My Dad has had diziness on and off for years (over 10) for about 5 of those years at the begining it was constant, he then went to see a woman after the Dr's tried "everything" and found nothing, no meds worked either. The woman he saw was a neuro therapist who has hekped him immenseley the diziness is a lot less now, and he can live a normal life ie can drive work etc all bar the occasional couple of days every now and then!

I started with diziness back in 05 after almost finishing uni, i just had my finals and dissetation to do! it lasted about 2 months, somehow I got through it, the meds I had didnt work, infact one of them made me really jittery and on edge, but the pharmacist denied the drugs could dothat to me, as it wasnt in the BNF as the symptoms, and shunned me.
I then got dizzy in 07 when I was hating my job, and felt isolated, but also trapped. this time it laste about a month but it started with a migraine, something i have never had before. After the diziness eased, I returned to work things pocked up, but soon got back to the way they were previously. I didnt get dizzy again but was feeling very depressed and anxious.

I then got another migraine, this time much worse than the first, so bad infact my bf thought i was having a stroke, as I lost all feeling in my right arm, leg and face, and was slurring my speech. once that had passed I started with really bad anxious feelings, on edge constantly and when we went to a coffee shop I had to leave when I was asked what my order was, and my bf handt yet decided. I felt all panicky and unable to handle normal everyday situations.

unfortunately I am now suffering with diziness after a mini migraine yesterday which struck me during my daily morning cycle before work. I am now feeling dizzy and cant really string a sentence together.

after leaving my previous job i stared my own business and had a big job on sunday (its tuesday today) i can see a link between stress/anxiety and my diziness, and i ave been to see a dr / mental health nusre with regards this, and was given a computerised programme, which hasnt really helped.

I think my dads is alsostress related!

Oh and need to classify my diziness and my dad's as the drunk/groggy feeling. Last night i likened mine to having a translation problem between perception and output from the brain, i know what Im trying to say for example, but I talk crap if I dont concentrate 100% and also make up words!

sorry for the long post! but you never know someone with reasearch interests might stumble across it and realise everyone that posted hear needs help, and they might hold the key!

Hello people, I have posted a message before on this forum explaining my symptoms. It's been 6 months now. I was wondering if it's just me or does anyone of you have this really odd visual problem which seems to be linked (in my case) with the dizziness, since they started at the same time. I will attempt to describe it as best as I can:

Whenever I look at patterns of white on black or vice versa, it seems to vibrate/glow a little and it's really annoying me. They don't actually vibrate or glow but that's the best way I can describe them since I can't explain what they actually do.

It seems to be worse with metal light colored rectangles very close to each other over a dark or black background. Ive noticed that it's very intense on the grids on the floor of the subway here. I have also noticed it on certain images on tv, but oddly enough, if the image focuses in, the gaps between the rectangles/shapes widen and it stops vibrating.

Is anyone else experiencing such a thing or am I alone ?

If I were you, I would go see an Ear, nose and throat specialist. Sounds like some inner ear imbalance and if you have headaches on top of that, it could be a sign of something serious. You should probably get an MRI of your entire head that way you can rule out any issues with masses, tumors, cysts and sinuses. Have you had this done already? Allergies can cause ear pressure/dizziness and headaches... hopefully thats all it is. See the specialist though...

I am going back to my Dr as the tablets havent worked (Beta histine) lets see if the dr I get this time is any better! The last one was cold, and wasnt really listening to me

I'm surprised no one here is mentioning Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Most posts fit the DSM diagnostic criteria and would very likely benefit from low dose SSRI at bed time.

Many doctors have for years theorized CFS is really a sleep disorder stemming from limbic dysfunction, resulting in lack of restorative sleep and too much REM sleep. They treat many cases by putting the patients on very low dose SSRI to reduce light sleep and improve deep sleep.

Yours truly a case. My dizziness and fogginess also improved drastically after I went back to work (I took a year off because of this condition), began having fun and partying again, and gradually began regular exercise.

