Dizziness - Blood Pressure Issues, maybe?

Hi all,
I was wondering if I could get some thoughts on a problem I've had. When I'm excersizing strenously, whether it be climbing a big hill while biking or out hiking and my heart rate rises and I start breathing heavily (all normal)...I've noticed that if I stop immediately to catch my breath, or come to a stop light I get extremely dizzy and lightheaded and nauseaus (to the point of puking sometimes...its embarrasing, I know). BUT, what I've finally discovered is that if I don't stop and keep moving, or if I stop, start to feel ill and I start moving again, I'm fine! Eventually I recover and my heart rate comes back to normal. I feel like if my body can keep up with my heartrate, I'm fine.

Is this normal? I mentioned it to a friend the other day and she thought it might be a blood pressure issue. Any thoughts on this?

No, I don't think it's normal.

Do you wear a heart rate monitor?

V.

Def not normal. Have u had any problems with your inner ear? That can cause dizziness and nausa with changes in movement. In any case sounds like a phyical is in order. Do you ever have any other symptoms like chest pain?

Hi, it might be a blood sugar problem. You described some of the same symptoms I get when my blood sugar goes too low. The reason you might be recovering is that your body is trying to produce sugar to fuel your cells. Like the others said, you need to see your doctor, because you might have an insulin impairment problem, or it might be a heart problem, or it might be something else. Be sure to think carefully about what you are eating and drinking before you ride and while you ride, if it is enough for the amount of energy you are exerting, and then you can have an intelligent conversation with the doctor. It might be a simple solution, like you need more potassium.

Darcy

Something similar happens when I workout and have not paid attention to my blood sugar. It has never happened on my bike thank goodness.

I strongly encourage you to go see your doctor and have a full physical with blood work done.

Thanks for the advice. I never really thought it was a problem, just figured I was out of shape.

I have had a physical in the last year and have had bloodwork done and nothing came up abnormal, but I didn't bring up this since, like I said before, I always just assumed that it was because I was out of shape.

I'll definitely bring it up at my next physical.

I second the inner ear theory. May even go so far as as to guess vertigo. I had a dear friend who had been treated for an inner ear infection, and when all was said and done, she was diagnosed with Vertigo. Her symptoms sound very similar to yours.
Hopefully its something minor (vitamin deficiency)...... but money well spent to see a doctor and find out for sure.

Please keep us posted!

don't wait until your next physical. Just call up the doc and ask for advice. Phone calls are free.

If your doc thinks it sounds interesting, they'll have you come in. If they aren't worried about it much, they'll tell you to bring it up at your next physical.

Puking at stoplights isn't generally considered normal, no matter whether you're in shape or not.

Definitely have never had chest pains, and never had any problems with the inner ear. Hopefully it's just something minor like vitamin's and taking a one-a-day will cure it.

I'll give my doctor a call today and I'll keep you all posted.

CycleChic,

If I am understanding you correctly, your dizziness only occurs if you suddenly stop after strenuous activity? I've always been told NEVER to just stop, but to keep moving and let your heartrate slow down gradually...... While you are pedaling, or running or hiking, etc. the movement of your legs is assisting your heart in pumping the blood through your body. When you stop suddenly, your heart is forced to take over all the pumping itself and often, can't compensate so quickly. Not enough blood is pumped to the extremities, including your brain, and you get that feeling of light-headedness. I know I have certainly experienced that. So I try and always remember to slow down, instead of simply stopping. I've also felt nauseous at the top of a hill, if I totally went too hard. This doesn't happen regularly, tho', and if you are having problems ALL the time, you're still better off talking to your doctor. Let them decide if you need to go in for a check-up. Sometimes, just the peace of mind you get from having a problem checked out is worth it. Hopefully, its nothing serious.

annie

CC... maybe its medical, and the replies here have me wondering... but when I had read your post only I immediately thought "lactate threshold". You say this happens during strenuous activity like climbing on a bike... thats inevitably when my HR spikes.
I can't comment on the hiking as it is years since I have.

When you get to LT, your heart rate is way up there and you can feel a combination of dizzy, headachey, sore legs/abdomen, and thinking about/wanting to throw up. When my HR is way over lactic, not only do I feel like I am going to be sick, I also begin to believe my heart my just burst up my throat and crash into my skull.

When you ease the exertion, the lactic acid begins to disperse and things start to feel better and more normal again...

