Light Headedness

[vintage1]

Most days particularly when I am getting tired and run down in the afternoon I get light headed, blurry eyed and start feeling sick. Does anyone else have this? It's easier to just go to bed than stay up and face the anxiety :(

[Paul Blay]

Short answer - yes.

Regarding the feeling sick bit: Watch out for Irritable Bowel Syndrome - it often accompanies long term anxiety problems. If you find you have abdominal cramping, bloating and bouts of constipation or diarrhoea you should see your doctor promptly.

[vintage1]

Thanks Paul I do have some of those symptoms so I will bring it up at my next dr appointment. I actually just had an ultrasound of my stomach due to cramping and pain but everything came back clear. How is IBS diagnosed?

[Paul Blay]

Diagnosis isn't easy, it tends to be "if it isn't anything else, then it must be IBS".

Well, there are oodles of sites on IBS but here's a slightly more detailed description of some of the more common symptoms. Spicy, greasy food and rich meat often make things worse (high quality roast beef was the worst for me). Diarrhoea a short while after eating is quite a common symptom. You often get cramping in the lower abdomen, can be really really painful. Some people find that cooling your abdomen (wet towel or similar) can relieve the pain to some extent.

Actually, probably one of the best ways to diagnose it is to take anti-IBS pills and if it gets better that was probably it. ;-) IBS medication is highly effective on the primary symptoms, but isn't a cure all. A carefully controlled diet also help a lot.