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Psychogenic vertigo/vertigo with anxiety cause

Posted , 18 users are following.

AisMac
AisMac

Hi guys,

I can see from your posts that most of you feel that anxiety exacerbates vertigo, but is not the cause.

I have had fairly severe vertigo for about six months now. It starts with double vision, then jumping eyes/nystagmus where the world is rapidly moving downwards - like a sideways film reel, and then the whole world pitches forward as well and I am sick. At this point it is severe - I can't recognise my own son, or even stand up. Sometimes it lasts the day but often it is gone by late lunch, when school run is over.

The ENT had my ears, balance, MRIs done and they're all clear. I have " undiagnosed recurrent vertigo" and there's little can be done.

It first presented itself last May at a stressful time and at the end of a mild virus which was probably the initial cause. It stayed for five weeks and drifted away over the school holidays (I'm a single mum so holidays are much lower stress). However last year was a hugely stressful one. I have Bipolar and for the first time had to go into hospital for it in late August. This was a traumatic experience and after a few days, the vertigo returned and hit me like a ton of bricks.

I have had it ever since..over six months. For me, the big trigger for it is not movement or lights - it's *having to leave the house*. It starts right before I have to go anywhere, and particularly in the mornings just before the school run. Sometimes closing my eyes helps, sometimes it doesn't.

In desperation some weeks ago I went back to a Physio specialising in vertigo, who had previously told me she couldn't help me. She listened to me and said she thought I had gotten into a vicious circle of anxiety with it. : I need to go out -> causes anxiety -> creates vertigo -> heightens anxiety. And so on.

I have to say it makes sense, and my bipolar makes me prone to anxiety anyway. Funnily enough over two weeks ago I hurt my back and while it was healing, my vertigo disappeared! It was bliss. But it came back with a vengeance last Thursday. Did it stop because my brain was diverted elsewhere?

I have booked myself in for CBT with a good practitioner starting next week, and I'm learning to meditate. If you're still reading, thank you.

Has anyone any similar stories to tell or advice to offer? I would so appreciate it. Life is on hold, my default star is frightened, and I am quietly desperate.

Aisling

2 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

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  • chris1971
    chris1971

    Posted

    Hi aisling

    First I will say wow! I thought somes got it bad on here including myself however I'm over the worst of it now thank god, I don't know how you have coped with it all. Good luck with the cbt whatever that is i did a cbt yrs ago for my motorbike licence I take it it's not that lol the only positive thing I can say to you is look at it this way tomorrow will never be as bad as it was today that's what I tell myself about everyday life so if I'm having a bad day I know tomorrow will be better and so on . Oh by the way I was diagnosed with labyrinthitis so the dizzies and spinning I can appreciate where your coming from keep us informed how you get on good luck again

  • ddonaghey1989
    ddonaghey1989 AisMac

    Posted

    Hi aisling. I've been suffering with dizziness about a year and a half now. I've never had spinning vertigo but it started after a vomiting bug. Felt like the ground was moving and things looked weird I felt like I was on a boat it left me in bed for a long time. I seen my gp. ent. Physio and neirologist who all said it was stress. I've never been the same since. I can do most things noe and have done for about a year but I'm still not the same. Its horrible having no1 to help sad hope your doing OK x
    • sophia25262
      sophia25262 ddonaghey1989

      Posted

      Hi i have the exact same as you- the vomiting bug- the boat feeling and bed for 3 weeks with no food or drinks just constantly sweating and felt like my bed was a lilo- am much better now but still not the same- maybe we can stay in touch and help eachother-  xx I'm only 23

      Emis Moderator comment: I have removed the email address as we do not publish these in the forums. If users wish to exchange contact details please use the Private Message service .

      http://patient.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/398331-private-messages

