# Lightheaded while using the bathroom?



## Chic_Icelander

I've searched the forums and I haven't found anything on the topic I'm concerned about: Being extremely lightheaded while having a BM. It doesn't matter what kind of BM it is, I always get the same result. It's been happening for a few months now and I noticed that even if I'm not straining, I'll get extremely lightheaded and dizzy. It's usually right after the BM is released and a few times I thought I was going to just pass out on the toilet! Like I said, it doesn't matter if it's hard, soft, watery, a lot of poo, or just a little. It doesn't matter what time of day it is or where I am.. I always get very lightheaded during and after I use the bathroom. Does anyone else have this problem?


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## Kathleen M.

Some people have a sensitive vagus nerve and when it goes off it makes people light headed. Some people will completely faint.It isn't dangerous (unless you hit something when you fall) but things like a bowel movement can be a trigger for it.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vasovagal-syncope/DS00806


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## Diana63

I can be light headed and feel dizzy when using my bowel.I try to breathe through the dizziness and faint feeling and take my time when i stand up again.Then i sit down on the sofa until the feeling passes.Not pleasant but part of my severe ibs.If only there was something to help.


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## Chic_Icelander

I wish there was something that could help. :/ I'm just glad that I'm not the only one.


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## BQ

Well in the Mayo article Kathleen gave you the url for it says you can do the following to help:


> If you feel like you might faint, lie down and lift up your legs. This allows gravity to keep blood flowing to your brain. If you can't lie down, sit down and put your head between your knees until you feel better.


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## jmc09

BQ those instructions sound a bit of a challenge while sat on a toilet!


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## Diana63

You certainly are not the only one,so you are not alone in your suffering.Take care.


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## Diana63

Putting my head between my knees can make me feel worse,but what i do, is my head is still bent down and arms resting on my legs and breathe in and out deeply,that sometimes helps me.I really do hate ibs symptoms!


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## BQ

jmc09 Maybe.. but crashing onto the floor might be MORE than a challenge.. huh?Anyone can put their head between their knees while sitting down... unless you have some terribly severe back problems???


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## Kathleen M.

You can keep a stool or a small hamper in the bathroom to put your feet up on if you need to keep from fainting and lying down isn't an option at the time.A lot of people prone to constipation find a stool they can use so their knees are higher than their butt helps with going more easily, so something similar could be used to put your feet up on when you need to so you don't pass out.If you have to keep your feet on the floor compression socks that prevent blood from staying in the feet/lower legs might be an option.


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## Chic_Icelander

jmc09 said:


> BQ those instructions sound a bit of a challenge while sat on a toilet!


I can only imagine the smell my poor nose would endure if I put my head between my knees while on the toilet! Haha. For now, I just hold onto the towel rail next to the toilet. It kind of helps.


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## Diana63

I have been using a stool for years when i am in the bathroom,it has not helped,but i carry on using it in the hope one day it might help.I think i need a miracle!


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## BQ

Well Chic I must have misunderstood... I thought you said you were having _extreme_ lightheadedness with BM's.. but if holding on to the towel bar helps.. great. If it becomes not enough then I would certainly discuss other options with your _Dr_.


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## jmc09

This is starting to look like a script for an upcoming comedy show! But being serious for a moment could the light headedness be due to a poor diet because of IBS of course or even an iron deficiency?


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## Kathleen M.

Vasovagal light headedness is usually for a short period of time when you see blood or have a strong emotion or have BM or abdominal pain. It is an inappropriate drop in blood pressure to stimuli that shouldn't normally do that.If you are lightheaded all the time there may be other causes for it, and if it doesn't pass quickly when you lay down it may not be vasovagal.Poor diet or low iron doesn't cause vasovagal syncope. I would think if you were anemic to the point of light headedness or had other nutritional problems to the point of feeling that bad it would be more of a constant thing (may come and go a bit in intensity) where Vasovagal issues you tend to be OK between episodes. When I'm anemic I feel like carp all the time, not just when I try to have a BM.


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## Chic_Icelander

BQ said:


> Well Chic I must have misunderstood... I thought you said you were having _extreme_ lightheadedness with BM's.. but if holding on to the towel bar helps.. great. If it becomes not enough then I would certainly discuss other options with your _Dr_.


I do have extreme lightheadedness most of the time, actually. I'm just one of those people that takes a crappy situation, no pun intended, and laughs at it. Hence the joke I made about putting my head between my legs. My motto is that if you're not laughing, you're not living and I've found that laughing at my misfortune with IBS helps a lot rather than sulking in my pity and falling into another depression that kept me in the house for 6 months. But anyway, there are definitely a few times when I get so lightheaded I really think I'm just going to fall over. I usually just hold onto to the towel rack and sit very still until it passes. The point of this post was to see how many people had the same problem and if there was any cures or quick fixes. Thank you for replying!


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## Chic_Icelander

Kathleen, I have a question. I'm not sure if this is due to IBS or not but I was wondering if you, along with anybody else, has had the symptoms I'm about to describe:A week ago I started feeling very, very sleepy and lightheaded. I've been sleeping a whole lot for this past week, which is not like me at all, and missed 3 days of work due to being very weak. I have what I call "episodes" that feel like someone stuck a vacuum to me and sucked out all of the energy. The other day I woke up feeling fine and got myself ready for work and sat down for a second and an episode hit. I lost all of my energy and thought I was going to fall asleep sitting up and I was also very dizzy so I called my doctor. I told her my symptoms and she told me to go straight to the ER. I could barely hold the phone to my ear because I was so weak! Anyway, when I got there they couldn't tell me anything. I explained that I had IBS and PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome) but it didn't seem to matter to them. Then again, they hardly did any tests on me. They just took urine and blood and told me I was okay. I'm not sure what's going on with me but I'm just so tired and weak. I haven't changed my eating habits and I'm not depressed. It just hit me over night! It's very irritating because I've lost so much work and I'm actually covered in bruises from running into things (my moms cedar chest in her room, a door frame, etc. It seems I've lost my coordination, too) Could this be IBS related? And if it's not, I apologize for posting it here. I just want some answers!


