you to be on the safe side and I hope you start feeling better soon

Shirley

[Debbie]

Hi Andy,

This is the norm for me. Stars, dizziness, tingling tongue, fingers, and toes. It happens whenever I bend over and stand up again, when I stand from sitting or laying, and often, when I'm just walking.

I have learned to try to get up slowly and to slow down when walking. Like I said, it is just normal, and a symptom of having HCM for me. It has gotten so that I hate when I need to bend over, because I know what will happen when I stand up again. Of course, whenever I go to have a stress echo, it doesn't happen, so my cardiologist has never had me "hooked up" to see an episode.

My mom had HCM and had the very same symptoms.

I hope you can figure something out that will help you. In any case, I understand, and know it's frustrating.

Debbie

[Ro]

Hi Andy,

My suggestion......get a urinal, (they work great and you don't need to get out of bed), and read up on the side effects of all the drugs you are taking.

I tried taking Toprol-xl and couldn't breathe on it. So I stopped taking it. It's been a couple of weeks and I'm still not back to normal.

I'm looking into more natural remedies to control the symptoms of hcm. My symptoms flared up when the doc put me on a diuretic for mild high blood pressure. I thought I was gonna die. Comes to find out, that not only does it deplete potassium from your body, it also depletes thiamine and causes the heart to go into failure. I'm still in "panic" mode from the experience.

So I took to eating bananas and V8....anything with potassium. Then I heard Dr. Leonard Horowitz on the radio. He said that the body should have a PH of 7.6 to 8. If your body is too acid, it will become sick. What makes the body acid? Oddly enough, the same stuff that causes arrythmias....sugar, caffine, alcohol, too much red meat, antibiotics and of course stress. So I began making a hot drink in the morning with the juice of 1/2 lemon, 2 TB maple syrup, a pinch of ceyenne pepper and enough hot water to fill the cup. The lemon drink is supposed to make your body more alkaline. After a couple days the heart began to calm down. It rarely gives me a problem now, and if and when it does, there's a heart reflex right on the line directly below your wedding ring. The line starts under your little finger and goes up into your long finger. If you "cpr" that little spot (you can feel it hurt a little when you've hit the exact spot), it will bring your heart back into normal rhythm.

Anyways, that's what I'm doing. I suppose at 67 I should expect to have to slow down some, but being tired all the time makes everything an effort. Maybe I should have taken some time to rest up after my "episodes", but that's an impossible dream. I'm just thankful I'm getting back to some semblence of normalcy. I'm also using colored light therapy, and other energy medicine, and working with meditation and Reiki to relax the heart. We'll see how it goes.

The best of luck to all of you.