Anxiety Exacerbates Vertigo?
Mar 1, 2014
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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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 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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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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I wonder if anyone could please let me know of their experiences of treating MAV with anti depressants. After a 6 month roller coaster of diagnosis, I have no other option but to start on these.
I have specifically been out on dosulepin which is close to amitriptyline but am worried about the side effects as I already have really low blood pressure and am really skinny.
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I had a Stapedectomy in both my ears. My left ear I had done 4 yrs ago. Now I am getting vertigo, not full blown, but just enough to annoy me and make me feel light headed. My ear also feels sore. This has been going on for a few days. It's not like an ear infection sore, but just sore like something is not right. Now I am not sure what is causing this. I have been taking ibuprofen for the soreness and when I do, about 20 min later I don't feel as light headed. Could something be just swollen in my middle ear? About 2 months ago I had my ear flushed out with water by my regular doctor, but that didn't seem to bother anything. About 2 weeks ago I noticed like clicking in my ear and during that time I went to hear a band play. I don't know what is going on and I am getting kind of worried. I was going to wait a week and see if it all goes away. I do get this vertigo about once a year and it lasts about a week or so. Then I am fine. What do you all think? Any doctor's out there that could help? I don't want surgery again! I had a tough recovery and the thought of it terrifies me. Also am I not allowed to go scuba diving? We are going to turks and caicos next month and I wanted to scuba dive but I heard you can't.
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I have just had my first ever vertigo experience, wow, hope it never happens again. Two days later and I'm foggy headed and a bit wobbly still. It woke me up at 5am and whenever I tilted my head left or right the room spun . I've just started with an osteopath for neck issues and it's been going well. Though this time my neck was really sore and developed a bad headache, this got worse for two days, then got the vertigo . The dr thinks it's from the manipulation as opposed to my ears, I do also have tinnitus which developed similar time of my mayor neck issues. All the info I look at points to ears, is anyone heard of vertigo caused by neck issues.
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went on a cruise over a mo. ago still having vertigo. Doc thinks it is Vestibular Neuritis. Any input? I had never cruised before.
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I went to see my GP this week because over the last couple of weeks I was getting bouts of dizziness while resting (I can describe them as a swaying sensation) which comes and goes. I also have frontal headaches with this, the sort that you get when you are subject to bright light. I have been prescribed some tablets which I have to take 3 times a day so I hope that these tablets will clear the problem. I am also going to the opticians on thursday just to double check it's nothing to do with vision problems. I have scared myself today as I have googled frontal headaches and it comes up with brain tumour.
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I'm 20 years old.
Right now im lightheaded, dizzy, anxious for one one week. I think it maybe had something to do with my fall, but im not sure. I was drunk that night, was walking and lost balance, falled on right side of head, no vomiting, no memory loss. Just the next day i felt like crap, not only hangover, but my head was hurting so bad on the left side. It was in July btw.. Then after that i felt weirder, had episodes of lightheadedness and i knew something was not right, i never had these things before. Then about 8 days ago it all started, i was working and just felt like i have weakness in body and lightheadedness, i felt terrible, my ears kinda "closed" for some 15 seconds, horrible feeling. That they i went home and slept all that day and from that day i feel like crap, my left side of head feels like pressure in there and behind eye. I was sleeping for 2 days and felt worse and worse. It was so bad i couldn't walk out off bed few steps, that was last drop, my mom called paramedics, I was taken to hospital, they did blood test, ct scan to my head, I had to wait like 6 hours until they told me results, and there was moment when i was sitting and felt worse condition in life, i was about to pass out, they then put me in bed, and i felt better within hour... After waiting for 6 hours they told me everything is okey, ct scan good, blood test good. Then some ear doctor came to see me, she said it could be bppv, so they sent me home with some medications. I had to take Medrol for 6 days, the first day of it was just horrible, my heart was pounding, couldn't sleep, i felt worse then before. So i consulted my family doctor and she told to stop taking them, so i took them for 3 days after that i felt terrible side effects, my headache was so bad, the worst ever, i felt my whole body was weak.No Onee told what I have, i dont think its BPPV maybe im wrong. I kept reading online about my symptoms and possible things that i could have, i was just getting more and more anxious, scared, just feel soo bad. I gotta say, before that i did 3 x rays to head, neck, all good, and i did ultrasonography to head, all good.