Work
Sleep
Play
Exercise

JeffFontaine: you are not alone i get the same thing with my illness, ito me its like that weird effect when you look at red & blue strips together, i have to have plain walls in my house due to patterns causeing me problems, i even find it hard to read now as the black text on white papers goes weird like they have a white aura and seem to shimmer. the check pattern also effects me if i wall past railings i get very dizzy like i am going to pass out.

i would just like to add something to my condition, it has been three months i have kept a diary of everything i have eaten nothing seems to link.
i have recently seen a mental health worker to see if they think its stress related, now i have done this before when i first got this dizyyness/foggy feeling and was told that yes i am stressed but this was due to being ill and also not knowing what the matter was. people must rememeber that stress can make any illness worse so does not mean its the cause.
i also tried beta blockers and they only made things worse had to stop them after two days.

i feel so alone and lost its hard to go on, one day i can wake up and i feel like i am getting better and can get a good night sleep and some of my interests start coming back, then i wake up the next morning and i do not feel like myself anymore Dizzyness,lightheadedness,foggy brain,confusion, no emotion to simple things like the sun shining on my face or things that i know are funny do not trigger me anymore.

i am stressed because i am ill because inside i still want to do the things that i love just seems like a loose wire in the brain not letting the signal in.

sorry for long post.


Can anyone say anything that helps them at all.

only thing that sometimes gives a few seconds of relief is a very cold shower to the back of the head.

Hi all:
yep me another dizzy chick. I've had this thing for two years. Started while lying on my right side in bed. The room just started to spin. Then i had the feeling I was being pushed over and could feel air or something in my ear. I put cotton in it and it help. It still feels kind of plugged, and even cold sometimes. I also have tm's j, and hypothyroid. Now I have occassional spinning dizziness. And boy does that suck. Puts me out for quite a few days. And then I am left with the aftermath which has become my normal. Rocking, swaying, I can't tell if it's me or the world moving. Luckily when I sit still it does stop. Except when I lie down at night, I think I fall asleep before it settles. Last night, I was thinking okay, maybe it's all anxiety. So I changed my thinking to something good. (I didn't notice the rocking sensation for those few moments) So it might just be anxiety. God knows, I've had anxiety all my life. Stomach aches and diarrhea as a kid.
Social anxiety as an adult, conquered those things mostly, now I've got dizziness. Been to all the doctors, I'm a puzzling case I guess.
Now, I think I have menieres. Self diagnosed. I am following a vitamin plan for this I found on a website and cutting out caffeine, chocolate (I know, poor me) and nuts, raisins and whole wheat. Who knows what I'll find to eat, cause would ya know these are my favorites.
So just wanted to tell you all. You are not alone, and we just might have to accept it really is anxiety. Anxiety works fast and it is very real.
Thanks to everyone for posting. It helps.

You should check out psychosomatic illnesses (headaches and dizziness are common symptorms). Also, find a good TMJ doc since this can also cause dizziness by putting pressure on the nerves in the inner ears (and it won't show up on ct, mir, or blood tests).

I've been dealing with dizziness and headaches since April of 2007 and it's not going away. I'm 30 yrs old and, like most of you, am worried that it can't be fixed. People just don't understand how frustraing and debilitating this condition is.

Anyway, I'm going to try counceling and stress management. My TMJ doc has done all she can for me (do NOT let them talk you into surgery) by advising me and making a night guard for me (I clinch at night).

Good luck to everyone and you have my eympathy.

15 years sufferer, been through hell and back with those disabling symptoms. Been tested from toes to hair for everything.

I have 2 explanations that will sound rather simple but I've done loads of reading and research, not saying that THIS is THE solution but you might have good interest in thinking about them and trying it out.

Ok so 1st, I can recall even at a very young age, with stenuous physical activity (goign way past my limits), my symptoms got much worst, visual symptoms, spaced out feeling mostly.
One of the only condition that have its primary symptom being unsteadinnes, fogginess, head pressure is Hyperventilation syndrome, overbreathing, think a bout it, dont you often feel as if youre system is lacking something ? Enough to feel so bad but rarely to the point of callapsing ?
I had a point in my life where I was feeling great, its when I used to be in good physical shape, 30-40km of bycicle per day, even then, pushing over my limits made me feel bad, but overall ok.

