episode of SEVERE dizzyness - could it be from sleeping on my right side?

[JessieBird]

Hi everyone -

I woke up last night around 11 pm after a few hours of sleep. I needed to pee but realized I was very dizzy as soon as I sat up at the edge of the bed. I hung my head low and waited for it to pass. It didn't. It was pitch black and I thought maybe I was imagining it and that walking would shake it off so I got up. Well it was like walking on a boat in a storm. I fell into the wall and called for DH to help me. He got me to the bathroom and then back to bed, where I promptly threw up from the spins. I didn't feel lightheaded like when you get up too fast, it was really as if the room was spinning and rocking from side to side. I lay down and eventually fell back asleep but it never really passed as lightheadedness usually does once the blood gets flowing.

I've never had anything like this in pregnancy before. I'm certain that I did not have low blood sugar a the time and my blood pressure is good. No headaches and m/s is mostly gone now.

The only thing I can think of is that I was on my right side when I woke up. I often find myself on my back or right side, and I did during my last pregnancy too. My MW said it was nothing to worry about, that I would wake up feeling rotten before the baby's blood supply was compromised. Do you think that's what happened? Could I have cut off the vena cava?

I woke up this morning, on my right side again!, feeling just fine and I've been fine all day today.

Has this happened to anyone else? Do you think it's anything to worry about?

Thanks!!

[jessieb503]

YES. this happened to me last week and I've been dizzy every since. Not as bad- its managable but definitely don't feel like myself.

I'm going to get my iron levels checked tomorrow but what I can chock it up to so far is hydration and protein. I have to drink MINIMUM of 64 oz of water a day- more like 96. AND eat every two hours with lots of protein at each 'meal'.

If I wake up at 11 am I drink a protein shake and then go back to bed. And I have a few nuts or something before I go to bed to keep blood sugar stable.

[COgirl19]

have you had any bad swelling or vision changes along with this? that with the dizzy spells can be a sign of pre-clampsia. I would call your midwife ASAP. How had your blood pressure been?

[Just1More]

Maybe iron? When mine is low, I have dizzy spells.

[finnegansmom]

are you certain your blood sugar isn't low? Mine usually isn't normally but for whatever weird reason it gets lower when pregnant so I've had bouts of lightheadedness/dizziness.... and have had my sugar checked and it was on the low side (below 50).... I have found that a peanut butter and fluff sandwich always helped... LOL...

[aikigypsy]

I had vertigo after an injury a few years ago and it was similar to what you described except that it didn't go away quickly, just faded over the course of a few weeks and then was 95% cured with treatment. My guess is that it might not be 100% pregnancy related. It sounds like something (a particle gone astray) was messing with the nerves in your inner ear. You can reduce the chance of recurrence by not doing anything that involves putting your head upside down (top of head lower than chin).

Keep hydrated, but if it doesn't come back, I wouldn't worry too much about it (but do ask your doctor/midwife, cause it sounds like it was a nasty spell and who knows what could be going on).

[rparker]

Is there any chance that you have an inner ear infection or some other ear-related issue?

The one thing that I've noticed with this pregnancy is that when I'm sleeping on my side I tend to stay in the same position for hours until something else wakes me up... AND that if I've been sleeping exclusively on one side the corresponding ear hurts. (It doesn't matter WHICH side.) When not pregnant I'm normally a stomach sleeper and I usually toss and turn.

I haven't had dizziness from my ear aches yet, but I thought I'd throw it out there since many balance problems in general are connected to ear issues.