Dizziness

[kittenwitten]

Im not sure where to start as I don't remember a begining, this seems to be a problem I have had for a long time that I didn't persue an answer for.
Basically I have been getting very light headed in certain situations and for years I just asumed it was nothing. The worst times seem to be in supermarkets and after being sick in Marks and Spencers as a child a neighbour mentioned it could be a bad reaction to flourescent lighting but I never got it checked out. I have always felt uncomfortable under this lighting and feel like im going to faint and need to sit down, sometimes like im in virtual reality and not quite real but never like room is spinning and I have never lost conciousness. I didnt tell anyone for years but have now read about people in similar situations and realise its not just me.

Now I am 24 and my boyfriend and I are wanting to move to Canada in the next few years so this is why everything has come to the surface now and I feel it finally has to be addressed.
It is at the point now where I can go into shops if I have to but I dont enjoy it so I have started buying grocerys online. I am so concious of it now I am wound up before I even go in a shop.

I went to an aerobics class a couple of weeks ago where it was just a small cozy class in my village. The room had flourescent lights and I felt like I could pass out at any minute through the whole hour I was there. I couldnt seem to keep up with any of the basic dance routines and I was positively clumsy with zero coordination. I was a dancer for 12 years up until the age of 15 so there is no way I should have gotten so clumsy, my friend kept up and she has 2 left feet!

After the class I made a doctors appointment, something I aviod doing as I hate doctors I am hugely squeemish and dont believe much in medicine. My appointment was for 5.40pm (after work) and I didnt get in to see the doctor until 6pm (appartently they normally close at 5.50pm). I offered to come back another day but she said I might as well stay since I had wated but they would be closing soon. I explaind the best I could and she rushed me through talking over me and speaking quickly. I burst into tears which is out of character for me and she gave me a printout of panic attacks and told me to have a blood test for anaemia. I came out dissolusioned and vowed to get a second oppinion. I realise that I have been experiencing mild panic but only lightheadedness and more rapid heartbeat occasionally and sometimes a churning tummy but not to the point whjere I feel I cant brerathe or cheast pains etc. I CAN go in a shop but it is uncomfortable for me and an ordeal rather than a pleasure.

I made an appointment for an eye test which I have on Saturday to see if flourescent lighting is the problem. I made an appointmant with another doctor which I had yesterday and a blood test and I felt worse...
I burst into tears again and she started talking about mental health and panic attacks (I feel any panic I have is a knock on effect of something else). I mentioned Meniers and she did a test and said I didnt have that. I mentioned epilepsy becouse of the lights and she said it couldnt be that as ive never had a seisure. She tried to prescribe me ANTI DEPRESANTS!!! Although she said im not depressed they would help me cope with the panic. She said to have a blood test for Thiroid problems but AFTER offering me the pills which I think is obsurd surely they are a last resort! If I had lost someone and was suicidal it would be an option but they are a temporary crutch until you can deal with the situation but you still need to deal with it. I am ready to deal with it NOW there is no need to wait!!!

I went to the blood test with a lovely nurse who talked to me for ages and helped me more than the doctors. She said I am doing the right thing persuing different causes, eyes tests etc and she said I may benefit from councelling. She thinks my subconcious is holding tight onto something that is causing these symptoms. She said perhaps as a child I was lost in a supermarket. But I dont think the

[davebrum]

hi gemma and welcome to nmp
im sorry to hear you are having a hard time. alot of the symptoms you talk about are classic anxiety symptoms. dont be affraid of the words mental health its just an illness like any other. i to would not take anti depresents for years but it was explained to me by a specialist that i needed to produce more serotonin the chemical taht keeps us happy basically. now im taking meds my life has changed as it has for many people on this site. the first step is to admit to yourself that there is something wrong , which you have done. if your gp thinks meds may be of some help why not give them a try. it could be your second step to recovery what do you have to lose? and you dont have to stay on them forever just until you feel you can better cope on your own terms.
well i wont go on any more. you have joined a great site where you will get all the help and support you need.
xx david

[seh1980]

hello Gemma,

Welcome to the site!! Everyone here is very friendly and I'm sure you will receive loads of support!!
As Dave says, all your symptoms seem to be those of panic/anxiety. You are doing the right thing by going to see different doctors and having all the tests done. I did the same thing about a year ago.
Don't be afraid of the term 'anti-deppresents'. They are not only for people with depression but also for people with anxiety. I am on some and they have helped me loads. Don't rule them out.
Let us know how things go, ok?

