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What Causes Sudden Onset Of Dizziness, Weakness In Legs And Lightheadedness?
Question: Hello. Last Friday I almost fainted in my driveway. All of a sudden I felt lightheaded, dizzy, shakey and my legs felt weak. A friend helped me in the house where I sat down and drank 20 oz of water while my upper lip was sweating. I also had a fruit cup thining I was either dehydrated or needed sugar. It all passed in about 30 mins but since then I get light headed throughout the day as well as dizzy. I'm also tired, have a headache and get the chills. I've been making a point of eating more and drinking 6-8 cups a day. This morning while in the shower I started feeling dizzy again and shakey in the legs. I hurried out, came down stairs and felt the need to keep very busy. I also started feeling a tingling in the tip of my tongue which I never had before. I have a history of panic attacks and started thinking the worse regarding my health and believe I caused a major panic attack. I took some Clonazapan and did some yoga. It seemed to help calm me down but I'm still feeling very tired and have a headache.
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello! I read your question carefully and I am sorry about the symptoms you are experiencing.
The causes of dizziness and lightheadedness like you describe them could be many. Considering the history of panic attacks and the fact that Clonazepam helped would go in the favor of it being perhaps related to anxiety.
However as I said could be in the setting of other medical conditions as well so some routine tests are necessary to exclude common causes such as heart arrhythmia, infection, metabolic imbalance, anemia etc. For that reason some routine tests like EKG, blood count, ESR, CRP, blood glucose, liver and kidney function tests, thyroid function, electrolytes, blood pressure measurements supine and standing. Those tests might reveal other causes for the symptoms you describe.
Until the tests I suggest you do have done until now, staying hydrated and yoga. Clonazepam is effective for anxiety, however caution is needed as it shouldn't be used regularly because it develops tolerance (the same dose is not effective anymore) and dependence, there are other drugs available for long term anxiety and panic treatment.
I remain at your
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello! I read your question carefully and I am sorry about the symptoms you are experiencing.
The causes of dizziness and lightheadedness like you describe them could be many. Considering the history of panic attacks and the fact that Clonazepam helped would go in the favor of it being perhaps related to anxiety.
However as I said could be in the setting of other medical conditions as well so some routine tests are necessary to exclude common causes such as heart arrhythmia, infection, metabolic imbalance, anemia etc. For that reason some routine tests like EKG, blood count, ESR, CRP, blood glucose, liver and kidney function tests, thyroid function, electrolytes, blood pressure measurements supine and standing. Those tests might reveal other causes for the symptoms you describe.
Until the tests I suggest you do have done until now, staying hydrated and yoga. Clonazepam is effective for anxiety, however caution is needed as it shouldn't be used regularly because it develops tolerance (the same dose is not effective anymore) and dependence, there are other drugs available for long term anxiety and panic treatment.
I remain at your
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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