Something has changed in my brain.

[connie26]

Sixteen months ago, I went to bed and woke up with the most extreme dizziness. Everything was bouncing and I couldn't walk or lift my head off the pillow without vomiting. It carried on until I ended up in A&E the following day. CT scan was clear. I had anti sickness and fluids and eventually the sickness stopped. Since then, my world has not been the same. Walking is unpleasant as I feel constantly slightly dizzy and unbalanced. Everything I look at when I'm walking moves slightly. Going up and down the stairs feels a bit hazardous and I have to concentrate. Postural vertigo tests are clear. Vestibular neuritis may be the cause apparently but an MRI scan on my left ear showed nothing abnormal. I've been given exercises to do but it's exactly the same as it was the day after it happened. I feel like I have no energy. I'm wondering whether to go for a private MRI scan of my whole brain. Hospital have just left it that there's nothing they can find so that's that but I'm miserable and also worried that it might happen again but even worse.

This happened to me and my iron and folate levels were both low (both can cause dizziness). I would feel like the ground was always slightly moving like I was on a boat and things around me would be moving too. 18 months later after high strength supplements I’m 75% better but still have slight feelings of dizziness every day still. When I get anxious about it the symptoms flare up a lot too so I had to work hard to be calm and try and not tense up in the situation when it was flaring up. Very difficult though as it made me feel so panicky

Menieres?

Walking is unpleasant as I feel constantly slightly dizzy and unbalanced. Everything I look at when I'm walking moves slightly. Going up and down the stairs feels a bit hazardous and I have to concentrate.

This sounds very similar to what a relative describes. Their problem is something to do with the way their brain combines the images from each eye. It is a problem that began developing in later life. I don't remember what triggered it, or whether it's an eye problem or a brain problem. They were referred to Moorfields, who prescribe some sort of specialist addition to their glasses, which enables the images to mesh together.

Has your vision been invested?

Benign positional vertigo?

I do apologize I have no idea at all where that gif came from!

I get v dizzy if I don't take the Ferglobin capsules daily. It's a mixture of iron and b12.

Not sure what in it helps me, but it's not worth changing for me.

Perhaps worth a go? I get mine off Amazon for £5 for a months worth.

It may be something else, and I'm sorry you are having to go through it. I feel you pain, with the dizzy spells though!

Is it vertigo

I had these symptoms and it was vertigo. When you stand up and shut your eyes, do you fall over?

I second Meniere's disease. I had a 'poor man's'* form of it for years that was never fully diagnosed.

Please get your hearing levels tested, if you haven't already.

• this was the term used by the consultant

Sounds like vestibular migraines to me! I’d visit a balance/vestibular specialist. Could also be Meniere’s but if your ears are fine (ie no hearing loss, tinnitus and/or ear pressure) I’d be more inclined to say it’s Vestibular Migraine.

Optician first, before paying for private scans. Then ears - is there anything that makes it worse (being underwater, jumping up and down, putting your head between your legs). How does it feel when you lie flat and shut your eyes?

I think you need to evidence gather before your next steps, there will be one particular feature that points you on the right path.

Good luck, it sounds really miserable and exhausting.

Exactly I’ve had this too horrible and quite scary

Also just to say: “vertigo” is not a diagnosis. It’s a symptom.

Also to clarify: vestibular migraines often go without headache. So don’t be put off by the term “migraine”.

Vertigo is a feeling that you or the environment are moving ..awful

Correct. I suffer from both, Menieres and Vestibular Migraines so I know the symptom of vertigo all too well. Even the vertigo attacks can differ from each other.

Yes, mine was due to antibiotics I'd taken - it was a known side effect.

Bless you I’ve had a few vertigo attacks really scary the first time I didn’t know what was happening also felt very sick sending hugs

sounds like when I had BPPV a couple of months ago, was it triggered by rolling over in bed? Mine passed quickly with no vomiting or anything luckily.

mine has slowly improved but not 100% there yet. Maybe see a physiotherapist who specialises in vestibular issues?

Another vote for Menieres. As a person who has it I can tell you that although the worst is past, I still - to this day 7 years later- get the dizzys at certain things, like up and down stairs, looking up, laying down, etc. This is controlled at home, but when going to the dentist, or for an examination it requires much explanation and gentle positioning to sort it!

Most of it is well controlled, because I know what to avoid. When it does happen it is short lived thankfully. It is very disconcerting for sure.

I am also deaf in one ear as a result, which doesn't help balance much either, and is probably a big contributory factor in my wobbliness.

I would also suggest that it may be your eyes

When were they last checked ? Do you wear glasses, do you have or have ever had a squint - how old are you?

When I had my recent eye test I mentioned to the optician that I can get (at near sight) one eye image drifting away from the other which then corrects itself as the brain compensates. When young I had a squint and now wear glasses for near vision and feel it can explain my slight loss of balance because of my age.

If none of the above are relevant to you - ignore me!

Op I have the same. They think it's labyrinthitis rather than meniers as I also lost the hearing in my right ear in my first attack and now have a hearing aid.

I am supposed to do those exercises every day too but I often fail to find the time.

Yes the meds do work temporarily but I don't want ti be on them the whole time.

Sorry no solutions only sympathy

I had vertigo a couple of years ago, it came on from nowhere while in a restaurant and knocked me off my feet completely for a good ten days when it thankfully resolved, although I did had residual dizziness for a few months afterwards. It was completely horrible! My MIL said she’d had it and it had taken more than a year to go away though so I guess it can last a long time for some people.

Hearing loss on one side is a primary symptom of Menieres though and is usually permanent like yours and mine.

Not that there is much we can do about it now, but I use hearing aids also, and they are brilliant.

Sorry, yes. It was labrynthitus that I had ( although I’m pretty sure that isn’t how you spell it!)