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Original poster

Sudden onset vertigo, DS can’t walk - is this really a virus?

81 replies

HJBeans · 09/09/2025 18:49

Apologies, I am double-posting for traffic. I am very concerned but have anxiety related to my kids health and would like perspectives on whether to push for a second look at my son.

YABU = he’s been seen, leave it for now
YANBU = I’d be worried enough to take him back in to A&E

Son was enjoying football practice last night, standing waiting for a throw in, when the ground became unsteady for him. His dad was there and brought him home. He has rocking vertigo when standing / walking, where the ground seems to move like a boat. Called 111, took him to OOO doc and then to A&E. They did an ECG and standard neurological testing. They can see no sign of infection outside of one raised lymph node, but think it’s probably viral infection of the inner ear and will pass. We’ve been told to take him back if he blacks out, throws up or has severe head pain.

He’s worse today, and his gait is now oddly wide and jerky as if steadying himself on a rocking boat. He can’t stand or walk without holding on to something. The vertigo also isn’t made worse by shaking his head which seems odd to me if it’s inner ear related. I’m worrying something has been missed and need calming down. This time last night he was getting ready for practice after a day at school and now he can’t walk unaided. I’m scared. Thanks in advance for any info or hand-holding.

OP posts:
Original poster
HJBeans · 15/09/2025 19:51

Ugh - my DS was complete well, did football games yesterday, etc. Went to football practice tonight and just like last week came down dizzy just at the end. It’s still the rocking vertigo not the spinning kind. Much less worried given the clear MRI but still worried this can strike again without warning.

For those who have had this, is it common to come and go so rapidly? Any tips for how to deal with this in a 9 year old’s life? Like I don’t think he should be doing swimming lessons if he can lose vestibular system function at the drop of a hat. Can I get him into school like this?

Gah. I feel I’ve jinxed it as was telling everyone about his miraculous recovery….

OP posts:
TizerorFizz · 13/09/2025 18:24

DD has also had this at age 29. It lasted months on and off. It’s not common in children though.

Original poster
HJBeans · 13/09/2025 18:23

Barnbrack · 13/09/2025 17:49

A child walking with an unusual gait out of the blue does warrant proper investigation

Show quote history

It was the gait that had changed from our first to second visit. As soon as they saw his gait they said ‘we need to do some imaging’ and the only question was how urgently - whether the added radiation from CT was warranted to get it done that day. We’re very lucky that a gap in the MRI diary was there within an hour, so that choice didn’t need making.

OP posts:
Barnbrack · 13/09/2025 17:49

Mum4MrA · 13/09/2025 17:41

@HJBeans I’m so relieved your son is improving and that the MRI and bloods were normal.

The investigations didn’t need to be done straight away. The parent was given clear instructions on what to watch out for as there were no red flags when DS was first seen and examined. It was perfectly reasonable to wait and see what happened. Time can be a useful diagnostic test. He developed further symptoms, was reviewed and then scanned as the overall picture had changed.

Vertigo across a population is often seasonal, with peaks in spring and autumn.

There are opportunity costs to scanning every person in A&E with eg vertigo or a headache without worrying features. It can mean that a scan is delayed in someone for whom a very prompt scan can be life saving.

Show quote history

A child walking with an unusual gait out of the blue does warrant proper investigation

Barnbrack · 13/09/2025 17:48

TizerorFizz · 13/09/2025 16:47

@Barnbrack That’s somewhat worrying for op when DS has been to hospital!

If he's had an MRI it's obviously all been checked out. I'm speaking as someone who works in healthcare and has seen children present with those symptoms and good and bad outcomes. Better to worry and get checked and it be nothing than give false reassurance and miss a window to help a sick child

Mum4MrA · 13/09/2025 17:41

Barnbrack · 13/09/2025 16:46

That is great news, the MRI or at least a CT and blood work should have been done right away! I'm glad it was all ok

Show quote history

@HJBeans I’m so relieved your son is improving and that the MRI and bloods were normal.

The investigations didn’t need to be done straight away. The parent was given clear instructions on what to watch out for as there were no red flags when DS was first seen and examined. It was perfectly reasonable to wait and see what happened. Time can be a useful diagnostic test. He developed further symptoms, was reviewed and then scanned as the overall picture had changed.

Vertigo across a population is often seasonal, with peaks in spring and autumn.

There are opportunity costs to scanning every person in A&E with eg vertigo or a headache without worrying features. It can mean that a scan is delayed in someone for whom a very prompt scan can be life saving.

