Anxiety Causing Vertigo Or Vice Versa?
Oct 15, 2014
trigger warning in case you are emetophobic or xenophobic
Wasn't sure to post this here or on the vertigo/dizziness board, but since I know I am diagnosed with anxiety, figured it'd be worth a shot.
From what I have read, my recent symptoms correlate with BPPV: recurring vertigo with nystagmus for about 10-30 seconds which happens when I move my head up/down/etc. Reading these articles I was certain this is what I have, but the causes don't really measure up. It's more common in older people, I'm only 21. It happens a lot in head/ear trauma or migraines, neither of which I have. sometimes BPPV has no real cause and just happens apparently as well
What I do have with absolute certainty, is severe GAD for over ten years now. Not severe enough to be hospitalized, but severe enough that I dropped out of high school. My anxiety attacks often are accompanied and even triggered by feelings of nausea and dizziness. I've been emetophobic all my life. This made me think maybe my fear of feeling dizzy and sick is part of this vertigo that seems to have no other cause. i mean dizziness has always been a BIG trigger for me. I don't like wide open spaces, can't go on planes, just thinking about being on a roller coaster makes me feel sick.
The vertigo attacks will occasionally last a few days to weeks, but often will just occur once and not happen again for some time. It feels like it flares specifically when I think i am having some clear weeks, anxiety wise. Then randomly I'll wake up and the room is spinning. this isn't lightheaded and faint, this is carousel holding onto walls dizzy.
i'm sure others with anxiety can relate to the worry that something is actually physically wrong with you and not related to your anxiety. I guess I'd just like to know something. BPPV isn't curable other than surgery and exercises (that have not helped). It would be nice to be able to just tell myself it's just my anxiety acting up, or to just tell myself I have vertigo and to grin and bear it til it goes away.
I've tried other things too: keeping very hydrated in case of low blood pressure, iron supplements, i count calories already so I know i'm not just hungry and dizzy, propping myself up when i sleep
is it possible to have such a severe reaction to anxiety like vertigo when it relates so closely to your trigger?
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I'm just curious if anyone going through this has skipped periods then start, then skipped then start. I thought this was part of peri but maybe not?
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I can see from your posts that most of you feel that anxiety exacerbates vertigo, but is not the cause.
I have had fairly severe vertigo for about six months now. It starts with double vision, then jumping eyes/nystagmus where the world is rapidly moving downwards - like a sideways film reel, and then the whole world pitches forward as well and I am sick. At this point it is severe - I can't recognise my own son, or even stand up. Sometimes it lasts the day but often it is gone by late lunch, when school run is over.
The ENT had my ears, balance, MRIs done and they're all clear. I have " undiagnosed recurrent vertigo" and there's little can be done.
It first presented itself last May at a stressful time and at the end of a mild virus which was probably the initial cause. It stayed for five weeks and drifted away over the school holidays (I'm a single mum so holidays are much lower stress). However last year was a hugely stressful one. I have Bipolar and for the first time had to go into hospital for it in late August. This was a traumatic experience and after a few days, the vertigo returned and hit me like a ton of bricks.
I have had it ever since..over six months. For me, the big trigger for it is not movement or lights - it's *having to leave the house*. It starts right before I have to go anywhere, and particularly in the mornings just before the school run. Sometimes closing my eyes helps, sometimes it doesn't.
In desperation some weeks ago I went back to a Physio specialising in vertigo, who had previously told me she couldn't help me. She listened to me and said she thought I had gotten into a vicious circle of anxiety with it. : I need to go out -> causes anxiety -> creates vertigo -> heightens anxiety. And so on.
I have to say it makes sense, and my bipolar makes me prone to anxiety anyway. Funnily enough over two weeks ago I hurt my back and while it was healing, my vertigo disappeared! It was bliss. But it came back with a vengeance last Thursday. Did it stop because my brain was diverted elsewhere?
I have booked myself in for CBT with a good practitioner starting next week, and I'm learning to meditate. If you're still reading, thank you.
Has anyone any similar stories to tell or advice to offer? I would so appreciate it. Life is on hold, my default star is frightened, and I am quietly desperate.
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About three months ago, I woke up with vertigo. I visited a doctor who told me there was nothing wrong with me and that the vertigo was probably due to labyrinthitis. That same night, I went to the ER due to a vertigo attack. Once again, I was told that there was nothing wrong and that I was having anxiety attacks.
In the next three months, the vertigo (spinning) stopped, but I was left with an off-balance sensation, like I was going to fall to one side. I also had a rocking/swaying feeling.
