Dizzy/lightheaded

[valley]

Hi everyone,
I have been having lightheadedness and dizziness for the past few days and it seems to be getting worse. I noticed it a few nights ago while watching a movie, its like the room was sorta spinning just for a second, and it freaked me out. I've noticed it more and more the past few days but I know I'm also worrying about it alot. I don't know if its a serious problem or just anxiety. I'm guessing it's anxiety since its such a common symptom but it really has me scared. Has anyone else had anxiety related dizziness or lightheadedness? It kinda feels like the room is spinning just slighlty, like my head is really heavy and I feel very tired. I also feel like my eyes cant quite focus. I know I've been stressed out lately, and just got over a bad case of the flu so maybe its an ear infection or something (I know ear problems can make you dizzy). I'm really getting scared about it, I've done all the googling (I know I shouldn't) and even though google says it's not usually a serious problem I'm still having thoughts of "what if this never gets better?" and "what if this keeps getting worse?" and things like that.
This feeling is similar to having had a drink or being on medicine that makes you kinda floaty/woozy. Can that really be just anxiety?
I've had all sorts of other anxiety symptoms before (difficulty swallowing, muscle twitches, stomach aches, frequent urination, short of breath) but this one is a new one for me. Why does anxiety always introduce new symptoms? I feel like once I finally accept one symptom as anxiety, a new one pops up.
Sorry for the rant, I'm just hoping someone can share their story and tell me if their symptoms are similar.
Thanks!

[Gazman]

i did it the other way round to you

I got the dizzyness first, exactly like you described then got all of the other symptoms you had before, but for me afterwards

Atm i've got the eyes out of focus and just posted a thread tonight in the symptoms bit. I find it difficult to concentrate on things for more than say 15 minutes then my eyes go out of focus, i also feel tired alot lately too.

I feel i could of wrote exactly what you wrote, i too get used to 1 symptom, then it fades, then a new one replaces it, i think you just have to let go, try and have fun, tell yourself your ok and get on with it and let it run its course (all extremely hard to do i know!)

But yeah just sounds like anxiety to me and you gotta quash those thoughts as soon as you get em.

All the best - Gaz

[vicky8181]

I get this quite often and usually when i have had a bout of flu, its much worse, Your right about what else is going to happen today though, I was fine for ages and now its all come back again, Hard to believe its anxiety when your going through it though, I find a rant and rave is very good for you, Feel well soon, Vicky.

[lynn1960]

i have only had aniexty for two weeks and have had so many different symptons they all scare me how long will it last and how can we stop it

[valley]

Hi Gazman and Vicky,
Thank you so much for your reassurance. I always get scared when a new symptom presents itself because I never know if it's anxiety or something real. I always have a hunch that it's anxiety but I never know for sure, and then my anxiety takes off. It's best if I can keep my mind off of it but sometimes that's hard to do, especially when I am not at work.

Lynn, I am sorry to hear about your anxiety, being "new" to this anxiety stuff is certainly frightening, but I promise it will get better. Your symptoms will eventually subside, you just need to have some patience (I know that is hard to hear). Right now you are caught up in the anxiety cycle, and worrying about symptoms agigates your anxiety and makes it worse, thus making the synptoms worse. Once your body calms down a bit you will begin to notice the symptoms subside. Sometimes I find that even though I no longer feel the emotional anxiety, by body is still responding to the leftover adrenaline/brain chemicals/what not and the symptoms persist for a bit longer. Best thing to do is get your mind off of it, as hard as that can seem sometimes. You will get better, your symptoms will go away as your body calms down - this is a promise! It just takes some patience

Jessica

[Kasha]

I've been having that recently aswell. It started a few days ago. I went into town, and into a shop, and suddenly I felt really light headed, and that everything was revolving ever so slightly. But not enough to be properly 'dizzy'. It scared me alot, so I had to go out of the shop. :(

[SleeplessFog]

Hi there, I noticed you said you just got over the flu? Has your doctor looked in your ears?

I am asking because...yes while the dizzies can be anxiety related...you could have a minor inner ear problem. I have one right now, and it was because I had a bad cold, and got dizzy after that. My dizzy hasn't been the spinning type...mostly the following:

Head feels too heavy to support
Ear fullness/pressure, head pressure
lightheaded/woozy
Hard time focusing on things with my eyes
Ground seems slanted or just "off"

And...anxiety has been bad for me during these episodes. So it could be just anxiety too?

[Humly]

Hi there. I went through a similar thing a few years ago although I just felt constantly light headed and it went on for months and months. It can be caused by ears but in my case it was totally anxiety. In the end, I had an MRI (the joys of private medical insurance - havent got it any more!) which the doc arranged just to shut me up basically, and there was nothing to worry about. Except that by the time I got the results, I didnt care any more as I was worrying about something else. The dizzyness went away as soon as I stopped thinking about it. Get your ears checked anyway and it its not that then most likely anxiety.