[delitebrite]

I've been eating a vegan diet for a couple of weeks. I just recently starting getting pretty light-headed. I have really low blood pressure (due to hypoglycemia and anemia), but I haven't had a problem with it for quite a while. I'm eating perfectly fine, plenty of iron (for the anemia) and limited sugar (although it's not low blood sugar I'm experiencing, anyway). I eat regularly. I just don't know what it is? I've been a vegetarian for years and I haven't had any issues. Am I missing/forgetting about some nutrient? Or do you think that the switch to a vegan diet just eliminated a lot of my salt intake? I'm bewildered. Any thoughts?

 

[luxdancer]

Go get tested. I had a spell of a couple months where I was really light-headed and dizzy (and totally unrelated to diet because I hadn't changed anything), the bloodwork came back with nothing out of the ordinary and it went away, but it's probably worth having it checked out.

 

[nogardsram]

Correlation is not causation. I second luxdancer that you should go to a doctor and get tested. There are a lot of things it could be and it could be completely unrelated to your diet.

 

[Werewolf Girl]

What everyone else said, a checkup is a must. You need a real doctor to tell you what's up.

I've only ever felt light headed when I wasn't eating enough or under a lot of stress. Have you been under more stress than usual?

 

[creep]

The obvious thing to do is go to a doctor, but also...

1. Are you eating enough, period? Vegan food is less calorie dense by volume, so while it may seem like you're eating as much as before, you could be getting way fewer calories.
2. It's a good idea to take a multivitamin (with iron, for ladies) whether you feel you're getting adequate nutrients or not. Vegans especially need to pay attention to D and B12.

I have a genetic metabolic disorder that causes hypoglycemia, and my blood sugar was much more stable as a vegetarian than an omnivore, and even more so as a vegan, so I have trouble thinking that would be an issue, especially if you're not eating much sugar.

 

[delitebrite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Werewolf Girl

What everyone else said, a checkup is a must. You need a real doctor to tell you what's up.

I've only ever felt light headed when I wasn't eating enough or under a lot of stress. Have you been under more stress than usual?

Well I am considerably stressed. I've actually been having memory lapses due to anxiety. I didn't know there was a correlation.

 

[delitebrite]

Thanks. I generally steer clear of the doctors here. The last time I complained, she just told me something along the lines of, "Well you have low blood-pressure." That helps? Lol. Or they very quickly recommend some medication, and I don't generally take medications of any sort. Also not sure how receptive she'd be of a vegan diet. /: Might just write it off as that.

 

[ElaineV]

If you think there's a chance it's diet related, then get a complete physical including blood and urine tests and see what's up. A lot of people self-diagnose and just assume it's diet when in fact it's likely something else entirely. So if you think it's diet, go find out for sure. And then if it is diet-related, there are vegan dietitians who can show you how to fix it without having to harm animals

Just for the record, WebMD lists these as common causes of lightheadedness.
Allergies.
Illnesses such as the flu or colds. Home treatment of your flu and cold symptoms usually will relieve lightheadedness.
Vomiting, diarrhea, fevers, and other illnesses that cause dehydration.
Very deep or rapid breathing (hyperventilation).
Anxiety and stress.
The use of tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs.
link: http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/dizzin...topic-overview

If I were you, I'd start by drinking plenty of water and seeing if that helped. If that didn't help then I'd consider going to the doctor.

 

[dormouse]

Maybe since going vegan your salt-intake has gone down? Is that possible?

 

[Eonblue462]

Quote:

Originally Posted by delitebrite

Thanks. I generally steer clear of the doctors here. The last time I complained, she just told me something along the lines of, "Well you have low blood-pressure." That helps? Lol. Or they very quickly recommend some medication, and I don't generally take medications of any sort. Also not sure how receptive she'd be of a vegan diet. /: Might just write it off as that.

As much as I hate doctors and how dismissive they are or quick to jump to meds, you still ought to go, at the very least for peace of mind.

 

[JoBravo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by creep

The obvious thing to do is go to a doctor, but also...

1. Are you eating enough, period? Vegan food is less calorie dense by volume, so while it may seem like you're eating as much as before, you could be getting way fewer calories.

This.

By my second or third week, I was getting light-headed too.

I tallied up my calories using Live Strong: My Plate.

Turns out, I was getting less than 1000 calories a day.

 

[delitebrite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoBravo

This.

By my second or third week, I was getting light-headed too.

I tallied up my calories using Live Strong: My Plate.

Turns out, I was getting less than 1000 calories a day.

Thanks, I'll check that out. Had no idea vegans got more for less.

 

[Werewolf Girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by delitebrite

Well I am considerably stressed. I've actually been having memory lapses due to anxiety. I didn't know there was a correlation.

I can't say for sure of course, but there absolutely could be. I tend to be a very anxious person and I've gotten all kinds of nasty physical symptoms from stress, and feeling light headed and like I'm about to faint is something I experience when I'm really upset or afraid.

 

[delitebrite]

Well called on the calories, guys. I haven't had dinner yet, but I'm only at like 1/4 of the calories I'm supposed to have, apparently, and almost half of those are from tea.

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