Original poster
HJBeans · 13/09/2025 17:32

TizerorFizz · 13/09/2025 16:36

I honestly don’t think that’s vertigo as I know it. When I’ve got it my head is swimming immediately and it’s a big effort to get up and walk. Kicking a ball or going to A&E would be impossible. Do they think it’s vertigo?

He’s recovering now. When we went to A&E he was carried and wheel-chaired everywhere. The diagnosis was vestibular neuritis, which they said to treat as viral unless he deteriorated and should pass in a week or so. So his recovery was expected on about this timescale.

OP posts:
TizerorFizz · 13/09/2025 16:47

@Barnbrack That’s somewhat worrying for op when DS has been to hospital!

Barnbrack · 13/09/2025 16:46

HJBeans · 13/09/2025 14:12

Thanks everyone, really appreciate all the responses. He had the MRI and bloodwork on Thursday and both were clear. Yesterday he seemed a bit better and today he is clearly better - able to go into the garden and kick a ball about with me. He was very tearful yesterday and seems both upset at being unable to do things like normal and worried about getting back into things when he still feels unsteady. Being outside was great, though, as he didn’t mind when he fell over and it seemed more fun to be wobbly than worrying to him. He kept toppling over and laughing. 😁 He seems much more wobbly when concentrating on it - so standing still looking at something is very hard, but running toward a ball is easier. I think there’s probably a balance to be struck in getting him moving again and rushing him and between building confidence and avoiding injury. But this is all so much better than it seemed it could be a few days ago - I’m very grateful.

Edited

That is great news, the MRI or at least a CT and blood work should have been done right away! I'm glad it was all ok

Barnbrack · 13/09/2025 16:45

He needs a CT to rule out intracranial problem, first thing is do is take him to an optician, vast majority of brain tumours can be picked up there.

TizerorFizz · 13/09/2025 16:36

I honestly don’t think that’s vertigo as I know it. When I’ve got it my head is swimming immediately and it’s a big effort to get up and walk. Kicking a ball or going to A&E would be impossible. Do they think it’s vertigo?

Original poster
HJBeans · 13/09/2025 14:12

Thanks everyone, really appreciate all the responses. He had the MRI and bloodwork on Thursday and both were clear. Yesterday he seemed a bit better and today he is clearly better - able to go into the garden and kick a ball about with me. He was very tearful yesterday and seems both upset at being unable to do things like normal and worried about getting back into things when he still feels unsteady. Being outside was great, though, as he didn’t mind when he fell over and it seemed more fun to be wobbly than worrying to him. He kept toppling over and laughing. 😁 He seems much more wobbly when concentrating on it - so standing still looking at something is very hard, but running toward a ball is easier. I think there’s probably a balance to be struck in getting him moving again and rushing him and between building confidence and avoiding injury. But this is all so much better than it seemed it could be a few days ago - I’m very grateful.

OP posts:
Andylion · 13/09/2025 03:06

He has rocking vertigo when standing / walking, where the ground seems to move like a boat…

… The vertigo also isn’t made worse by shaking his head which seems odd to me if it’s inner ear related

OP, I have BPPV and I also had a balance issue that sounds similar to your DS’s. Rocking vertigo perfectly describes what I felt at the time and it was completely different to BPPV.

I went to a walk in clinic where I was sent to emergency for a CTScan. That was normal so I was booked for an MRI a couple of weeks later. All good. Things gradually got better. The neurologist said it might be from Covid, which I had for the first time three months before this occurred.

Things gradually got better although I had to use walking poles and made myself walk everyday, around the block once, then twice, then further afield.

I don’t know if this is what your DS has, but it sounds familiar. Good luck!

(I am in Canada so your experience with hospitals might be different. Also, I am nearly 60.)

TwinklyNight · 13/09/2025 02:41

I have vertigo a few times a year, when my ears are congested from pollen, I take anti nausea tablets they help with the dizziness and nausea. And I stopped laying in the bath with my ears submerged under water as it happens sometimes when water gets in my ear, also get triggered by mildew. Usually passes after a week or so with me.
I would take him to the childrens hospital if he isn't improving.

Good luck! I hope your boy is back to himself soon.

BlueandWhitePorcelain · 13/09/2025 02:18

It’s not likely for DS to have it for this reason in the UK? I had vertigo two days ago - as pp have said, it was like being drunk. The world was moving around. I had to hold onto DH to stop me falling over. I got into bed and shut my eyes - it was even worse.

