Anyone want to have a stab at guessing what’s wrong with me?

[JBJ]

To preface - I am under doctors/consultants and waiting on an MRI scan on my head.

I’ve had reflux for about 2 years.

Dizziness/lightheadedness on and off for 14 months.

Diagnosed with gallstones 2 months ago and waiting on gallbladder removal.

Given Lansoprazole for reflux about 6 months ago. Not really doing much tbh. Gallbladder surgeon thinks reflux may be linked to my gallbladder and might sort itself out after my op.

Dizziness has been treated as ear/sinus infections (6 courses of antibiotics in a year!), vestibular migraines (took meds for a couple of months) and nothing has helped. It’s not all the time (well, not until recently), and is often accompanied by a feeling of pressure in my head. Can be bad for a few days, then disappear for weeks, then back again. Totally random usually. Referred to ENT, had bloods/EGC - all fine - and waiting on an MRI date (as of a couple of weeks ago).

The last few weeks, the dizzy feeling has got gradually more frequent, just feel a bit spaced out all the time. Have twice felt like I was going to pass out completely and have put myself on the floor before I fell down.

Reflux feeling is also worse. Constant burping and acid, chest pain, fluttery feeling in my chest and a feeling of pressure constantly. Almost feels like palpitations, but HR is normal.

Heart rate is fine according to my watch. BP is ok (I’ve got one of the home monitors), oxygen sats seem normal. On paper, I’m fine, but in reality, I feel like I’m going to keel over any minute. Not driven for a couple of weeks and scared to walk the dog on my own. Constant feeling of pressure in my head and chest and just don’t feel like I can function! I’m already challenged in the mobility area, so not being able to drive is ruining my life.

Gallbladder has been on and off. Couple of weeks without attacks, then 3 in a weekend. No particular triggers and I’m eating very low fat etc.

Could all of this be linked to my gallbladder? My liver results were “abnormal but expected” due to gallstones, but could high liver readings be contributing to my dizzy feeling? Or is that likely to be something entirely separate? Docs only ever listen to one symptom per appointment, so feel like I’m going round in circles a bit.

Any suggestions whilst I sit patiently waiting for appointment dates would be much appreciated 😀

Could the dizzy spells be related to neck tension? My Mum had gallstones and the pain created a lot of tension

You could be onto something there. Although only diagnosed a couple of months ago, the gallstones have probably been forming for a long time so could’ve been causing issues before I knew they existed.

Are you on HRT? I increased my dose recently and had a lot of those symptoms.
as an aside, once my gallbladder was removed my reflux has almost completely disappeared

Could the reflux be due to an allergy? My husband always suffers after white bread.

No HRT yet, no. That’s another appointment I’m waiting for, as hesitant due to a very strong female cancer link in my family.

Have you thought about seeing a masseuse to release neck tension?

I have no idea. I am eating probably more bread lately as it’s one of the “safe foods” that doesn’t trigger my gallbladder attacks. I have considered having allergy testing done privately in the past, as had issues with IBS for most of my life and curious if there’s anything in particular I’m sensitive to.

Watching with interest as I have also been suffering from random dizziness and headaches for the last couple of months. ENT and blood/ECT all fine, am booked in for an MRI on Friday.

Take care with HRT if you have gallstones. There is a link when fenale hormones and attacks.

I’ve only done a first aid course but I would say gallstones and reflux are related.

For the dizziness, has your blood pressure been monitored? Have you had a tilt test?

Good luck! It’s so frustrating isn’t it?

Dizziness is caused by Lansoperazole. I had this went from 30mg to 15mg then nothing. Dizziness has gone. Sort your diet out to stop the reflux, there is no other proper cure and reduce portion sizes

Yeah, I had a tilt test done at my ENT appointment the other week. All absolutely fine. Blood pressure had been done by many doctors, and I also check it at home and it’s always within acceptable range.

I have awful silent reflux and it makes me dizzy regularly. The doctors don’t quite believe it but when I get terrible indigestion, as I do, I get dizzy as part of that. I’ve read some studies which show that the refluxed acid can reach your sinuses and cause post nasal drip, which I also suffer with, and since all those structures are connected, I can’t see any reason why it couldn’t also reach the ears and affect balance and cause dizziness. I’ve had my gallbladder out too, and it still persists.

