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1433736 tn?1291824497

Dizziness & MS (?)

Just wondering what the dizziness is like for others out there dealing with it and the possibility and/or diagnosis of MS.  Is it constant and severe?  Does it come in little bursts?  Do you get other symptoms along with the dizziness?  For me, when I have it, it's usually mild on a constant basis (along with a little blurriness at times), but it can become severe for short periods.  I've been dizzy free for about the last 6 or so days.  Today it's back.  I know what all the 'experts' say...now I want to know what people who actually have it say.  
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1433736 tn?1291824497
MonkeyMom...I'm so sorry.  I have on occasion used the walls in my hallway, backs of chairs, counters, etc. as braces to stay vertical, because it felt like I was just falling over.  I have had bouts where it feels like I'm on a rowboat in the middle of the ocean just rocking back and forth; the room that is, not me.  Yeah, I'm in limbo land also.  It *****.  I wish they'd just tell me what is wrong already!  Thanks for the input!

Nikki
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1433736 tn?1291824497
Audrey

Wow.  I'm so sorry that it's that bad, and for so long.  I have noticed that it does sometimes get worse when I'm on the computer at times; mostly at night on the laptop.  Sometimes I just have to get up and go lay down until it stops.  I've also found that when I am dizzy, darkness is not a good thing.  There's been many times in the last 4 months when I've gone to sleep with the light on because being dizzy in the dark is unbearable!

I'm a stay at home mom (we homeschool) so I don't really drive more than a couple miles to the grocery store every now and then.  Anything further or unfamiliar I schedule it around my husband's work life so he can drive.  I never know when a spell will hit so I try not to drive more than I have to.  

Thank you for sharing your experience with this misery.

Nikki
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1406332 tn?1315962760
Limbo lander here...

Dizziness is my worse symptom. It's all day everyday. It's worse when I look up. It's bad in stair well areas and large open stores like (grocery stores, Target...etc). To look at the clouds is like going on a roller coaster ride.

I have a hard time with things scrolling on a TV, flashing lights, spinning in a chair, kids running by, or any movement that I'm not prepared for.

I constantly use walls for balance and ALWAYS look down when I walk.

I had one attack of vertigo over a year ago that lasted for a few weeks. My chiropractor helped me with that.

It's exhausting to say the least.
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1433736 tn?1291824497
Jemm

I have to agree with you!  When I feel good...I'm like a kid on Christmas morning!  It's crazy, lol.  I do get the pressure feeling that you talk about also.  It's only been as severe as yours a couple times, feeling like I could faint.  That was horrible!!!!  Thanks for your input.  Glad to know I'm not the only one out there.  :)
Helpful - 0
1260255 tn?1288654564
Like JemmAus, dizziness and loss of balance is a symptom that plays the greatest havoc on my life. It has been going on now for 10 years, on and off, and changing in nature over time.

The Mayo Clinic says that dizziness is one of the most common reasons why people seek out a doctor. There are so many different reasons why people are afflicted with this. Usually if a complete physical doesn't identify low blood pressure or medications as a cause, the next step is to an ENT to determine if it is vestibular in nature.

The balance system is highly complex and brings so many different parts of the body into play to maintain equilibrium.

Back problems can cause dizziness along with neurological disorders.

The list is long and here again, it is a process of elimination.

I have no official DX, but my neuro says I have degenerative disc disease. My dizziness/balance and vision problems may well be due to DDD.

My SX can vary widely:
-dizziness can range from mild to severe, including vertigo, where the room spins.
-SX are usually the worst in the morning, but I have had several episodes where I have been woken from sleep with the room spinning.
-virtually constant ringing in my L ear. R ear is intermittent.
-blurred or double vision, which makes it impossible to drive.
-changes in light can make SX worse.  For instance, flickering of light through trees/fences or sudden darkening of the sky during storms.
-severe SX can sometimes last for 3 to 4 hours, recurring on a daily basis for months.

I've noticed recently that the "spells" get longer and longer in duration.

Like JemmAus, I've also had those days where I felt so light headed that I was afraid I would pass out. I dare not even take a shower when that happens, for fear of falling if I close my eyes.

I don't know where you live in NJ and whether or not you drive or can use mass transit. During those really bad spells, please be sure not to drive.

Audrey

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi there....dizziness/loss of balance is one of my worst symptoms. (I have three small lesions on the cerebellum so I guess that's why)

Mine tends to hit out of the blue. I sort of get a pressure feeling (not pain, just weird) in my head. It isn't 100% constant, but fluctuates in intensity for weeks at a time. I can have good days and bad days. If I am having a bad day, absolutely I can guarantee it will be WORSE, to the point of scarey, if I go to a busy shopping centre.

it is also worse after a warm/hot shower.

I might add that it terrifies me, because I feel so lightheaded and think I will lose consciousness.

And I REALLy enjoy when i fell "normal"!!!

good luck
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