Sarah

[Meg]

Hi Gemma,

Much of what you post is a fairly common problem.

Artificial ighting can for many be a common trigger for anxiety and panic . Our eyes are very good at changing between light sources but particularly flourescent lights are harder on the eyes and you ' accomodation ' reaction may not be instant.

Have you come across the anti IV drug blue lights now being installed in many facilities - now there is an unreal experience.

It wil be interesting to get the the eye test persons perspective. I'm sure they might be able to tell you more about this and how your eyes are reacting.

Meanwhile you have set yourself up for instant anxiety as soon as you feel these lights.

A few facts on the SSRI antidepressants. They were discovered initially to have an effect on depression and that is their first indication on the licence- but over time and many clinical trials later some were also found to have a direct benefit on anxiety and panic and thus are now licensed to treat this in their own right.

If you can honestly say that the lighting situation is your only issue then I don't think they will help you as you are far too well.

*I realise that I have been experiencing mild panic but only lightheadedness and more rapid heartbeat occasionally and sometimes a churning tummy but not to the point whjere I feel I cant brerathe or cheast pains etc.*

Try these
Thoughts : Lets try to keep our thoughts in perspective
First Steps : First Steps to overcoming Panic and Anxiety

The doc was right to check thyroid and bloods but from your history its unlikely to be this.

I don't think its a childhood thing - I expect its a chronic home grown fear thats been escalating.


Things to try - wearing sunglasses in the shop . Just try it once - you don't have to skulk round corners though - just see whether it helps and takes the edge off with shops or at work .

Going to one of these shops and going straight to the coffee shop and sitting down for a cuppa and again assess whether if you are still and not working your eyes very hard whether its any better.

You are not losing your marbles at all. Enjoy your DVD . Congratulations to your school if they taught meditation.














Meg
www.overcominganxiety.co.uk

You cannot conquer fear until you have learned what it is you're afraid of. The enemy is ignorance. Vivian Vance

[nomorepanic]

Hi Kitten

Welcome to the site.

I was nodding reading your post as I could understand a lot of it and know how you felt.

When I was told that I had to go on anti-depressants I was a bit wary and didn't think they were for me. They did help the depression but not the panics but yes you do have to fix the underlying problems as well. I came off them 6 years ago.

I am wondering if it isn't the lights as such but you just associate places that make you panicky with places that have those lights in?

Meg said "Have you come across the anti IV drug blue lights now being installed in many facilities - now there is an unreal experience".

I posted about this before so you may like to read it ....

Blue lights in loos!!

They freaked me out!

I hope we can offer you some support and help here and get you back on track.

Nicola

[Merlinssister]

Hey Gemma,

Dizziness is my freak out symptom. It's especially bad in shops, particularly supermarkets, so know how you feel. And it is a physical illness in the sense it's your body trying to cope with overload, or at least that's how I think of it. You're not losing your marbles!

I don't take any meds, as such. My body doesn't seem to like SSRIs, and tricyclics make me drowsy, so I use homeopathic remedies and aromatherapy. I'm rarely without a tissue with some geranium and lavender. If I start feeling dizzy I stop and have a good sniff. It has the added advantage of being discreet, as it just looks like I'm gently wiping my nose.

Saying all of that, anti-ds have been really useful to me in the past, and I have a couple of friends using them at the moment who have got through some tough times with their help. It's a personal thing, and no different to taking something to help another part of your body. Use them if you want to, if not there's lots of other things you can try. Talking therapies may also be useful to look at your behaviour, or to see what triggered off the stress that's wacked up the anxiety levels.

Anyway, best of luck.

MS