Feeling dizzy and my hands get numb/trembly...


thetinyshiloh's avatar
Hello HWL forum,

Ok, so I know I should go to the doctor for this kind of question, but I'll be making an appointment in a few weeks or so, so please don't give me that answer. I'm just asking HWL for now, to see if anyone else has had a similar experience.

Starting 3 days ago, I've been feeling really dizzy whenever I stand up or get up from lying down, and my hands sometimes feel funny, like they suddenly lose blood or get a little bit trembly. This isn't often, but it's more than twice a day.

I stay hydrated, I eat enough, and my blood pressure is healthy (103 over 70). Or is that too low? :confused: The only thing I can think of triggering this is that I stopped taking Zoloft around 4 or 5 days ago. I'm trying to get off it, since I've taken it since November of last year and feel ready to try doing without it.

Help anyone? Thank you for reading!
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xByDefault's avatar
ermh, your blood pressure should be at least 135
thetinyshiloh's avatar
But I'm a runner. So mine will naturally be lower. I'm also 4'11"... so I don't think my heart has to work so hard, right? 135 is healthy, sure, but it's on the higher end. Thanks for the concern though! :)
xByDefault's avatar
Oh wait, sorry. I was thinking of blood count, not blood pressure here. My bad! Yeah, you're right :)

Well, all I can guess then is that you've ceased to medicate is the reason behind all of this
tanmei's avatar
Having been on Zoloft twice, it's probably the fact you missed 2 days of the medication in a row. You can't stop taking it abruptly, currently this is my second time on it, and even if I take it a few hours later than what I normally do, I start feeling dizzy and often zone out of what I'm doing. The first time on it, I remember missing a day and felt really terrible afterwards. Just remember to decrease the dose gradually so you don't get those withdrawal symptoms.

You may have anaemia - I've had anaemia in the past, same symptoms. I was also really, really tired and irritable, and at one point I stayed at home, mostly in bed for about a week due to a severe lack of energy. It's probably worth getting a blood test to determine your iron levels.

But definitely speak to your doctor as soon as possible, even if you just ring up and speak over the phone (if getting to an appointment is inconvenient). Really, I'd just put the rest of your life on hold, and take care of your health first! It's your health that matters! Hope you feel better soon :)
thetinyshiloh's avatar
Thank you for such a considerate response! Yeah, I will do that soon. :)
Magdalene-S's avatar
I've taken the medicine you mentioned, so I cannot tell you if this could be this, nevertheless it sounds like the bigninning of anemia. I have a slight issue with iron in my blood and I keep getting the same thing. Have you fainted even one time out of these?
Have a blood-test done, it won't do you harm and it may show if that's anemia. Tell them you'd like to check your iron level. What's your blood-type? Some are more likely to get it, and it's nothing serios if that's just a slight shortage. You'll be able to fix it within one month, probably.

Take care! :)
thetinyshiloh's avatar
Ok, I should probably have a check-up anyways! Thank you :)
Magdalene-S's avatar
Not a problem - hope everthing works out for you :)
Bloodshyy's avatar
Sounds like you might have a small case of anaemia to me.
Just eat lots of green leafy vegetables and red meat
And you should be better in no time :)
thetinyshiloh's avatar
This is a possibility, but my diet is pretty balanced. Thank you for the advice! :)
I have to echo all those before me in saying that stopping a medication like Zoloft is worse than never taking it at all. Zoloft is an SSRI, if I'm not mistaken. Serotonin has a lot to do with your body chemistry other than depression (which is why depression hits your whole body instead of just making you sad.) I don't know how old you are, but there are thousands of cases of children who have been taking SSRIs and stopped taking them for whatever reason and they abruptly committed suicide. When the serotonin levels in their brain dropped (quickly) from what the medication was maintaining them at, an abrupt deep depression hits them. This is why SSRIs have black box labels. Everyone has given a lot of great advice so far, but I have to say, if you start to have any depressed feelings or suicidal thoughts I urge you to call your doctor immediately.
thetinyshiloh's avatar
Thank you for the long thoughtful response, and don't worry, I'm not feeling any worse emotionally! And I took it again this morning and will be letting myself off it slowly. Thank you!
Ljudska's avatar
probably the after effects from the zoloft. be sure you're eating a good quality diet and getting enough sleep.

also, you should get some good cardiovascular exercise to strengthen your heart and blood vessels. maybe take up jogging/bicycling/swimming
thetinyshiloh's avatar
I'm actually getting back into running since I do XC in the fall... so I have to get back in shape. But I may stop for a day or two until I'm back onto the Zoloft and then I can decrease it safely (only because the other day, when I got back from a short run, I was even dizzier than before).

Thanks for the advice! :)
Ljudska's avatar
yeah, when you said it only just started happening, that makes me think it's not the obvious thing (blood sugar/anemia) but related to something that just happened recently, and here you just suddenly stopped taking a medication that your body is addicted to, so i'd guess it's that.
Aapis's avatar
That's funny, you've phrased this thread like you were asking a doctor for advice.

But, none of us are doctors, nor are we qualified to give medical advice to anyone.

:|
thetinyshiloh's avatar
That's funny, you answered this thread when it was clearly a waste of your time.

:|
Aapis's avatar
It's the weekend, I've got nothing but time to waste.

:|2
thetinyshiloh's avatar
Thanks to everyone who has responded! I can't guarantee I will respond to those after this comment, but thanks for reading and trying to help (I think it's the Zoloft, so I figure my problem is solved).
DodgerWolf's avatar
It's because you went off the Zoloft. Zoloft withdrawals cause dizziness like you describe. It's happened to me several times when I've run out before I can get a new prescription. I second ~dark-sheikah; you should never try going off a medication without your doctor's knowledge. Lower your dosage gradually.
thetinyshiloh's avatar
Ok! I'll start that first thing tomorrow morning. I'm glad that it seems to be something definite and that I can take care of asap. Thank you!
famartist's avatar
i do that all the time

one time i got up too fast and my vision went completely black for like a minute and i was on the floor.

shit sucks
thetinyshiloh's avatar
Oh my! That's never happened to me, thankfully.
famartist's avatar
and it happened to my uncle one time, and he lost control of himself and fell down, but when he came down he hit his head on a sink.

he didn't get knocked out but i hope that never happens to me.