Those symptoms almost went away completely for a week. However, the vertigo suddenly came back a few days ago. I am feeling off-balance again. I have not visited the doctor, but I am extremely on edge because I am worried that there is something seriously wrong with me. I keep waking up with jaw pain and tense muscles.
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Hello, I just want some help with something that's been bugging me the last 6 months... I feel like I'm being pulled down to one side when I walk And I get light headed quite a lot.. this sparked off some serious anxiety problems (which I thought was causing the dizziness) but I've beaten the anxiety for the most part but the dizziness has remained .. I got a migraine yesterday and have been even dizzier and jolt awake quite a lot in the night .. I have no idea what could be causing this.. I can't stand for longer than 5 mins without feeling like I'm about to fall to the side .. can anyone help?
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I am in day five after having my first I done and am experiencing dizziness and anxiety. Could this be from the vision in one eye being different. I feel like I can't focus on anything. I know I shouldn't compare myself to others, but my Sister drove and went back to work after 3 days. I would be afraid to try it now.
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I am 24 and female. Lately, I have been getting lightheaded when I get out of bed in the morning, or lay down. Occasionally, if I am lying in bed reading or watching TV I will feel disoriented or lightheaded, near greying-out. I put my hand above my head, like putting my hair up in a bun, I feel dizzy. A few times, my friends or It's Always Sunny make me laugh really hard, I feel lightheaded. It is winter in New England and when I go indoors from walking outside, I feel like I could fall over. This also sometimes occurs in the bath or shower. If I am laying down and I adjust my neck, sometimes I get what feels like a headrush. I have minor jaw pain, that comes and goes, and is probably unrelated. I am overweight (I have always struggled to lose weight), but I am in good shape. I ran a half-marathon a few months ago. This isn't constant, I would say this happens about 60-70% of the time. I feel better when I push fluids, but it is markedly worse when I am menstruating. It's not debilitating, but it is worrisome.
I went to see a nurse practitioner and she ran a few blood tests - iron, metabolic, and thyroid - they all came back normal. She also listened to my heart, and told me that sounded normal. My blood pressure is typically in the 103/61-64 range. The NP wants me to see an ENT, but I do not think it is vertigo.
(I have always had strange bouts of medical mysteries that have all be chopped up to anxiety. As a child, from about nine to ten, my earlobes, throat, and feet would swell for seemingly no reason. At seventeen, my left pupil would hyper-dilated. Never figured out why any of that was happening. Last summer, I was admitted to the ER for having chest and left arm pain. That was determined to be muscle spasms.)
Does this sound like anxiety, or something else? I'm sure it is nothing, but my mother is a nurse and she is decidedly concerned. Thanks for any help.
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19 year old, white, male.
This is kind of long. But I’m desperate and I need help. Thank you for your time!
First of all, a brief history of my medical issues.
6 years ago, I started having chest and back pains.
* Visited many doctors: Cardiologist, General Physicians, Chiropractors
- Figured out it was skeletal issues
* Found an osteopath who was able to "adjust" me every few weeks. Good temporary relief.
Began seeking out a more permanent solution.
* Heard of The Yardley Institute - a specialty chiropractic center that focuses on the Atlas bone
- Turns out my atlas bone was twisted 5.5 degrees, and was pinching my spinal cords, causing all kinds of pain
- They were able to adjust it, making me feel normal again.
- Unfortunately, the adjustments haven't really been holding, and I've been having to be adjusted every week or so.
Naturally, this has caused me some stress. I am constantly tired and unmotivated to do anything. I find myself short of breath, and in pain when simply standing. I loose balance, as if I were out at sea - my legs feel like they’re swaying underneath me. It’s difficult to walk very far because of this.
A month or so ago, I began having these strange attacks:
- Heart rate elevates significantly
- Excessive shivering/shaking. (Feels like adrenaline throbbing throughout my entire body.)
- I get clammy and cold to the touch
- Short of breath
- Pressure in head, like blood isn't escaping
- Pressure in chest and shoulders
- Naturally, very fearful of death.
- Absolutely no energy. I can barely move without being exhausted.
- Very dizzy + a lot of vertigo.
The first time it happened, I went into the ER, fearing heart problems again. They tested heart, blood, lungs, and did X-rays. Everything came back perfectly fine. They gave me some anti-anxiety medicine via IV in the hospital which seemed to calm me down and made me feel normal again. They dismissed me from the hospital without any medication because they didn’t want to say it was anxiety without more proof.
A few weeks later, I saw my life-long physician. He seemed to think it was anxiety, and gave me some minor anxiety medicine: Fluoxetine Tablets USP (10mg). I take these once a day, and they seem to calm me down overall, but do not prevent the attacks.
ALSO, I think the attacks I’m getting now that I’m on Fluoxetine are different than the attack I had which put me in the ER, even if they were extremely similar.
