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Random Dizzyness after a month of walking.

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Patchnomad

World nomad
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino del Norte (September 2018)
My friend and I began walking the Camino in Austria over 6 weeks ago. Everything was going good, until about two weeks ago we both noticed that we would experience a lightheadedness/dizziness at random times, particularly when we would be exerting ourselves, like going up a hill. He sometimes gets nausea as well, but for me it's just a lightheadedness, almost like I took a bit of mushrooms or something.

We chalked it up to being fatigued, and one day I actually got sick (fever, fatigue) and we took a rest for a few days. Everything seemed fine after that, but now a few days later we are walking again and I started experiencing it again. More than being annoying, I'm now actually a bit worried what the heck it could be. We've theorized that maybe our bodies are really tired and depleted after 6 weeks of walking. Possibly lacking in some vitamin or mineral? I've taken multiple covid tests and it's not that, I've had covid a few times before and this is way different. My friend also suggested it may be from a tick bite, since we're in tick country. But we didn't notice any ticks on us and none of the other symptoms, like a bite, rash etc.

Has this happened to anyone, and could we please get some advice on what to do next?
 
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I know I have gotten dizzy on occasions due to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, or low blood sugar. BUT if this is repeatedly happening then you definitely need to get checked out by a doctor!
 
NOT medical advice, but when this has occasionally happened to me, including on my current ongoing Camino, I have found that drinking Coke, and the normal variety not the zero or whatever, over a few days 'til it stopped did help.

Sounds like some form of fatigue anyway.
 
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Plus 1 to see a doctor.

Has your hearing changed recently too?
 
Most likely electrolyte imbalance due to dehydration, causing low blood pressure and the odd irregular heartbeat pattern (low potassium/magnesium), which can make you feel dizzy. Maybe you're not drinking enough and losing essential salts and minerals in the heat and dryness of a long day? You may feel that you are drinking enough, but dehydration and salt loss can creep up on you. It will be worse in folk who spend the evening drinking alcohol after a long walk. Isotonic (sport type) drinks here and there, or rehydration salts in your drinks may help. However, the walk may also be revealing some information about your underlying health, which is worth checking out when you get home. So in that sense, the Camino is providing. Feel your pulse, and check if the beat is irregular. If so, slow down and try to stress less, and don't worry too much. Just top on good food and isotonic drinks. Hope it all turns out alright.
 
For crying out loud, we can’t even agree on walking poles, footwear or which SIM to buy; what on earth possessed you to seek advice here?

I’m married to a retired doctor - and a good one - and she said ‘go to a doctor’; in a tone which implies - soon.

(Personally, I’d prefer the vet or even taking Tinca’s advice above. Fortunately Mrs HtD doesn’t visit here.)
 
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Sorry.

The OP has probably got a good handle on what’s going on. Six continuous weeks of exercise with low-lying symptoms which are exacerbated with more intense exercise and occurring simultaneously in two (one assumes) otherwise healthy people suggests chronic fatigue; inadequate nutrition or common infection.

Rest; eat and drink suitably and consult a doctor.
 
Or they could be a symptom of something serious. Like heart problems. See a doctor.

I experienced lightheadedness/dizziness on Camino when:

(1) I overindulged in Pacharán
(2) I was just off a 24 hour flight
(2) I made no provision for breakfast
(3) I had Covid
(4) I was out of water
(5) I was tired after a week of bad nights in dorm rooms (bad mattress, noisy sleepers, windows closed, early risers rustling plastic bags...)
(6) I had climbed to the Ibañeta pass

These were all temporary.

See a doctor.
 
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I'm interested in walking the Camino in Austria (but hopefully not get dizzy😊)... would you please share what trail info you are using (online or book?)... is it well-marked? and is there a list of hostel type accommodations? Thanks!
 
As they all say, if it does not go away, consult a doctor. But doctors are not always at hand ...

So as it appears to affect both of you, we can most likely exclude some individual health conditions that cannot be undone by a change of behaviour ... and it is probably also no underlying hidden health problem. This is good.

So this leaves only an infection, poisoning or behaviour.

Hence, as you experience this for a while now and it seems not to worsen, you could rather easily check if your intake of carbohydrates and water is sufficient. In other words: drink more and more often. Ideally twice as much. The same with food: eat more, and often. Even if your overall total intake is OK, if you only eat and trink every 6 hours, you will experience temporary but serious low levels of both liquid and energy in your body. I have seen this often with people who are not used to lengthy continuous hours of exercise each day. Hence they do not know when their body needs food and water and sometimes they miss the signals. You do that, then there is a guarantee for dizziness or even migraine with some.
Keep in mind though, if you are seriously dehydrated, it takes some time to fill up.

