Dizziness- is this MS?

[hillflower]

Hello, so I have written on this community before.. For the past 4 months, I have been experiencing dizziness (sensation of movement like on a boat or gyroscope). It comes and goes ,but I notice it more when eating and  using the bathroom. It is very frustrating and scary that I have had it for so long. Additionally, I have also been experiencing a buzzing in my left foot. 1 year ago, I had and MRI which came out clear (but I wasn't having these symptoms at the time). I went to an ENT and he said that the type of dizziness I describe doesn't sound ear related (though I am going to have dizzy tests done).. I have a neurologist appt in a month and am terrified of getting bad news. What else could be causing this type of dizziness. Does it sound like MS? Please help!!!

[supermum_ms]

You've been mentioning episodes that are situation specific, and both are more commonly connected to what i've mentioned above...keep in mind that dizziness caused by a drop in blood pressure as well as psychological issues like health anxiety can definitely cause the illusion of movement and your anxious thinking will be pushing you to be thinking worst case senarios..

"Almost everyone experiences a few seconds of spatial disorientation at some point. For example, when a person watches a 3-D movie in the theater and momentarily perceives an illusion of moving or falling as the images rush past. However, frequent episodes of vertigo—whether lasting only for a few seconds or days on end—are a primary sign of a vestibular dysfunction, especially when linked to changes in head position. By contrast, dizziness can be a primary sign of a vestibular disorder in addition to a broad array of cardiovascular, neurological, metabolic, vision, and psychological problems. It is also quite possible that a person may have a combination of problems, such as a degenerative vestibular disorder along with a visual deficit such as cataracts or a neurological disorder such as a stroke.

Because of the many possible causes of dizziness, getting a correct diagnosis can be a long and frustrating experience." https://vestibular.org/about-vestibular-disorders/causes-dizziness

Last year when you became overly anxious your symptoms were MS i said... "MS would 'not' be a strong possibility, mental health conditions like health anxiety would actually be a more likely causation because all your test results were normal, the symptoms you mention are in many different areas and multiplying within a short time frame.

Also from my understanding of what you've mentioned, you seem to be experiencing new symptoms only after being told not to worry about MS unless you experience x or after reading about a particular MS symptom, which wouldn't be consistent with a neurological condition like MS but would definitely be consistent with mental health causations."

and later saying "One of the major problems IF your symptoms are being caused by mental health, is that by continuing to research and read, talk and focus on the condition you have become afraid of having, the more you are actually feeding the anxiety and the more rapidly you will experience similar mimicking symptoms"

Breath.......JJ

[supermum_ms]

Last month i explained that dizziness after eating or toileting is called 'postprandial dizziness' "Take a step back for a moment and consider the more common explanations for what your dealing with......Inner ear issues are the most common cause of dizziness but feeling lightheaded or dizzy after meals is actually called postprandial dizziness and it is one sign of low blood pressure......you need to keep in mind that anxiety attacks can cause tingling in the face and limbs as well as dizziness due to a variety of reasons, but the most common is actually shallow breathing ie hyperventilation."

When i brought up your health anxiety, you acknowledged your health anxiety was a factor you have not dealt with.. "Thank you so much supermum..You are right that my anxiety has gotten the best of me. I never did see a psychologist about my health anxiety, though I wish I had. My symptoms went away last year, and my anxiety decreased. My googling has gotten out of control recently..Every time I get a new symptom (today was chest tightness), I google and MS always seems to come up as one of the possibilities. I felt like I was weighed to the ground (like a magnet pulling me)..I think about going to the ER on a daily basis because of my symptoms because I don't know if I can wait until my possible ENT/neurology appointments
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/Terrified-of-MS-like-symptoms/show/2976589

Postprandial dizziness is not a neurological symptom or clinical sign that i am aware of nor can I find any researched connection too MS; dizziness after eating is mainly connected to a drop in blood pressure, typically after eating a high carbohydrate meal because your body is not able to compensate for the increase blood flow going to your digestive system.

Dizziness after bowl movements is associated with Vasovagal Attack or Syncope which is also caused by a drop in blood pressure and connected with;
"Experiencing a frightful moment,
A  lcohol use, exhaustion
Hunger
Extreme stress
Severe pain
Enduring extreme heat
Heat exposure
A vasovagal attack is a harmless event health-wise.."

I honestly doubt you'll be getting any bad news when you see the neurologist next month, at best he or she will give you a neurological assessment and if your clinical signs are normal tell you it's not neurological, at worst you might be scheduled for some more tests...keep in mind your symptoms are not specific enough to anything in particular and neurological conditions are low on the list from what you describe experiencing, you had an MRI a year or so ago which was normal and neurologists in general don't often diagnose at the first visit without obvious MRI and clinical evidence....breath!

Hope that helps...JJ

[hillflower]

Thanks for your reassurance once again.. It's just that I experience a sensation of rocking/moving on a boat..is that the same thing as light-headed dizziness? It doesn't sound the same to me. What do you think?