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve noticed something a bit concerning. Exactly 24 hours after I masturbate, one of the attacks happen. I notice that it originates in the back of my head, right where my neck connects to my skull. It always happens as I’m trying to fall asleep. Everything tenses up, and I feel as if I have to clench every muscle in my body in order to relieve this throbbing, dizzying sensation. It hits hard at first, causing me to jolt up, as if I wasn’t in control of my muscles, and then settles into the shaking, pressure, and clamminess. It comes in waves, each wave lasting 5+ minutes until it works it’s way all the way through my body after 3-5 cycles. I often have to hold someone’s hand or have physical contact with something sturdy in order to feel stable.
It is absolutely miserable and terrifying.
The last time I felt one of these attacks coming on, I was able to stand up, clench a pillow, and walk around for 4 hours, which prevented the full attack from kicking in. I was able to sleep eventually, but as soon as I woke up, all the symptoms came back, and the attack hit me. It’s was like I was able to hold it back long enough to sleep, but it HAD to get through my system, so it did so as soon as I was conscious again.
As far as diet and exercise: I do cardio nearly every day as well as take multi vitamins, fish oil, D, and C. I haven’t had alcohol or a smoke since my ER visit, but I hardly ever drink or smoke anyway. I’ve also avoided caffeine except for the occasional soft drink. I eat healthy, especially of late. I try to limit cheap, processed food, as well as sugar, just because I feel like it only makes my symptoms worse. I have been tested for allergies and anemia, both of which came back negative.
Some more - possibly helpful - information:
1. Throughout all these skeletal issues, I have had my neck cracked and twisted in many ways by doctors and myself. I try not to crack it, but sometimes, It helps reduce tension that builds up.
2. Occasionally, I get muscle twitches. My tricep, under my eye, my neck, etc. They don’t go away until I wake up the next morning.
3. For the last 6 months, I have been trying to find work and a car. On top of this, I am hung up on a girl. I want to ask her out, but I am unable because of all these physical and work/car issues. Spiritually, I am constantly terrified and confused. Basically, I have major worry about my future, and I can’t fix it.
4. My anxiety and symptoms always get worse near the end of the day. Sometimes, I can’t focus on anything during the evening’s without feeling vertigo/dizziness.
5. I’ll often wake up with symptoms, but they’ll go away as soon as I eat breakfast.
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I was diagnosed with anxiety after getting physical symptoms. My stomach was disturbed my heart beat was high and facing all physical symptoms I check all with physician and test but found nothing after eating Xanax I become normal I told my doctor and he diagnosed with anxiety due to stress . it's all started after I lost my relationship of 5 year the girl left me and marry someone else but now I forget her and move on because I love my life. I was fine for 6 months when I went to physiologist he kept me on lower dose of alp 0.125 mg per day for 5 months around and i felt great and all things gone vertigo and fear and everything. Last 3 weeks back I am feeling lightheaded vertigo dizziness and panic attack while driving and when I accelerate my car I feel like floating and fear and like I am floating in boat due to which I don't drive fast or keep the speed more than 60 km usually i feel when I am on bridges or going down on taper from bridge . please help me I went to doctor again he give me headache medicine and alp 0.125 mg per day for 30 days. Headache medicine is nimesulide when needed . please guide me i was anxious before but never feel anything while driving or any panic attack while driving or speeding my car.
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Is anyone experiencing this? I've been burping a lot and it might have to do with the fact that I'm not eating much these days, but even when I eat a good amount throughout the day I am constantly burping. I'm also experiencing chest pain but usually when I burp it goes away. Is this normal? I'm like freaking out. Has anyone else experienced this chest pain like this? Its not an excruciating pain, but my anxiety amplifies it more.
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I have been taking venlafaxine for 4 weeks now 2 weeks at 37.5 with 10mg of citalopram and the last 2 weeks at 75mg a day on its own the last 2 weeks I have been experiencing more anxiety and feel tense all the time I'm more snappy with my kids too will this pass as Iv changed on to this medication as citalopram wasn't helping me any with anxiety and low mood. I just want to be me again I keep having racing thoughts which had all stopped.
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I was prescribed Prozac and and have been on 10 for 3 weeks then went up to 20 2 weeks ago. I've been so nauseous,feeling like I'm gonna throw up and worsened anxiety and depersonalization. So my doctor told me to stop and switched me to lexapro 10 mg when will I notice a change?
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I'm been put on 10mg of propranolol daily for palpitations and anxiety...my pulse rate normal sits between 60-70 BPM and when I take these propranolol I feel like my heart beat is just going to stop which is making my anxiety 100% worse...my question is can't my heart just stop beating ? Can I half these tablets down to 5mg? Can't get this shaky constant panicky feeling away..
