Sound like vertigo? Having awful panic attacks

[Zaynab2945]

So last month I went to the gp because I had an episode of being in shop and when I turned my head I went really lightheaded snd felt as if the floor was bouncing. I had to sit down and after a few minutes felt OK but was shaky, the next day went on holiday for 3 days and the same thing, in the car journey was lightheaded and nauseous. Went on some rides at the theme park and never had an issue before but got off feeling light headed and sick. I went to the doctors and had blood tests and I have iron deficency anemia and low vitamin d. Ever since I have been on top of taking the iron they gave and vitamin d as I was fed up of feeling unwell, after a week I started to feel so so much better in myself. Now last Saturday I had a lot of guests over and ever since then I've gone back down hill, I started having symptoms of my eyes hurting me but I have a 10 month old so have put it down to lack of sleep as she's not sleeping and having 20 guests over and cooking and cleaning for them. Last night i was feeding the baby and watching my phone at at the same time so turning my head, I had a moment where I felt lightheaded sitting down and that the room was moving, I don't usually have panic attacks but I ended up with a racing heart which in turn made the light-headedness even worse. I went and stood outside for a few minutes and took deep breaths, I came back inside again and was convinced that the room was still moving when I turned My head which put me into a full blown panic attack, racing heart and heavy head I was trying to take deep breaths but after a bath and taking my mind of it it did eventually go better. I felt better after the bath and this morning after a sleep but I don't understand what could be causing this now aa I'm taking the iron tablets and vit d for a month now and started feeling better so surely it can't be from that. My mum said it sounds like vertigo as if i look at certain patters like heavy stripes I feel a bit light headed. I don't want to go through another panic attack like that again it was awful. I do still feel a bit sick this morning too.
Any ideas ?

I had something not dissimilar recently It’s definitely unnerving, not to mention the physical symptoms you mention. Eventually I worked out it was due to a slightly stiff / sore neck (that sometimes didn’t even feel sore). It doesn’t take much to destabilise the inner ear and cause balance issues - that seem much more alarming that you’d think a neck problem would produce. Hope you’re on the mend soon.

I really feel for you op as vertigo attacks not only make you feel horrible, they are scary too 💐

It could be a number of things causing this op. (I am not a doctor!)

It could be a form of migraine, Ménière’s disease, or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) or something neurological.

You really need to go to a doctor to see if you need to get referred for tests.

For certain conditions, you can get treated by a specialist physiotherapist who gives you the Epley manoeuvre

www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/home-epley-manouvre www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/home-epley-manouvre]]]]

Good luck! Hope you feel better soon!

I've had vertigo and it wasn't like what you describe. It made the room spin like when you are drunk. I could only lie in one position or I threw up.

Hope you get to the bottom of it.

Maybe PPPD

www.nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk/services/physiotherapy/vestibular-physiotherapy/persistent-postural-perceptual-dizziness-pppd-or-3pd/

The problem with looking at busy patterns that you mention is typical of PPPD.

I had it. My GP has never heard of it.

It is easy to cure. You need physio and SSRIs.

Thanks for sharing. Currently, I have the same. I feel it is because of my stiff and sore neck which is not sore anymore. Did iron, TSH tests which came out to be normal. How did you treat yours? how long did it take for you to get out of this horrible condition?

Hi *dizzydizzydizzy *

Just checking; are the SSRIs used to treat the symptoms or the he panic that arises out of the symptoms? I’ve never heard of them being used for vertigo! Just interested!

In PPPD, anxiety helps to perpetuate the illness so the treatment is 2-pronged - directly attack the symptoms with physio and calm you down with the SSRIs.

I don't think vertigo is an actual diagnosis, I think it is a symptom.

You should probably also check out BPPV. There is a link to it on the webpage I gave you up thread.

If I’m honest, my neck stiffness and sometimes pain has resulted in headaches and more recently vertigo symptoms, has been a chronic - comes and goes - problem for a couple of years. I don’t know if there’s a weakness somewhere in my spine that is causing it - I haven’t been to the doctor, or even visited a chiropractor.

I’m convinced the source is poor posture from too much screen time and also as a result of sleeping face down on multiple pillows .

I’ve try to do neck muscle exercises, take more breaks from the screen as well as try to sleep with a single pillow (I find that hard!). Things are improving , and can disappear for a few weeks and then return out of nowhere. My theory is once there’s a weakness somewhere, it’s hard to completely get rid of it easily.

I hope you’re on the improvement curve soon!

Thanks very much for this info dizzydizzydizzy!

Vitamin D can give you anxiety/panic attacks in high doses. I started taking high dose supplements for it recently and started off taking 2 per day but had to drop to 1 after a week because of the panic attacks. It sounds like you’re suffering from vertigo for some reason and perhaps the vitamin D is causing panic attacks around it. How much are you taking?

I had labyrinthitis years ago and my first symptom was a panic attack. I’d never had one in my life before. I had another less severe bout a year later and again, panic attacks were the first symptom.

Hi everyone. Thanks for your replies. I'm really not sure if it is an aniexty issue or something is wrong. I'm going to try and get an appointment today. I spent all day yesterday lying in bed and I felt much better when I got up. When evening time came back around I was stood in the kitchen thinking back to the day before when it started and I started having panic attack. I got into bed and was watching TV and it felt like when I would move my head it was lightheaded and heavy. I wouldn't describe it as the room was spinning I would describe it more and my head felt weird and heavy. I was really tired so Mt eyes kept closing but my head felt heavy so I started with an even more severe panic attack thinking I was dying and I would never wake up so It was awful and it went on for hours. I woke up this morning and my head feels better but I started having a panic attack this morning thinking i was going blind and concentrating so much on my vision that I think something is there. My eyes are a bit blurry but I need glasses and I don't wear them, when I wear my glasses my eye sight is fine, I've just recently had them checked and the opticians said my eyes are fine, the reason I am having the symptoms of blurry vision is because I am not wearing my glasses, and my right eye is weaker so my left eye is working harder hence causing problems. I've still not been wearing my glasses as much but I'm trying too, my prescription is only 0.50 so she says I don't need them all the time or I can if it is comfortable etc. I genuinely dont know now if it is aniexty causing all these issues. I am taking iron supplements each day which the doctor gave me plus vitabitoics vitamin d 1000 iu so I'm not sure if it's something to do with that but I've been taking them for about 4 weeks and been ok up until now.

