2 weeks ... feeling dizzy

Laura76
Laura76 Member Posts: 49
in Kidney Cancer #1

Just curious, been two weeks as of today since my surgery and I've been feeling extremely dizzy at times when I stand up.wonder if this is normal.other than that I'm feeling good. Have my follow up tomorrow I can ask the doc but has any one else felt this way after there surgery?

Comments

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #2
    Sounds within the range of normal, but ask

    Laura,

     

    I remember being vary weak 2 weeks out, rather than dizzy. The dizzyness could be from medications. Definately bring it up to the doctor. Twelve years from now you can look back at this as just being a mere  bump in the road. My neph was in August 2002-BIP (before I-phones).

     

    Icemantoo

  • Laura76
    Laura76 Member Posts: 49
    #3
    icemantoo said:

    Sounds within the range of normal, but ask

    Laura,

     

    I remember being vary weak 2 weeks out, rather than dizzy. The dizzyness could be from medications. Definately bring it up to the doctor. Twelve years from now you can look back at this as just being a mere  bump in the road. My neph was in August 2002-BIP (before I-phones).

     

    Icemantoo

    Not taking meds
    I was afraid

    Not taking meds

    I was afraid of becoming addicted to pain meds so I stopped those a week ago.

    I'm thinking maybe I'm a Little anemic or my blood pressure low

    I'll start pumping up the vitamins. But yes I'll definitely ask tomorrow. 

     

    Just curious if that was common.....Thank you ice for responding

     

     

  • growler9
    growler9 Member Posts: 48
    #4
    Laura76 said:

    Not taking meds
    I was afraid

    Not taking meds

    I was afraid of becoming addicted to pain meds so I stopped those a week ago.

    I'm thinking maybe I'm a Little anemic or my blood pressure low

    I'll start pumping up the vitamins. But yes I'll definitely ask tomorrow. 

     

    Just curious if that was common.....Thank you ice for responding

     

     

    Woozy

    Laura - I doubt your anemic, they always check for that pre-surgery. If your already taking vitamins that should more than cover your iron needs. Is it hot where your at? Dehydration will cause your BP to drop. Have you been drinking extra water? Have a glass or two and see if it helps.

    Best wishes. Alan

     

  • Laura76
    Laura76 Member Posts: 49
    #5
    growler9 said:

    Woozy

    Laura - I doubt your anemic, they always check for that pre-surgery. If your already taking vitamins that should more than cover your iron needs. Is it hot where your at? Dehydration will cause your BP to drop. Have you been drinking extra water? Have a glass or two and see if it helps.

    Best wishes. Alan

     

    I was only taking vitamin c

    I was only taking vitamin c but started my regular women's multi vitamin today

    I feel like when i get up suddenly or bend over or do something a little strenuous I get very light headed. Almost as if I'm going to faint

    I drink a ton of water. I kinda feel like I'm still short of breath. I'm still not able to breath the full normal breath off the breathing exercise machine.it's only been two weeks since the surgery, maybe I'm over doing it.

     I did lose 10 pounds through all this.  And I was already thin

    Idk.... maybe I'm getting a cold. Hopefully the doc tomorrow can be of some help.

    Just not liking the dizzy faint feeling

     

  • aamdsi
    aamdsi Member Posts: 284
    #6
    making a guess

    I was woozy after surgery - but had started blood pressure meds a month before I had a partial.  2 weeks after surgery they had to adjust (lower) them since I was feeling light headed.

    Hopefully BP isn't it, but if is at least they can "fix" that. You said you are quite thin and lost more weight...maybe just not getting enough to eat? Not that you're starving yourself, but maybe need to snack more?  That also helped me (still does).

    Good thing going in!

    Yay for 2 weeks post-op too 8-)  Are you getting staples out?  If so you'll feel so much better.

    Hoping to hear good news about follow up tomorrow.

  • Laura76
    Laura76 Member Posts: 49
    #7
    aamdsi said:

    making a guess

    I was woozy after surgery - but had started blood pressure meds a month before I had a partial.  2 weeks after surgery they had to adjust (lower) them since I was feeling light headed.

    Hopefully BP isn't it, but if is at least they can "fix" that. You said you are quite thin and lost more weight...maybe just not getting enough to eat? Not that you're starving yourself, but maybe need to snack more?  That also helped me (still does).

    Good thing going in!

    Yay for 2 weeks post-op too 8-)  Are you getting staples out?  If so you'll feel so much better.

    Hoping to hear good news about follow up tomorrow.

    Who knows

    Ty. I tend to be hypoglycemic

    But it doesn't feel like that. Who knows!! Probably an ear infection or something

    I never had blood pressure issues before. Don't know now cause I don't take my blood pressure.

    I am Little congested like allergies or sinus.Who knows!!

     

    Maybe I'll figure it out at tomorrow's appointment. 