But if this quick test (you should know after a day and a half) does not show any result, maybe consult a doctor.

Another option is, that you both eat something you brought along, that causes the problem.
 
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The above advice is at least a valuable as the other suggestions above. Or, of course, you could consult someone actually qualified to give such advice
Another wonderfully sarcastic answer. There seems to be a theme to much of your content. It’s the reason my activity in the forum has greatly reduced in recent months.

The young chap has intimated in an earlier reply that he WILL seek medical advice which I believe anybody would recommend, but alas you are unable to prevent yourself from taking the opportunity at unloading more low hanging fruit upon the forum audience and onto someone who has used his basic right of asking a question.

It was my belief that the beauty of this forum was its ability to allow people to ask ‘questions’. The content of this particular question was a genuine question and he looks to seasoned walkers for guidance. It had been answered previously without sarcasm. You didn’t need to pile on. Is it possible for me to ‘block’ you as a moderator? I love reading the advice and tips from everyone on here but I find your tone negative and insulting.

I have found friendship, warmth and guidance both on the Camino itself and als through this online version of it and it is in my consciousness everyday.

Should I be removed for my job with and frustrated comments may I wish you all well. The forum is a wonderful tool for all.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Hikers combat dehydration, loss of sugars and electrolytes, by drinking water and eating GORP - Good Ol' Rasins and Peanuts. This can be made in many ways with your favorite combination of salty/sweet snacks. You cannot just drink water, you have to eat!

If hiking longer than 3-4 hours, you need to stop for a meal at a convenient location or have one already packed.


-Paul
 
Another wonderfully sarcastic answer. There seems to be a theme to much of your content. It’s the reason my activity in the forum has greatly reduced in recent months.

The young chap has intimated in an earlier reply that he WILL seek medical advice which I believe anybody would recommend, but alas you are unable to prevent yourself from taking the opportunity at unloading more low hanging fruit upon the forum audience and onto someone who has used his basic right of asking a question.

It was my belief that the beauty of this forum was its ability to allow people to ask ‘questions’. The content of this particular question was a genuine question and he looks to seasoned walkers for guidance. It had been answered previously without sarcasm. You didn’t need to pile on. Is it possible for me to ‘block’ you as a moderator? I love reading the advice and tips from everyone on here but I find your tone negative and insulting.

I have found friendship, warmth and guidance both on the Camino itself and als through this online version of it and it is in my consciousness everyday.

Should I be removed for my job with and frustrated comments may I wish you all well. The forum is a wonderful tool for all.

Unfortunately, when you expose yourself to the wider Camino universe with what you think is a reasonable question, you become vulnerable. Vulnerable to a wide variety of answers of varying worth and vitriol. It has happened to most of us. Just revel in the good and ignore that which you find offensive or unhelpful. This forum is just a small portion of what you can expect when venturing into the world of social media.
 
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So as it appears to affect both of you, we can most likely exclude some individual health conditions that cannot be undone by a change of behaviour ... and it is probably also no underlying hidden health problem. This is good.
Yes, I thought that it was unusual that they are both having the same symptoms. Plus I'd think that after walking for a month they would have worked out hydration issues that might be a cause.
 
A month ago a thread introduced us to a series of YouTube videos that discussed calories, nutrition, electrolytes, hydration and such for backpackers and hikers using information from scientific papers. The videos are longer than something you would probably care to watch while walking but maybe okay if you have to take some more rest days. I'll point you to the thread instead of directly to the videos.

 
Yes, I thought that it was unusual that they are both having the same symptoms. Plus I'd think that after walking for a month they would have worked out hydration issues that might be a cause.
Temperatures change, terrain changes. After a month you start to develop hiker's legs which means you often increase distances per day and walking time per day. Hence you travel into uncharted waters for you and your body.
These things often happen when it really starts to get rolling in a goo way. When you found your flow ;-)
 
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Apart from the good advice to see doctor....
If this is occurring at a higher altitude and decreases on reaching a lower altitude it could just be 'altitude sickness'. It can occur in people who live in naturally low lying areas and do not adjust easily to higher ones.
We had a friend who suffered on visiting an area in the mid-range Andes from a lower level. On returning to the lower level she recovered quickly but it did cause some concern and the reason was given by a doctor!!!
 
Yes, I thought that it was unusual that they are both having the same symptoms. Plus I'd think that after walking for a month they would have worked out hydration issues that might be a cause.
Good call for ‘hydration’ - I work on the principle that if I’m ever thirsty, I’m probably already dehydrated. It’s quite possible to be marginally dehydrated for a long period, which will certainly impair recovery.

It’s also a good general reminder that, although most get fitter in the course of a Camino, there aren’t many lifestyles which will fully prepare you for (in the OP’s case) six weeks and counting of constant daily walking with a sack. SJPP to Santiago being typically 4/5 weeks with a rest day or two; and many Camino journeys being much shorter.
 
By training *before* your Camino, you can figure out how much water is needed at various temperature and how much food and snacks to bring on the trail.


-Paul
 
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I'm back from my walk.🚶 I'd felt a bit dizzy myself yesterday wearing my full backpack for the first time before I leave for the Via F next week, but all seems fine today and I added a granola bar for extra energy.
I wondered if the two friends could possibly have had a mild case of covid.
 
I'm back from my walk.🚶 I'd felt a bit dizzy myself yesterday wearing my full backpack for the first time before I leave for the Via F next week, but all seems fine today and I added a granola bar for extra energy.
I wondered if the two friends could possibly have had a mild case of covid.


Just what I thought because when I had Covid three weeks ago it also started with feeling dizzy and minor gastro intestinal issues . And no coughts or being short of breath.
 
The OP has tested negative for covid, but does report having had it ‘a few times’ before. I don’t know what ‘long covid’ entails, but reports in the UK are of some debility persisting for months. Hopefully a qualified diagnosis will be posted in due course; in the meantime I hope the two of them are making progress.
 
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The OP has tested negative for covid, but does report having had it ‘a few times’ before. I don’t know what ‘long covid’ entails, but reports in the UK are of some debility persisting for months. Hopefully a qualified diagnosis will be posted in due course; in the meantime I hope the two of them are making progress.
I have have been struggling with long covid for over two years now and I have had long conversations with experts. Symptoms are very divers. Hence it is rather unlikely that both of them develop it in the same way and seem to lack all of the other symptoms. what really strikes here is that both seem to have the same problem ... whatever it is. But this suggests with some probability that it is related to what they are doing together right now.
 
My friend and I began walking the Camino in Austria over 6 weeks ago. Everything was going good, until about two weeks ago we both noticed that we would experience a lightheadedness/dizziness at random times, particularly when we would be exerting ourselves, like going up a hill. He sometimes gets nausea as well, but for me it's just a lightheadedness, almost like I took a bit of mushrooms or something.

We chalked it up to being fatigued, and one day I actually got sick (fever, fatigue) and we took a rest for a few days. Everything seemed fine after that, but now a few days later we are walking again and I started experiencing it again. More than being annoying, I'm now actually a bit worried what the heck it could be. We've theorized that maybe our bodies are really tired and depleted after 6 weeks of walking. Possibly lacking in some vitamin or mineral? I've taken multiple covid tests and it's not that, I've had covid a few times before and this is way different. My friend also suggested it may be from a tick bite, since we're in tick country. But we didn't notice any ticks on us and none of the other symptoms, like a bite, rash etc.

Has this happened to anyone, and could we please get some advice on what to do next?
Could be Blood Pressure drop, get it checked at pharmacy.
Could be fluid and electrolyte imbalance. Take some enerlyte.
Could be Blood sugar drop, take some snacks.
These are likely to be the the most common reasons, start simple.
I nearly fainted, very hot afternoon on a long day on the primitivo on the last bit of steep uphill in hot sun.
I stopped under a tree, had water, was fine. I talked to several other pilgrims, who encountered similar challenge in same spot within an hour of my little episode.
 
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My friend and I began walking the Camino in Austria over 6 weeks ago. Everything was going good, until about two weeks ago we both noticed that we would experience a lightheadedness/dizziness at random times, particularly when we would be exerting ourselves, like going up a hill. He sometimes gets nausea as well, but for me it's just a lightheadedness, almost like I took a bit of mushrooms or something.

We chalked it up to being fatigued, and one day I actually got sick (fever, fatigue) and we took a rest for a few days. Everything seemed fine after that, but now a few days later we are walking again and I started experiencing it again. More than being annoying, I'm now actually a bit worried what the heck it could be. We've theorized that maybe our bodies are really tired and depleted after 6 weeks of walking. Possibly lacking in some vitamin or mineral? I've taken multiple covid tests and it's not that, I've had covid a few times before and this is way different. My friend also suggested it may be from a tick bite, since we're in tick country. But we didn't notice any ticks on us and none of the other symptoms, like a bite, rash etc.

Has this happened to anyone, and could we please get some advice on what to do next?
Circle, Circle, dot, dot. You need a Cooties shot. Or better yet see a doctor. If these symptoms have persistent over days you have passed numerous opportunities to see qualified medical advice. Don't delay.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
I don't see any value in continuing this thread so I shall close it. The OP asked a question and there have been many replies. It is fine for us to relay our own personal experiences of illness and injury on the Camino, but this forum is not the place for medical advice.
 
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