Nausea When Standing

[llama3]

When I was 12 I started to get bouts of extreme nausea which would alleviate if I sat down. They seem to have been triggered by a course of antibiotics I was taking at the time, but I still get them periodically and they have been more frequent since I started eating gluten-free. I've always found it puzzling because I don't see the connection between posture and nausea (although I used to frequently pass out when I stood up).

Has anyone experienced this or does anyone know what it is? Why would not eating gluten make it worse?

[ElseB]

Have you had your iron levels checked? After going gluten free I started having a similar problem. The nausea was usually part of a progression of symptoms that led to fainting or almost fainting. If I sat down, I"d be okay. The other symptoms were getting really hot, blurred vision and trouble hearing. The doctor tested my iron level and it was really really low. I started taking iron supplements and the problem went away. As for why it started after going gluten free, its probably because a gluten free diet can be lower in iron since a lot of gluten free food is not fortified like regular food is. You have to really pay attention to what you eat to get enough iron.

[llama3]

Have you had your iron levels checked? After going gluten free I started having a similar problem. The nausea was usually part of a progression of symptoms that led to fainting or almost fainting. If I sat down, I"d be okay. The other symptoms were getting really hot, blurred vision and trouble hearing. The doctor tested my iron level and it was really really low. I started taking iron supplements and the problem went away. As for why it started after going gluten free, its probably because a gluten free diet can be lower in iron since a lot of gluten free food is not fortified like regular food is. You have to really pay attention to what you eat to get enough iron.

Thanks for the suggestion. I probably should get my iron levels checked, however, I had a litany of blood tests including iron several years ago when my symptoms were at their worst (as in, I needed a shower chair to make it through a shower - and I was only 17) and the tests all came back normal, according to the doctor, who pronounced me "perfectly healthy." So ... I don't know.

I realized it could also be that I'm just noticing it more, rather than that it's getting worse, as I have learned from years of pain to tune out my body and now I'm suddenly paying attention to it again.

[heidi g.]

I have that problem and its because when you sit down your stomach is positioned differently and resting on your other organs and when you stand up its supporting itself and its swollen.

[ElseB]

Thanks for the suggestion. I probably should get my iron levels checked, however, I had a litany of blood tests including iron several years ago when my symptoms were at their worst (as in, I needed a shower chair to make it through a shower - and I was only 17) and the tests all came back normal, according to the doctor, who pronounced me "perfectly healthy." So ... I don't know.

I realized it could also be that I'm just noticing it more, rather than that it's getting worse, as I have learned from years of pain to tune out my body and now I'm suddenly paying attention to it again.

I too had no problem with my iron before I was diagnosed, which is weird, since for so many people its a diagnosis of anemia that leads to the discovery of Celiac!