Hi guys,

N00bie here, sorry I haven't posted in the new members section, but I've been reading some posts (3rd post on this thread was helpful!) and thought I'd just get stuck in with some questions!

I'm 26, pretty healthy or so I thought, but about a year or 2 ago I started getting very lightheaded. It seemed to start after eating at a Chinese restaurant, we thought I was allergic to squid or something. Anyway the last 6 months or so it's gotten worse and more frequent, and I also seem to have become a lot more squeamish than I used to be. I never had trouble with gore or hospitals or anything, but when my mum broke her wrist and I was in with her I went white and nearly passed out after looking at the x-rays! Now I feel dizzy if people talk about 'sick' things. I've tried finding any other link or cause for when the dizzy spells happen, but it seems pretty random, I can't link it to what I eat/drink, where I am, what I'm doing, what I'm looking at or anything.
So I went to the GP.

The first blood pressure test she did came out at 197/112!!!!!! Clearly she was alarmed, but retests came out lower each time, my dad suffered from white coat hypertension so I'm guessing I have the same. I've got a home monitor and over a 2 week period it averaged about 135/80.
Blood test came back clean (although she didn't do thyroid, so could still be that). I nearly passed out after the blood test as well BTW.
ECG and more BP checks came back clear.
Got sent to a Cardiology Consultant on Monday, he checked me over, asked me the usual, then sat me down and said I have a heart murmur, from the way he was checking it I guess it was a quiet one though. I've done completely the wrong thing and done my own research on them now (it's a guy thing I think), so now I'm worrying about it, waiting for a letter for an appointment for an ultra sound and 24hr BP monitor now, he said it could be valves damaged in my heart, or could just be brought on by stress whilst in the hospital and goes away outside!

So anyway, I'm off work for 2 weeks after an ingrown toe nail op, this is the second week, had no dizzyness last week but last night and today I'm feeling lightheaded again. Maybe because I'm due back at work next week - I wonder if the doctor can sign me off as 'allergic to work' with full pay?


So, I'm going to try some breathing exercises (7/11?) see if that helps, I've never had a dizzy spell when reading before sleep, so maybe a lie down and a book for this afternoon might help. Also might try going out on my bike this afternoon, as with my toe having been bandaged I've been doing zero exercise for 2 weeks! Anyone else had similar can put my mind at rest a bit?

Thanks for listening.