# Falling often **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 25, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-often/497600 "2009-05-25T20:24:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-often/497600/1 "2009-05-25T20:24:35Z")
What conditions could one have if they fall for no reason? it happened to me in october, last night and again today. I did not trip or anything, just went down. I’m getting bruised up here and am afraid to go out. I’m 50 and otherwise healthy. Yes, I will be making an appointment. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-often/497600/2 "2009-05-25T20:40:49Z")
Definitely see a doctor, because this could be any number of things. This was happening to me several years ago. I was losing my balance, falling, stumbling, walking into things, stubbing my toes, etc. It turned out to be a side effect of a high-dosage antidepressant I was taking. My doctor lowered the dosage, and the symptoms disappeared. ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-often/497600/3 "2009-05-25T20:44:22Z")
I felt no loss of balance. Just suddenly went down. I am only on small thyroid med and a diuretic. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-often/497600/4 "2009-05-25T20:54:05Z")
Well, blood-pressure-lowering medications are frequently diuretics. Maybe your diuretic is lowering your BP. Don’t know how exactly that would make you fall down, but there ya go. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-often/497600/5 "2009-05-25T21:04:16Z")
IANAD. You should see one, however. The thing is, it could be anything – ranging from a weak muscle in your ankle, knee or thigh, to a minor middle ear problem, to something neurological and scary. Before you talk to the doctor, think back and write down all the details about what happened at the moment you fell. Were you on level ground, an uneven path or a flight of stairs? Were you wearing slick or grabby shoes? Did you have any trouble afterwards, etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![Old\_Goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/5daacb/32.png) [@Old\_Goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Old_Goat)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-often/497600/6 "2009-05-26T01:59:39Z")
Get yourself a blood pressure gizmo and check your blood pressure at both arms. Do this several times for several days. If the blood pressure differs from side to side, you may have a restricted artery on one side. I had a couple of fainting spells about a year ago. My blood pressure differed in each arm, but one side was not consistently lower than the other. My Dr. had me get a check of the arteries from the heart to the neck. Cost $750 but found no restriction. So I must just be lopsided. Had they found a restriction, I would be undergoing so sort of treament. Have it checked out. No pain in testing. Plenty of pain when I fell into the blackberry bushes in the first occaision and slammed into a recycle bin on the second. ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-often/497600/7 "2009-05-26T02:23:30Z")
Its not fainting though. I feel totally fine, just realize I am suddenly going down. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-often/497600/8 "2009-05-26T02:39:18Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. No homework questions or requests for legal or medical advice We won’t help with your homework, and you can’t get reliable legal or medical advice here, either. Threads asking legal and medical questions about legal or medical issues are fine–questions asking about your own case or seeking diagnoses of medical symptoms are not. > **[Factual Questions Rules & FAQs](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=466202)** > > Please be aware of the general rules for the Straight Dope Message Boards, which applies to all forums: FAQ - Rules for Posting on the Straight Dope Message Boards includes how to report bad posts, copyright rules, forbidden topics, quoting other... I’m going to close this thread based on this rule and suggest, as others have that you see a physician about this problem. **Gfactor** General Questions Moderator