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For the past 2 weeks I've been feeling very tired with ...
Sent to Health Experts May 21 09:19 AM

For the past 2 weeks I've been feeling very tired with no energy. I am lightheaded, dizzy and feel like I'm going to faint. I'm also having heart palpitations. I've been on a diet (LA Weight loss) for the past 2 months and lost 15 pounds and don't know if this is the cause or not. I've had my heart checked and everything is good and so is my blood pressure. I also take a multi-vitamin everyday.

 

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Female , Age: 53

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Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status:  Closed   Value: $8
Info Request
May 21 10:25 AM (1 hour and 5 minutes and 37 seconds later)
         
REPLIED to Info RequestCheck Mark
Give me a little more information about your diet and I'll get you an answer. What is your daily calorie intake? Tell me a little more about the diet components (high protein, etc.). Are you healthy otherwise?

Your symptoms are concerning. Palpitations, lightheadedness and dizziness can be an indication that you are not getting enough blood to your heart and/or brain. If you start to experience chest pain, numbness or tingling or paralysis of any extremities, or confusion then you should be seen right away. If you are otherwise symptom-free, however, let me know and I'll give you an answer.

Take care.

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Jonathan Fay, M.D. -- Doctor (MD) -- 100% Positive Feedback on 534 Health Accepts
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Reply
May 22 7:02 PM (1 day and 8 hours later)
         
Reply to Jon Fay's Post: I'm not sure of the exact calorie intake is, I'am guessing around 1200. I'll give you a sample of what I'm allowed on the diet per day. 2 Proteins (4-6 oz. per serving, depending on the meat); 3 Vegetables (1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked per serving); 3 fruits; 2 starches (1 slice light bread, 1/2 small bagel, 3/4 cup cereal, etc); 1 fat (1 tsp butter, 1 tbsp light mayo etc.); 1 dairy (2 oz. light cheese, 8 oz. skim or soy milk, 8 oz. light/nonfat yogurt) and 3 free condiments (i.e., fat free creamer, fat free dressing, etc.). They like us to drink at least 64 oz. of water and use morton lite salt for potassium. We are also allowed 2 nutritional bars that they provide. I hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else. Thanks for your help!
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
May 23 9:58 AM (14 hours and 55 minutes and 36 seconds later)
         
ACCEPTEDCheck Mark
O.K. Thank you for the additional info about your diet; I wasn't able to find much on-line about it for some reason at the time.

Dieting can be a dangerous business, but it can also be a healthy and safe one. It sounds like while your calories are restricted, you are getting a reasonably balanced diet, and the multivitamin and "nutritional bars" hopefully cover all of your recommended daily allowances, as far as vitamins go. I would increase your water intake, however, as 64 oz. a day is really a baseline minimum, in my opinion. Water, if not used, will be passed as urine, and urine that is nearly clear is an indicator of a better state of hydration than urine that is straw colored. So you probably could increase this.

Nevertheless, your symptoms of fatigue, palpitations, dizziness, and near-fainting are concerning. If you have had a thorough cardiac exam, and your blood pressure is normal, then this might not be the cause. We should still consider this, however. This constellation of symptoms can be caused by a variety of things. This includes stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA - "mini-strokes"), cardiac dysfunction (rhythm abnormalities, etc.) secondary to heart disease or vitamin/electrolye deficiency, and even panic and anxiety disorder symptoms.

I am concerned that perhaps, because of the restrictions of the diet, that you are not getting adequate potassium, calcium, magnesium, or other electrolytes. This could cause rhythm abnormalities in your heart, which could lead to palpitations, which could cause the dizziness and fatigue.

I think you should see your physician. Inform them of your 2 month diet, and of your symptoms. They will be able to provide a thorough exam, and labs to evaluate you for any deficiencies. You may need some sort of replacement.

I would recommend that you do this soon, as well. Palpitations, because they decreased the heart's ability to pump well, can cause substantial damage to the brain, lungs, and even the heart itself as well as the other organs. This could lead to permanent problems.

Congratulations on the weight loss. I would recommend a check-up to make sure that it is health and totally safe. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Take care.

If I have helped, then please click the ACCEPT button and leave positive feedback - Thank you, and take care
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Jonathan Fay, M.D. -- Doctor (MD) -- 100% Positive Feedback on 534 Health Accepts
Physician health consultant
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