Dizziness & loss of dexterity

[LaLaLeni]

After my DS was born (normal delivery, normal pg) I started getting a tingly patch on my back. Then I would get suddenly dizzy as if I would fall over to one side. It happens really suddenly and not always when doing one particular thing. I noticed I was struggling to hold pens/cutlery and normally I'm very dexterous.

I went to a neurologist and had a C Spine and brain MRI/MRA. All came back clear and the consultant seemed to think I am having some sort of imagined symptoms due to stress.

I tried to forget about it but the dizziness really knocks me and I feel it could be dangerous if I were to fall, especially as it happened on the tube platform last week.

I also had my eyes tested and nothing wrong there either apart from very slight muscle fatigue from using computers.

Has anyone else had undiagnosed dizziness and later found a cause?

I know someone who gets vertigo, which is caused by problems in her ears; from time to time she has 'micro-suction' which helps. Symptoms are similar to yours, but less extreme.

Micro suction? I had vertigo once before from a virus, but it was constant whereas this just hits suddenly. My GP looked in my ears (I think) and nobody's mentioned anything about vertigo, which I did think would be first port of call.

Anyone else got any experience? My GP's ready just to record it as 'unexplained symptoms'

Very similar, I had tingling on the end of my nose and then across my back. Coordination problems, eventually memory loss, depression, lack of energy.

I was diagnosed with anxiety and given prozac but just kept getting worse.

I was eventually diagnosed with a b12 deficiency. Have had 100s of tests in my case it is an auto immune thing, can be diet or pernicious anaemia.
I now have B12 injections, long time recovering but ok now.

Hi Lal
I had unexplained dizziness for 4 and a half years.

GPs didn't really get it, think they thought I was anxious/depressed (which I became because of it) , ent specialist useless.
Finally saw a marvellous Dr called Dr Surenthiran who specialises in balance disorders. He literally gave me my life back as I was really disabled by symptoms, and it was invisible to everyone else, all tests clear etc so no one really got how much it impacted on my life.
He put me on a course of treatment and I am now soooooo much better. He runs a clinic in London and also works in SE and nhs at Medway.
He's very highly regarded here and internationally. I only wish I'd been able to see him sooner

Sydlexic, did you have blood tests at the start? Mine all came back negative, GP was looking for deficiencies too. Really frustrating :( I'm already on beta blockers for a heart problem, and they keep saying it must be that, but The symptoms aren't happening simultaneously. I am stressed, but dizziness has never been like this before.

Aimee wow! Is there a way. I can get to see him? What treatment have you had?

You can get a referral on the nhs or see him privately. I went private as travelling to Medway was too difficult at the time. Total treatment cost for me was £400, 1 initial consultation and a follow up, but I'd already had an MRI on the nhs. I had to restrain myself from hugging him last time I saw him as he has given me back my health Hang on and I will try and find his secretary's no

0845 129 0003 is his secretary's number.
She will be able to advise re clinics and locations.
I was given a drug to reduce migraines (my dizziness is migraine related) vestibular rehab exercises and a restricted diet, which together have helped enormously. Have to dash as ds2 badgering me for computer. IMO Dr S is absolutely brilliant, can't praise him enough. Feel free to pm me. I'll check back in a bit when ds 2 has finished with computer

Turns out my private insurance through work have him on the list and I can see him at the same hospital I saw the previous consultant at - thanks so much for the recommendation :)

Hoping he can give me some relief... Shocking that two doctors at the same place can deliver such different results for patients eh?

That's great news. I really hope he can help you. It's rotten not knowing the cause of dizziness, I found that aspect quite frightening at times. Dreadful that your neurologist suggested you were having imagined symptoms due to stress. I think my gp possibly thought similar about me as she was a bit when I asked for a referral. It's depressing being given the old "hysterical woman" label

Will you update once you've seen him? Id be really pleased if he helps you

Aimee, definitely :)

Sydlexic, did your B12 deficiency comes up straight away in blood tests?

Aimee, definitely :)

Sydlexic, did your B12 deficiency comes up straight away in blood tests?

Aimee, sorry to keep questioning you, but how did he diagnose you, and did you just have the dizziness with migraines or other symptoms?

