Head-rush sitting up after run

In article <[email hidden]>,

ChuckWWW said:

I'm a NOOB. Just been running since the summer.

I get this groovy super-relaxed feeling maybe a couple of hours after
what is for me a longer run (say 5 miles or more). But the other thing
I noticed is that if I sit in a chair for a while, and then stand up,
WHOA, super dizzy spell! Does that mean I haven't properly replenished
my electrolytes? Low blood pressure, right?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on the matter.

When I was in high-school cross country and in *fantastic* shape
(resting HR of about 35), I would often get a head rush when I stood up
too quickly. My doctor said it was because when you get up quickly it
takes a while for your heart to start pumping faster, so the blood kind
of drains out of your head for a few seconds--causing the head
rush--until the heart catches up.

I don't know if that makes sense or not, but that's what he told me.

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson

"Harold Buck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

ChuckWWW said:

I'm a NOOB. Just been running since the summer.

I get this groovy super-relaxed feeling maybe a couple of hours after
what is for me a longer run (say 5 miles or more). But the other thing
I noticed is that if I sit in a chair for a while, and then stand up,
WHOA, super dizzy spell! Does that mean I haven't properly replenished
my electrolytes? Low blood pressure, right?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on the matter.

When I was in high-school cross country and in *fantastic* shape
(resting HR of about 35), I would often get a head rush when I stood up
too quickly. My doctor said it was because when you get up quickly it
takes a while for your heart to start pumping faster, so the blood kind
of drains out of your head for a few seconds--causing the head
rush--until the heart catches up.

I don't know if that makes sense or not, but that's what he told me.

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson

See orthostatic hypotension.

"ChuckWWW" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I'm a NOOB. Just been running since the summer.

I get this groovy super-relaxed feeling maybe a couple of hours after
what is for me a longer run (say 5 miles or more). But the other thing
I noticed is that if I sit in a chair for a while, and then stand up,
WHOA, super dizzy spell! Does that mean I haven't properly replenished
my electrolytes? Low blood pressure, right?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on the matter.

Maybe your resting HR is low. Mine is in the high 30's when in
race shape and about 40-42 average.

Ths phenomenon is sometimes called athlete's bradycardia. It's
similar in many ways to another, more serious problem known as
sinus bradycardia. The difference is that the latter is unexpected
and inappropriate for the physiology of the subject involved, and
more importantly is usually a sign of serious underlying problems,
sometimes with the thyroid gland and other times with blockages
of various types in the patient's blood flow. A pacemaker is often
an option for these people.

Both conditions are characterized by a resting heart rate of below
45-50bpm, and even below 40bpm in "exceptional" cases. My RHR
is about 38bpm when I wake up. As I am sitting here in the early
afternoon with a just-finished coffee in front of me after a morning of
weights, abdominal work and 30 minutes on a bike, it is 42bpm.

Dizziness when standing up too quickly is the most annoying part.
The heart is a muscle, just like your biceps or your hamstrings. And
like those muscles, it too gets bigger and more powerful as you work it.
You left ventricle increases in size and your stroke volume becomes
bigger. More blood is pumped with each beat. This is why it happens.

cheers,
--
David (in Hamilton, ON)
www.allfalldown.org
www.absolutelyaccurate.com

Quoted message said:

See orthostatic hypotension.

Ok I do see it, right there above. Now what?

Leafing through rec.running, I read SwStudio's message of 14 Dec 2004:

Quoted message said:

Dizziness when standing up too quickly is the most annoying part.
The heart is a muscle, just like your biceps or your hamstrings. And
like those muscles, it too gets bigger and more powerful as you work it.
You left ventricle increases in size and your stroke volume becomes
bigger. More blood is pumped with each beat. This is why it happens.

Interesting. My morning resting pulse is in the 35-38 range. I also get
these dizzy spells after a long run. I always figured it had something to
do with replenishing carbs. Maybe not.

Phil M.

--
"What counts in battle is what you do once the pain sets in." -John Short,
South African coach.

ChuckWWW said:

... But the other
thing I noticed is that if I sit in a chair for a while, and then
stand up, WHOA, super dizzy spell! Does that mean I haven't properly
replenished my electrolytes? Low blood pressure, right?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on the matter.

Pretty normal for lots of runners. Happens to me all the time. I even
blacked out once when I was a competitive swimmer at age 12. My HR isn't
that low (in the 50 - 60 range usually), but my blood pressure has been as
measured as low as 90 over 55.

Here's the cure (at least it works like a charm for me):

As you stand up, blow out through pursed lips, like you were blowing up a
balloon. It seems to get the blood pressure going. I'm not sure that it's
a good thing to deprive the brain of oxygen, even momentarily.

As Woody Allen said, "The brain is my second favorite organ."

-- Dan

Quoted message said:

I even
blacked out once when I was a competitive swimmer at age 12.

That was from whackin' your weasel too much.

I get this, too. In fact, it happened one day while I was at the doc's
office for something else. I sat up fast on the exam table and -- whoosh
-- everything went goofy.