If I move my head to fast or in a certain way it will be heavy head and like a lightheaded feeling not everything spinning.

Over the past month I've had dizzy spells if I make a sudden head movement particularly if I look up, I can fall down

I have acute anaemia and take large doses of Vit D which is prescribed by my consultant. I got up suddenly yesterday at hospital, got dizzy and slumped slowly to the floor, fortunately didn't hurt myself, I take a low dose of SSRI so i don't get the panic attacks.

OP sounds like anaemia is causing some of your symptoms of vertigo/panic feelings and aybe get inner ear checked out.

Also I have high blood pressure which is medicated but my dose was recently reduced which may have contributed to me being dizzy and falling down like a sack of potatoes so get your BP checked out too.

Thanks everyone. I have managed to get a doctors appointment this evening. My aniexty is just really bad though with all this but ill also mention the panic attacks to the doctor too. I just want to lie down in bed which helps but with a crawling 10 month old who is wanting to go everywhere and 2 older children to pick up from school it's just not possible 😒 hopefully it's nothing and will get sorted

Please check out vestibular migraines, I have had them 20 years and they went undiagnosed for 10 of those, it was torture. They are painfully under diagnosed and so many people suffer with them. Mine started almost identically to yours, but they are manageable once diagnosed. They can be triggered by big hormonal shifts like pregnancy and postpartum, my worst flares have always been in the 6-12 months after having my children. The Reddit community for vestibular migraine is a big help and worth reading if you think your symptoms fit. All the best of luck to you, I know how scary and debilitating these types of symptoms can be. X

I’m just going to leave this here in case I’m helps anyone else:

What are the symptoms of Vestibular Migraine?
There are several symptoms that can accompany a vestibular migraine, during an episode you can experience any of the following symptoms:

• Room spinning/vertigo
• Imbalance
• Nausea/vomiting
• Floaty/fuzzy/dizziness
• Sweating/panic
• Sensitivity to light/noise/motion
• Tinnitus, hearing loss and fullness in the ear
• Headache/pressure feeling in your head
• Visual changes/aura
• Tiredness
• Pins and needles/numbness in the face

The symptoms can build over the course of a few hours and often leave you feeling tired and drained

Edited to add: these symptoms can last from hours to months at a time. If you struggle to break the “migraine” cycle they really can persist for a ridiculous amount of time.

Thank you for the replies. I went to the doctor yesterday and it was pretty useless. He kept saying he wasn't sure what was wrong, that it wouldn't be the anemia causing it because I've been on medication for a month so it would be under control now, and that low vitamin d doesn't cause symptoms like this. The only thing he says is that I have mild symptoms of labrynithitis and if my symptoms continue then to come back in a weeks time. I feel a bit disappointed to he honest!

Forgot to add I might actually go back and see a different doctor next week for a second opinion. I am feeling a bit better today but this is the second episode I've had off this. Last month I had the same feelings alot with car sickness which I've never had. When it happened last month it seemed to last for 4 to 5 days too and then started getting better.

This time my symptoms started on Wednesday and now its day 4 and I'm starting to feel better and it isn't as bad as it was a couple of days ago, so I'm not sure what it is or what is going on but I might go back for a second opinion.

I also mentioned that I or lightheaded when I stood up but he says my blood pressure is fine when sitting up and then standing up. I still donr really have any answers.

hi
I had similar symptoms a couple of years ago , they too initially suggested labrynithitis but when it didn’t go away I ended up being diagnosed with vestibular migraines . I agree with the comments above the other options could be
be a form of migraine which I have , Ménière’s disease, or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) or something else neurological. Because any symptoms like this are so alien I totally understand about you panicking but try not to freak out , just keep an eye on things . It could go away on its own but keep track of your symptoms and push for a referral if needed as GPs aren’t well versed on these issues .

Anyone else had this horrible head cold and episodes of vertigo?
It’s come at the worst time possible. I am moving house on Saturday and trying to pack, also declutter because I am downsizing. My ear on the right side feels blocked and very uncomfortable. For two nights in a row I woke up in the early hours with everything spinning, it was utterly terrifying because at first I didn’t know what it was.

I had something similar 18 months ago which seemed to start after a nasty bout of covid. Ran all sorts of tests and nothing conclusive. I also got triggered by bright patterns/ moving screens (e.g. scrolling too quickly on the PC) and bright lights refracting on my glasses.
It was accompanied by neck and should pain and I don't know what was cause and effect. Definitely being on my phone for any length of time caused 'tech neck' and made it worse!

Mine seemed to resolve after changing my glasses and upping my HRT, so don't rule out the impact of fluctuating hormones! Good luck x

@Zaynab2945 hi how are you now did anything help

I had something similar which started in 2004 after my first baby in my early 20’s. Got much worse after 4 more babies in my 30’s.
I was diagnosed with vestibular migraines by Dr Surenthiran who specialises in dizziness. Tried a few meds and did have some improvements but what really made a difference was starting HRT when I turned 40. My dizziness went from everyday to around once every few months.