11 months of dizziness and now headaches

I have had the same now for over two years.  It took almost a year to get my diagnosis but was in some way a relief as I thought I had MS.  My symptoms are exactly the same as yours and it is silent migraine.  Ive had many different tablets none of which work at the moment.  However I have had botox at the migraine clinic in London which helped the headaches a lot.  Im waiting for more botox on the NHS but have to try more medication before they will let me.  I find stress makes it miles worse as you screw up your forehead which irritates the corrugator muscle which in turn irritates a nerve running thru your head, face and back of neck.  Keep a migraine diary.  I suppose I have given up on ever not being dizzy but if I keep really still, its not there and I get some relief.  As soon as i move though its back.  Its worse with lighting, PCs and noise.  I feel quite sick sometimes and unfortunately my job went full time and I had to give that up.  Im now looking for another part time job.  I dont know where you live but Im under Salford Royal Hosp who have some of the best neurologists in the UK.  Dr Zermansky runs a head ache clinic and the botox.  I hope you get yours resolved.  My social life is nil but Ive managed to get back shopping which I couldnt do at all last year.  So some improvement.  I didnt know this dizziness was so widespread. I felt really alone and lost my best friend over this.  I read dieting can trigger the dizziness.  Best wishes to a cure for us all.

I have been suffering with vertigo/dizziness (mainly swaying feeling) for 11 months ( had mild dizziness on and off since I first started Cymbalta many years ago).  I have also had mild anxiety when I am at my worst which I feel I can handle due to my past history/experience with anxiety and panick attacks and maybe my mental health medication is keeping at bay (Cymbalta, Olanzapine, Epilim). The past few months my head has been very strained and tense and I have been getting headaches everyday. I can feel my whole brain in my head (mainly the top and back) and my head often pounds. I have many days/weeks where I am alot worse with a full head and very dizzy and much more dizzy and head prsssure when I tilt head up or down (recurrent BPPV?) Looking up my diagnosis of vestibular neuritis (VN) explains many of my symptoms of the past 11 months but I am getting more used to the dizziness (still very debiltating at it's worst) and fatigue but the head pain/pressure/strain is far worse and constant than the dizziness now. The symptoms I am experiencing at the moment seem to be that of migraine associated vertigo (MAV) as the symptoms people are explaining for this seem to better explain what I have been experiencing the past few months. I wake everyday feeling dizzy and with a very strained head like my head is too small for my brain and it gets worse until I get a headache (my whole brain aches). The past week or so the headache goes by the next day but for a while it would take two days or more to go away before returning again.

I have had a X-Ray of my neck (clear), Eye check (needed glasses for first time), CT-Scan of head (clear), Paid to see private ENT specialist (said not much he could do. Suggested as fatigue is so severe and I am a heavy snorer for me to have a sleep study. Results say I have severe obstructive sleep apnoea AHI 32), Seen an NHS Audiologist (all hearing, eye, balance tests don't show any problem with my vestibular system/balance system)

I have recently been informed by my GP that my blood test show my thyroid is high and I will be having another blood test soon to check the thyroid levels again. I hear a high thyroid can cause fatigue/tiredness.

I am waiting for an NHS basic sleep study before they consider me for a CPAP machine for sleep apnoea. I have an appointment to have an operation to have a deviated septom corrected as I cannot breath very well through one nostril. I also have an appointment to see an ENT specialist on the NHS in April. When I see my GP soon I will ask to go on the waiting list to see an Neuro-otologist as they specialise in the brain and migraines. The past few months I have cut out  caffeine from my diet and I eat very healthily attending slimming world and I have lost 6.5 stone in 16 months. It has not been easy loosing weight when I have been ill and feeling low but I have made it my mission to loose weight since becoming dizzy. My heart goes out to anyone with this condition. It is an invisible illness and most people don't understand or believe you are unwell. Please stay positive. My life has changed dramaitcaly the past year and I am house bound most days but I have learnt to appreciate the little I can do and the great friends I have. My hope is fading that someday I will wake to find this problem has gone but at least there is some hope still within me. 

Possible causes:

-Vestibular Neuritis (with recurrent BPPV)

-Migraine Associated vertigo (silent/non silent migraine)

-Hyperthyroidism (blood test show my throid has been slightly high past couple of blood tests)

-Cymbalta (Deloxetine anti depressant) Side Effects (dizziness and my other symptoms common with cymbalta use and very common during cymbalta withdrawl)

I have always suffered with mild dizziness on and off since I first started Cymbalta many years ago.

