constantly lightheaded, off balance and headache

[TomOntario]

7 years? 25 years? Guys, it is supposed to be *support* group :P

But seriously, I can't quite imagine how can you live with this for that long.
Lucy, could you try to answer some of the questions I asked Razzledazzle above? It would be great to hear on how you cope with this problem.

For me it's terrible. I'm feeling like my life is being taken away from me. I cannot enjoy anything. I don't remember when was the last time I was smiling...

[razzledazzle]

Hi Tom

yeah i have had this for seven whole years!

I haven't really coped with it very well. I have depression because of it and the inability to have a 'normal' life.

I have been put on anti-dizziness tablets in the past but they didn't help at all. i have had pretty much any test you can imagine and they found nothing physically wrong with me. They thought it might be linked to my tinnitus and having labryithitus in the past but my balance tests were fine.There isn't really anything that triggers it because it really is constant. Sometimes it is easier to forget about especially when i am engrossed in something like a game or TV programme.

I was referred to a psychologist but i found it hard to talk to him so i stopped going, perhaps it would have helped but he made me feel uncomfortable, I just had a problem telling a complete stranger about my deepest thoughts and stuff.

Having said all that i did find one thing that lessened the intensity of the dizziness. 30mg of Citalopram a day seems to lessen the general anxiety and makes the dizziness easier to cope with.

[loveletter]

Have had this since 1986 and it has totally put my life on hold.
If the dizziness and off balance went away I know I would not be agoraphobic any more.

[razzledazzle]

I know what you mean loveletter. If i didn't have this constant dizziness i would be able to go out and do things people take for granted. With the dizziness you convince yourself not to go out and take part in things because you feel so ill and you end up moping around the house constantly thinking about the dizziness, why is this happening? how long will it go on for? will it ever go away? is there some massively serious problem causing this? and this just makes us feel even more stressed and ill.

[loveletter]

I do not know how long it will go on for as mine first started 1986 and that is so long.
It has never left me.
At its worse I have had to be carried to the bathroom and up and down stairs to and from bed and have been unable to walk with out support.

I have been too doctors through out the years when it has been at its worse but doctors have all said it is anxiety.

I have been seeing a cb therapist again lately and he says this is anxiety and yes he has meet others as bad as me.

I ask God a thousand times over how much longer.

I think at the moment the heat is making things much worse. Have had a headache since Saturday that just will not good and I am so tired hardly know what I am doing.
Am a bit scared to go out at the moment even with some one as dizziness is so bad in the heat.

The 1 thing that has really helped me is coming on here and seeing that others have this quite bad and for a long time.
It has made such a difference to me as I now know I am not mad

[razzledazzle]

yes it does help to know we are not the only ones suffering this awful constant dizzy feeling, although i would prefer it if no one had to go through it!

wow yours sounds terrible at its worst, having to be carried around.

at my worst it feels like the world is moving around me and i get panicky and have to lie down, then stand up and lie down again unable to settle.

you say the heat makes you feel worse? it is the opposite for me.. when its very cold i feel more dizzy and tenseness in my neck and shoulders.

[TomOntario]

What do you think is the cause of all this? Is it stress? Anxiety? Or do you think it is some real disease or health issue inside our bodies that doctors haven't figured out yet? What's your theory?

[guitarpants]

What do you think is the cause of all this? Is it stress? Anxiety? Or do you think it is some real disease or health issue inside our bodies that doctors haven't figured out yet? What's your theory?

To be honest with you, I feel that most "mental illness" is caused by physical disease of some sort. At this time, medical science is not able to explain it. It is an "unknown unknown" in the sense that not only do they not know the answer, but they don't know the question either so there's no way to begin. I'm sure a minimum of 50% of people in mental institutions are suffering from a genuine medical problem. It's just once they are there, no one looks anymore, they just keep upping meds, and they are never treated. When a doctor can't find the answer for something, they always default to the fact that it MUST then be a mental/psychological problem. Which is a damn shame, and a disgrace overall to the medical community.

It is the ultimate arrogance for doctors to claim or make it seem like they know the answer to everything at that time. That will never happen.

With that said though, psychological problems can have significant profound effects on your physical health and well being as well. There are plenty of medical conditions though that cause anxiety, depression, panic. It's too easy to say "yup that's anxiety". Because it matches symptoms in a book. The medical community is frustrating.

I completely understand why so many people turn to suicide. I'm not saying it's the right thing or the best thing to do. It's not, but I can empathize now.

[LucyR]

Razzledazzle,

Seven years? That's insane. I have it for 6 months and I'm already exhausted by it. You have probably seen many doctors during the course of 7 years. What do they say?

Since you have been experiencing this for so long, maybe you have some advises for us, based on your experience?

Are there any things that make you feel better?

Are there any medicines that work?

Maybe there are some things that you noticed can trigger it? Would you advise to avoid certain things?

Thanks in advance for your answers!

Tom

TomOntario, in reply to your asking me to try to answer some of the questions you had given razzledazzle.
Are there any things that make me feel better?
Exercise and going for a walk when I can pluck up the courage to feel im okay to leave the house, going for drives in my car, sleeping.
Are there medicines that work?
No, not for me some have just not worked some have made me sick.
As for triggering it,
lack of sleep, going long periods without eating, worrying about various things going on in my life, inability to relax.

[LucyR]

I do not know how long it will go on for as mine first started 1986 and that is so long.
It has never left me.
At its worse I have had to be carried to the bathroom and up and down stairs to and from bed and have been unable to walk with out support.

I have been too doctors through out the years when it has been at its worse but doctors have all said it is anxiety.

I have been seeing a cb therapist again lately and he says this is anxiety and yes he has meet others as bad as me.

I ask God a thousand times over how much longer.

I think at the moment the heat is making things much worse. Have had a headache since Saturday that just will not good and I am so tired hardly know what I am doing.
Am a bit scared to go out at the moment even with some one as dizziness is so bad in the heat.

The 1 thing that has really helped me is coming on here and seeing that others have this quite bad and for a long time.
It has made such a difference to me as I now know I am not mad

I was quite alarmed to read this, ive suffered the same thing for as long if not a bit longer than this. I am like razzledazzle in the fact that I need to lie down and feel woozy and world moving etc. but never as bad as having to get carried around which is just as well as I live alone I cant begin to imagine this is all anxiety. I like the heat ok, a bit much but its better than the cold, weather is all extreme at the moment no set pattern, but I wouldnt say the heat makes me worse, I think im better in the heat as the cold gets me depressed.