Random spells of dizziness

[Rossi_h]

Hi people, I was just wondering if anyone has the same. I recent have been getting random spells of dizziness?? I mean I can just be relaxing or even at work and then it suddenly comes on? Not anxious at that time or anything! The dizziness is like a fuzzy head feeling..... Any help greatly appreciated.

[Crispy]

Hi,
I definately experince something similar, my head often feels fuzzy - I feel dizzy off-balance with head pressure. Mine tends to build in environments where i am not relaxed (such as the workplace) it really is a strange feeling to describe to others. My eyesight will also feel off which I believe is 'derealisation'.

Does this sound familiar ? If it is of any re-assurance I have had MRI scans etc all clear and been prescribed with meds for anxiety. It is an awful sensation, I will get waves of adrenaline through the head occasionally and feel very 'out of touch' with reality.

[Rossi_h]

Hello, I feel like that is my symptoms all over! It’s like I could of wrote what you have just written!

I also suffer with anxiety and panic in shopping centres, Queues and office meetings in small places, agoraphobia I’m guessing. Which I never used to suffer with! So frustrating!

[Crispy]

Hi,
Yep - I don't like shopping centres / queues and small office meetings either - yuck. If someone talks to me and gives too much info I don't like that either - it seems miserable but if there is too much blah blah from them I have to get away or start to feel dizzy. I used to enjoy going to football matches but find it very hard now - I experience vertigo and have to sit locked down to my chair from fear of falling over...

Felt this way for about 3 years and still find it hard to believe there is nothing physically wrong with my head. Best of luck dealing with this horrible sensation, I hate it!

[MarkyMark88]

Hi there! I was just about to post my own concern about this exact same thing seeing as it happened to me no more that 15 minutes ago here at work. To me it feels like a massive head rush. I feel like I get a big one every few months or so. Horrible feeling. Worse than heart palpitations in my opinion. I usually get them at rest but today it was in the middle of a stressful bout at work. It stopped me dead in my tracks. And then I guess as you said I will get a fuzzy head feeling. Kind of like your coming down off of it.

@crispy You called it "waves of adrenaline". Is that what it is? The thing I think of instantly is brain tumor or low blood pressure. Not the most constructive of thoughts but it's what I instantly go to. Sucks.

Hope I could be some of help. You definitely not alone in this regard.

Mark

[MarkyMark88]

This is in the symptoms section of this site.

Dizziness or light-headedness

What you feel:

You feel suddenly light-headed, woozy or dizzy. This is sometimes accompanied by a feeling that you might faint or pass out. It also may feel as though you are walking on a boat, or that the floor seems to move up and down and it’s hard to balance. You may also have difficulty placing your feet because your perception of the ground or floor may be wrong. In some cases it may seem that even though you are standing on a firm floor, the floor may be vibrating or moving.
This is a very common feeling that most sufferers get. It’s usually as a result of hyperventilation but also of intense fear and the adrenalin hit.
Feeling faint is very worrying and very frightening. You feel as though you are going to pass out or the whole world seems to be spinning and you cannot focus on anything. Your vision is blurred and this causes more Panic as you are now ‘sure’ that you will pass out or collapse.
Even when you convince yourself that you will not faint, the feeling of un-steadiness or dizziness remains. This feeling can go on for minutes or hours and there seems to be no end to it.
What causes this:

This symptom has a few variations. Some people may experience a sudden head rush feeling, which goes almost as quickly as it comes. As long as the individual doesn’t react with more fear, the symptom will come and go and will vary in frequency from a number of times per day, to a few times a month.
Another variation includes a constant state of unbalance, spinning, wooziness, fogginess and so on. Often it is accompanied by a feeling that you may pass out (some people do, however, that’s not common).
This symptom has a few causes. It could be from a blood sugar imbalance, hyperventilation (not getting enough oxygen) or an inner ear or ear pressure condition.
This is a common symptom and sometimes an individual can experience both forms, and at different times.
There are tests available that can accurately identify a blood sugar imbalance, however, most often this isn’t the main cause. Typically, those with anxiety disorder have their blood sugar levels within the safe range when tested. However, long periods without eating may aggravate the condition because blood sugar levels may drop too low because of not eating. It’s important to eat regular wholesome and natural food so that the fluctuations in blood sugar remain in the normal range.
If you are experiencing this symptom, having medical tests may be beneficial – certainly, to rule out any other cause.
If your symptom is a result of hyperventilation, deliberately deep slow breathing will reduce and even eliminate this symptom. While deep relaxation will help to diminish and eliminate most symptoms, I found that this symptom is one that hangs on the longest, and is the least responsive to immediate counter action. However, regular exercise provided me with results though not immediate.