Interested in the diet too, I'm terrible at those

Ask away

A short physical examination and loads of questions/history taken for diagnosis

I had almost constant dizziness, tiredness, sometimes nausea, a few ear symptoms (bit of tinnitus etc). I didn't get pain with the migraine that initially caused the dizziness, or subsequent ones, but they affected the brain stem upsetting the area that deals with balance. I get migraines that are painful behind my left eye as well as those. A vertigo attack caused by the first non painful migraine was the start of the balance problems for me

Diet is a bit brutal....

No cheese or associated products.
No red wine and some other alcoholic drinks
Low yeast so no fresh baked bread, yeast extract/marmite etc
No citrus, pineapple or bananas
No chocolate
No caffeine inc decaff
No eggs
No msg

I can't eat wheat or dairy anyway so it's not too bad. I do miss chocolate and marmite though

Plus... regular meals, sleep, no undue exercise, and avoid stress-i have 3 dcs, 2 under 4 so that is a bit tricky at times

Right. I am officially terrified... I loce all of those things! I eat loads of eggs, cheese and marmite

I also have tinnitus which has increased lately, and eye pain plus been hounding the opticians because I can't see, but they're telling me I have good sight. I now think it must be linked. I feel generally quite sort of detached due to the feeling of imbalance when walking around and I hoped my new glasses would sort it out but nothing's changed. I get panicked over simple things like a cup and saucer because I will at least rattle it so much people notice, if I don't drop it on the floor!

Well I guess I just have to wait and see.

Don't panic your symptoms could be down to a number of causes and you may not have to go on the diet from hell! Even if you do, you can reintroduce some of those foods one at a time in small quantities 6 months after treatment with drugs ends, so it's not forever, To be honest it's a small price to pay to get rid of the disabling symptoms. I have the odd strop because everyone else is tucking into stuff I can't touch but I mostly it's fine. Best you have some now though just in case it becomes a banned substance

I had that detached feeling too, not nice.

Do you know how long it will take to get an appointment with Dr S?

7th March, so not too long. He's obviously popular!

I've been tested for just about everything else so if it isn't vestibular I don't know what I'll do...

I have a lot of same symptoms due to Meniere's disease. Have a google and see if symptoms fit.

I did look at Menieres, but not sure my symptoms fit - my dizziness is more that I feel I am falling over to one side, and that I suddenly become really unbalanced and bang into door frames when walking through them because I can't judge where I am. Not really spinning though generally, although I've had that a couple of times when lying down.

I do feel like my ears are blocked and I've had them syringed a few times only to find there was nothing to remove. I find situations with lots of noise very confusing and overwhelming too.

I had a one sided headache today which I have quite often, and I feel my sight is really affected when I get them. I always thought this was to do with my bad shoulder, but now I'm wondering if it's all linked.

I don't think people realise just how debilitating this can be!

People dont generally IMO LaLa. Only my DP and DS1 really got it. Everyone else underestimated how debilitating it was, and the longer it went on the more I could see friends expected me to get a grip, stop being feeble and get out more. But exercise, even a gentle walk always made me worse.

Do you find lighting can affect you? I couldn't go into supermarkets as the lighting made me feel really unbalanced.

Also you said you had vertigo once from a virus. That's what I thought my vertigo was caused by before I saw Dr S. I was abroad at the time and was told when I got home that it was labyrinthitis. Did the vertigo occur shortly before your dizziness/loss of dexterity?

The vertigo was years ago, but shortly before I started thinking I needed glasses funnily enough. I do find lighting very disorientating, but I just do it, I find now I have a buggy to push at least I have something to hold on to. I do often leave without getting what I need though.

Braver than me

One thing I wish I'd done before I saw Dr S was to write down a chronology of events and all the different symptoms. As it was I was hopeless trying to give him a good history due to the length of time I'd had symptoms and the anxiety of it all. I expect you are more organised than me though but I thought I'd mention it.

Fingers crossed for the 7th

LaLaLeni, I know this has been a year, but my symptoms are similar and I was researching this doctor and I came up with this post.

Re vision, I have had double vision with the migraine. I thought I needed glasses too but apparently not.

I was wondering whether you got a diagnosis. Mine seems to be Vestibular Migraine.

Also, can you recall which tube platform you got dizzy on? There are a couple of stations I often seem to get dizzy at.