When the intensity is intense you get these symptoms... a Heart rate monitor would help to identify this. Veronica asked... do you have one?

I don't have a heart rate monitor, but I'm thinking I should get one. It's kinda like what Annie's describing, the whole thing about my heart pumping super hard and stopping kinda disorients me, I get dizzy, nauseus and I have puked on several occasions. But definitely if I don't stop, the symptoms don't occur. And if I do stop, start feeling this way, if I start moving again, the symptoms go away within a few minutes. It's pretty much anytime I'm exherting myself, like I said, hiking, running, whatever. And I've kinda always been like this, I grew up with the "suck it up" mentality and just figured it was nothing until my friend thought it might be a concern.

But I know they're kinda vague symptoms and could possibly be any that people have described, low blood sugar, reaching the lactic threshold, etc...

I've called and made an appointment with my doctor, she wouldn't talk to me over the phone and told me I had to come in :( but at least I'll get some answers and clear my mind of any concern.

Emily

If its what Annie describes, then it most likely what I have described too - its your lactate threshold... still, get it checked by a doctor if you are concerned, and ride with others til you know for sure

Well I saw the doctor the other day. After I swore to her that I've never snorted coke before, she set me up with a heart monitor that I will have to wear for a month, but luckily only when I excersize. She's telling me to try to induce one of the episodes while I'm wearing the monitor. All I think of is great...this is going to be fun. And she also scheduled me for an echocardiogram. After she gets the data from the monitor I have to go back and see her.

I'm really figuring on this being something minor, but it's good just to make sure of these things.

I'll give an update when all this is over. Thanks everyone for your support.

I'm so frustrated with my doctor. I had all the tests done, wore the heart monitor and called her a week after the end of the study. I called three times before anyone would return my phone call and this is how the conversation went:

S: Hi this is 'S' from Dr. P's office returning your call.

Me: Hi, I'm calling to follow up on the tests I've done, I've called three times and left three messages and this is the first returned call I've gotten.

S: Well the echocardiogram came back normal, so I don't know what you want from me.

Me: (trying to stay calm and not blow a fuse) Well first of all, no one called to tell me the results were ok and no one would even return my phone calls to tell me everything was ok. Second, Dr. P told me to call and schedule an appointment so she could tell me the results of the test.

S: Well let me speak to her and call you back to schedule an appointment.

I have never heard back from them. I'm so tired of chasing people down in this office! I'm so angry, I want to switch doctors. Its great the ECG was fine, but there's still no answer to what my symptoms are!!! I feel helpless!

Awww

I see that the pay-for-medicine process is similar to the universal health care we get here in Canada!

I can't think of how many times this has happened to me over the years. I'm sorry you have to pay for your visits (hopefully you have good insurance), but, with anything medical I've found you have to be your own advocate. If you want an answer - and I do believe we should have a diagnosis before self-treating - just book the appointment to review the results, regardless of what the receptionist says. And if those results are normal, bring in your checklist and find out if any of the other items can be tested - maybe a blood test is in order.

I do understand how frustrating this is. I've been trying to get a diagnosis on a condition that has seriously limited my activity since July. My next specialist appointment is on December 12. 1 of 3 tests indicated it could be my gallbladder, but 2 of them returned normal results, so....off to the specialist to check who knows what.

I would not have had any of the tests if I had not just kept booking appointments with my doctor to discuss how I'm feeling now and what the last thing we tried did.

Don't give up! If your doctor doesn't give you the treatment you want, by all means start shopping around, but do talk to "Dr. P" about these results to find out the doc's thoughts on what could be next....

Good luck!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

Did you doctor do a complete metabolic panel? I was having similar problems (except they happened mostly at a resting rate) and I had a battery of tests. I felt like a research experiment I had an ECG, Heart Monitor, two metabolic panels, EKG. I saw my internal medicine doctor, a neurologist and my eye doctor. They have determined it is most likely a form of migraines. Not the typical type, but something like it.

Anyway, I am just trying to tell you the path I had to go down to get some answers. Like I said it was similar, not the same. An echo doesn't seem like a stopping point though.

Yes, luckily I have good insurance. It hasn't cost me too much yet. But I've had an ECG, EKG, monitor and a metabolic panel. I'm assuming everything came back normal, the only thing that prissy miss 'S' commented on was the ECG when she said it was normal. I think you're right, I'll make an appointment for a follow up anyway. I'm just so annoyed.