Constant Feeling of being off-balance/fear of dizziness *please read!*

[Mr X]

For years now I have had this constant fear of going dizzy since a vertigo attack came out of the blue when I was about 16 (I'm 22 now) it's ruining my life! I constantly fear going dizzy and always feel as if I am dizzy, maybe it's because of the fear I am bringing it on myself?

Right now I'm going through a bad stage, I've been on Sertraline 50 mg for 2 months but now I have to come off it because I feel worse than ever, I've been told to take one every other day for a week then stop, does that sound about right?

The best drug for me has been Propranolol but still doesn't get rid of it all, I also sometimes wake up witht he room spinning which makes me throw up, then the dizziness from that can last from 30 mins to a few days (although that is rare)

I also get these sort of jolts if you like, when I get a massive serge of adrenaline and the room kinda feels like it spins for a second.

I've been to my GP, Neurologist and my ENT and all say I have nothing medicaly wrong with me and I am bringing it on myself, as alot of you will understand I'm convinced I have something wrong with me that they haven't found yet, I have had a CT scan and awaiting and MRI scan, if nothing is found in that I don't know what to do!

Is there anyone out there who suffers from anything similer or has any advice atall? please I'm at a loss now, I've given up hope with finding a 'cure'

Thanks for reading.

EDIT: I should add that I have constant headaches/migraines, I think that's why the Propranolol worked so well.

[olly&jack]

i too had vertigo very recently and it was such an awful experience and i was in bed for well over a week!

I suffered attacks of dizziness and feeling faint before I had vertigo, but since having had the vertigo these feelings have subsided. I think as much as it was an awful condition to have, since having it I know that there was a reason for it and that was so reassuring for once and now when I feel dizzy I always think, if I can live through vertigo I can live through my anxiety dizziness! You can have vertigo more than once some people are frequent sufferers, so it may be that this needs to be looked into?

[gypsywomen]

good morning ,,well like you scared of dizzy feeling it also makes me feel sick ,,i suffer from anxiety, propanadol dosent stop feeling dizzy,,so last week went to docters she gav me a new tab they are the best i have ever had ,,there called BUCCASTEN 3MG and they do stop dizzy feeling and sick feeling.also noticed anxiety seems not as bad i recomend you try them they do work believe me margaret

[becky000]

I'm sure there are many medication that can help this condition but I think the main thing is that you need reassurance that there is nothing seriously wrong with you and that this is just anxiety and will go in time.

I can only tell you of my own experience and hope that we can all learn from each other.

There's been a number of posts recently about this condition and I have posted about it myself too. I have been feeling dizzy and off balance for the past 10 days. I have been to the doctor and had many tests and thankfully they've found nothing wrong with me and reassured me that this is due to stress and anxiety. (that, of course, didn't stop me from doubting them!)

Someone on here suggested the word "hangover" because I also felt vaguely ill along with the dizziness and nausea.
So I've chosen to believe that it's a hangover caused by too much adrenaline being released into my body after months of anxiety and panic. This may not be completely right since I'm not a doctor and don't know much about these things.

What I do know is that I've had it several times before in the past and each time it has eventually disappeared.

I've also noticed during this episode that when I took a day off work and did something relaxing that the dizziness left me. It only returned when I became even slightly anxious again.

I decided yesterday to fight back and started exercising early in the morning followed by throwing myself into my work completely for a full day. It was still there but I took my mind off it with more important things. By last night it was much better and this morning it hasn't reappeared.

What I've proved to myself is that it can't actually hurt me and that I can still function normally even with it. It's just uncomfortable and worrying. I think the most important thing here is to get one's mind right about the condition. All that's needed is an explanation and some reassurance that it won't kill you and that you can live with it and that it will eventually leave you. And if you can take a medication that helps by all means take it.

I hope this helps you.

