falling down

arndog64
arndog64 Member Posts: 537
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
We are in the kitchen cooking and my husband kinda woobles and says I am gonna fall. Next thing I know he is falling on the floor and falls back against our cabinet.It took him a minute to realize what happened. We got him up and in the room. He said he does not remember saying he is gonna fall. He said he has been light headed before, but never fell. Has anyone experienced this?

Comments

  • Noellesmom
    Noellesmom Member Posts: 1,859 Member
    #2
    that's at least a phone call to the doctor
    If not a trip to the ER.
  • denistd
    denistd Member Posts: 597
    #3
    Noellesmom said:

    that's at least a phone call to the doctor
    If not a trip to the ER.

    falling down
    That happened to me a couple of times, scared the heck out of my wife first time. I did go to the emergency room, stayed overnight. Blood was taken etc. Doctor said my blood pressure was low and my white and red cell counts were low causing the light headedness and falling.
  • CLRRN
    CLRRN Member Posts: 127
    #4
    Dizziness....
    You're not alone.....

    Mike experienced dizziness post treatment and one episode landed us in the ER for an evening. He was in the speech therapist office, he laid down and he got dizzy, eyes rolled back into his head and needless to say, scared the therapist-LOL. It turns out he developed some sort of benign vertigo. He would get dizzy after sitting up or getting up fast or when he moved his head around to quickly.

    The ENT doc said something about some "crystals" within the inner ear being dislodged and how there is a non-invasive procedure to "get the crystals back in place". Well with all my nursing experience, this was a first and YES, I was a skeptic and came home and Googled it...LOL

    Sure enough....there is a benign vertigo which is caused by the calcium crystals within the inner ear getting dislodged (surgery, radiation positioning were the most likely culprit). Mike had an Epley Maneuver in office of the ENT (took 20 minutes), he wore a soft neck collar for 48 hours and the vertigo was gone.

    Something to look into.....never a dull moment!!!
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #5
    I would get him checked out.
    I would get him checked out. But ya, it happened to me, too. I had just gotten in for rads, and was walking up to the nurses station. Then I remember being kinda dizzy. Then the next thing I knew, I was sitting in a chair that they had pulled out from the other room where I normally got my amifostine shot. My step mom said I looked like I was in slow motion for a minute, and was reaching out, the next thing she knew, my **** hit the ground. I think I was struggling hard not to pass out, and I was trying to grab the nurses station, but I wasn't even close to it. Apparently, I needed IV fluids, and my potassium was low. Even though I put through tons of fluids in my peg, and tried to up my potassium, it wasn't enough. I had to have fluids once a week for the rest of radiation.

    Then, when I was only 87 lbs, my blood pressure was even lower. If I was lying down, I had to make sure I got up slow, or- plop- down I'd go. I still have to be careful of that, but now, it doesn't happen that often, where before, if I got up too fast, I would definitely hit the deck.

    Oh, and when I was on all that fentanyl, if I took a shower, and got too hot, yeah, not good. I almost passed out in the shower alone. :( I'll tell you, it sucks when you have no caretaker to help you. I would have to ask my gram or call my step mom to come down to make sure I didn't pass out in the shower. I was so weak also at one point I could not even stand in the shower. Thank goodness for the built in seat.
  • arndog64
    arndog64 Member Posts: 537
    #6
    sweetblood22 said:

    I would get him checked out.
    I would get him checked out. But ya, it happened to me, too. I had just gotten in for rads, and was walking up to the nurses station. Then I remember being kinda dizzy. Then the next thing I knew, I was sitting in a chair that they had pulled out from the other room where I normally got my amifostine shot. My step mom said I looked like I was in slow motion for a minute, and was reaching out, the next thing she knew, my **** hit the ground. I think I was struggling hard not to pass out, and I was trying to grab the nurses station, but I wasn't even close to it. Apparently, I needed IV fluids, and my potassium was low. Even though I put through tons of fluids in my peg, and tried to up my potassium, it wasn't enough. I had to have fluids once a week for the rest of radiation.