On 21 october i went to neurologist, she told me that everything seems okay, that i need to relax and only think positive, she asked me questions what I wanna do in future and things like that, that helped with my anxiety, but not with my dizziness, vertigo. Right now I'm waiting for 29 october, i got visit otolaryngologist, for consultation and audiogramm. It seems so far away, and i can just guess whats wrong with me... Right now symptoms are: vertigo, dizziness, when i move my head side to side its much worse and start to feel pressure in head, if i hold my head straight, almost no dizziness, im sensitive to light, i cant sit long time to computer or smartphone, max 1 hour, if i sit longer i get weird feeling and dizziness, i hate going to sleep now, when i lay in bed i feel like falling, everything is spinning, if i lay on any side it gets even worse, like my head is spinning, but others thing stay in position, plus if i lay on sides i get more head pressure. What helps me walking and making myself something to eat is medical head holder, its used for neck injuries, but it helps me!! Well the dizziness is less with it and im taking betahistine 24mg 3 times a day and it makes dizziness less. And i got some pain around heart, but that could be from anxiety and all time that i sleep on my back. I just wanna get back to normal life, its so hard with dizziness, can't do basic things, im listening to motivational speeches and videos that is what helps me everyday. I was thinking maybe its like message from higher powers, that i need to change, because i really need to had some bad habits, drinking, smoking and things like that. Right now im making something like diary, i write down how i feel everyday and i wrote things that i need to accomplish, when i will feel good I will start doing them one by one!
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I have been suffering with dizziness for quite a while now, it all started with headaches then I'd get really dizzy, I had a ct scan and all was well however after the birth of my second son in April this year I was laying on the sofa I went to get up and I couldn't focus on anything, I was so dizzy it was unreal, I went to emergency docs who said it was labyrinthitis and prescribed some tablets which didn't really work! Ever since then I have been so dizzy, I have seen ent and they said all is good nothing to worry about but why do I keep feeling like this? I could be sat at home doing nothing and it just comes over me I go all lightheaded and then I start to sweat and panic that I'm going to pass out its horrible, just walking around sometimes I go dizzy and feel all funny I don't know what to do anymore, I've had bloods etc and all normal I just want to know why I feel so terrible all the time.
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Back in February I experienced an odd episode while driving down a bright highway where the light flashed between the trees constantly. I started seeing aura and it developed into a major migraine (I've had a handful of migraines in my lifetime only, not chronic ones- I've also been chronically congested for about 2-3 years). It seemed like after this that I started having headaches mostly on the left side of my head based mostly around the ear and neck area. My vision blurred and then fixed itself, but then I started having this odd sensation while driving, like my eyes didn't know where to focus. My head was really foggy like I couldn't think, and when I shook it it almost felt sloshy,like my brain was sloshing in a fish bowl. The dizziness then began to get worse while looking at any type of technology or tv. The headaches weren't that bad (except for that first one in February), but my anxiety quickly took over. I had an MRI without contrast just before Easter,and it was fine. At this point they made me appointments with a neurologist, but not until April 28. The more I started researching, I also made appts with an ENT on April 27. I was miserable for about 3 weeks, until my antidepressant began to calm me down. AT this point I could watch TV and look at a computer again, as well as drive, but was still plagued with this disequilibrium. On another of my ER visits, the doctor said my neck was extremely stiff and to do PT or chiropractor. I went to PT and she asked if I'd had any illnesses around the time this started. I'd had a very bad sinus infection and was put on 12 days of steroids, and it was about 2-3 weeks later that all this started. She mentioned Vestibular Neuritis, and I've been doing the vestibular PT ever since April 1.
Fast forward to now, my disequilibrium is somewhat better, but not 100%. I still feel funny when driving or riding in the car, and I'm terrified to go on any amusement park rides with my family. I finally saw the ENT last week, with the hopes that she'd be the missing piece. Well, she said she bet it was migraines and told me to go to the neuro. She did however, scope my sinuses and they were extremely swollen and told me to use saline and a steroid nose spray daily or I'd be needing surgery in 10 years. I went and bought the sprays, but was really sad after hearing the 4th person tell me this was migraines when I feel like this isn't. The next day I saw the Neurologist expecting to hear the same thing, but she told me she thought it was my sinuses. She wants me to continue the nose sprays and come back in 2 weeks, as well as continue the vestibular PT. I asked her about the Vestibular Neuritis, and she said people have extreme vertigo with it, and I haven't had that.
My question is those of you who have been diagnosed with VN, was your dizziness vertigo? Or did some of you just have a feeling of disequilibrium,like not knowing what to look at? Also, how long has it taken you to regain 100% function? I'm going on week 12 of this, and am starting to doubt if I'll ever be back to 100%.
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I am hoping to hear from people who are recovering from labrynthitis. I had my first episode of vertigo a month ago and am struggling to feel balanced again. The difficult part of it for me is knowing when to push and exercise my brain and when to rest. I have been going to work, but am finding that by about 2:00 p.m., I am spinning and very uncomfortable. If I work the whole day, my evening is totally awful - very very dizzy. Any suggestions?
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