2nd point, FOOD !
It's what we all have in common, we eat crappy supermarker food, filled with hormones, insecticide, processed bread, and so on. And I'm not even talking about fast food and cola here.
I used to have that spaced out feeling daily for a couple years till I cutted my cola consomation, the spaced out feeling VANISHED.

Most food in supermarkets are filled with tons of sugar, artificial agents, fats and many more, do your own research about the subject youll be surprised and somehow its not hard to beleive how shitty you can feel when you eat shitty food.

Peace out guys and hang in there.

The dizziness is due to energy patterns which are shifting in ure system. Science cant really relate to it, since it relates to the zone of energies. When the energy intake rises, it causes pressure on the neuro system as well as ure entire body, mainly on shoulders, spine, head. The shift in energy patterns also leads to anxiety and depression.
Best cure for this is constant physical activity, like workouts, drink lots of water and milk thrice a day.

It seems like that link that i had posted of a website, is not allowed by this forum. I Thought this forum was open minded and intended on helping those in serious need.. I'll try to copy paste the information on that site, since i cant mention it here.

I can't believe i've found other people who have the same symptoms i do. I describe the dizziness as the same feeling you get when you close your eyes while swinging on a swingset or in a hammock. I've only been suffering from this for almost 3 months. I just found out about 2 months ago that i have an iron deficiency but i don't know if that's what's causing the dizziness because these aren't dizzy spells - i am dizzy from the minute i wake up to the minute i go to bed. i haven't found anything that makes it feel better except finding a big enough distraction for myself like exercise (not that it goes away, just easier to ignore). I notice that it gets much worse when i read and i do not yet know why. I suffered from anxiety and conquered it before the dizziness really began and i can assure anyone who doesn't know already, the dizziness associated with a panic attack is completely different from the groggy dizziness i experience everyday. I'll write in if i find out anything, but for now all i can tell new sufferers to do is try to keep at the things you love - they'll keep you going.

Hey guys, I just wanted to write a follow-up on my condition, which may help some of you.

I have completely stopped eating red meat, well, I've become a vegetarian now and guess what, I honestly feel better, not a 100% but still, better. The major thing I've noticed is that, after a week of not eating meat and onwards, the headaches I used to have in the evening are nearly completly gone. My idea as to why this happened is this: According to the article on Wikipedia, found naturally in beef is a chemical component called gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid also referred to as the "date rape drug". For most of us, when we intake substances that affects our brain, our symptoms get worse, like alcohol for example. So, since I feel better, I believe this component found in red meat might worsen our condition. Maybe you guys could give it a try, stop eating meat for a week, and tell us what happened.

from today i will try that and see what happens.
something i must note is this its been five months since my attack of server dizziness it has never gone but five months ago it got alot worse to the point i can not go out on my own, and sleeping gets harder but for some reason i get a few days when it calms down, not a lot but enough where my perception seems better and my mind feels my own then all of a sudden after sleeping one night it will be worse.
i am not sure what happens when sleeping other than my neck is sensative and have done a lot of research into this. you have arteries in your neck that if get narrow or have plaque build up can cut down blood flow and oxygen to the part of the brain that deals with our vision and perception.
i am not sure how bad everyone has it but for me i can not really be a father to my kids like this as its hard for me to think and hard to get emotion out of myself its like my brain is chemically locked, thing is its not stress or depression as when i wake up in the mornings i want to do the things i enjoy and get more depressed at the fact i can't.

sorry for going on.

god bless
andy

from today i will try that and see what happens.
something i must note is this its been five months since my attack of server dizziness it has never gone but five months ago it got alot worse to the point i can not go out on my own, and sleeping gets harder but for some reason i get a few days when it calms down, not a lot but enough where my perception seems better and my mind feels my own then all of a sudden after sleeping one night it will be worse.
i am not sure what happens when sleeping other than my neck is sensative and have done a lot of research into this. you have arteries in your neck that if get narrow or have plaque build up can cut down blood flow and oxygen to the part of the brain that deals with our vision and perception.
i am not sure how bad everyone has it but for me i can not really be a father to my kids like this as its hard for me to think and hard to get emotion out of myself its like my brain is chemically locked, thing is its not stress or depression as when i wake up in the mornings i want to do the things i enjoy and get more depressed at the fact i can't.

sorry for going on.

god bless
andy

Hi everyone,
As promised I've taken a bit of time to go back through 150 odd posts to provide a summary of possible causes and treatments. I haven't fact checked many of these and in some cases suggestions have been copied word for word from original posts. Please forgive spelling etc etc.