    Then, when I was only 87 lbs, my blood pressure was even lower. If I was lying down, I had to make sure I got up slow, or- plop- down I'd go. I still have to be careful of that, but now, it doesn't happen that often, where before, if I got up too fast, I would definitely hit the deck.

    Oh, and when I was on all that fentanyl, if I took a shower, and got too hot, yeah, not good. I almost passed out in the shower alone. :( I'll tell you, it sucks when you have no caretaker to help you. I would have to ask my gram or call my step mom to come down to make sure I didn't pass out in the shower. I was so weak also at one point I could not even stand in the shower. Thank goodness for the built in seat.

    We have an appt with his ENT
    We have an appt with his ENT first thing Monday morning. We will ask him about the dizziness and shaky knees. He has been sleeping off and on since it happened. He was feeling great this past week. Eating small meals by mouth. I noticed today that he did not look well.
  • DrMary
    DrMary Member Posts: 531 Member
    #7
    arndog64 said:

    We have an appt with his ENT
    We have an appt with his ENT first thing Monday morning. We will ask him about the dizziness and shaky knees. He has been sleeping off and on since it happened. He was feeling great this past week. Eating small meals by mouth. I noticed today that he did not look well.

    Don't Be Discouraged
    It's tough to have the treatment over and still get aftereffects - the fact that it happens to everyone doesn't help (and it seems that just about anything can be an aftereffect). I hope you'll get some answers Monday and he'll start to feel better again. The good news is the "small meals by mouth" - yay!
  • rmkbrad
    rmkbrad Member Posts: 176
    #8
    Dehydration
    Happened to me a few times, mostly caused by dehydration. Keep up the fluids and some gatorade.
  • Greend
    Greend Member Posts: 678
    #9
    Happen to me
    I read the comments and I have fallen as well. Usually it is my BP medication (drops it too low) however I have also fallen when I get too hot and don't drink enouh fluids. All have been referenced and Dr is the best to tell why. With recent heat wave....
    Normally I get a little warning...woozy and light headed..when this happen I just squat down wherever I am.
  • Pumakitty
    Pumakitty Member Posts: 652
    #10
    Dad has the same problem
    My dad getts dizzy very easily. It is a blood pressure issue with him. I would talk to the doctor about it.

    Kathy
  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #11
    DEHYDRATION
    That did happen to me once. Had to make a trip to the ER and was told my blood pressure was way low. Infused me with 2 liters of Normal Saline and I was fine.

    I then realized how fast dehydration can sneak up on you.

    Take care.

    Mike
  • arndog64
    arndog64 Member Posts: 537
    #12
    luv4lacrosse said:

    DEHYDRATION
    That did happen to me once. Had to make a trip to the ER and was told my blood pressure was way low. Infused me with 2 liters of Normal Saline and I was fine.

    I then realized how fast dehydration can sneak up on you.

    Take care.

    Mike

    I think it's his blood
    I think it's his blood pressure. Today at the ENT it was 106/64. We talked to the ENT about it, he said we need to get with our primary. He will see his onco & rad doctor on Wednesday and he will ask them. Yesterday he was still on the lightheaded side, but today he seems to be doing a little better.
  • miccmill
    miccmill Member Posts: 248
    #13
    arndog64 said:

    I think it's his blood
    I think it's his blood pressure. Today at the ENT it was 106/64. We talked to the ENT about it, he said we need to get with our primary. He will see his onco & rad doctor on Wednesday and he will ask them. Yesterday he was still on the lightheaded side, but today he seems to be doing a little better.

    Same thing
    Boy do I remember this.

    Glenn went down in the upstairs bathroom but didn't fall. He felt it coming on so lowered himself to the floor. I didn't hear anything but the dog came downstairs and put herself in her crate. Hmmmm, something's not right. That was 5 months after his treatment ended.

    He had lots of other episodes of low blood pressure before they got his medicine completely adjusted.

    It really is a very, very tough treatment.

    Lisa
  • fisrpotpe
    fisrpotpe Member Posts: 1,349 Member
    #14
    I did the same
    I did the same two or three times, each time it was lack of fluids. I suggest getting on a schedule to get more and more fluids. Talk to the doctors.

    John

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