  • jason61983
    jason61983 AisMac

    Posted

    I hope you condition has improved and would like to know how you are feeling 5 months on.I too am bipolar and have been suffering with dizzines/vertigo for about 6 months now.I was diagnosed with vestibular neuritis by my GP after 2 months of dizziness.Over time I feel the dizziness is always with me but is getting better as I have good days and sometimes good weeks.The past 3 days now I have been terrible and am getting worried as I thought these bad days were getting lesser and less severe.I have to lie down all day and just getting up to eat or shower makes me feel so much dizzier.I never feel a spinning senseation but feel a very strong swaying feeling and my head feels very strained and heavy and I get very tired.I have found that even at my worst I feel much better in the nights a couple of hours after taking my medication Olanzapine.My mental health consultant says it is the vertigo is nothing to do with my medication as I have been diagnosed with vestibular neuritis and that is the cause.I have allways felt a little dizzy on and off for years now and have felt dizzier while reducing my morning anti depressants and also if I forget a dose.I am trying to stay positive and I know better days are on the horizon but I am getting more fearfull for the bad days.I am determined that this vertigo will not effect my mental health as I have come so far the fast couple of years and have too much to loose.I will be letting my GP know this week that my vertigo is playing me up again and asking to be refered to Spire Hospital for a second opinion.I don't have much to go savings to go private but money I do have is useless to me if I am not well enough to enjoy it.There is treatment and exercises for my condition but many long term suffers I have spoken to on the net say that they are a waste of time and that If I keep busy on the better days my brain and opposite ear will learn to conpensate and things will improve and I will have better days more often than bad days.

    I hope you are well and wish you all the best in life.

    Jason.

  • irini992
    irini992 AisMac

    Posted

    I'm sorry to hear about your vertigo. For the past month or so I have had a swaying sensation that is driving me crazy. I don't feel like I'm spinning it's an odd feeling. Sometimes I feel it in my eyes. My ears have been having issues as well and my allergies are not helping. However, my anxiety makes everything worse. I'm severely apprehensive to go to the Dr because I get so anxious at any type of appointment. I had abdominal surgery about 24 months ago for something benign and I was otherwise very healthy. I fear every symptom as it is a death sentence. This is the anxiety speaking of course.  

    I'm 28 and I take very good care of myself but cannot kick the anxiety. I strangely feel a bit better knowing there are others who understand what I am feeling. I wish you all the best and if I can help in any way feel free to reply! 

    • sandra12907
      sandra12907 irini992

      Posted

      Irini,  

      U are definately not alone.  I have had anxiety disorder all my life,  starting mostly when i began school at age five.  I am now 46 and still struggle with it.  It is worse in sressful times,  ofcorse.  My mom passed last March after being ill for awhile.  That is when I actually started experiencing this vertigo.  It comes and goes,  sometimes mildly,  and sometimes it is so bad I cant walk.  Thank goodness it never lasts long. My nuerologist explained it as "a type of sensory overload to the brain". My eyes feel funny with it too sometimes!so I hope this helps you a bit.  Anxiety is hard to live with,  but just know u r not alone in the struggle with it.  I will discuss it more if u ever need to.  It seems easier to deal with these issues when u know u r not the only one. smile 

    • sandra12907
      sandra12907 irini992

      Posted

      Irini,  

      U are definately not alone.  I have had anxiety disorder all my life,  starting mostly when i began school at age five.  I am now 46 and still struggle with it.  It is worse in sressful times,  ofcorse.  My mom passed last March after being ill for awhile.  That is when I actually started experiencing this vertigo.  It comes and goes,  sometimes mildly,  and sometimes it is so bad I cant walk.  Thank goodness it never lasts long. My nuerologist explained it as "a type of sensory overload to the brain". My eyes feel funny with it too sometimes!so I hope this helps you a bit.  Anxiety is hard to live with,  but just know u r not alone in the struggle with it.  I will discuss it more if u ever need to.  It seems easier to deal with these issues when u know u r not the only one. smile 

    • wendy74506
      wendy74506 sandra12907

      Posted

      I have anxiety too.  I have had some stressful events happen these past two years of my life and it has taken a toll on me.  I'm trying to meditate and calm down but it is hard.  I was diagnosed with BBPV two years ago and it hasn't got better.  I should go back to the doctor but haven't.  I think mine has something to do with anxiety, but not sure.  I'm somewhat scared to find out what is wrong.  Do you take medicine for your anxiety?

       

    • liz71358
      liz71358 wendy74506

      Posted

      Hi Wendy. I've been on Venlafaxine for my anxiety and depression for 15 years!! I also get vertigo.it has handled it very well.  Recently I've decided I want to try to get off medication. As I'm lowering my dose under my doctor's care, the intense anxiety and vertigo has returned at times.  I'm now taking yoga and want to learn meditation.  All of these conditions are a result of post traumatic stress I suffered 20 years ago. I also had a seizure and they feel I have epilepsy.

      i want to give this a try to be myself without medication.  