    No I had the glue! I had a total of six holes

    And a three inch incision 7 total.... the glue on the bigger incision is starting to peel but still it drives me crazy!! I just want to peel it off. Lol not a good idea

     

    I'm having a chest ct scan tomorrow too, maybe I'm just stressed from that. 

  • APny
    APny Member Posts: 1,995 Member
    #8
    Laura76 said:

    Who knows

    Ty. I tend to be hypoglycemic

    But it doesn't feel like that. Who knows!! Probably an ear infection or something

    I never had blood pressure issues before. Don't know now cause I don't take my blood pressure.

    I am Little congested like allergies or sinus.Who knows!!

     

    Maybe I'll figure it out at tomorrow's appointment. 

    No I had the glue! I had a total of six holes

    And a three inch incision 7 total.... the glue on the bigger incision is starting to peel but still it drives me crazy!! I just want to peel it off. Lol not a good idea

     

    I'm having a chest ct scan tomorrow too, maybe I'm just stressed from that. 

    Anemia

    Laura, get a blood test. I was perfectly normal prior to the surgery but a few weeks after I too developed dizziness and rapid heartbeat. Sure enough, a blood test showed my hemoglobin dropped a lot, and so did my iron reserves. Turns out I had a hematoma, slight but steady bleeding from the surgical site. So get a blood test ASAP.

  • todd121
    todd121 Member Posts: 1,448 Member
    #9
    Laura76 said:

    Who knows

    Ty. I tend to be hypoglycemic

    But it doesn't feel like that. Who knows!! Probably an ear infection or something

    I never had blood pressure issues before. Don't know now cause I don't take my blood pressure.

    I am Little congested like allergies or sinus.Who knows!!

     

    Maybe I'll figure it out at tomorrow's appointment. 

    No I had the glue! I had a total of six holes

    And a three inch incision 7 total.... the glue on the bigger incision is starting to peel but still it drives me crazy!! I just want to peel it off. Lol not a good idea

     

    I'm having a chest ct scan tomorrow too, maybe I'm just stressed from that. 

    Changes with Nephrectomy

    You might read up on what the kidney does. I'm not sure if you had a partial or a full nephrectomy?

    The kidney controls all kinds of stuff that if it gets messed up could make you dizzy. It could just be weakness from not having healed. Your outside heals faster than your insides.

    Removal of a kidney can cause changes to blood pressure, anemia (the kidney communicates to the bone marrow to make red blood cells), and regulates all kinds of solutes in your blood like potassium, phosphorous, sodium, etc. It can effect your Vitamin D availability by the way. I doubt that's why you're dizzy, but something else to consider. (Vitamin D gets broken down into usable Vitamin D partly by the liver and partly by the kidney.)

    Your doctor/surgeon should have checked your kidney function after your surgery and make sure everything is working. Do you know your creatinine, BUN and eGFR? Maybe they'll do a blood test to make sure you aren't anemic? I was anemic for awhile after my nephrectomy and have been borderline ever since.

    You might want to monitor your own blood pressure for awhile to make sure that's ok.

    Be careful taking supplements. Get name brands. Talk to your doctor about what you're going to take. I see a nephrologist since I had my kidney removed. You might consider eventually seeing one if you have coverage and get advice and what to take and what not to take. You're young. I was told at my age I have a good chance of outliving my one good kidney, so I should take care of it. Don't take any supplements that will stress your kidney especially ones you don't need. Your kidney has to work to remove the extra if you take too much of many things (some processed by the liver but some processed by the kidney).

    If you're having a chest CT scan, it sounds like somebody is on the ball with regards to making sure you don't have any RCC in your lungs. That's a good thing.

    Hope you feel better. It'll take awhile. For me, it took 3 months before I started to feel almost back to normal. I was getting really tired for several weeks after the surgery later in the day.

    Best wishes,

    Todd

  • Laura76
    Laura76 Member Posts: 49
    #10
    todd121 said:

    Changes with Nephrectomy

    You might read up on what the kidney does. I'm not sure if you had a partial or a full nephrectomy?

    The kidney controls all kinds of stuff that if it gets messed up could make you dizzy. It could just be weakness from not having healed. Your outside heals faster than your insides.

    Removal of a kidney can cause changes to blood pressure, anemia (the kidney communicates to the bone marrow to make red blood cells), and regulates all kinds of solutes in your blood like potassium, phosphorous, sodium, etc. It can effect your Vitamin D availability by the way. I doubt that's why you're dizzy, but something else to consider. (Vitamin D gets broken down into usable Vitamin D partly by the liver and partly by the kidney.)

    Your doctor/surgeon should have checked your kidney function after your surgery and make sure everything is working. Do you know your creatinine, BUN and eGFR? Maybe they'll do a blood test to make sure you aren't anemic? I was anemic for awhile after my nephrectomy and have been borderline ever since.

    You might want to monitor your own blood pressure for awhile to make sure that's ok.

