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Dizziness and anxiety

Posted , 10 users are following.

lori1022
lori1022

Hi, I am new to this forum, but am hoping to get some help.  I am 51 years old, active, exercise, am very happily married.  I was diagnosed with severe anxiety in 2001, and was on Lexapro 20mg and .05 xanax 1 time per day for 10 years.  My anxiety was under control.  About 3 months ago it got much worse and my doctor switched me to Zoloft 100 mg.  For the past 2 days I have had extreme dizziness and now today a headache.  I have had a CAT scan on my head, but not an MRI.  Of course, I am terrified of going to the doctor.  Can anxiety cause this feeling for days on end?  It's almost like a "spacey" feeling, with lightheadness and dizziness.  I had my first vertigo attack a year ago, but this doesn't really feel like vertigo since my world doesn't feel like it's spinning.  

Please help!

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • castor1961
    castor1961 lori1022

    Posted

    Hi loti,

    I am very active, i love to run. Couple weeks ago i suddendly got this positional vertigo. I couldn't run anymore, all what i wanted it stay on m'y chair, my anxiety got so worse, i have bad anxiety for long time, but i am not on a treatment, i am in ménopause too so i have some days better than others for now 1 week i began running again, i feel a little better since,,,

    • lori1022
      lori1022 castor1961

      Posted

      Hi Castor1961, thanks for your reply.  I also was an avid runner, although I usually ran 2 miles.  I have also found now that when I exercise I get the same lightheaded feeling, so I haven't run in awhile.  I started doing yoga and pilates at home, and usually I'm fine, but sometimes also get the same lightheaded feeling when exercising.  My heart is always checked and no problems there, but can't understand why this is happening!
  • Wendl
    Wendl lori1022

    Posted

    I have suffered with anxiety and panic attacks for longer than I can remember.

    i also had a very bad attack of Vertigo 18 months ago,and although I have not experienced another one, I have not felt right since and also feel light/heavy headed and feel as though I am on a boat that is rocking.

    I have had MRI scans and vestibular studies and am told that it is all down to ANXIETY.Nevertheless it does not make the dreadful feelings go away.I find it very difficult to go out as I used to,and find that being in theatres cinemas and restaurants is no longer a pleasant experience as I seem to be allergic to noise!!

    some days are better than others,but I also suffer from health anxiety which makes me think that I am suffering from a terminal illness.

    I can only keep saying to myself that although I feel dreadful most days I am still managing to do a few things.

    i do not take medication for fear of side effects ,but am hoping that CBT will help.So far I can't say it has done much for me.

    I really sympathise with you,and hope that your family is supportive.

    i find it even more difficult to cope with,because I live alone and have no close family near.You are not alone but unfortunately anxiety seems to have a life of its own.

    i wish I had an answer,and I wish this illness would just go away.

    • lori1022
      lori1022 Wendl

      Posted

      Thank you so much for your reply.  It does feel good to know I'm not alone, but would never wish these feelings on my worst enemy!  If things don't improve I will request an MRI just to rull out anything more serious.  Right now I have felt dizzy/lightheaded/heavy headed all day and very tired.  So I am resting.  I can't live my life this way though.  My husband is extremely supportive and understanding but I know he is worried also.  
    • dog1902
      dog1902 Wendl

      Posted

      Hi,

      I suffer from health anxiety too and I am struggling with it very much. Its so hard for anyone to understand what I have to deal with every single day. I to suffer from dizziness and lightheaddness (only in the last 8 weeks). I am now taking prozac 40mg and beta blokers in hope to ease my sumptoms, however nothing has helped so far. I have had a CT scan and that was normal, I am now waiting to see an ENT specialist.

      Good luck to you and please keep us updated.

  • jacqueline01135
    jacqueline01135 lori1022

    Posted

    Sounds as though you could have Labrynthitis .Easily sorted ,ask your doc to 

    check you out for it 

  • fiona60181
    fiona60181 lori1022

    Posted

    hi all, i am having a terrible time at the moment but reading some of the stories it seems that i am not alone. i started menopause at the beginning of the year. i also developed some anxiety issues in march time and the gp gave me some beta blockers which i started to take but stopped within a few days because they made me unsteady on my feet. since then the vertigo has not stopped and is usually worse when i lay down. it is also accompanied with tinnitus. some days are worse than others and it is exaserbated when i am tired. i am cracking on as normal but i am really struggling some days because i feel bloody awful. i need help but dont even know where to start.

  • vivian05719
    vivian05719 lori1022

    Edited

    I'd look into menopause. Sounds very similar to like what I've been going through. I've just gone through the highest level of panic attack and anxiety, so much so that I ended up in the ER four times in one month, only to have one cluey doctor at the hospital eventually work out it was menopause (can hit women during peri-menopause also).

    Menopause can have a lot more sinister symptoms than the well publicized hot flushes and insomnia.

    You can get body tremors, numbness, lightheadedness, feeling drunk, or raging with madness, walking problems, shakiness and a sense of pending doom so strong in my case that I ended up walking up and down my corridor for three hours every night just trying to settle my panic attacks. I thought I was having a heart attack and seriously dying.. The list of symptoms are even longer if you research forums. Forget finding info on medical sites, they rarely mention the hideous symptoms. Wish they would as it would have saved me so much heartache. Only HRT will help out and even that is a mine field where it takes a while to find the sweet spot.

    Severe menopause symptoms are becoming the norm and I suspect it has to do with the level of stresses women carry in this modern age of multitasking and businesses. And if you have an underlying anxiety disorder like me or health issues or put your body suddenly under extreme stress like I did by doing a low carb diet you could end up in the ER wondering if you are losing it or dying. And I'd check thyroid as it can go down with menopause and it has similar affects on anxiety also. Fun part is finding a professional that knows about these menopausal symptoms and won't flog you off too easily as you will need ongoing support.

    This is an interesting article outlining how it can strike without any of the usual symptoms

    https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/aug/16/it-feels-impossible-to-beat-how-i-was-floored-by-menopause

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