Dizziness and light headness

[Thom7]

I have Asymptomatic AF but am suffering from dizziness and am light headed whenever I move from a sitting position to a standing position. I had an ablation to correct Atrial Flutter in January 2017 and my Verapil medication was reduced from 240mg to 120 mg daily. I have been OK until recent weeks when this dizziness dominates my life. Has anyone else had these symptons or can suggest any help. Any help would be appreciated. Really enjoy reading this forum. Thanks

M

[BobD Volunteer]

It could be many things but first instance see your doctor please. Could be anything from a viral infection to low blood pressure so best get checked out.

[Thom7 in reply to BobD]

Thank you for your advice.I have recently had my blood sugar and thyroid blood tests and they were fine. Testing my blood pressure with my own monitor daily ranges 130-140 / 78-84 and my pulse 65-75. I suppose it could be that my bloodpressure drops on standing up. Seeing consultant EP on Thursday so will ask the question. Will keep you informed.Thanks again

[Hidden]

As per Bob's advice you need to see a GP who amongst other things may refer you for a tilt table test if blood pressure, SpO2, and blood sugar are OK.

[Zozzy]

As I understand it's entirely normal for blood pressure to the head to drop when you stand up, pretty much in proportion to how fast and how far you move. So it will drop by more when you go faster from lying to standing than when you go slowly from sitting to standing. That's all physics - you'll see the same if you try it with tubes connecting bottles of water.

The body has a couple of mechanisms to compensate - I'm no expert, so happy to be corrected, and you can probably find it on the internet - this involve momentary constriction of blood vessels and acceleration of heart rate to temporarily increase blood pressure to the brain.

Lots of things could cause the blood pressure not to increase as quickly or as far as it should - ranging from the mundane (e.g. dehydration) to the esoteric (I won't speculate), but I believe that AF can impact the heart's ability to increase blood pressure.

Only a doctor can tell you for sure, but it's low risk to see what's happening to your pulse as you stand, and to drink a couple of glasses of water an hour or so before to make sure you're well hydrated. What you find will be useful info for your doctor.

Steve

[GarrBo]

Hello Thom7

I sometimes get light headed and dizzy when standing up but have found that tensing my muscles in my legs helps to relieve this. Give it a try and see.

[Thom7 in reply to GarrBo]

Thank you GarrBo. I will certainly try your suggestion and let you know.