Constantly Lightheaded

[hc1]

Hi everyone.  

I have not been formally diagnosed yet, but was wondering if any of you feel like you are always lightheaded, or just have a "weird" feeling in your head?  I don't get the vertigo spins, I just usually say I am feeling "woo woo in my head",  lol.  

Thanks for your thoughts!

[AmPac]

Sorry....I know that's not nice to hear

[AmPac]

My girlfriend was diagnosed with optical neuritis and optical migraine, then had an MRI that showed MS. She continues to suffer excruciating eye pain.

[AmPac]

I, too, feel like my eyes are swimming. Also have overwhelming fatigue and weakness, like I've been walking in mud and it's caked on my shoes. I saw the eye doctor today and didn't express my concerns, but the newest symptom is numbness on the left side of my forehead and my left hand. My sister was diagnosed with MS 15 years ago. I had an MRI 10 years ago that was normal, and the main symptom at that time was head ache and fatigue. Do I want to get another MRI?  
Also, does anyone have swallowing problems?

[zerodegrees]

I have this problem too and I am diagnosed. I describe it as feeling like I have two glasses of wine on board. Or that I am walking sideways.

I have walked into walls and stumbled while walking. When this first started it lasted for a few weeks. Now it happens when I am tired (didn't sleep well the night before) or if I exercise too hard.

[hc1]

I totally understand the store feeling.  I was in Walmart once walking around and I just kept telling myself " I will not die in Walmart, I will not die in Walmart".  It gets that bad.  

I do not carry anything in my pockets.  I regularly visit a chiropractor as well.

[PeninaD]

Silly (or maybe not) question.  Do you keep your wallet in your back pocket, on that side?  You may be compressing a nerve, or blood vessel.

[jazzgirl62]

Oops..that last word was supposed to be appointment!

[jazzgirl62]

HC1; just saw your post and definitely can relate to the feeling you describe! Am in limbo as some others here have stated. One time I got to feeling so lightheaded in a grocery store I thought I was going to pass out. I agree that it;s a different feeling than vertigo.  Good luck at your neuro-ophthalmology apothegm.  (:

[CheyTag]

Good luck... I was just wondering because I am seeing a neuro-opthamologist right now and have been unofficially DX with optic neuritis/ with ? MS... I was just wondering if neuro-opthamologists could DX...

[Evalucia]

I wouldn't call it an official diagnosis.

He examined me and determined that vision wise I was normal but when he looked at the MRI he said that my lesions were MS lesions and not ischemic.  He said he was going to write a note to my neurologist.  When he submitted his claim to my insurance he wrote MS as the diagnosis.  I see my neuro in 2 weeks.

I don't think that counts as a formal diagnosis until I hear from my neurologist that I do indeed have MS

[CheyTag]

Hi:) did you neuro-opthamologist DIAGNOSE you with MS??

[Poppy7402]

I've no idea how they worked, but polarised sunglasses massively reduced the drunk feeling with fluorescent lights.  I could work all day in a room with them, without stumbling around and crashing into things/people whereas before you'd have sworn I'd been on the turps before class.

I never tried them with patterns but it's possible they would help as you'd lose some of the colours, making things not so 'busy'.

[Evalucia]

I am in limboland still but I have that feeling all the time.  I am fine but if I look from side to side, I feel all woozy.  Busy patterns do that as well.  I went to a neuro-opthalmologist who found no sign of ON or demylineation on my tests; however, once he took a look at the MRI he was adamant that I had MS.

I am so sick of feeling woozy all the time.  

Poppy, I didn't understand what you wrote about polarized sunglasses.  Do they cause this or make this better?

[hc1]

Yes it's like being drunk sometimes.  Patterns are the worst!  I'm. Going to see a neuro-opthamologist in August, hope he can give me some answers.  I'm tired of feeling weird all the time.

[Poppy7402]

I had issues with the old fluorescent lights that flickered rapidly for approximately 14 months before they resolved of their own accord.  It was a bit like being drunk.  It was all set to cost me my job until I discovered that polarised sunglasses made it that I didn't 'look' drunk when teaching a class.

I still find I don't cope so well with really busy patterns in carpet or stores that are absolutely jam packed with stock, such as supermarkets and big department stores.  

I never got an answer as to what it was but I can only assume it was a mild ON type of thing.

[hc1]

I will also add it gets 100x worse in fluorescent lighting or when I move my eyes back and forth such as in a store aisle.