Not been right

[Merle]

Hi all,

I have something going on with my balance and its been bugging me a lot lately Can't figure out whether its ear, eye, neck or brain that's doing it or a combo!
Letting you know, I suffer from migraines, vertigo, anemia, health anxiety, stress and general anxiety.

Because of the balance issues, its made me feel more bound to staying indoors.
I have a noise in my right ear, sometimes I get a shaky feeling and a sort of fullness in my head and hard to concentrate at times, just want to close my eyes and rest.

I had a dizzy spell in the worst place possible, whilst crossing the road when traffic was oncoming! The cars were not close but the road seemed to move from up and down, and made me freeze and cos of this I moved back to the path and closed my eyes a few seconds and all was back to normal again. I made it home and since this happened last Sunday, it has put me off going out. I just don't want to hit hard concrete and injure myself further!

This thing with my balance first began last year, May to be precise. Was in a shop looking up at the top shelf in a store and had a dizzy spell, my friend thought it was low blood pressure but turns out the stress is causing a slightly elevated blood pressure.

I have been diagnosed with anxiety. Have been trying to work on myself and improve my health, but stress exacerbates it ten fold. I am trying new things out and alternative medication with small successes. I don't know what to do, I am scared to go to the doctor incase its something serious and i need major surgery and will be out daily life for some months ...just panicking here and am not feeling the best cos of it.

Any advice please

[Gary A]

You've said you suffer from migraines and also vertigo. Do you know if the vertigo is linked to your migraines?

[Merle]

You've said you suffer from migraines and also vertigo. Do you know if the vertigo is linked to your migraines?

I've only suffered from migraines or vertigo separately. I don't know if they're connected in any way. I have had vertigo symptoms of dizziness in my sitting room, which was diagnosed by my doctor. I have had an mri because of my headaches a couple of years ago and all was clear and just told to avoid stress chocolate and cheese by the hospital doctor.

[Phuzella]

I get positional vertigo occasionally. Also light headed which seems to accompany migraines. Try not to let it keep you indoors. In my experience anxiety makes it worse.

[Merle]

Oh my! Sorry to hear that. I googled about vestibular migraine and it tallies with my symptoms. I have a stiffness in my neck and feel dizzy when i look down at times and have some muscle spasms there too.

Its truly annoying

[Phuzella]

It's very annoying :(. Do you get visual aura with your migraines?

[Merle]

It's very annoying :(. Do you get visual aura with your migraines?

I do get visual aura but not always. sometimes I get no pain at all just disturbances. Sometimes its ocular like a blob or sometimes its distorted vision, and sometimes its neither but have symptoms of a migraine without either.

My family has a history of headaches including my mum who used to get a lot of headaches and my first cousin who suffers from migraines and had to give up driving.

I did some meditation tonight and it has helped my head some...will have to keep it up and do meditation regularly. I might take up some yoga, but am not fit yet physically to do that.

How do you manage your headaches?

[Blonde123]

What are your migraine like merle? I think I might be starting with them but not sure x

[Phuzella]

I don't get really bad headaches. I feel dizzy for a day or two then get a bright coloured zigzag aura in one eye for about 30 mins . Then 2 or 3 days feeling dizzy and generally crap. It sounds quite mild but believe me it's scary. I don't take any meds for it. I'm researching ways of treating then without meds.
I think I'm getting the odd panic attack thrown in for good measure lol. I blame a lot of it on the winter. I live alone so worry when it gets dark early.
I'd say dizziness is definitely my worst fear, but I just went out for a country walk, I refuse to let migraines or panic keep me inside.
I'm the same age as you Merle :)