Transitory Dizziness

[India]

Hi guys. I think this topic may have been brought up before, but I couldn't find it in the archive. I apologise if this is old stuff for some of you.

I am increasingly getting these transitory moments of faintness: they literally last a couple of seconds. All of a sudden I feel like I am going to swoon--like those women in Victorian novels!--but I never really pass out. The feeling is different to what I get when I stand up or when I have fainted or near fainted in the pass: then the feeling comes on more gradually, things get dark, and I slowly feel myself losing consciousness. These transitory episodes come on very quickly and I don't notice any tunnel vision or most of the usual symptoms, it just feels as though momentarily all the blood has drained from my head. I was in the middle of lecturing this morning and about 30 minutes into my lecture it happened and then happened again about ten minutes later. I managed to keep talking about Ancient Greek democracy--what a trooper--but I felt really woozy for the rest of the period. Immediately after the tranistory episodes my hands and feet go all clammy and sweaty and I still feel very unsteady even though I am now sitting down after my lecture. I still have one more lecture to go and am really concerned because my husband is 9000 miles away in Britain at a conference and I am in Hawaii.

I've had these episodes in the past but they have been months apart. Over the past few months I have had them with increasing frequency. I have no idea what brings them on. I felt very good this morning before work--no dizziness, no headahce, and quite happy for a change! Indeed I was thinking about how I haven't felt this good in a while. Sunday was a whole day without any symptoms! Obviously, I tempted fate.

Usually I am o.k. when I am lecturing because I move around and cross my legs and try to keep things generally "upright!" I take my florinef in the morning and so you would think there is more of it in my system during the am and I would not experience these symptoms so much.

I am guessing that these transient episodes are caused by a very temporary drop in BP. Do you think that is right. If so, what can I do about them? If not, what can be causing this? I also have them when I am sitting or even lying down.

I have been checking my BP and it has been quite good lately (100/60) but I have dizziness sometimes all day despite a good BP and these transitory things are increasing. All my blood work checks out fine--iron etc. I've had a head CT and MRI about a year ago because of headaches and they checked out fine.

I am just so afraid that I am on a downward spiral to the point that I will be unable to work. That is something that I literally cannot afford to do.

Gosh, now I have to go and explain the causes of the French Revolution to a class of freshmen--enough to make anyone dizzy!

If anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate your input.

Vive la France!

India

[sjprice23]

Hey India,

I don't have much to say about how to help you with this, as I am dealing with and have been dealing with this type of symptom for most of the time I have been sick ~ the nature of the short episodes of dizziness is why so many docs have thought I have had vertigo...also because I was confusing the "type" of dizziness I was getting. I as well for sure get the regular dizziness episodes of feeling like I am going to faint, with all the "normal" pots/tachycardia episodes. But as you're describing, I get these short "spins" as well.

I'm thinking they are apart of the disorder because they have treated me and checked for just about everything else when it comes to dizziness: inner ear problems, vertigo, positional vertigo, the list goes on and on. But nothing of any treatments for these have helped one single bit and each time I'd get treated for something, I kept getting told that they should help~if I had any of those problems/conditions...as I said already: None of it helped even in the slightest.

I can completely relate to the fear of not being able to work anymore because of getting these transitory episodes of dizziness. It is a very constant thing with me ~ I get them every day, many times throughout the day, and when I was working, these sort of episodes is what made it next to impossible for me to continue working, more so than the "big" episodes.

Again, I don't know what to tell you about how much they'll progress for you, what to really do about them, etc. etc. because I have no idea other than they seem to be apart of this disorder, and my specialist agrees with me, that it happens quite frequently to many people with this.

