h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've been dealing with severe dizziness for the past month, and quite alarmed by it. Today was the first time I actually fainted from it -- and in public, while alone.

I had just had breakfast, left the cafe and started walking down the block, to meet my friends, when the dizziness struck. I grabbed onto a retaining wall, and the next thing I knew I was on the ground, with a couple of teen girls trying to help me up! The good news is that I think I've figured out what's causing it. Fortunately, I was only out less than a minute. I shudder to think if it had happened while crossing the street. Going to the doc tomorrow...

Oh dear!!! Good choice on already having a doc's appointment! Hope to hear encouraging news soonish!
If you think you know the cause, is there anything to do about it?

That's scary. Whatever is causing it, I hope it's minor and easily remedied. Like Milla, I'm relieved you're seeing the doctor about it straight away.

Thanks for your concern! I have to admit it's worrying me just a tad. I'm used to going places by myself, and this would really limit me.

It's going to take longer than I thought to straighten this out. At least I feel a bit reassured by my doctor.

The good news is that it's probably not my diabetes, but rather one or more of my meds. I'm taking two kinds of blood pressure meds, to help my heart -- one makes the heart beat stronger, the other makes it beat steadily. Can't remember which is which, but I'm suspecting it's the one I just refilled a couple of weeks ago. Or, for something else a bit different, it might be my antidepressant. Currently, the AD is being tapered off (feeling down is better than falling down!).

My doctor is cutting one of my twice a day meds to one dose per day, afternoon, with the other blood pressure med once a day in the morning. We'll see, but no dizziness yet today, except a brief blip when I first got up. I go back in 10 days, and have to keep a diary of when I feel dizzy and what I was doing, etc. It still means I'm going to the doc every two weeks or so, til it's figured out. NOT my favorite thing to do.

If one of your BP meds ia a calcium channel blocker, I would suspect that one. I know several people who have had rather alarming side effects from them.

Whatever it is, I hope it's discovered soon. You already have enough to contend with. You don't need this on top of it all.

Good question, Hyp! The two BP meds I take are lisinopril and metoprolol -- one's an ACE inhibitor and the other's a BETA blocker. Are either of those what you meant? My AD *was* venlafaxine XR, but I'll be off that by Friday. And I'm actually thinking that was it, as I haven't been dizzy at all today. Went out and ran errands and everything.

Now all I have to do is pack some clothes, and all my perishable food as my apt is being tented for termites next week. As Rosanna Dana says, "It's always something...."

Nope. Calcium channel blockers are different from beta blockers or ACE inhibitors. I'm glad you aren't taking one.

How long do you have to be out of your apartment? And are they providing you with accomodations? Good grief.

When they tent, it's basically pumping the house with a gas to kill any termites (no termites here, but next door..). I, the cats, my meds and any food I don't want to throw out have to be out for 3-4 days. The landlady is not going to charge me rent for the time I'm out. Not a bargain, considering that to board my cats would cost almost $175, and you know what hotel rooms go for.

Fortunately, I've got a friend who lives 5 blocks from here, and the cats will spend the time outdoors in her lab's dog crate. I'm just hoping it won't traumatize them, since the two labs have run of the yard, and my beasts don't know from dogs. Not much else I can do.

Forgot to mention, the gas is brutally toxic, and will kill anyone exposed to it for more than an hour.

Sheesh. Is it really necessary to use something that toxic? They need to develop little termite hotels. They have them for roaches and ants.

I'm sorry this is going to be such a hassle.

Not necessary, but it's the cheapest solution. For a couple of hundred more, they can use canisters of liquid nitrogen and freeze the bugs to death, then the company does inspections every three months and retreats for free should anything be found. Oh, and with that one, no one has to move out, or throw out of *die* except the termites!

Are you back home yet?

Haven't left yet! I did have a pleasant two days doggie sitting in the hills, though. Got a little dosh in my pocket for sitting on a deck enjoying the city view.

NOW the tenting is set for after Thanksgiving weekend. The landlady found that her insurance company wouldn't let her tent until the work was finished...inspection is this week sometime, and tenters won't do it on a holiday week. Means I'll get back from my convention and have to immediately whisk my kitties to the friend's house or to a vet to board first thing that Monday. This is worse than having to pack for base camp on Everest! Not that I've ever done that...but my friend compared taking his toddlers and their carp everywhere with him to climbing Mt Everest.

We have moms with infants/toddlers come in here with a huge amount of gear. It must be exhausting.

Good luck with that schedule.

Do you take your cats when you house/pet sit?

No, I don't. I have friends who live about 5 blocks from here, and if I'm gone more than 2 days, they stop by to make sure the dishes are full, and my cats haven't been having their friends over...

Odd, isn't it? I take care of other folks' pets (including these close-by friends), and the friends check on my beasties. I get some small change for sitting, and my friends get free house sitting in return. Works for me.