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What Do Nausea And Dizziness In An Elderly Indicate While On A Pacemaker?
Question: Saturday morning I felt fine, by mid morning felt nausea and a little dizzy. That afternoon I threw up
repeatedly. Felt very dizzy when I stood, was ok sitting and laying down. Sunday nausea was gone but still dizzy and felt unstable when I stood up. Today ,Tuesday , feel fine, but still dizzy and feel unstable when I stand and walk. Concerned, never felt like this before. Thought I just caught a bug, but dizziness persists when standing or walking. I am a male 70 years old, have a pacemaker, but am active and have felt gteat this this weekend.
repeatedly. Felt very dizzy when I stood, was ok sitting and laying down. Sunday nausea was gone but still dizzy and felt unstable when I stood up. Today ,Tuesday , feel fine, but still dizzy and feel unstable when I stand and walk. Concerned, never felt like this before. Thought I just caught a bug, but dizziness persists when standing or walking. I am a male 70 years old, have a pacemaker, but am active and have felt gteat this this weekend.
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
Given that you have a cardiac history with a pacemaker, at this point I recommend that you go in to be seen. If it is too late where you live to get in to see your doctor today, please go in to an urgent care clinic or ER.
Most likely you had food poisoning, but the dizziness should have resolved by now. By dizziness, I will assume you mean light headedness (like you might pass out) rather than the room is spinning. If my assumption is wrong, please let me know as vertigo and light headedness are both referred to as dizziness, but they are very different mechanisms.
The persistent light headedness may be from an electrolyte imbalance from vomiting, or dehydration. But heart problems can also cause light headedness too.
So having an EKG, and chemistry panel blood work would be important now as would having a doctor do an exam. They may also want to draw blood for cardiac enzymes and troponin level.
I don't know what medications you might take, but if you take digoxin, a high level can cause nausea/vomiting and light headedness. So if you take that, you should get a level checked pronto.
If you go in to an urgent care clinic, specifically request to be seen by a physician, not a PA or NP. Many urgent care clinics are now mostly staffed by PA and NPs to save the clinic money. But you need a real doctor. Call ahead to make sure they have one.
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
Given that you have a cardiac history with a pacemaker, at this point I recommend that you go in to be seen. If it is too late where you live to get in to see your doctor today, please go in to an urgent care clinic or ER.
Most likely you had food poisoning, but the dizziness should have resolved by now. By dizziness, I will assume you mean light headedness (like you might pass out) rather than the room is spinning. If my assumption is wrong, please let me know as vertigo and light headedness are both referred to as dizziness, but they are very different mechanisms.
The persistent light headedness may be from an electrolyte imbalance from vomiting, or dehydration. But heart problems can also cause light headedness too.
So having an EKG, and chemistry panel blood work would be important now as would having a doctor do an exam. They may also want to draw blood for cardiac enzymes and troponin level.
I don't know what medications you might take, but if you take digoxin, a high level can cause nausea/vomiting and light headedness. So if you take that, you should get a level checked pronto.
If you go in to an urgent care clinic, specifically request to be seen by a physician, not a PA or NP. Many urgent care clinics are now mostly staffed by PA and NPs to save the clinic money. But you need a real doctor. Call ahead to make sure they have one.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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