I’m having dizzy moments - can anyone help me to understand why?

[Mustardfan]

I had my first ‘dizzy’ moment about 20 years ago, it lasted 1/2 second. It’s hard to describe, but it was a bit like the feeling in your stomach of when you drive over a hill, only in my head, and lasting for a micro second. I may have had about 3 moments like that over the course of a year, 20 years ago. I can’t remember when I started having more. For the last month or so I’ve been having around 30-50 a day, and they last longer, and kind of run into each other. I don’t generally feel unbalanced when they happen. I am often sitting still, not moving at all, I could be reading. Or I could be walking around. It also now happens when I’m lying down in bed about to go to sleep.

I was diagnosed last year with mild bronchiectasis, I don’t think the dizziness is related to this. When my chest was bad last year before I was diagnosed, I wasn’t having dizzy spells. My lung function is fine and my sats are 99. I’m on HRT patches (everol conti). I don’t think it’s menopause related. I’m in my mid fifties.

I had an ECG last week, all fine except I have a low heart rate, the ECG recorded it as 50, this is normal for me, though I wonder why?

I had blood tests for thyroid, vitamin D, ferritin, electrolytes. All ok.

Has anyone got any suggestions what it could be? I‘m wondering if it could be heart related. I’m fairly fit, I go to the gym most days for a light workout. I went on a walking holiday earlier this year, and was able to do a 3 hour mountainous walk, though I am very breathless doing this. I am breathless walking up a flight of stairs. I weigh 62kg, I’m not overweight. My appetite is normal. I sleep for about 7 hours most nights. I often feel sleepy after lunch and sometimes nap if I’m not at work, or will fall asleep in the car if it’s a long journey.

Thanks in advance for anyone’s thoughts.

I can't help I'm afraid, but I'm going to the surgery for blood tests tomorrow for the same thing !
I had a bad bout of gastroenterisis 4 weeks ago and still don't feel well. Now I have a cold and am coughing until I'm sick..... SO fed up.

Did they check b12? Levels the low end of normal can be enough to do this, as can low folate.
What is your ferritin level? Plenty of women can get symptoms of low ferritin if under 50.

Low blood pressure? That's when I get my dizzy spells (ditto low resting heart rate, excellent cardiovascular health etc). BP best measured at home a couple of times a day maximum when relaxed.

Upping the hydration helps a bit.

My GP didn’t check my B12 levels or folate levels. I’ll discuss those with him. I would have thought that I’d feel tireder if it was either of those.

I submitted twice daily blood pressure readings for a week, they were generally ok: 130/78 or 140/78. It was never low. The first readings I take are generally higher, but then they come down if I do it three times. But thanks for the suggestion.

I could have written this post - I’m about the same age, on the same Evorel Conti patches with more or less the same symptoms. It started last December after a particularly bad bout of laryngitis/ upper respiratory infection that went round like wildfire. My ears were literally bubbling inside at the time. Sinuses killing, voice lost etc… Ears been checked by GP x 2 and are apparently fine. My BP is always low but they don’t seem too concerned about that, and dehydration has been mentioned. I do feel a lot more dehydrated than pre menopause, but now I have been referred to the falls clinic. We’ll see what the time of that is. I sometimes felt worse when I simply moved my eyeballs around. Like I was seasick. It’s definitely got better in the last month. One GP said it may have been covid that I had originally but I’ll never know as I didn’t test. Following with interest.

Heart rate of 50bpm could cause this, I thought? I’m not a Dr though! What did the Dr say about that?

BPPV?

Very common.

It could be hypoglycaemia - low blood sugar.
I’ve had these ‘moments’ since I was about 14, the GP called it reactionary hypoglycaemia - not diabetes.

for the past few weeks they’ve increased a lot, and dizziness is an added free bonus. I recently stopped my HRT, so I think my system is in turmoil, but the ‘moments’ are definitely my hypos.

Have you been referred to the falls clinic due to low blood pressure? Have you had a fall? I’d be interested to hear what they do for you at the falls clinic.

Definitely look up BPPV

Did your GP do any tests to diagnose it at hypoglycaemia? I suppose one of those two week monitors that you wear in your arm could help? Though I think I read that they don’t give the whole picture - as what is happening in your tissues may be different to what is happening in your blood? I think I have more dizzy moments about an hour to two hours after eating (though I still have them at other times too).

Did your GP suggest a treatment for the hypos?

As above
positional vertigo

Might it be something simple, for instance that you are dehydrated? I hope you get some answers.

Ive been having them more and more, I'm 44 and not on hrt at all. I have high blood pressure and pots, I take ramipril. But this feels different from Ramipril, almost like I'm on a theme park ride or similar. I'd put it down to age and maybe inner ear stuff. But 30+ a day I'd be demanding answers!

Ps RHR is 56, but I put that down to blood pressure meds.

Do you have your actual lab values for thyroid, ferritin, Vit D, OP as what doctors call 'normal' can be anything but?

Hah! Nooo, I’m ancient, this was in the 70s. I was just told to eat little and often and to be aware. Just offering it as an option for you to look into.

That feeling you describe as going over a hill is what my epilepsy feels like. I can get several one after the other or just a random one now and again x

I had dizzy spells caused by a brain tumour but it felt like I was bobbing about in a small boat on slightly choppy water.

Thanks for the suggestion, I’ve looked it up, it says that it’s triggered by head movements. I’m often completely still when I get a dizzy moment - sitting, standing or lying still, so I don’t think it can be that.

Do you still get dizzy moments, or did they stop?

Sounds like vertigo - probably BBPV possibly linked to upper respiratory infection. Have a look at the Menieres society.

I have had labyrinthitis and now suffer from bouts BBPV and I think now Menieres. The bouts are usually linked to a virus.

it’s a strange sensation like a weired flash of disorientation. Some times I get a piercing ringing in my ear or a feeling of fullness in the ear.

look up BBPV and the epley manouvere

Do you have migraines, OP? I used to get vertigo bad enough to make me vomit before the onset of a migraine attack. Now I sometimes get the vertigo instead - I will wake up feeling all right, turn over in bed and be overcome with dizziness so bad that I can't move at all for a few hours. It gradually subsides, along with the nausea, and after that I'm right as rain.

No they come and go but have very recently ramped up again, poss due to stopping HRT. I’m self-monitoring myself at the moment with a food diary (because my GP surgery is beyond crap).

I’m working really hard on drinking a lot of water throughout the day, so I don’t think dehydration can be the whole story, however I think the dizzy spells might be worse when I’ve drunk lightless water. Makes me wonder if I’m somehow not able to keep myself hydrated properly despite drinking a lot?