My doc had me lay down again, checked HR and BP, and monitored as I stood
up. His diagnosis: orthostatic hypotension. Like others here, he said
it's just something common to runners and athletes with low resting heart
rates. Stand up too fast and the blood rushes from the head before the
heart can start pumping fast enough to maintain the pressure. He said
it's nothing to worry about -- unless I start blacking out and knocking
my noggin on stuff. Then there are meds that can control it. But he
suggested instead that I simply learn to stand up a little slower.

"ChuckWWW" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1103040688.389167.257970
@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

I'm a NOOB. Just been running since the summer.

I get this groovy super-relaxed feeling maybe a couple of hours after
what is for me a longer run (say 5 miles or more). But the other thing
I noticed is that if I sit in a chair for a while, and then stand up,
WHOA, super dizzy spell! Does that mean I haven't properly replenished
my electrolytes? Low blood pressure, right?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on the matter.

-Chuck

Quoted message said:

I get this, too. In fact, it happened one day while I was at the doc's
office for something else. I sat up fast on the exam table and -- whoosh
-- everything went goofy.

Proctologist? You gotta watch those guys....

Quoted message said:

But he
suggested instead that I simply learn to stand up a little slower.

Duhhhh

Surf McBrowse said:

Similar to Stumpy's solution, flex your abdominals before and during
standing up. If you forget and find yourself dizzy it is still not too late
to start flexing. Works fur me.

happens lots to me. all my life. sometimes when i get up, i just
sort of stand there and pretend to be looking around
or thinking. i hope i'm fooling everyone that nothing is wrong.
seems to work.
....thehick

Similar to Stumpy's solution, flex your abdominals before and during
standing up. If you forget and find yourself dizzy it is still not too late
to start flexing. Works fur me.

Surf

"ChuckWWW" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm a NOOB. Just been running since the summer.

I get this groovy super-relaxed feeling maybe a couple of hours after
what is for me a longer run (say 5 miles or more). But the other thing
I noticed is that if I sit in a chair for a while, and then stand up,
WHOA, super dizzy spell! Does that mean I haven't properly replenished
my electrolytes? Low blood pressure, right?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on the matter.

-Chuck

I have the same problem and have had it for years. My blood pressure is
on the low side and running lowers it even further. I get wicked dizzy
spells when getting up from a sitting position. Assuming the same thing
is gong on with you, it's nothing to worry about.

Quoted message said:

Works fur me.

But you are a moron, so it doesn't count.

Quoted message said:

sometimes when i get up, i just
sort of stand there and pretend to be looking around
or thinking. i hope i'm fooling everyone that nothing is wrong.

You at an orgy? How many people watching you get up?

Quoted message said:

it's nothing to worry about.

Well, until you hear a loud <THUD> when your head hits the ground...

Quoted message said:

You at an orgy?

If so, email me the address.

I have the same problem and have had it for years. My blood pressure is
on the low side (110/80) and running lowers it even further. I get
wicked dizzy spells sometime when getting up from a sitting position.
It's not very pleasant, but it's nothing to worry about.

Ignoramus5102 said:

ChuckWWW said:

I'm a NOOB. Just been running since the summer.

I get this groovy super-relaxed feeling maybe a couple of hours

after

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

what is for me a longer run (say 5 miles or more). But the other

thing

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I noticed is that if I sit in a chair for a while, and then stand

up,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

WHOA, super dizzy spell! Does that mean I haven't properly

replenished

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

my electrolytes? Low blood pressure, right?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on the matter.

Low blood pressure is a possibility. Another possibility is that
dizziness after standing up is also a result of diabetes. You can go
to a drugstore to get a free BP test on their blood pressure

machines.

Quoted message said:

--
Running Log: http://igor.chudov.com/weightloss/exercise.txt

Ditto here. Once actually passed out briefly after sitting down right
after a run on a hot day (came in just as long distance important call
came in), then tried to stand too fast. PLONK. Now I always stand up
*easily*. I know of quite a lot of runners that also have this happen
to them. So not too unusual....

Teresa in AZ

Newsdude said:

I get this, too. In fact, it happened one day while I was at the doc's
office for something else. I sat up fast on the exam table and -- whoosh
-- everything went goofy.

My doc had me lay down again, checked HR and BP, and monitored as I stood
up. His diagnosis: orthostatic hypotension. Like others here, he said
it's just something common to runners and athletes with low resting heart
rates. Stand up too fast and the blood rushes from the head before the
heart can start pumping fast enough to maintain the pressure. He said
it's nothing to worry about -- unless I start blacking out and knocking
my noggin on stuff. Then there are meds that can control it. But he
suggested instead that I simply learn to stand up a little slower.

"ChuckWWW" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1103040688.389167.257970
@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

I'm a NOOB. Just been running since the summer.

I get this groovy super-relaxed feeling maybe a couple of hours after
what is for me a longer run (say 5 miles or more). But the other thing
I noticed is that if I sit in a chair for a while, and then stand up,
WHOA, super dizzy spell! Does that mean I haven't properly replenished
my electrolytes? Low blood pressure, right?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on the matter.

-Chuck

FabulustRunner said:

Quoted message said:

it's nothing to worry about.

Well, until you hear a loud <THUD> when your head hits the ground...

As it happened to me when I was 12, it was more of a splat, like dropping a
dead fish...pretty weird that you can black out, fall down, and still hear
yourself hit the dirt.

-- Dan