I should have kept my mouth shut

Sinus issues a bit. I've had gel ice pack on my neck all night. I had noticed over the past two days, some vision problems and Sunday Monday and Tuesday nights I could not get to sleep and only got about 6 hours of sleep each night. Then slept for 8.5 hrs last night. Was looking tired past few days. So I guess it was coming and you would think after a year of this I would know the signs but I guess I don't,

I hope you feel better soon

Unfortunately there is no owners manual on this stuff so we can only learn as we go. I'm no doctor but i am getting the impression that possibly that the problems with the sinuses may be triggering the dizziness issue (blockages ect) I am trying flushing the sinuses to see if that helps which at this early stage appears to be having a positive effect with headaches, vision and pressure feelings although still slightly nauseous.Does your feelings of dizziness increase with head movements ?.

I thought it might be MAV. Maybe you can help me figure it out meaning triggers. I'm having a tough time with that part. Over the past 10 days I have been stressed about an appraisal and getting the house ready, I was not sleeping well 8 of the nights just couldn't get to sleep before 1 a.m but on day 9 and 10 I finally got to sleep but noticed day before yesterday was feeling off balance and falling sensation, noticed it was worse after VRT therapy visit, vision was off, then yesterday Friday morning going to work felt more falling feeling, some anxiety driving to work, hot flashes getting worse with dizziness, I did have chocolate cake, pizza, orange juice, during the week. Last night bad night sweat got soaked, woke up every 2.5 hours, this morning upper shoulders and back still tight, dizziness not bad yet and hope it stays low if not gone.

I am post menopausal in the 4th year, have hot flashes still. But Gyno said hormones still drop during post.

I think the 10 days of stress could have been the trigger.

I have also upped my thyroid meds in the past 3 weeks, don't know if that can trigger things.

Thanks for your help

Patty,

I get "attacks" if I cheat on the diet, and it's usually within 24hrs.  I used to love OJ, but had to quit it.  Pizza is usually ok if it doesn't have the meats on it.  I avoid any frozen dinner like the plague.  Fast food will make me feel like I want to die.  Chocolate and nuts are ok for me in tiny moderation.  A piece of chocolate cake would probably not be ok for me. 

They keep trying to put me on thyroid meds.  Everytime they do, I get horrible drenching sweats with any activity.  They cut it back and try lower doses, which help.   But whenever I increase thyroid, I feel "ramped up", and the dizziness is for sure worse.  I will also say with the shoulders/back, physical therapy helped me TREMENDOUSLY, but now that I don't go anymore, it is back, and I feel it can trigger MAV.  

Stress is definitely a trigger, as well as not sleeping.  Both are known and accepted migraine triggers. 

One interesting thing for me- I am trying to lose weight, and the only way my body will lose is with low carb, but it's so hard!! Anyway, the first two weeks, all I eat are lean fresh meats and vegetables.  The first few days I feel run down and horrible, then feel great.  Well, I just started this up about two weeks ago, and noticed- no dizziness of any type whatsoever.  I have suspected in the past that I have issues with gluten, and now I think that may be a key factor for me as well...

I know, I hope they do for you, but for me it's when it all started.  I have another friend and it all kicked off for her to after the menopause.  My consultant told me that due to all the hormonal changes was probably the cause.  I just went to bed one night fine and woke up and the world was spinning, it started with the BPPV and progressed to MAV.  I thought at one point i had MS, got out of bed one morning and fell to the floor, crawled around on all fours, went to work (mad thing to do) and then had to come home.  But as men get this too, it's hard to say, but i think menopause at whatever stage has a big part to play.

I think I'm going to have to do the migraine diet and slowly add one thing in at a time and see what's causing problems.

It sounds like your thyroid meds are a high dose when they start you on them. They should be starting at .25mgs for 8-12 weeks and retest and only move you up .25 every 8-12 weeks. I know I dose up very slow. The meds are very potent and Boeing a hormone it's tonight at the beginning. I hope they find the right meds and dose for you.

Thank you for chatting and your help

Thanks for your reply. I was warning if you could tell me anything about the nortriptyline. I tried amitriptyline and it caused a bad reaction and now I have nortriptyline but I'm afraid to try it. Did you try amitriptyline before and then go to nortriptyline? Did you have any side effects from it if so could you please tell me what they were and also how does help to you. Thanks

My consultant put me on nortrityline 10mg and told me not to let my GP try and change it to amitriptyline cos it's cheaper.  My GP tried to switch me to it and i said no and he kept me on nortriptyline,  A colleague at work was on amitriptyline and said it really bothered her and she had to come off it.

As far as i know i haven't had any side effects only improvement but i am on a low dose 10mgs.  it might be causing me some constipation but hard to say as i have IBS.  It has also helped with shoulder/neck pain that I was also struggling with.  I have been on it a year now.   I am getting along with it really well. I am reluctant to take meds unless i have to, but i couldn't continue with the balance problems as i was walking around like the drunken sailor.   

LOL!  I know that feeling of walking around like a drunken sailor!  I have to keep one hand on the walls in the hallways at work when it's bothering me. 

I forgot to mention- one of my worst triggers is fluorescent lighting, which I have everywhere at work.  I tried the migraine glasses, but didn't use them long enough, as all my male coworkers were making fun of me with them on :-(

Yes, flourescent lights at work and in supermarkets.  I have now improved but sometimes i still feel the dizzy's coming on, looking up to shelves also, which is called 'top shelf vertigo' and coming from light to shade.  Turning to close my garden gate also sent me in a spin, so now do that slowly.  In fact do most things more slowly now compared to the pace i use to.

I'm glad it's working for you. I guess since it comes from the same family as the Amitriotyline I'm worried about it causing a problem. I hate anti d's ive had so many problems on ant I've tried.

I don't no if you take nagnisium but it may help the constipation.

Thanks so much for chatting.

Most welcome. thanks I will give magnesium a try.  I understand your concerns about taking meds but I was probably so glad to find something at actually helped me that i was prepared to see what happened and thankfully it's doing the job. My balance and vision were so impaired by this condition that i would have probably had to give up work if couldn't get some help.  They are both tricyclic meds but in low doses work as neuropathic pain relief, so probably worse in higher doses. I only take 10mgs though the consultant said i could take it up to 70mgs if needed, which i would seriously be concerned about.