So interesting feelings..

[ChasMartin]

So now that I am on sotalol, I am ecstatic to say I haven't any ectopics, nor any arrhythmias since starting it. A tiny bit of dizziness soon after the first few doses, but ok since from the medications.

However... now that my heart is calm after eating, I'm noticing persistence of some of the other symptoms that I had actually blamed on my heart going haywire before. For an hour or so after eating dinner now, I get very short waves of dizziness, when I turn my head, or something moves fast.. I get that slight vertigo feeling. Stomach dropping feeling? A little woozy in my head? I don't know how to explain this. All sinus rhythm when this is occurring. The last few days I've also checked blood pressure and blood sugar, all normal. I found info on something called postprandial hypotension, but doesn't appear to be severe enough to be that condition.

I also noticed when I lie down to sleep. I start getting little waves of dizziness, and sometimes also get tingling numbness feelings in the back of my head, and a bit up into the sides of my head as well.

So here's where I'm at. My stress echo in December showed very mild inducible ischemia. My EP said he thinks it's a false positive, but considering these other things going on, I'm wondering if I definitely have some sort of vascular issue. It seems as though when my digestive system kicks on and needs that extra blood flow, it's creating these other symptoms (this is what causes postprandial hypotension). I have no idea. It's all very strange. I don't have high blood pressure, never have. My blood pressure has been around 115/70ish everytime I check it. I can't come up with any inkling of an answer.

It's just been a bit unsettling to learn that the dizziness symptoms weren't all from the arrhythmia.

[Hidden]

Hi! At the first glance, the BP of 115/70 looks wonderful! But... if this value is achieved via dropping of HR (read, via dropping the blood flow-rate), than it is not so delighting. It means that your tissues are not supplied with enough oxygen and nutrients, what is first to be felt through reduced brain function. Poorer sight, loosing the balance, having problems concentrating are the first signs of "low voltage". It is where it is easiest to be noticed, whereby other, more resistant tissues, like muscles and skin, show only tingling. Sometimes, the whole limbs may go numb for a while.

If such body state, with reduced blood circulation, persists during prolonged period of time (people spend years and decades on medication for say BP), it has to cause a damage to the body. Heavy brain damage, in the forms of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, may be nothing else but the consequence of prolonged period of forcibly reduced blood supply...

[Rainfern]

Hi Chas, first of all that's such good news that the arrhythmia and ectopics are gone! Really positive to hear! Gut issues can cause dizziness, mild confusion and that sinking feeling. It may be worth seeing a dietician. My sister has a condition called "dumping syndrome" where the gut gets really leaky. Sometimes she has to go to bed for a few hours after a meal but she can avoid the symptoms by controlling her diet, avoiding sugar, fizzy drinks and high processed foods. It took ages to get diagnosed, but has made a huge difference to her confidence to travel etc. I'm sure there's other gut related causes too. You'll be hypersensitive to all things heart and vascular if you're anything like me, but worth looking more widely.

Wishing you well on your healing journey!

[Tapanac]

I had similar to your symptoms and it turned out that I had labrynthitis which is an inner ear problem. It was easily remedied. Good luck and hope you feel better soon

[Lizty]

Check with a chiropractor. Could be neck tension. I have mild neck arthritis and get very similar symptoms in the contexts you describe. Just when we sort out one problem, another little 'pain in the neck' arises!

[Sixtyslidogirl]

It sounds a bit like benign positional vertigo which I have had for years. Very unpleasant dizziness when my head is in certain positions. Look it up on YouTube as if it is that, you can get rid of it by doing a particular exercise. It’s caused by debris in the inner ear and the exercise moves it out.

[ChasMartin in reply to Sixtyslidogirl]

It’s not severe enough to be this. And it only happens very briefly. Definitely related to digestion.

[mav7]

How long have you been on sotalol, Chas ?

Could vertigo and other issues be just adjusting ? Best to consult with your doctor.