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## Kathleen M.

That doesn't sound like IBS I would see someone that can check you out.Sounds like it isn't anemia or dehydration since your blood tests at the ER were OK. Neither IBS nor PCOS would really explain all your symptoms so they probably didn't need to do anything about those or retest you for those. This sounds like something different and I don't know what you wanted them to do with information about illnesses that do not seem to be what is causing this problem.I would get evaluated for Chronic Fatigue syndrome or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or if you have a lot of muscle pain fibromyalgia.Also make sure your thyroid and blood sugar gets tested so you aren't hypoglycemic or diabetic or anything like that.I would not blow this all off as just IBS because that extreme fatigue and being light headed all the time are not IBS symptoms. A bit of lightheaded right with a BM is one thing, light headed all the time and nearly collapsing from getting dressed in the morning is not just your IBS. Please see if you can get this properly evaluated. The ER only cares if you are in a medical crisis, they do not test for chronic on-going problems. Just the do you need to be admitted to the hospital NOW! or do you need something before they can send you home problems. They are not for getting a proper diagnosis of an ongoing issue.You might want to try posting your symptoms over on the CFS/Fibromyalgia board http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showforum=3 and see if they can give you any insight into what tests you need or what may be going on. Again, this does not sound like simply your IBS or PCOS acting up.


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## mollser

Hi , I have just found out i have IBS, after a lot of test and going back and for to the doctor for 2 year's now, one of my symptoms was fainting after BM, i don't know anyone else this has happened to apart from yourself, it is soo scary when it happen's, the doctor was soo unhelpfull he just said the same as everyone else, put your head between your knee, i find this a bit impossible, he did run test on a lot of other thing's to see why i was fainting but have all came back negitive, the pain is getting unbearable now, i have tryed all the antspasam tables but nothing seem's to work, anyone got any other ideas??


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## Kathleen M.

If antispasmodics do not work usually the next thing to try is low dose antidepressants.


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## Diana63

I suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,which causes me to feel very weak,light headed and no energy levels to the point where i can do absolutely nothing,but i would do all you can to see a doctor and get checked out.Unfortunately it took a year of suffering before i was diagnosed that was 11 years ago,but i do hope you get some answers soon,and find out the cause.


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## mollser

When i was getting test's at the hospital they mentioned antidepressants but when i asked the doctor about it he was not keen to give me them?? i take it there is no other way i can get them?? it's just this has been going on for 3 years now


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## Epona

I also get very light-headed during a flare-up. I have IBS-D. I get the chills, and get clammy....and I feel so light-headed that quite often I need a fan blowing on me. I also will feel very fatigued and weak thru-out the day afterwards. I do try to keep my fluid levels up, and I drink Gatorade. But I sure know what you mean about the light-headedness being bothersome. I plan to get checked out for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and/or fibromyalgia..... I also get a lot of very intense pain during an IBS flare-up, and I think in my case that causes a lot of the light-headedness.


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## Chic_Icelander

Kathleen M. said:


> That doesn't sound like IBS I would see someone that can check you out.


Alright, thanks. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't my IBS. I'm pretty sure it isn't but it's always good to be certain. I plan on going to the doctor on my next day off from work and seeing what he can do about it. The episodes of dizziness and barely being able to move due to being so weak haven't happened for the last two days, although I am still very tired and worn out easily. I'll check out the link you posted.


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## Chic_Icelander

Diana63 said:


> I suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,which causes me to feel very weak,light headed and no energy levels to the point where i can do absolutely nothing,but i would do all you can to see a doctor and get checked out.Unfortunately it took a year of suffering before i was diagnosed that was 11 years ago,but i do hope you get some answers soon,and find out the cause.


Did it appear out of nowhere one day? That's what happened with me. It was literally overnight that these symptoms started and it's been over a week and I'm slowly regaining my energy but I'm still very sleepy. I'm also being worn out quicker than usual. I've been taking more breaks at work and I'm always itching to find a place to sit down and just rest for a second which isn't like me. When I go to the doctor I'll be sure to let you guys know what exactly is the matter with me. Til then, back to the IBS discussion! Haha.


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## Diana63

I started to vomit for no reason and my Doctor thought i had food poisoning,but the retching and vomiting carried on for 7months,leaving me under 6stones and no energy.Then the vomiting stopped and i was left with nausea,dizziness and no energy at all.I had blood tests and endoscopy all were normal but i still felt very ill and could do nothing at all.Eventually my Doctor diagnosed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.There is no miracle cure for this either,wish there was,but all i can do is take one day at a time.Please let me know how you get on.


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## Chic_Icelander

Diana, I'm sorry to hear that. I don't have any vomiting but I do have extreme nausea that I believe is 100% cause by IBS. I'm always nauseous no matter what... even right now! I'll be going to the doctor soon and hopefully he can tell me what exactly is causing this fatigue and weakness. 'Til then I just have to get my butt to work and push through it. Eeek.


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