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lopressor 25 mg being taken for anxiety is causing slightly suppressed breathing which is felt around bed time.if i switch to inderal will the same problem continue?also i have started taking 1.5 mg lexopro/lorazepam yesterday for anxiety /sleep problems and it did make me fall asleep longer than usual.Just wondering how long can i keep taking lexopro before becoming addictive.?
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My anxiety has been terrible since peri menopause started about 8 years ago.I am 46 now and the heart palpitations and increased blood pressure is getting to me. I had blood work,had a holiter monitor test for 48 hours and the results were normal.My anxiety is horrible which in turn makes everything else go up, can this really be normal?
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I'm 25 years old and for the past 3/4 weeks i think I've been suffering from health anxiety. First I was having night sweats and google made me think this was the start of a serious illness. Next I had chest pains which I thought were strained muscles but it lasted for a few weeks and I convinced myself this was serious. I now have a pain in my left breast and now I'm convinced I have breast cancer and I'm losing the plot. I have two small children (aged 2 and 10 weeks) this is running my life and my partner thinks I'm mad. Every little symptom I get I google it and it makes me worry so much more. I've had my left breast checked and it's okay, also had an ECG and that was fine. I go from being fine one minute to panic and google searching the next.
I don't know what to do. I'm so upset and keep thinking about my children now growing up with a mum.
The pain I have is like a lingering pain from the back of my breast, sometimes i feels hot and the pain travels to my back. I'm also now worried about my other breast because the nipple has inverted tonight so I'm thinking this is serious.
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I have a horrendous rash on my feet, upper arms, back and hands. I have been taking Omeprazole for about 6 weeks, and am due to see a consultant in a few days. As no one had mentioned a rash to me, I assumed it was a heat rash, as I have a habit of warming my feet by the fire, but the rash has got much worse, and now I have ENORMOUS blisters on my big toes and small ones elsewhere on my feet and hands. I have phoned the GP surgery as I see this is listed as a possible side effect, and was told to stop taking the omeprazole which I did yesterday. So far there is no improvement, but it is only 24 hours, so I am hoping there will be some improvement very soon. I have also lost my sense of taste and smell which may be due to a bad cold, but I have a very dry mouth and a horrid taste in it when I wake up in the morning. This is also a listed side effect. The doctor I spoke to seemed to think the rash IS due to the omeprazole. Incidentally, I took lapromazole for 2 weeks previously, but it gave me dreadful diarrhoea, so the consultant changed me to omeprazole. I will post another message on here when I have seen the consultant.
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I'm just wondering when the ENT cleans out your ears, is it possible that the Dr can mess up the ear crystals that can cause vertigo?
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So I'm 8 months into my latest debilitating 24/7 dizziness. After a clear MRI, a neurologist suggested my imbalance might have a migrainous element to it. There is such a thing as vestibular migraine.
At this point, I'm willing to try anything, so the Dr has out me on Amitriptyline as a migraine preventative. I've been taking 10mg per night for the last 5 days (I can go up as high as 60mg by gradually dosing up).
I know it can have side effects that take a while to wear off and that it might not become effective for several weeks. But honestly, it's making me feel much worse already. I wake up every morning with a pounding head as if I'd drank a bottle of vodka, which is worse than the cannonball-head feeling I had already. Plus, I think it's making me woozier and dizzier than before (which was already so bad I've been off work for 3 months).
Has anyone tried it? Does it get better? I'm finding it really hard to cope with the side effects on top of how I'm already feeling. Many thanks.
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I'll start at the beginning last December I woke to go to the toilet and the next thing I new was my husband asking me if I was ok ( I had fainted) . Passed no remarks thought I had stood up to quickly, went to work the next day and felt lightheaded and even though my colleagues were talking to me I couldn't process what the were saying. I went to the doctor and explained what happened and she said it was vertigo. At this stage it was xmas week and I started taking serc but the didn't seem to be working. Went back to work in the new year and after 1 hour I was totally disoriented so I went back to the doctor and she sent me to a neurologists who said I had migraine. He prescribed me with amitriptyline starting at 10mg and I have slowly worked up to 40 mg but still not feeling right in the last few months I have facial numbness. My neuro is sending me to see a a neurophysiologist but my appointment isn't until February of next year and that's going private.
symptoms:-
Lightheaded /dizzy
Stiff neck
Blurred vision
Extremely tired
Stiff ankles and hip joints in the morning
Facial numbness
Pain in my head sometimes like ice cream headache but only a few times a day. Have had mri which was clear and all my bloods are normal
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