What Causes Dizziness And Nausea Upon Waking Up?

Posted on Mon, 29 Aug 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 29 Aug 2016 Answered on

Mon, 19 Sep 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : My husband woke up feeling dizzy, light-headed, a bit of nausea. He felt better a few hours later but noticed that his tongue is now swollen. I am concerned and wondering if he is possibly having an allergic reaction to something.

Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Information:

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,

I'm sorry that no one has answered you earlier. It is hard to know without being able to examine your husband, but if his tongue is swollen, an allergic reaction is possible. If he is breathing ok and the tongue isn't obstructing his airway, you can give him 50 mg of Benadryl. I see that he takes Claritin, but you can give the Benadryl on top of that. If it is not an allergic reaction, the Benadryl may make him sleepy but won't cause significant problems.

If his tongue is significantly swollen, then he needs to go to the ER if you haven't already done so. In the ER, he can be monitored, given injection of Benadryl and possible a steroid if necessary.

I hope this helps, and I'm sorry for the delay in your question getting answered.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar