Scared Myself Lastnight.

[willows]

Because I am bradicardic I dont get dizzy spells as such, just lightheadedness I'm not to sure whats going on.

I was laying on top of the bed last night watching TV and decided that I wanted to speak to my hubby who was downstairs at the time , so getting out carefully ( as I always do ) I made my way slowly to the top of the stairs , reaching for the banister I started to walk slowly down , just pass the very tight curve of the stairs ( 3 steps down) I noticed that the walls and ceiling didn't seem to be 'normal' .

Suddenly I felt my knees start to go ...............and the whole staircase spin..........I managed to scream out 'anybody'!!!!

Next thing I knew I was sitting on the stairs with my head pressed against my hubby's waistband !

Apparently he had heard me coming down the stairs and came to see what I was doing, saw me standing about 1/8 of the way down looking like I'd been seeing fairies and as white as a sheet.

He said he had never moved so fast in his life when he suddenly saw me 'drop' and his one concern was to stop me falling head first down the steep stairs .

It took me a number of minutes to come to and even when lead back to bed by my husband the room still spun and I couldnt sit upright

Is this the norm????

I've never had 'high blood pressure' except when pregnant and in fact I'm low because of the Clonidine I take for my sweats.

If anyone can help me or give advice as to what I should do I'd be very grateful.

My next check up with my doctor is in 10 days time.

Thanks ever so .............Willows.

[taylortotmom]

Stairs can be bad news. Bradycardia can certainly make one dizzy as can the low blood pressure issues. It sounds like you did the right thing by getting up slowly but it is possible your pressure and/or heartrate were abnormally low since you had been laying down. It helps me to take a deep breath before attempting to go up or down stairs. You can also try to raise your blood pressure before getting out of bed by doing light leg bends. Definitely discuss, this with your doctor. Of course fluids and salt are always good things to have near as well. Good luck I know that was scary for you and your husband. Glad to hear he was nearby and aware of wht was going on.

Carmen

[willows]

Thank you for your reply Taylortotmum.

I am not allowed to have to much salt ...........my kidneys have been in failure before and I had to be put on dialysis , which was not much fun I can tell you while they were getting themselves sorted ( due to horrendous septicemia ) ......so saline drips and such are a no-no for me .

I do get out of bed slowly, cant do anything else but do it slowly as 'm riddled with arthritis, especially my hips, knees and hands...........so I'm a bit like a snail at times , except I dont leave a trail !

I'm hoping to speak to my doctor soon, its hard getting an emergency appointment as I'm only allowed to see two of the doctors out of the whole practice, and one is off on holiday and the other is so booked because she really knows her stuff .

I've been a 'bit out of it ' again today ..............sort of not quite there all the time, if you know what I mean.

Never mind I'll try the doc's tomorrow and see what happens, I'm just hoping its a drug and not something else.

Thanks again .............Willows.

[Guest dionna]

at the apartment i used to live at i had to go up and down the stairs to get to my room as well. i have fainted and fallen down the stairs a few times. i learned to sit on the steps and do a crab walk down them and i crawl up them taking my sweet time. that is the only way i could think to adapt to it. i don't have any other advice on it. i wish i did cause i would take my own advice in this case. i hope you get better with it.

dionna

[Sunfish]

so glad that you're okay (relatively speaking). i've taken a few tumbles down stairs over the years (from blacking out), the most serious leading to having to have spine surgery; i don't recommend following in my footsteps.

i can hardly do stairs these days and it's one of the things that had to be figured out before i move back home with my parents. their house is horribly inaccessible.

hope you're feeling a bit better and do watch out for those stairs...

melissa

[willows]

Thank you all for you helpful replies..............its maddening really

For about three years we have been applying for a local grant for inside and outside chair lifts to be fitted, its not for just myself , my hubby has terrible walking problems to.

I get so short breathed going upstairs that I now go up on all for paws!!! and have to stop half way to re-charge and get breath.

I fell down the stairs a few weeks ago , which shook me up no end and I then had two days on my back in bed. Three years ago ( when they said we must have the lifts) I feel down the front steps and broke my ankle so badly I was in plaster for 10 weeks followed by months and months of physio. I've broken my wrist when I fell and caught my sleeve in the banister and taken the skin off the front f my face when I slid face down from top to bottom.............so there is plenty of history.

This grant for disabled fitments within your house /garden is something you can apply for in the UK of you are 1. disabled 2. your occupational therapist feels you are at such risk . 3. you have had falls down the stairs before ...........I fill all of the above 3 times now .

For three years running I have filled all the forms out , sent copy after copy of all hubby's and my income , copies of bank statement .you name it and I've copied it , it almost come down to asking what colour underwear you have on that day .................so intrusive .

I do try to come down on my bum sometimes , but this causes me to sweat like I've been in a rain storm, so walking VERY carefully and slowly holding in is the best answer................but not anymore it now seems.

Hope to speak to my doctor Monday and see if my meds are out of sync.

Willows.

[anna]

Hello Willows,

Sorry to hear you are having these dizzy spells, could you have a bout of vertigo? I and my kids get dizzy a lot due to ANS disfunction but we also seem to be prone to bouts of vertigo my GP thinks its to do with lack of blood flow to our balance mechanisim(sp). Have you had a cold recently?! could it be a bout of viral vertigo?

About a grant for chair lifts, have you been assest by a NHS or social services OT? My sister is an OT I can ask for her advice if you would like, I do know our social services here in East Devon seem to have to always juggule their finances to supply the care they are required to and funding does seem a bit odd at times. Hope you get sorted out soon.

Take care, bye for now,

Anna

[willows]

Hello Anna.............when I had my bad fall about three years ago I was appointed a OT via the SS, she came and assessed all my needs and I was fitted with loads of stuff like; bath chair, bath/shower rail, loo rail ( so I can get up when my hips lock ) a wonderful bed side that I can use to turn over with at times .........other bits and Bob's for about the house ..........but the main thing was and this is after she caught me crawling up the wet front steps with my leg in plaster !!!!

A stair lift for out very step outside steps to the house /garden and one for the very step inside stairs to upper floors...............ha !

As I said in the above post , three times I've filled all the forms in, send copies of everything they have wanted and three times we have been told.............'sorry try next year , we are out of money'.

So now I've given up.

As for a cold or virus , nope nothing , I dont get vertigo from heights either.

This passing out came on 'out of the blue' one minute I was fine OK normal ( ha ,thats a good one) and the next walls, floors and ceilings on the move and then .........................the next thing I recall is finding my forehead pressed against my husbands belt buckle !!! nice imprint of a flying eagle on my head for a while !!!

Thank you for your help , I'm now waiting until Monday as I sent my doctor an email , so she is brill at coming back to me as I have the honour of being the most difficulties but interesting patient ( health wise that is ) in the whole practice .

Kind regards to a fellow Devonian ...........Willows.