Hello everyone

My name is Rhiann and I am 22 from South Wales and am really tearing my hair out at the moment. At the moment I am suffering from severe dizzy spells, I don't get them all the time or every day even but they are awful - it;s as if everything is moving around me and I cannot focus on anything, also I am physically sick with it and on a few occasions I have even stayed in bed the whole day as I'm unable to get up.

Also, I have experiencing these swaying like motions when standing up as if I'm swaying back and forward and am also losing my balance really easily and being really clumsy which I've never really been before.

The doctor's have not been very helpful and the majority of them have put it down to my anxiety disorder - but the thing is it feels really different to the dizziness I experience with anxiety. I used to see an occupational therapist and even she admitetd that my symptoms were different to her other patients and said she though it sounded like a perceptual problem or something. Also, it's really weird as when I was born the doctors thought that there was something wrong with me as I tensed my legs or something which babies aren't supposed to do and so had a brain scan (ultrasound) and another time when my Mum took me to the nurse and when she laid me on the bed I screamed and held onto her and would not let go and only stopped when she lay me down on the ground - and since then have suffered from extreme fear of heights.

I'm due to see a neurologist, not sure when though and am going for some tests in a couple of weeks - an electrocardiogram and being fitted with an ambulatory ECG monitor (??).

Anyway, I have come to here to see if anyone else can relate or have gone through similar experiences. Thanks

A female family member was often dizzy. It was also blamed on emotional issues. I believe it is more common for doctors to blame things like this on mental health in females. She was referred to a neurologist who did nothing. It turns out that some hormones levels were low. I know another case (also female) blamed on anxiety and it was an adrenal tumor. From those experiences, I would suggest getting a thorough testing of your pituitary, thyroid, adrenal hormone levels. It can be other things such as an inner ear problem or meniere's disease.

Hi Hon.

Welcome to Neurotalks.

Tell us about yourself. We're a friendly bunch of people here. You are so young to be having all these problems. Is there a reason that you are so anxious. Do you have a job?

We like to share stuff on these boards. Being dizzy at various times is no fun at all. My husband has Menieres and vertigo comes right along with that diagnosis.

But in his case we found out that if we excluded sodium from his diet, well, his episodes are fewer and far between.

So why not give it a try. Limit your sodium intake.

Take care,

Melody

hello Rhainne and welcome to the group ... you will find lots of friendly and supportive people here .... although i personally do not have any answers for you i am sure that someone will be along soon to direct you in the right direction ... meanwhile i hope you get to feeling better soon and i can offer you friendship ... again ...

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Great to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help. We are all here to assist each other as possible.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene

Hi

Thanks for the welcome. Like I said before, I really don't think it is anxiety - the dizzy spells that I have suffered from since I was 8 and which has been getting worse came on before I was having problems with the anxiety - usually I get the dizziness which makes me anxious. Also, I go to this support group near me and some weeks I have no problems when I'm there and other times I'm really bad - if it was anxiety surely it would be more consistent and I would be anxious every time I go there. It just seems strange that they thought that there was something wrong at birth and now I have all these problems.

Glad you dropped by! I once knew someone with symptoms almost exactly like yours, and it turned out to be an undetected inner-ear infection. The inner ear controls our balance, and sometimes it was downright strange to see her stumbling and swaying around like she was on the deck of a ship in a storm. But I'm sure it wasn't fun for her, and I'm sure it isn't for you, either. Good luck, Serene, and all my best wishes!

Hi Idealist

Thanks for your reply. A couple of years ago I was having fainting spells, and the hospital consultant and saw an ENT who concluded that I did not have an inner ear infection. If it was that though, which it could possibly be would I be having problems with my hearing and experiencing ringing in my ears or other problems, which I'm not

Welcome to Neuro Talk, do not hesitate to explore the site and post your questions and concerns and advice, this place is filled with a lot of helpful and kind people, again welcome to NT