Dizzy

[andrew]

Hehehe....whew.

[rkm001]

My Mother always complained about being dizzy. She had an episode one day where she semi blacked out, meaning she was not responsive. She had one in the early morning, then again 4 hours later, and then again within 20 minutes. We ended up at the hospital, thinking maybe it was a stroke, but the MRI and nephrologist did not think it was. She did not walk very well after this and had extreme weakness.

[crackers]

andrew it wasn't hard to notice it was one of your monty python moments.
john.

[Dumpy]

Sangye I'll try to answer the best I can.

1) I had several MRI's when they were trying to find out what was the matter with me and I had 1 about 6 Months ago but nothing recently.
2) None of my doctors are weg specialist but my pulmonary doc has 4 other weg patients.
3) I guess to try to explain exatly what I fell is that my head feels like it has a numness that it is going into and coming out of and yes there is a period of time that I have no account of. It is a real tingley feeling, realy hard to describe. I can feel it as it is coming on but only just before it starts.
4) Yes I'm on Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg, carvedilol 3.125 mg twice a day and bactrim 3 times a week.
5) After it's over with my face feel like it is flush and I'm sure my heart rate goes up just for the fear of whats going on I'm not sure if it a direct connection between the two. Every time this has happened I have been sitting down so it has not been from standing up to quick.
As far as I know my blood pressure has been good every time it has been checked which has been a lot lately.

[Sangye]

The diuretic you're on (hydrochlorothiazide) has a drug interaction with prednisone. The diuretic causes a loss of potassium and other electrolytes, and pred worsens it. If your potassium levels drop, you can get all the symptoms you're having.

It can be tricky to catch a low potassium problem (Hypokalemia). Your blood work might be fine and then maybe you sweat more or don't replenish your electrolytes and Wham-- hypokalemia. Potassium levels can fluctuate greatly day to day when you're on drugs like that.

That would be my best guess, and it's easy enough to rule it in or out. Do you take a potassium supplement? If not, did they tell you to eat bananas or oranges each day?

[Dumpy]

Well to start with I live in South Louisiana which doesn't mean much if you have never been here but this time of year it is very hot and the humidity is tuff and I am in and out of the heat just about every day. No nobody has every mentioned a potassium supplement.
Do you think I need to find a Weg Specialist? I'm not sure where the closiest one is to me. I live in Baton Rouge, Loisiana.

[Sangye]

No nobody has every mentioned a potassium supplement.

(Sangye sighs heavily) Pred alone can cause you to sweat out too many electrolytes. And Louisiana, sheesh. Your diuretic is a thiazide diuretic, which means it causes potassium loss. (As opposed to "potassium sparing" diuretics) Your docs should either have put you on a daily potassium supplement or told you to make sure to eat foods rich in potassium every single day. Here's a good list. If you sweat even more than normal, eat more. Orange juice is great. It'll be easy to tell if this is the cause of your symptoms. (Make sure you drink plenty of regular water, too. Don't just drink juice.)

Do you think I need to find a Weg Specialist? I'm not sure where the closiest one is to me. I live in Baton Rouge, Loisiana.

I think we all need Wegs specialists-- at least your local docs should be consulting one regularly. Your pulmonary doc's experience with 4 Wegs patients is just not sufficient. Check out the VF list.

[coffeelover]

I am on that same diuretic and cannot handle the humidity very well either. Hmmmmm......I have been making these absolutely fabulous fruit smoothies and instead of adding milk, I have been adding the V 8 fruit fusion and oh....it is sooooo good. Maybe you could bring up your potassium levels by joining me each evening with a smoothie and a book?
Lisa

[Dumpy]

Lisa,
The smoothie sounds good but I have never been much of a book reader.

[JohnL]

I had one episode stood to quickly and went answer the door - dropped like sack of potatoes- I was toll it probabally was a blood pressure thing brought on by th meds. I still have to pause when I stand up to get my brain in gear.