One other thought - have you had your blood tested recently for folate, ferritin and haemoglobin levels? I was very ill recently when mine all fell dramatically and I was clinically anaemic, with v low haemoglobin. Dizziness and faintness were key symptoms. All other causes have been ruled out so it’s been put down to taking omeprazole for 15 years. I’m now on Famotidine instead, but that can cause the same issue after a few months so I’m being monitored regularly. Could it be that your medication has caused your iron levels to fall?

@JBJ Thank you, and yes! I'm used to being very fit and active and I'm so fed up with it. Sending you all best wishes and sympathy; having your other symptoms on top of the dizziness must be very difficult.

The dizziness started way before the Lansoprazole though. I’ve actually stopped taking them this week as they weren’t really doing much and I’ve read they can cause slow mobility of the gallbladder, which I figure can make attacks worse.

Ok that’s interesting as I get a drippy nose quite regularly too. Makes sense actually. Yeah, I’ve had everything tested blood wise and they are all fine, other than my liver, which is due to my gallbladder apparently. And my white blood cell count is high, but that’s been ongoing for several years.

Have you been tested for Helicobacter pylori? I was also wondering about perimenopause as I get dizzy. Also considered blood pressure issues? Good luck

Not been tested for that, no. I’ll mention it to my doctor. I’m definitely perimenopausal so could’ve he to do with that. Blood pressure is absolutely fine, I check it at home regularly.

Reflux is a bastard. I have a lot of the symptoms you do, not the gall bladder stuff but Ive read that once its removed your reflux may improve

Im peri and I think the dizziness has come on a lot within that. But I also have slight reflux, dont have high blood pressure, suspected eustachion tube dysfunction, been waiting over a year to see someone at ENT, Im on high levels of steroid spray for chronic rhinitis, nothing will fix that its about managing the symptoms

But reflux can replicate asthma symptoms, reflux can also be affected by sinus problems, they can be cyclical where they interplay and you dont really know what causes what, its more about managing symptoms.

I found for dizziness beta histine was better than cinnerazerine.

Dont come at me about the spelling by the way!!

You might have several, unrelated things going on.

Have you been tested for h-pylori? I get indigestion/acid reflux and it came back positive. I was treated with the triple course (omeprazole and I think 2 types of antibiotic). My symptoms didn't resolve, but my GP said they don't check to see if its cleared! Others have had relief from being treated though.

I was diagnosed with vestibular migraines last year. I only had 2 episodes, about a month apart. I'd wake with it and couldn't walk without holding the walls in the house, was nauseous and sick and strangely would see things from the corner of my eye and think they were moving- like a shoe on the ground. I'd had a crown replaced 6 weeks earlier, but it had been put on slightly wonky. As soon as it was replaced the correct way- I've never had an issue since. Did you have any dental work before the migraines started?

Sorry you’re going through it as well. That all makes sense. Never heard about reflux/sinuses/dizziness etc all being connected, but I’m googling stuff as people are suggesting it, and it does look like it could all be linked. Got everything crossed that the eviction of this damned gallbladder at least helps with the reflux, which, in turn, might help with everything else! I was also prescribed a steroid nasal spray earlier in the year, but can’t say it helped a lot tbh.

I have gallstones but mine are the livable kind for now. One of the things I found was a lot of low fat foods were dry. My gallbladder grumbles if I eat things like crackers or foods that are dry. So maybe look at ur food again. Just because it is low fat doesn’t make it safe. And yes my gallbladder causes lots of different issue just in not a huge amount of pain way. Do u write ur food down? I write everything down that I eat.

The problem is it might be linked or it might not but because different specialisms in the NHS all work in silos theres no holistic overviedw of how they might interplay or not

So right now Im waiting for the ENT appointment, a rhuematology appointment for numb hands/feet and also a spine specialist for the numbe feet (I think, its been 18 months a not a word).

Ive other health conditions too wnhich again may or may not interplay with these things

Yes I track everything I eat on the Nutracheck app. I seem to be ok with chicken, white fish, bread, potatoes, pasta, fruit and veg, so eating combinations of those most of the time! Dairy definitely triggers me and risked a bit of lamb over Christmas, which set off several hours of agony. I’m back on the boring stuff now!

Yes, this is my issue. Nobody looks at the big picture, just different appointments for different things. It’s very frustrating!