• Try to steady your breathing and sit quietly somewhere so that you can concentrate on it. The more you panic and worry, the worse you will feel.
• Try to occupy and distract your mind with something so you don’t focus on the dizziness and if necessary sit down for a while to help get your balance back.
• As with all symptoms, when the nervous system gets sufficient rest, this symptom will diminish and eventually subside.

[Dying_Swan]

This sounds like the sensations I used to get with panic attacks. A massive head rush is a good description, and I used to feel really hot and faint, like I was going to fall off the chair and pass out. Like you, I also struggled with queues, meetings, shopping etc, and that's when I'd get the sensations. The more you worry about it beforehand (anticipatory anxiety), the more likely you are to wind yourself up into a panic attack. Thing is, while it feels terrible, it won't hurt you, it will soon pass, and you'll be ok. Try not to avoid the situations you fear as that reinforces the belief that it's dangerous. Exposing yourself to the panic, staying with it and recognising you're ok is key to getting over it. Another thing I sometimes find helpful is to consciously relax your body. If you do a quick scan of your body when anxious, you'll probably find you're tensing loads of muscles that you don't need to be tensing, as well as maybe holding your breath without realising. I try to relax those muscles and breathe steadily which can help.

[Rossi_h]

Thank you Dying Swan! That was really helpful! Do you have any other techniques I could use? I never use to be like this and I have no idea why! I don’t want to use medication but I have been going to CBT.

Thank you again though! Very helpful!

[Crispy]

After finishing work yesterday I went down the gym to try and relieve some of the tension. It didn't last long however, felt very odd with derealisation / dizziness so cut it short. I feel odd just about every day - fuzzy / foggy head - no meds seem to do anything to relieve.

I feel one day it will just get so bad I will just keel over and pass out. Doctors etc say they could not find anything wrong - I just do not understand why I cannot complete a working day feeling normal.

[Dying_Swan]

You're welcome, glad it was useful. I did take meds but I don't think you need to if you don't want to. I believe it's possible without, and I'm really pleased you're having CBT. Most of the stuff below is stuff I learned in CBT.

A few other things that have helped me:

- taking some exercise before the feared situation. Even gentle exercise like walking for at least 20 mins. It helps lower adrenaline and cortisol levels so you're less likely to feel panicked.

- the "sigh breath", which means purposely making yourself sigh. This helps to get rid of the carbon dioxide created by hyperventilating, so again you're less likely to panic.

- trying to bring on the panic. Sounds silly, but if you try to force yourself to have a panic attack, it's impossible in my experience. I also found it helpful by sort of giving myself permission to panic, and then found I didn't. There are also exercises you can do to try to bring it on at home so that you learn you can manage it. The only one I can remember involved sticking a straw up my nose and breathing through it for a certain amount of time. Speak to your therapist about them though as I can't remember much about them.

- telling myself "widen your vision". A friend taught me this. When I panic my vision becomes tunnelled, and reminding myself to widen my vision helps. Take in what's around you, and it helps you to refocus. I also used to recite a poem in my head when I was struggling.

Those are just some of the things that helped me. Very occasionally, I feel it creeping up in certain situations, but now I can tell myself "so what?" and it goes away. It takes time and practice, but the techniques you'll learn in CBT do work if you practice them enough.

Good luck. You'll get there.

Crispy - I also used to believe I'd pass out, but I never did from panic. The most helpful thing I learned from CBT was that you're less likely to faint during a panic attack than at almost any other time, with the exception of one very specific phobia. This is because your blood pressure rises during panic, and fainting is caused by low blood pressure. If your doctors have checked you out and found nothing, and it's only happening in certain situations, it does sound like panic and anxiety.