As I am in the tropics, I assumed it was heat and dehydration. However when I thought about it, we traveled all round two cities in the same weather and nothing happened then - but laying on a sun lounger in the shade on a different island (more humid) had done this? The one thing I had done different was put on insect repellent (not a lot), due to an increasing number of bites. There is a very low - low risk of malaria here, and it’s best to avoid bites.

I looked it up and a side effect of insect repellent containing deet, can be dizziness and confusion. After 24 hours, the dizziness had much reduced.

treesocks23 · 13/09/2025 01:59

HJBeans · 09/09/2025 19:51

Thank you - this is really helpful. I’ve never felt what he’s feeling or seen this happen to anyone else, so very very helpful to know this is what it looks like and is expected. I think I’ve read that if viral it can get worse over the first few days and then get slowly better.

I’m surprised how quickly it came on - think of him running around in the sunlight with his pals waiting for the ball to be thrown in one breath and then feeling the ground was rocking under his feet the next. The body does all sorts of weird things, doesn’t it?

It’s a stroke I’m most worried about, as I’ve read this can look very similar to vestibular neuritis at first. And he was exercising and will have had little football related knocks and things. But I understand these are vanishingly rare and it’s much more likely viral.

I wish they’d done bloodwork to check for infection so I had something more concrete to hang the diagnosis on, but the children’s hospital near us is very good and I have to trust they would have if it would have been useful.

Thank you everyone, you’ve really helped me to worry a bit less.

Show quote history

When I got what turned about to be labrinthytis, it was so scary and literally from nowhere. Sat at my desk and then couldn’t even hold my head up, everything span, couldn’t walk - it was more like moonwalking. Somehow got home and my DH was incredibly worried and he’s the most laidback non worrier. He said my pupils were huge and I got to the stairs and couldn’t move. I had no idea ears could create something that felt so scary. Vertigo can be awful! Please don’t panic x

TequilaNights · 13/09/2025 01:22

I had sudden onset vertigo, came on suddenly and after a quick stay in hospital nothing sinister was found, I was given some dizzy tablets and sent on my merry way, they did a mri on my head about 6 months later which was all clear.
It went after about a week, diagnosis Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), such a strange feeling, I was never dizzy in the spinning around until you wobble sense, but it felt like the floor was moving (like on a boat as you describe) and my eyes would dart, crazy.

Sounds like you are doing everything right OP, I hope he gets the all clear and just got a bit of vertigo that goes quickly, speeding recovery.

DorothyGaleFromKansas · 13/09/2025 01:21

If it helps at all, I get vestibular migraines sometimes and first I get vertigo for a couple of days, then all lights feel too bright, and then the headache for about a day, and then a day or two of feeling almost hungover.

Lighttodark · 13/09/2025 01:19

Vertigo is very scary. Hope he is feeling much better op

RoseAlone · 13/09/2025 01:18

.

Lighttodark · 13/09/2025 01:08

Holgen · 09/09/2025 18:57

when I had a post viral inner ear related vertigo, I did the epley manoeuvre and it reduced my symptoms drastically. Get your son to try it and see if it does anything!

Don’t do this without professional help, it can make things worse

Mum4MrA · 13/09/2025 01:05

Thinking of you @HJBeans . Hope your DS is improving and that scan is ok. 💐💐💐

Original poster
HJBeans · 11/09/2025 11:20

Thanks everyone. We’re back at the children’s hospital as he developed a headache and worsening of the vertigo last night (having it lying down while trying to sleep). They say with the altered gait as well as the dizziness it’s time for some head imaging. We’re waiting to see what’s available when and how urgent they think this is. Remains very scary but is so helpful to hear from those of you who have had it for benign reasons.

OP posts:
TizerorFizz · 10/09/2025 11:25

I’ve had it 3 times. First time - GP said lie down. It lasted 7 days. Second time - desperate as flying on holiday 3 days later. Managed to talk to a doctor - Saturday morning so GPs not working. She got DH to do the head moment technique. No real change. We spoke again and she turned up with an injection. A few hours later I improved and no issues on holiday. That was around 6 years ago. In July - got it again. Was sick in the morning and by lunch I was fine. It’s very very odd.

With a child I would get ears checked by GP. However I could never ever get out of a chair let alone go to a surgery or A&E! You need a doctor to house call so good luck with that!

AmoozzBoosh · 10/09/2025 11:21

Just adding my experience here too - I've had severe vertigo a few times due to a virus when it gets into the sinuses and inner ear. It's awful and I've been unable to walk down a corridor without bumping into walls. Shaking his head would absolutely make it worse (so don't do it).

Plenty of rest, follow medical advice and see how he is in a few days.