Feeling dizzy or lightheaded is common on weight management treatment, particularly when you first start or after a dose increase. It is usually caused by eating and drinking less than usual, by fluid loss from nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea, or by changes in your blood sugar. It most often happens when standing up from sitting or lying down.
Most dizziness settles with the steps below. Please contact us if it does not, so a pharmacist can check whether anything about your treatment needs adjusting.
What to do when it happens
Sit or lie down until it passes rather than trying to walk it off. Move carefully and deliberately, and get up slowly from sitting or lying down. Sit on the edge of the bed for a moment before standing.
Fluid intake
Dizziness on this treatment is most often a sign of not drinking enough. Aim for 2 to 3 litres of fluid a day, spread across the day rather than large amounts at once, and increase what you drink if you have been vomiting, have had diarrhoea, or the weather is warm.
Eating and rest
Eating less is expected on treatment, but eating very little can make dizziness worse. Small regular meals are better tolerated than one or two larger ones. Make sure you are getting enough rest, as tiredness and dizziness often come together.
Speak to your local pharmacy
Your local pharmacist can advise on rehydration and on anything you can take to help, and can check that it is suitable for you. Tell them you are taking weight management treatment so they can take that into account.
When should I contact Simple Online Pharmacy?
Contact us so a pharmacist can review your treatment if:
- You feel dizzy or lightheaded and it has not settled within a few days of following the advice above, it is severe, or you are worried about it.
- You have not been able to keep fluids down for 24 hours
- You are eating or drinking much less than usual and it is not improving
- The dizziness started after a dose increase and has not settled within a few days
- You have diabetes and take insulin or a sulfonylurea such as gliclazide
When should I seek urgent medical help?
Contact NHS 111 for urgent advice if you have fainted or come close to fainting, or if you have not passed urine for eight hours or more.
Call 999 or attend A&E if you have any of the following alongside the dizziness:
- Chest pain, palpitations or breathlessness
- Weakness or numbness on one side of the body, drooping of the face, or difficulty speaking
- Confusion, or difficulty staying awake.
Do not drive yourself to hospital.