Now what? Dizzy, nauseous, hungry?!

[WhatNOWfffs]

So about a week ago I woke up randomly with vertigo. Along with the room spinning if I rolled over / got up too fast, I also felt a little off balance / light headed even if sitting and not moving at times, and a bit nauseous off and on. A mild headache. To be expected, right?!

the vertigo went after a few days which was a relief but I’ve been left with the light headed / dizzy feeling, headache and nausea off and on. I am also so bloody hungry. And if I don’t eat, I am shaking, dizzy, just feel awful.

I eat pretty well, egg on toast for breakfast, leftovers or something like tuna pasta for lunch, a decent dinner like bolognese, chicken fajitas, a roast, plenty of veg etc.

I don’t tend to snack much, I get hungry during lunch and dinner and will have a glass of milk or maybe an apple with cheese or a banana to keep me going.

but since this has started I feel like all I do is eat. I’m too scared not to because I feel so ill if I don’t!

I drink lots of water, no alcohol, don’t smoke. I’m not overweight, BMI is about 23.5/24 so I’m in the healthy range.

is this just a weird virus? I don’t think it’s doctor worthy. I’m 38, not pregnant.

had bloods done about 6 months ago, all good, ferritin was about 65 I think, everything else was completely normal. Hba1c was about 30 I think so not even pre diabetic.

it’s starting to make me anxious about doing anything now and not being near food! And I’m struggling with that because I don’t really know what to eat when I’m hungry! I had some toast with peanut butter at 8:30 last night. I didn’t fancy it at all but my stomach was rumbling and I felt sick and I was worried how I’d wake up if I didn’t (I ignored the hunger the night before and spent basically all of yesterday morning with the shakes and feeling dizzy and sick even after I’d had egg on toast and some fruit juice).

I think it’s making me anxious now because I’m really struggling with jaw ache, presumably from clenching which I’m sure is making it worse. I just want it to go away!

It doesn't sound serious. Not sure what you want?

You're not going to get a reliable diagnosis on here. Just make a doctor's appointment.

I had that virus. It took about three to four weeks to settle down after the vertigo went and I had to be ruthless in not overeating. You have to cut your meal calories down and go for five equal meals a day so there is less time for your blood sugars to drop dramatically. I had a couple of weetabix at 9pm to get me through the night, but eventually it settles down and you go back to how you were.

Hi..I posted a question yesterday with similar symptoms wondering if this was a virus. Kind of hoping it is as it's horrible and making me anxious no knowing the cause. Hope you feel better soon.

Thank you… what a weird virus! It needs to bugger off that’s for sure.

I had this too, it took over 6 weeks to get better. The dizziness and things lasted about a week for me and then one day I magically felt better.
I've found that if I don't drink enough water one day some of the symptoms come back until I do. It's such a weird virus!

Gosh I thought 3/4 weeks was bad enough, let alone 6!

I have a headache today and feel really tired but the dizziness isn’t as bad as it was. Still bloody starving though. I’ve already eaten 3 meals today.

I'd forgotten about that part - dehydration is another side effect and dehydration can mask as hunger. Try upping your fluids.

I think I've got the same (or similar) bug, minus the vertigo. I've had awful on/off nausea all week, worse in mornings, then I'm really hungry when not nauseas. Also got earache, and my dry eyes flared up.
It's also affecting me mentally, whereas I feel over-whelmed with my work and a bit depressed/anxious and unsure of myself. Horrible bug - hope it shifts for us soon!

Have you all got / had headaches too?

Sounds like Labyrinthitis. I had it years ago and it was vile. Felt dizzy, so, so sick, headache and the only thing that made me feel even remotely better was laying on the couch eating vast amounts of food. I ate plates and plates of pasta and rice, because if I didn’t, I felt so god awful - nauseous and shaky. Sorry to say, it lasted 4 weeks which was a nightmare because I couldn’t drive or go to work. In the end, in desperation I went for acupuncture (after Dr couldn’t help) and it did go away (no idea whether it actually helped or I just got rid of the virus in the end) and I have never had it again since. Also randomly didn’t gain any weight (despite basically just laying on the couch and eating constantly for a month) Hope yours buggers off soon op xx

I’m not sure it’s that as the vertigo has gone, my head has been hurting for four days now and paracetamol didn’t touch it yesterday. Not sure if it’s a migraine (I do get them but I don’t get the debilitating pain my friends get, I can still function with it) but I haven’t had an aura so not 100% sure.

I thought it was BPPV at first.

Not saying we yours is the same but I woke up with the room spinning for the first time ever earlier in the week, very scary. I’ve had a cold symptoms too but over all felt ok with that part. I’m still feeling very dizzy on and off (more on) how are you now?

Reading back this winter many of us are suffering viruses that are lasting weeks. It's horrid.

I get that when I get migraine. Dizziness and wobbly feeling lasts a couple of days and then I get the headache. Not as piercing as I used to get but more a full heavy headache. That usually lasts a few days so all in all it's about a week before I feel better.

My head is still bad. It feels like sinuses, all across my forehead, down my nose, my upper teeth, top of my head. Worse when changing positions, even standing up. I was in bed at 9:30 last night, paracetamol didn’t touch it and I just couldn’t sit there in pain any longer.

the dizziness is very intermittent now, and minor. Nausea and hunger has gone and did about a week ago I guess.

I have a medical procedure next week so can’t take anything other than paracetamol for it and as I say, it’s not doing a lot.

zero congestion, no mucous but my entire head is constantly hurting.

Like I said 9 days ago, make a doctor's appointment. And speak to who ever's doing the medical procedure you mention, it may be relevant.

ive been through this before, all they did was tell me to take more painkillers. Eventually gave me antibiotics which didn’t work because it wasn’t a bacterial infection. Finally tried a steroid spray which worked in the end, but I can’t take that at the moment due to the medical procedure (which has nothing to do with what I’m experiencing).

that said, I will arrange to go to the doctors after the medical procedure to get a stronger steroid than the OTC one I have.

I've had something similar for nearly a fortnight. The symptoms come and go, sometimes my teeth really hurt, or my ears, or jaw or sinuses. I intermittently feel dizzy, headache, nauseous. I've felt hungrier than usual. And it's hard to sleep which makes it all worse. As you say, paracetamol doesn't really touch it.

So you've had it before? You've been disagnosed at the doctor's as you know it's not bacterial, but viral, and received treatment which helped but in the weeks since it's recurred you haven't been back? I'm confused but never mind. Hope you feel better.

Get a neti pot.

@AgnesVv sorry to hear you’re suffering too. Must be a virus if there’s a few of us!

as you say yes intermittent. I am ok if I don’t wear my glasses, wandering around during the day i’m distracted. But at night all I want to do is go to bed because my head is pounding and my entire face aches.

@KrankyKumquat back in 2019 I had something similar, it started with a headache out of nowhere and lasted 6 weeks until steroid nasal spray finally helped. But I never got given a diagnosis and only ended up with the spray because I was crying as I’d had enough of being in constant pain, constantly light headed and feeling sick, lost weight etc.

just because I had something similar 6 years ago doesn’t mean it’s the same thing now, it just feels similar and I know all they’ll do is tell me to take more pain killers.

@WhatNOWfffs Yes! Same here. I can't wait to get into bed. Although then I don't sleep very well despite being so tired. I agree it isn't doctor-worthy (well mine isn't anyway). I hope you are towards the end of it now.

In terms of a steroid spray, I am prescribed one from the doc for long term sinus problems, but I find Pirinase from the pharmacy is pretty good too (don't know if that is the one you currently have).

Ask for a thyroid check. Sounds like possibly hyperthyroidism.