Elevator Dizziness

[AnxiousLife]

For the past 6 months or so, every time I go UP an elevator, I am super dizzy for about 30 seconds after getting off. Does anyone else have this? And what would cause it to come on so suddenly??? I stupidly googled it and every MS thread and symptom came up saying it was a symptom of MS.
Anyway, any other logical explanations? I'm never one to get motion sickness...

[Lisssa]

Inner ear balance is off or some kind of vascular response.i would like to believe a balance specialist would be able to help you.

[AnxiousLife]

Vascular response?
I was thinking of making an appointment with my ENT. Hate to have a million tests run because they're so expensive...but it's curious since it just kind of started out of the blue...

[Fishmanpa]

Here's a thought.... ignore it. How often do you ride elevators? And if it's only when going up (or even down or both) don't you think it could just be part of the weird feeling you sometimes get when you're going up or down quickly? How many times have you gotten a butterfly feeling in your stomach from riding an elevator? I know I have and I kinda like it... it's fun :) And really... I can't even begin to imagine going to the doctor for this and what I would say.

Positive thoughts

[Catherine S]

By vascular I think lisssa may be referring to blood pressure, as sometimes low bp can result in this kind of thing. On the other hand it could just be a form of vertigo. I hardly use lifts as I am really claustrophobic so i'd be no good in a city like New York!

ISB x

[Josh1234]

have had this for years.

[countrygirl]

I avoid elevators totally because ever since I was a child I get the most awful dizzy feeling when they set off up or down. Combined with a feeling as if my stomach has dropped through the floor and my head has fallen off!

Everyones balance mechanism is different and some peoples is more sensitive than others. Just out of interest, how is your eyesight? Do you wera glasses?

[AnxiousLife]

I wear contacts, yes...but have for years. This really just started this past Summer. And sometimes they don't bother me, other times I feel like I'm bouncing off both sides of the walls when I step off!! Just a bit odd for me!

[countrygirl]

The reason I was asking about eyesight is that I have severe sight problems and sight problems can make you unbalanced as your brain has to work alot harder.

I hate escalotors as well as I feel very unsteady on them.

[cattia]

I have had this on and off since my twenties and I am now 39. If it is a sign of MS then I must have a very slowly developing form! I also can't jump on trampolines as I feel like I am still bouncing when I get off. I have no idea what causes this, it's annoying and it seems to have got worse as I've got older. Interestingly I have a stigmatism which causes me trouble with depth perception and some visual issues, such as I can't look at stripes or certain patterned carpets because they make my eyes feel dizzy. I was speaking to the optician about this recently when I had my eyes tested, and she said that it is because my eyes are not working together properly as the muscles in one are weaker (basically I have a lazy eye) and that is why the brain can't process the information properly. I have no idea really, but I do wonder if that could also be the cause of some of these issues?

[Josh1234]

I can't run on treadmills or really even run at all, cause I feel so sick for like 30 minutes after. I can barely walk straight after.

[cattia]

Another theory I have about this is that many of us with anxiety have chronic muscle tension in our necks, shoulders and jaws, and I believe that this can cause dizziness and feelings of instability, and could probably affect our ability to cope with motion.

[Catalyst]

Ditto everything Cattia said! And I'm 39 too! It's just after I walk out of the lift that I feel dizzy. And how dizzy I get depends on how fast the lift was travelling! I get the same thing if I step off of anything that moves - boat, trampoline, swing bridge etc. Sometimes when I'm walking on mezzanine floors in department stores I can even feel the movement in them and feel dizzy!! :shrug: had it for years though so nowadays I just try to ignore it. (I have a lazy eye too and patterns make me dizzy!)

[cattia]

This is so interesting to me as I always thought I was alone in this, but it seems as though it's quite common with anxiety sufferers.