And finally, you are not alone, I can relate to the need to have to work, etc. I worked as long as I possibly could when the transitory type of dizziness got worse, then I started getting them while driving on a frequent basis, and they completely screwed up my concentration at work (not to mention the fatigue that set in) to the point where I couldn't get them to stop and I'd constantly have to go home early from work and I would walk out in front of forklifts (worked in a factory) on a regular basis, too dangerous for me ~ I want to live!!! Not get crushed by a forklift! So, after a long while struggling with it, I decided that I just can't do it, at least what I was doing, but am now currently trying everyday to figure out another way to bring in some income (applying for SSI, looking into other lines of work, starting an online degree for something stimulating like web developmnet), keeping my mind sharp (writing, and educating myself, i.e. reading/researching, etc. in moderation to my physical abilities, at my own pace at home) to make it through this rough patch until I work my way into something else that will be satisfying and bring in some income.

Just keep fighting, don't stop trying and looking, and, not that I want to say this, maybe get yourself ready to having to stop working, at least doing what your doing, just in case, and I stress, just in case(so the blow to your emotions, etc. aren't as severe)

[nikigrl8883]

hi i have only had pots for 5 1/2 months but thats my main symptoms lightheadedness feeling like im gonna faint and dizzyness every now and then i get a wave of it almost like im in an elevator when it drops just a wierd feeling hard to describe if i think about it too much itll happen! i try not to...ive had mris blood work heart tests eeg alot and they can figure out why im always like that and yes its even when my bp is ok so i dont know

[India]

Thanks guys, for your support. I like the description of the wave feeling like an elevator--that's just how I feel.

It's been on and off all day today. I've felt a bit better sitting down, but if I sit down for too long without moving it comes on again. But if I stand up too long, it comes on again then. No win situation I guess.

The doc put me on meclizine over a month ago but I stopped taking it because it did absolutely nothing at all.

Like you say, it's just something that we have to struggle with and try and find a way to deal with it. I guess I am so frustrated because it seems to get worse for no reason. I can feel well or at least less symptomatic for days even weeks at a time and then, without varying my routine, bang, it all comes back again. I wish I could identify some trigger but I cannot.

As I said, the thing that frightens me most is that over the past year, each recurring episode is actually worse than the last one. I feel like I'm on a downward slope and I don't know where it is going to end.

I guess I'll have to switch to online teaching. At least I can sit down for that!

Thanks again guys. It is comforting to know that I am not going through this alone.

Cheers,

India

[kmpower]

Hi India,

I have symptoms just like yours when I miss a meal or perhaps in the AM after too small a dinner. They are very quick (I call them "woo-woo"s), but I may get more than one. They are very different from my orthostatic lightheadedness which lasts quite a while.

I usually eat something and that helps.

I will also mind my posture because I think my sinuses have something to do with it sometimes. Before my symptoms started, I had lost a lot of weight on a healthy diet. Besides my own searching, I got an ENT to confirm that weight loss may redistribute how head/sinus/ear lymphatic fluids flow. Movement helps a lot.

Good luck. It doesn't worry me anymore because I know it isn't serious.

OLL

[India]

OLL, That's interesting what you say about the connection between weight loss and these episodes. I lost about 40lbs and my symptoms have gradually been getting worse since then! I also have sinus problems and have wondered if they contribute to these episodes or just the general feeling of dizziness.

It seems horribly ironic to do something seemingly healthy for yourself, like lose weight, and then to be "punished" by having these new symptoms!

India

[kmpower]

When I first got my tachy episodes, they included tinnitus and a weird echoing to my voice. Because it was called anxiety so many times and I knew it wasn't (like all of you), I spent hours searching the symptoms. I found out about "patent eustachian tube" which had my exact symptoms -- with tachy and anxiety resulting from the unusual perceptual activities.

I had lost about 55 pounds over 8 months, nice and sensible, but one of the causes of PET is weight loss (actually fat loss) in the tube. That is why I went to the ENT. He checked the tubes and said I didn't have that, but did say the loss fat around the inner ear could certainly change things.

I don't get the echoing voice so much anymore, or maybe I am used to it. The tinnitus is just background for me now and rarely bothers me, except for when there is a barometric drop. (I can hear a storm moving in!) But I do get those quick dizzy sensations which might be related.

The stuff I searched on PET said that gaining back the weight sometimes helps, but I didn't want to do that.

I am sorry you got worse. You are right. It hardly seems fair. Oh well, I will take that over tachy any day!

OLL