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10 replies6 peopleMar 16, 2026☆ Follow
Summary

fainting and lightheadedness while losing weight fast on glp meds what to do

The original poster describes passing out with no warning, sustaining injuries, and attributes it to dehydration, stacking meds, low food intake, stress and poor sleep during rapid loss. Multiple replies stress that sudden blackout without prodrome needs medical workup to rule out cardiac or seizure issues rather than assuming it is only glp-related. Follow-up posts confirm normal cardiac testing but a POTS-like diagnosis possibly tied to the weight loss itself, with advice to pause or lower dose, eat mechanically and monitor blood pressure.

What this discussion establishesStill open

whether the POTS-like response will resolve after a year of stable weight

Nothing here is advice.

10 replies · 6 people
BrightAnchor18archiveopening postMar 16

I'm 41, turning 42 in April, 5 foot 7 and three quarters. Started at 238.8, now 143. First goal is 138 to hit the 100 pound mark, final target 125. Just 5 pounds left and I should reach it after the next cycle, though I'm not sure I can get all the way to 125 before my birthday. A new issue has shown up though: bad lightheadedness. It has come and gone my whole life, usually fine if I catch myself and bend over. But the Friday before Valentine's I blacked out for the first time ever. It wasn't a gentle faint. One second I was standing, next thing I woke up on the floor with no memory of falling. Then the pain hit. Jaw out of place, front teeth loose, lip split, bruises and a knot on my cheek and chin, elbow and shoulder banged up, knee scraped. Scared me badly. I blamed dehydration, stacking the two meds, barely eating, high stress and no sleep. So I ate, drank a lot of water with salt, rested, and felt better. Still, I can eat whenever but I can't make myself drink enough and sleep is hard. I'm so close to goal but now I look like skinny fat, just a bag of bones. Picked up two of my usual protein powders and some BCA

CopperSignal27archiveMar 16

You mentioned a dislocated jaw, so did you get seen by a doctor and tell them everything you are taking plus what happened? The whole picture you gave points to high risk of fainting, but people usually do not lose memory of the event itself with a simple faint. Not remembering how you ended up on the floor does not fit the usual pattern. The fall plus the memory gap could point more toward a seizure or a concussion from the faint. Just guessing without full details. Big weight loss often causes low blood pressure when standing, and you clearly have that. If you have not already been checked out it might be worth doing, and it sounds like you should back off a little, stay on top of fluids and regular meals, and maybe get electrolytes checked.

AmberMarble84archiveMar 16

As a GP this worries me. Passing out with zero warning signs is very concerning. It could be all the things you listed, but it could also be something else. No warning means you need to rule out heart issues and similar problems. You really should see a doctor. You do not sound well and skinny fat is not healthy. You need proper nutrition and some exercise. We should not blame every symptom on the glp meds or the other peptides. I see posts where people assume everything is from the meds but we can get sick for other reasons too. Go see your doctor and let us know how you are doing.

BrightAnchor18archiveMar 16
↳ replying to @AmberMarble84

Thanks for the concern without sounding judgmental. I really appreciate it. The day before the incident I made my doctor run a full set of labs. Trying to remember the names, sorry if I get them wrong: CBC, BMP with diff, thyroid and hormone panels, A1C, T3 and T4, and something like fettrin. All results were in range except potassium and calcium a little high. Full honesty, drinking water has been extremely hard since around May last year and it has only gotten worse. I mean well. I keep my big insulated bottle full of ice and my preferred sparkling water nearby but actually finishing it is the problem. I get distracted. I tried a few fixes. First I thought dehydration so I pushed water and salt for several days with little change. Then I stopped the glp meds for a week and a half before a work trip because I needed to feel normal. I made myself eat breakfast, lunch and dinner and I di

AmberMarble84archiveMar 16

I do not know the US system well but here in Denmark you start with your GP who refers you if needed. If you cannot eat, please lower the dose or pause. The point of these meds is not to force feed. We need balanced meals every three hours or so, three main ones plus snacks, staying under TDEE. That is doable. I would spend a week eating more than my weight loss target. Eating on a schedule helps. An endocrinologist cannot do much if you are under eating. If I were your GP I would at least run an ECG, talk more about the episode, and do an exam to decide next steps. Normal blood tests do not rule everything out. Get better and eat.

BlueAlder28archiveMar 16

Same thing happened to me today. My son who just finished med school called it orthostatic hypotension from low blood volume. Fancy way of saying drink more water. At least for me. Your situation may differ. It was not low blood sugar for me. I had sushi two hours earlier. Here are the numbers he checked with my home monitor. Left column sitting, right column right after standing after five minutes sitting. Big difference. So right now I am drinking a couple glasses of water.

SteadyTimber49archiveMar 16

This is interesting. Sorry you fainted and hope you sort it out, but I had never connected feeling faint with not drinking enough. I have never passed out but I do get lightheaded when standing up quite often and this might explain it. I will pay closer attention to these symptoms now.

AmberHarbour81archiveMar 16

Good reminder to watch protein, water and electrolytes. Skip a week if you have to and do not risk your health for a few pounds. Take care.

CopperSignal27archiveMar 17

Some of those issues seem partly handled now, but you still need a proper medical check and the US version of a GP is the place to start. Ruling out more serious causes has to happen. Since you already show postural hypotension it makes sense to get a home blood pressure cuff. They are inexpensive and accurate enough. You can take several readings sitting then standing, write them down, and repeat on different days for an average. That gives you data and something to show the doctor. Know your pressure is not high before trying to treat the standing drop. People usually get electrolytes from food and added salt. If you are not eating steadily then lowering or pausing the glp dose is sensible. But if your blood pressure

BrightAnchor18archiveMar 21
↳ replying to @BlueAlder28

Yeah I got a BP and blood sugar tester, those numbers look fine. So it is definitely the water. Ugh, water plus salt tablets until my blood volume comes back up.

BrightAnchor18archiveJul 4
↳ replying to @BrightAnchor18 (opening post)

Update. I have been slammed with work. Saw a cardiologist, new labs, wore a heart monitor for a month, and had an echo with bubbles. Heart is fine. Doctor says a subtype of POTS where standing makes BP and heart rate jump more than 40 points. Could be the brain adjusting to the weight loss plus all the stress on my body over the past year, and it might be long lasting. We will see after a year or so at stable weight. For now I am on a low dose beta blocker to stop the spikes and make daily life better.

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