Format is CAUSE followed by POSSIBLE TREATMENTS (ie. -->).

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to post on this thread, and I hope this post proves useful.
7ducks

PS. If I've missed something from one of your posts, sorry, there was a lot to go through. Send me a PM if you feel it's important and I'll add it.


Heart
- Blood pressure - too high/low
- supraventricular tachycardia (ie. heart flutters)
--> Cardiologist and have an EKG and echo done of your heart

Spine/neck
- vascular system (ie. the transport of blood and lymph through the body and brain)
- arthritis in the neck
- Cervical syndrome - covers several conditions of the cervical (neck) area including
1. Cervical spondylosis involves degeneration of the cervical vertebrae (the seven bones making up the neck region of the spine). This is basically osteoarthritis of the neck.
2. Cervical spondylitis is inflammation of the synovial joints between the cervical vertebrae. Nerve-roots originating from the neck area may also become irritated. Symptoms may include pain felt from the back of the head to the top of the shoulder blades, pain radiating into the arm, and numbness in the hand. There may also be problems moving the neck.
--> Treatments may include heat, cervical traction, immobilisation and physiotherapy, anti-inflammation and muscle-reluctant pills
- important artery is not delivering enough blood to the brain, possibly through misalignment of the spine vertabrae or skull plates.
--> neurocranial restructuring (NCR) - endo-nasal balloons (ie. balloons inserted into the skull via the nose and inflated).
- arteries in your neck that if get narrow or have plaque build up can cut down blood flow and oxygen to the part of the brain that deals with our vision and perception.
--> get neurologist to take an MRI test on your head to check the condition of the blood vessels in the neck area, because there is a pathologic case in a certain area that can manifest our symptoms.

Eyes
- vertical heterophoria syndrome --> vision specialists of Birmingham

Brain
- diminished cerebellum - coordination
- neurotransmitter problem in some part of the brain (hippocampus for example) that might currently be beyond medical science's ability to diagnose and treat
- lupus (mirrors anxiety orders and is therefore often missed)
- masses, tumors, cysts and sinuses --> MRI

Inner ear
- meineres disease
- labyrinthitus
- viral infection of the inner ear
- encephalitis (brain inflammation)
--> Specialised ENT
--> ear problem was treated with antibiotics and the vertigo went away
--> a caloric test hearing tests
--> rebalancing exercises

Nose, mouth & throat
- hiatus hernia (endoscope (camera down the throat))
- polyps on sinuses - block breathing through nose and means I breath only through my mouth.
- breathing pattern disorders --> Www.Oxygenesis.Org
- jaw clenching from stress --> TMJ specialist
- sleep apnoea --> sleep clinic --> CPAP

Other organs
- Liver problems
- hyperthyroid

Environment/external
- mold or pesticides
- allergic reactions

Misc
- Anxiety, stress, panic disorder etc --> www.nomorepanic.co.uk)
- Improper diet - eg. cola, chocolate, alc%, sugar, meat, saturated fats etc
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- energy patterns which are shifting in your system - when it rises it puts pressure on the neuro system
- autonomic dysfunction
- Epstein Barr Virus (EBV - sort of very tough flu) - infected the liver
- deficiency in serotonin - caused by a post-viral condition drug that was developed as a light anti-depressant but was proven to bring serotonin back to normal levels
- Seretin deficiency --> try 5-HTP
- Stenuous physical activity in your youth (going way past your limits)
- Myosceletic problems
- Candida Overgrowth - overgrowth of yeast in the body --> hypnotherapy, craniosacral therapy, shen therapy
- hormonal related - pre-menopausal symptoms

