Dizziness/ Zaps/ Vertigo - 2 years on

[fedup36]

Hi All,

I use to be on this website a lot and noticed the amount of posts about dizziness.

I get 4 types of dizziness these are:

- Dizzy Zaps - These feel like a weird sensation on the back of my head like some one is puling it backwards and then it makes me almost jolt and I get tingles down my arms. I thought they were seizure related but I don't think they are... I get these sometimes 5 times a day when I am at work but not really at the weekend which always confuses me!

- Drunk Sensation - I get this when I am tiered and normally in the evenings, it feels like I am drunk and lying down can make it worse :( I also get it walking around to.

- Floor Moving/ Dropping - I get this when I am at the gym or in a supermarket, it suddenly feels like the floor moves and that ive dropped and I feel like I can't walk in a straight line. It normally leads me to have a real panic as I am in a public place. I also get these when I am in bed or just sitting there and it feels like a horrible sinking feeling.

- Vertigo Spins - Ive only had about 10 of these over the past 2 years but they are horiffic. I will be walking/lying down and if I am standing I have to drop to the floor or I will fall over. Its horrible I just start properly spinning in circles like im on a rollercoaster :(


Now I've had all sorts of tests, ECG's, MRI's, Calloric testing, Balance testing and all they've found is a short PR rate on the ECG (benign) and an arachnoid cyst on the MRI (benign)

They've put it down to anxiety and I currently have Intergrative therapy and I can say things have improved significantly but I almost feel like the symptoms aren't decreasing - I am just getting use to them.

There's come a point now though where I am just finding it very difficult to cope with. Having the above symptoms on a daily basis is ruining my life. I was just wondering if anyone else has had similar things? Especially the zaps - I always worry as to what they are!

I hate to seek reassurance as I don't think its a good tool to get better but if im honest ive had enough!!

[Wuboo]

Well that is/was almost me to a T!

I used to get these jolts where for a spit second it would feel like by brain rocks. If it happened when still it would make me jump and my heart pounds, kind like being on a ship and it all of the sudden rocks hard or in a plane that hits an air pocket. Same as your floor moving/dropping.

As for the vertigo... I feel your pain there. I got myself in to a state over being ill several months back and had one of the biggest spinouts I've had to date. It was like my brain was spinning and I had to hold on to something. I've had spinouts for years and would be around 1-2 times a year and would trigger major anxiety.

Since getting on Sertaline and generally not being as anxious now I've not had any, it really does seem to be around anxiety/stress it happens.

After my break down a couple years back I didn't know what to do but I had to accept all those anxious thoughts and feelings and be like "this is whats going to happen for a while". I also had MRI's & got pulled about up the ENT clinic and had a lot of tests done there but nothing was found.

[fedup36]

Thanks for getting back to me... That air pocket in a plane thing is the exact way to explain it! Can I ask how you are feeling now?

[Wuboo]

Since I left my last job which caused a lot of stress and since being on Setraline, I'm deffo better but still a bloody worrier!

[Dolphin8808]

Are you on any kind of anti-depressants?

[fedup36]

Nope nothing as I have seen that some can cause my symptoms...