      What is BBPV?

       

  • jonathan68904
    jonathan68904 AisMac

    Posted

    Hello AisMac,

    I am sorry to hear that you are or had been feeling this way. Also I am sorry to heat about anyone else on this page suffering from this kind of dizziness. I am 26 years old, have my own start up company and have been exposed to a lot of stress and responsibility the last few months of my life. To that, i have been having relationship problems and all the sudden things just went BANG and I started feeling dizzy.

    Its important to realize that the dizziness is somethign benign. Its your body trying to communicate something to you so its very important you do your best to listen. Your body is your friend and not your enemy. So if you try and listen, really try and see what your body is trying to communicate to you and what it needs. So you need to be patient and learn to start trusting your mind and also your body. Your probably asking yourself why this is happening to you and not to friends or people around you. Probably because you are a more sensitive human being and you will exit this point of your life far more aware/awakened than anyone around you.

    The biggest problem with this dizziness thing is that we subconciously start to loose trust to our mind (uncontrolled and elivated anxiety) but ALSO to our body (uncontrolled dizzyness). It is imperative that you start learing to trust both again. I really reccomend you do YOGA at least 2 - 3 times a week and also jogging. Seriously, this is the most important of all! Learn to trust these two, and slowly start to change your perception about what is happening to you.

    These supplements helped me get through it and i really reccomend you taking them as they will work! I promise!

    - Maca Powder (buy on amazon) works wonders

    - 5 HTP - Natural Serotonin booster 

    - Vitamin B12

    Also, once you are feeling better, you may want to look into a few lifestyle changes. As this happened because something was off balance in your life - and your body wants you to make some serious changes. 

    Please remember, the most important thing is your viewpoint in this. You are an amazing human being and are so lucky that your body is so sensitive that it communicates with you. As painful as it is now, its actually a gift, and i promise you, once you've managed this - your body/mind/quality of life will have be incomparible to anything you have had before.

     

  • Crackmaster
    Crackmaster AisMac

    Posted

    Hey AisMac, thigns that you said are just like my condition... Long story short, i sometimes mask my symptoms with alcohol, other way i am taking some medicatoins (in my country that medication is named "Ksalol", i don't know if you have these in your country...) It starts when i leave my home -_- it's very very unplesent... sometimes i have seizure on the street then i start to unzip my jacket, making histerical movements with my arms and so on... Search "relaxation music" on youtube and let it play whole night, try to make some tea from dry sheath of apples and drink that, i will start too... alternative medicine says it could help you (well it cannot harm you eighter, unless they are treated with some chemical, the best way is to grow your own - which can calm you down too - growing your own garden is like a bliss). Ironically, it's nice to know that other people have these symptoms too. Cheers smile
  • veemae80819
    veemae80819 AisMac

    Posted

    Hi Aisling

    Just came across your post and wonder how you are doing.  

    Hope you have seen some improvement.

  • lisa08672
    lisa08672 AisMac

    Posted

    Hi,I've been bed bound all last week and severe dizziness on and off for 5 months,I was given antibiotics as a last resort and it helped but now after 4 days symptoms are back and I feel tired and weak and room is spinning,I'm due a MRI scan and ent in 5 weeks time,I'm desperate as no 1 knows what's wrong,I'm scared I'm going to be bed bound again as symptoms are same,I'm 32 and got two kids,lisa
  • ishani23
    ishani23 AisMac

    Posted

    Hello Aismac...more than 5 years I'm suffering from dizziness and vertigo and some other staffs... I did CT SCAN of brain MRI of brain but all are okay... I am depressed. I am 23 now... Doctor says I am all okay... But nobody care to listen waht kind of life I'm living right now... Somtimes I cried silently cause Nobody ever tried to understand me. I doing masters in Biotechnology so I have to study and need to spend time in the lab at least 17 hour...and its not easy... Sometimes I am jealous of my friends because they all are having fun at this age and I have to stuck in my dorm room because of this... Thanks for sharing your probelms... And Now reading the all comments I feel somehow relax that I am not all alone...

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