Lightheadedness, Diarrhea - week 2 of Pre-Op Diet

Felt great last week on the Pre-op Diet after getting through the first couple of days - my dr. allows a light breakfast (Egg, cereal, toast or oatmeal), one meal with lean protein and two green veggies - no white stuff or sugars or fats and two protein shakes or protein in yogurt.

I'm on blood pressure medicine and started to feel lightheaded yesterday in the afternoon and it was normal 119/76. 

Today without medication it has run 122/70 - I did  get my BP taken at my PCP today and will be in contact with them as I monitor it.  At the end of the day 127/82.  Lightheaded off and on all day.  It's not too low but don't know why for the lightheadedness.

Two weeks ago at the cardiologist on medication I ran 165/90 - amazing what one week will do of eating healthier and cutting out the diet drinks.

TMI NOW - Irritable Bowl person here - and I am having trouble with watery diarrhea - have been taking FiberCon pills, taking lactaid if I eat yogurt, making shakes with water or once with almond milk.  Most of the proteins I've been sampling are lactose free - just got the Unjury unflavored delivered today to try tomorrow - see if I do better with it in Crystal Light.

Seems like every time I've started a diet - the first few days I have diarrhea before things calm down. I'm not dehydrated - am drinking lots of liquids.  Maybe I need to add a G2 or Propel to my diet.

Any advice?  Like I said - I will be in close touch with my PCP.  Surgery is next Monday - Feb. 25.  Just wished I felt like I did last week - 

Talk to your doctor about continuing your high blood pressure medication.  I took my BP med for two days after my operation and I was TOTALLY debilitated! I couldn't even stand up. My doc stopped my BP pills but kept me on a low dose water pill. And even with that I am lightheaded sometimes when I stand up.

I was sleeved on 12-11-12 and feel so good! I've lost 40 lbs of the 70 or so I want to lose. I don't want to be too skinny.  My mom, aunt, and sisters had to go to Jersey this weekend for a dying aunt.  Today my mom was telling me that she thought I looked so good that at times she couldn't take her eyes off me. She like how my facial features looked.  Much healthier.  It was such a sincere compliment and it meant so much to me.

I wish you the best for your new life. I hope you love it as much as I do. And do immediately discuss you BP with your doc.

I've got to say it's late right now and I didn't read you message as thoroughly as I should have. My response wasn't accurately addressing what you're experiencing. So because I want to go to bed now, I will say, though, that I think you should be very clear about whether you'll be resuming your BP meds after the operation. I should have asked. My BP was 90/60 after I got to the doc's office - after walking, standing, etc. 

Again, good luck!

Mary

Definitely keep up on your BP issues with your DR.  Another reason for your symptoms can be carb withdrawal.  I had a similar experience about 3 or 4 days after I gave up all of the holiday white stuff.  I was in a book store and felt really weak and lightheaded, even sweaty and a little nauseous.  I had to lean up against the book shelves to keep from falling over.  I made it home and ate an orange and drank some water and I felt better.

I am also on BP meds so I thought it might be that, but in my case it wasn't.  When you drastically change your diet your body goes through a bit of a shock.  It is sometimes hard to sort out the symptoms and what is causing them because the symptoms of low BP, low blood sugar and the carb withdrawal are all very similar.  There is also the electrolyte imbalance that can come about with the diarrhea you are having caused by low potassium.

Hope you sort it out and feel better soon.

At my 3 wk Post-op visit my Blood Pressure was 112/70 and I was feeling dizzy that day. My norm with BP pills (HCTZ and Lisinopril) had been 135/90 before surgery, but with 20-25 lbs lost, that changed everything! My doc took me off HCTZ all together and dropped my Lisinopril down to 5mg from 20mg. My doc monitored me for that first month and I feel fine! It was the HCTZ that was making me feel bad. Check with your doc though. I hope this helped!

Thanks you all so much - still don't feel as good as I did the first week of the pre-op diet but talked to the nurse today.  She thought my blood sugar was probably a little low also and to ate some low-fat yogurt.

Going to the PCP on Thursday.  Journaling my food and blood pressure!

It's just amazing that my blood pressure can be affected so much with one week of pre-op dieting.....