    Be careful taking supplements. Get name brands. Talk to your doctor about what you're going to take. I see a nephrologist since I had my kidney removed. You might consider eventually seeing one if you have coverage and get advice and what to take and what not to take. You're young. I was told at my age I have a good chance of outliving my one good kidney, so I should take care of it. Don't take any supplements that will stress your kidney especially ones you don't need. Your kidney has to work to remove the extra if you take too much of many things (some processed by the liver but some processed by the kidney).

    If you're having a chest CT scan, it sounds like somebody is on the ball with regards to making sure you don't have any RCC in your lungs. That's a good thing.

    Hope you feel better. It'll take awhile. For me, it took 3 months before I started to feel almost back to normal. I was getting really tired for several weeks after the surgery later in the day.

    Best wishes,

    Todd

    I do believe that. But I woke

    I do believe that. But I woke up today blowing junk out of my head

     

    And the dizzy feeling hasn't came up today. And I've been very active do to doc appointment and scans.

    Been taking in more vitamins and drinking more water.

     

    My husband caught a cold while in the hospital with me and brought it home to my son

     

    Maybe it's apart of that. Had my follow up and asked the doctor and he said it shouldn't have to do with the surgery because everything else checks out fine. So..... Maybe I worried for no reason. 

  • foxhd
    foxhd Member Posts: 3,181 Member
    #11
    Laura76 said:

    I do believe that. But I woke

    I do believe that. But I woke up today blowing junk out of my head

     

    And the dizzy feeling hasn't came up today. And I've been very active do to doc appointment and scans.

    Been taking in more vitamins and drinking more water.

     

    My husband caught a cold while in the hospital with me and brought it home to my son

     

    Maybe it's apart of that. Had my follow up and asked the doctor and he said it shouldn't have to do with the surgery because everything else checks out fine. So..... Maybe I worried for no reason. 

    feeling miserable

    Laura, It is amazing how many people have nagging miseable feelings for a while after many medical procedures. Our system is weakened and challenged by what might not seem significant if we were healthy. Fatigue, weakness, insomnia, or constant sleep or napping. Forgetfulness, depression, frustration, or even anger issues that would not normally be present. Our body strives for homeostasis. If we need food we get hungry. Hypovolemic we get thirsty and so on. Having an organ removed is certainly a major insult to our well being. We may not be able to identify the culprit of how we are feeling because it is not something we have a "body memory" of. The experience is new. There is much to adjust to. Especially the impact on our physiology. But with time the experience becomes the new normal. Even if things never return to what they were, we become accustomed to the differences and they are no longer noticable. Hence the "new" normal. In some ways it is like having long hair and then shaving your head. Or wearing different eyeglasses or shoes. Very noticable at first, then insignificant over time. This is all part of the fun we have with kidney cancer.

  • donna_lee
    donna_lee Member Posts: 1,045 Member
    #12
    foxhd said:

    feeling miserable

    Laura, It is amazing how many people have nagging miseable feelings for a while after many medical procedures. Our system is weakened and challenged by what might not seem significant if we were healthy. Fatigue, weakness, insomnia, or constant sleep or napping. Forgetfulness, depression, frustration, or even anger issues that would not normally be present. Our body strives for homeostasis. If we need food we get hungry. Hypovolemic we get thirsty and so on. Having an organ removed is certainly a major insult to our well being. We may not be able to identify the culprit of how we are feeling because it is not something we have a "body memory" of. The experience is new. There is much to adjust to. Especially the impact on our physiology. But with time the experience becomes the new normal. Even if things never return to what they were, we become accustomed to the differences and they are no longer noticable. Hence the "new" normal. In some ways it is like having long hair and then shaving your head. Or wearing different eyeglasses or shoes. Very noticable at first, then insignificant over time. This is all part of the fun we have with kidney cancer.

    And another option

    that I don't think was mentioned.  When a body spends more time (as in recovery) either resting in bed or sitting in a chair or couch, "positional hypotension" can become evident.  Your blood pressure drops to accomodate the heart not needing to pump so hard when you are reclining.  A sudden change, such as standing, takes the heart  a few seconds to accomodate, so you may feel dizzy when you rise.  Once you are up and walking, the BP returns to normal.

    In any case, ask your Dr. We, on the board, can only offer suggestions of what might be happening; but every case in individual and you have get your own satisfactory answers.

    Did Fox just say this is part of the fun of having kidney cancer?  BOO!

    Donna

  • Melliebean
    Melliebean Member Posts: 53
    #13
    Hi

    My surgery was August 11.  I hadn't had any dizzyness until I got our last Friday for a Dr. Appt.  when I got up to leave the exam room everything went dizzy on me.  But it soon straightened back out I was like woah.  I figured it was because I was out for the first time.  My blood pressure is running lower now though so not sure.  I'm keeping an eye on it.

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