Misc treatments
- Train your brain to think positive.
- acupuncture, massage, physio and chiro
- cut out salt
- anti-anxiety drugs
- Ginko biloba
- eat more raw foods (Broccoli, celery, blueberries, grapes, bananas, avocados, carrots etc)
- stop eating red meat (contains a chemical component called gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid also referred to as the "date rape drug")
- Mediation, exercise, eating good foods or taking chinese herbs
- taking proibotics may help by reintroducing good bacteria in your body
- Exercising - "put your shoes on and go out running!!"
- Take up yoga or tai chi, mediate
- sinuses x-rayed
- "rely on a higher power such as the almighty lord!"
- steam boil - You have a boil with boiling water in it put a towel over it with your head in there and just inhale the steam
- adrenaline tests
- St. John's Wort, Rhodiola (a natural supplement) which has shown some promise for anxiety
- give up the search - you'll be happier
- amphetamine, cocaine, alcohol
- "listen to antony robbins which gives you a better view on things and how to change your views and perspectives in life."
- herbal teas camomile at night peppermint tea in the mornings.
- bach rescue remedy herbal flower remedy.
- a chinese healing/herbal doctor - "body heat" which is really liver overactivity causing your blood to become very "hot"
- a very cold shower to the back of the head.
- relax!

This topic has been open for years and im sure the person who started it in the first place dont even read it anymore, but i see some people are still responding and for a year i have been trying to find some people with the same symptoms as me and finally i have. I have the exact same symptoms as the original thread starter and i notice it most when my sleep pattern gets disrupted. I have told myself that it is quite simply anxiety, because in the past 2 years i have constantly worried about silly things like what if i have this wrong with me, or what if its that? and this constant worry that something might be wrong with me (which was all in my head) has lead me to get this weird feeling in my head 24/7. I can only put it down to anxiety, and after reading all these posts in this forum i really think that is what it is. Even though I have told myself thats the problem and actually believe it too i think the symptoms will be here to stay, I cant really imagine life withou them anymore though i wish they would just go. I can still do everything like train at the gym and walk safely etc, but i just have this general slight unsteady feeling all the time, and the worse i sleep, the worse it is, and for some strange reason when i eat curry's i feel worse! I cant imagine why, but a chicken tikka massalla makes me a lot worse, maybe the high fat content who knows?

I think we all have to accept this and the only cure is to ignore it. It can be done, when i was away in majorca for 2 weeks having the greatest holiday ever I felt really great, then when i came back and started working again and not having a perfect sleep pattern it came back. I've just accepted it as one of those things that really piss you off but you just gotta get on with it. Other than anxiety the only other thing that seems the same is menieres disease, so we may just have that because anxiety plays a big role in that. Lets all try and forget about it and get on with our lives!

Hi Andrew,
Yerp. Still reading and commenting. I posted the below in response to a similar comment in March.
Cheers,
7Ducks

"Hey mate,
Thank you for taking the time to post, and for your excellent positive attitude. For the majority of posters on this thread I think you're right - it is anxiety and people should continue to try out different treatments ranging from the natural to hard core drugs.

However, as with many mental disorders, anxiety can be empirically tested and treated. I spent 18 months testing whether I had anxiety, and it was confirmed that I do not. I was able to rule it out.

So, for everyone posting on this thread, absolutely get 'tested' for anxiety - do the drugs and the questionnaires and the therapy sessions and the meditation and enter a program and stick with them long enough for them to have effect or effectively be able to be ruled out as a treatment.

But once you've done everything that modern science has to offer, and nothing even makes a dent, you need to continue your search.

By the way, it is very difficult to rule everything else out. As demonstrated by the dedicated research being carried out by the people who have posted here, new treatments for grogginess and headaches are being churned out all the time. However,as suggested by justTRY, odds are it is anxiety. Even if it’s not, it is one of the better places to start.

Cheers,
7ducks"

I just went to the doc today for dizziness. I was thinking it might be something in my ear, wax build-up and what not. The nurse flushed my ear and a disgusting amount of build up came out and I felt on cloud 9 for the rest of the afternoon(she also perscribed some anxiety pills for other symptoms that have been ongoing for a few months). Until now. Its been about 7 hours since my visit and I noticed the dizzy spells are back about 3 hours ago. I've been dizzy for a couple days now and it sucks. Im worried I'll get a bad spell while driving too. I'll try these pills for a month and go in for a follow-up and see what happens then.