Having strange problem, I really need some help

[withwithout]

Almost a year ago, I suddenly started to feel very lightheaded and thought I was going to faint. I never did but the lightheaded/weak-like feeling has never left me. It occasionally gets much better for a few days and I'll hardly feel it, then it will get more intense and last that way for weeks.

One odd thing I notice with this problem, is that I feel much worse when I sit down or try to stay still. I actually feel more releif when standing and walking around and moving, even riding in a car helps me feel better. As soon as I stop, I feel like I'm either going to get dizzy or faint.

Gradually over the past year, the sensations have intensified and I can now hardly sit or stay still and other people around me are starting to sense something is wrong but I don't know what to do about this.

I've been to the ER and had standard blood tests, urine test, ECG. These were normal. Blood pressure is normal. Had a brain MRI and a thoracic spine MRI, which were normal. Had balance tests done and visited 2 ENT's and a neurologist and they said everything looked normal except I showed some imbalance in a posture test. There was no diagnosis.

I am worsening and don't know what else to do or who to see. I sometimes wonder if this has anything to do with my spine in someway. I don't have any pain, numbness or tingling anywhere. I'm not congested or having headaches. My neck grinds a little when I move it and I have a misaligned jaw with history of TMJ but I've been wearing a nightguard for 10 years. I also fell down a flight of stairs about 20 years ago and landed hard on my low back and had major pain and bruising with some muscle atrophy in one buttock, but I was not medically evaluated at the time to see if I broke anything. I sit a lot at a computer for my work as well.

Thank you for any help.

[teacher517]

Check to see if you have BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo).  A physical therapist will know how to help.  In your inner ear, there is a space where you have liquids.  In that liquid are crystals of calcium carbonate.  If the crystals (ear rocks) get into the round canal of the ear, it throws off your equilibrium, causing dizziness.  They can do a canalithic repositioning if that is the problem.  Good luck!

[withwithout]

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[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
If you have headaches and hot flashes and lightheadedness with a feeling of passing out, you could be having either polycystic ovarian disease or GERD with or without H pylori infection. These are the two conditions to be ruled out first. Other conditions to be strongly ruled out in your case could be cervical spinal nerve compression, Meniere’s disease of the ear, wax in the ear, infection of the middle or inner ear, benign positional vertigo and benign intracranial hypertension. Hence it is important to consult an ENT specialist and a neurologist too. At times back and neck problems may persist for years before they really start giving trouble. Chances of TMJ too should be looked into. Other causes are anemia, hypoglycemia or low sugar and some endocrine problems, such as an underactive thyroid (called hypothyroidism), overactive thyroid (called hyperthyroidism), adrenal insufficiency (called Addison's disease),  and in some cases, diabetes, may lead to hypotension and hence lightheadedness and an off balance feeling. It can also be an anxiety and panic attack. It is really difficult to comment on the net. I suggest you consult your PCP to run the basic investigations and get an insight into what could be the cause. Depending on clinical examination and tests, your PCP can refer you to the appropriate specialist. Hope this helps. Take care!