-Vestibulopathy ( with ocillopsia)

-Vitamin or Iron deficentcy

-Dehydration

-POTS Syndrome

VERTIGO/DIZZINESS/MIGRAINE HISTORY  

10/02/14 TO 05/01/15

I have been suffering with vertigo/dizziness (mainly swaying feeling) for 11 months (I have had mild dizziness on and off since I first started Cymbalta many years ago but nothing like the intensity I experience now).  I have also had mild anxiety since becoming dizzy. The anxiety is when the dizziness is at it's worst . I feel I can handle the anxiety due to my past history/experience in coping with anxiety and panick attacks and maybe my mental health medication is keeping it at bay (Cymbalta, Olanzapine, Epilim). The first few months after becoming dizzy I would be noticably better and hour or so after taking my night time medication (olanzapine and epilim). The past few months my head has been very strained and tense and I have been getting headaches everyday. I can feel my whole brain in my head (mainly the top and back) and my head often pounds. I have many days/weeks where I am alot worse with a full head and very dizzy and much more dizzy and head pressure when I tilt head up or down (recurrent BPPV?) Looking up my diagnosis of vestibular neuritis (VN) explains many of my symptoms of the past 11 months but I am getting more used to the dizziness (still very debiltating at it's worst) and fatigue but the head pain/pressure/strain is far worse and constant than the dizziness now. The symptoms I am experiencing at the moment seem to be that of migraine associated vertigo (MAV) as the symptoms people are explaining for this seem to better explain what I have been experiencing the past few months. I wake everyday feeling dizzy and with a very strained head like my head is too small for my brain and it gets worse until I get a headache (my whole brain aches). The past week or so the headache goes by the next day before returning in the evening. For a while it would take two days or more to go away before returning again.

Since becoming dizzy I have been prescribed Betahistine, Stemetil (prochlorperazine) and I am currently taking Cinnarizine. I no longer feel much benefit in taking Cinnarizine but I feel more confident whilst taking it (placebo effect). I do feel less fatigued/tired without it I think.

I have had a X-Ray of my neck (clear), Eye check (needed glasses for first time), CT-Scan of head (clear), Paid to see private ENT specialist (said not much he could do. Suggested as fatigue is so severe and I am a heavy snorer for me to have a sleep study. Results say I have severe obstructive sleep apnoea AHI 32), Seen an NHS Audiologist (all hearing, eye, balance tests don't show any problem with my vestibular system/balance system) on the morning of the Audiology tests I felt much better I had done in a long time which may have been the reason for them not picking up any suffiecent problem with my balance system. On a very bad day I do not think I could have completed some tests.

I have recently been informed by my GP that my blood test show my thyroid is high and I will be having another blood test soon to check the thyroid levels again. I  have read that Hyperthyroidism can cause fatigue/tiredness.

I am waiting for an NHS basic sleep study before they consider me for a CPAP machine for sleep apnoea. I have an appointment to have an operation to have a deviated septom corrected as I cannot breath very well through one nostril. I am considering cancelling this operation as I do not  feel I am well enough to have it in my current state. I also have an appointment to see an ENT specialist on the NHS in April. When I see my GP soon I will ask to go on the waiting list to see an Neuro-otologist as they specialise in the brain and migraines. The past few months I have cut out  caffeine from my diet and I eat very healthily attending slimming world most weeks and I have lost 6.5 stone in 16 months. It has not been easy loosing weight when I have been ill and feeling low but I have made it my goal to loose weight since becoming dizzy.  It is an invisible illness and most people don't understand or believe you are unwell. I am trying my best to stay positive. My life has changed dramaitcaly the past year and I am house bound most days but I have learnt to appreciate the little I can do and the great friends I have. My hope is fading that someday I will wake to find this problem has gone but at least there is some hope still within me. 

Possible causes:

-Vestibular Neuritis (with recurrent BPPV)

-Migraine Associated vertigo (silent/non silent migraine)

-Hyperthyroidism (blood test show my throid has been slightly high past couple of blood tests)

-Cymbalta (Deloxetine anti depressant) Side Effects (dizziness and my other symptoms common with cymbalta use and very common during cymbalta withdrawl)

I have always suffered with mild dizziness on and off since I first started Cymbalta many years ago.

-POTS Syndrome

-Vestibulopathy (with ocillopsia)

-Vitamin or Iron deficiency

-Dehydration