[BasilCat]

Hi Mr X, Just to let you know you are not alone and I fear dizziness too and have woken in a morning very very dizzy, not with the room spinning though, more like something inside my head spinning! Absolutely dreadful. I was told by my doctor that is was positional vertigo. It lasted about 30 seconds but it felt like 30 years to me. I was terrified. I have also had a lot of problems with anxiety over the years and I would say 3 of my worst symtoms have been lack of balance/dizziness and unreality. I know how you feel though and must admit that I am terrified of dizziness too. I seem to have about one bad episode of it a year and not always in bed, sometimes down town for example! Also, I can feel dizzy/like my balance is going, or that I am "moving" just when I am going to sleep too and this stops me from getting to sleep for a while, as it did last night. As soon as I move a bit though, it stops. I just dread it getting worse.

Shirley

[june]

Hi dizziness is linked to anxiety
Try putting "dizziness" into search at the top of the page - you will find lots of people in your position.
After those put "vertigo " into search. you will be amazed the number of people who are in constant terror of dizziness / giddiness etc
Myself I am on "betahistine" meds for vertigo - they are a great help
Best wishes
June
Ps - look also at the bottom of this page and there are more posts there.

[nikkibunnyuk]

june,


I have just been given the same medication as you by the ENT consultant.problem is i am scared to take it incase it makes me feel worse!! he said there is no side effects is this true? he said it increases the blood flow to your inner ear to help with vertigo.any help from you would be brilliant.xx

[june]

the betahistine that i am taking is made by "PLIVA" brand.
I was given a different brand a few months ago and although the docs and chemist tried to tell me there was no difference - i stood my ground "PLIVA" has NO side effects for me - at all = = the other brand did make me feel sick.
Hope this helps I take 8mg twice a day.
Best wishes
june

[Mr X]

Alright guys, thanks for the replies. I have tried both Betahistine and Prochlorperezine and neither of them helped me, I've taken 2 Propranolol now, today and yesterday 40 mg and I don't feel any better, worse if anything, I constantly feel like my head is moving just slightly :(

Does anyone else feel very sensitive to movement? turning your head or sitting in a swivel chair or just lying down in bed?

[drummermike]

For years now I have had this constant fear of going dizzy since a vertigo attack came out of the blue when I was about 16 (I'm 22 now) it's ruining my life! I constantly fear going dizzy and always feel as if I am dizzy, maybe it's because of the fear I am bringing it on myself?

Right now I'm going through a bad stage, I've been on Sertraline 50 mg for 2 months but now I have to come off it because I feel worse than ever, I've been told to take one every other day for a week then stop, does that sound about right?

The best drug for me has been Propranolol but still doesn't get rid of it all, I also sometimes wake up witht he room spinning which makes me throw up, then the dizziness from that can last from 30 mins to a few days (although that is rare)

I also get these sort of jolts if you like, when I get a massive serge of adrenaline and the room kinda feels like it spins for a second.

I've been to my GP, Neurologist and my ENT and all say I have nothing medicaly wrong with me and I am bringing it on myself, as alot of you will understand I'm convinced I have something wrong with me that they haven't found yet, I have had a CT scan and awaiting and MRI scan, if nothing is found in that I don't know what to do!

Is there anyone out there who suffers from anything similer or has any advice atall? please I'm at a loss now, I've given up hope with finding a 'cure'

Thanks for reading.

EDIT: I should add that I have constant headaches/migraines, I think that's why the Propranolol worked so well.

Yeah read my profile INTRO I wrote. Don't believe it's ALL anxiety. I don't buy it and never will. I am perfectly calm, no anxiety RIGHT now, totally relaxed and still woozy ....... sorry man I know it's a disaster. My ENT believes my anxiety is a direct result from an inner ear eye brain issue, but can't prove it. I also have depersonalization in a mild chronic form, and that ALSO can be attributed to inner ear dysfunction. If you spin to the point of full vertigo and throwing up, that's not ANXIETY in my world. That's organic in my opinion. If these docs can't put us in a perfect little cookie cutter box, they go right to the psych diagnosis.

Good luck.