Dizzy spells

[Hotred911]

So for the last two weeks or so I've been having these really strange dizzy spells. It starts out feeling like my mind is spinning, and then my eyes start to hurt and things go black. I haven't fainted, but I do have to stop whatever I'm doing, grab onto something so I don't fall and close my eyes because of the pain. I've done a bit of research but need more help. I read it can be caused by low blood sugar, but I'm thinking this isn't it as I've been eating well lately. I've also read that it can be caused by standing up too quickly, but I get them even if I stand up slowly. I will be going to the doctor soon, but wanted to get any ideas I could from you Litsters as to what could be causing this, and if there's anything I could do to put an end to them.

As always, thanks for any ideas/advice/suggestions/etc.

 

[SlvrTongueDevil]

Go straight to the doctor, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Could be any number of things, and even a medical professional won't diagnose you with just descriptions.

 

[Hotred911]

I wasn't really looking for a diagnosis here, as I knew I would never get that, but just suggestions as to things that may be causing them that I hadn't considered/evaluated yet. But yes, I will be going to the doctor, if not Monday, then Tuesday.

 

[SnoopDog]

Go straight to the doctor, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Could be any number of things, and even a medical professional won't diagnose you with just descriptions.

What ??? You only get 200 bucks in us 'Monopoly' ??
That's not very much, now is it?

Snoopy

 

[sheath]

So for the last two weeks or so I've been having these really strange dizzy spells. It starts out feeling like my mind is spinning, and then my eyes start to hurt and things go black. I haven't fainted, but I do have to stop whatever I'm doing, grab onto something so I don't fall and close my eyes because of the pain. I've done a bit of research but need more help. I read it can be caused by low blood sugar, but I'm thinking this isn't it as I've been eating well lately. I've also read that it can be caused by standing up too quickly, but I get them even if I stand up slowly. I will be going to the doctor soon, but wanted to get any ideas I could from you Litsters as to what could be causing this, and if there's anything I could do to put an end to them.

As always, thanks for any ideas/advice/suggestions/etc.

Low blood sugar can cause dizzy/fainting spells, but I have never heard of it being associated with pain. I might be wrong, of course.

With both pregnancies, I was diagnosed as a gestational diabetic. So I dealt with the low blood sugar problem. The most it ever did (besides the fainting, which was enough, thanks!) was make me feel really nauseus and disoriented when the dizzy spells got bad. I don't remember pain with them, at all.

You have been under a lot of stress lately...could it be a kind of stress headache? How do you react to headaches? Do they begin that quickly with you? Migraines might also be a possibility, though it seems you would have more warning with those...

Just some ideas. Is it obvious yet that I have no clue? LOL

S.

 

[The_old_man]

Hopefully Your problem will be something simple and easily treated. However, a worst case scenario could be a tumor. Do not delay the medical appointment!

 

[fgarvb1]

GO TO THE DOCTOR! NOW!

 

[Cathleen]

Hi Hotred...

I'm glad to hear you will be seeing a doc soon. I'm diabetic, I've had the lows and highs...but no pain, just discomfort, and more bodily then with my head, although a dull headache can occur sometimes. The pain is what would motivate me to get there asap, as well as the black out....could be mirgrain related...cluster headaches.... may need to have your eyes checked too.

I became very ill back in 2001....one thing that is very obvious now, the body will compensate incredibly well. It will try to keep going no matter what is happening, even going so far as to strenghten one organ over another.....or one system over another.

Wishing you well.... hope things are simple!

 

[Alyx]

I had something very similar about two years ago. When I went to the doctor I was diagnosed with Labyrinthitis (Yes, I spent $60.00 just to be told that I'm a dizzy broad!). I had it for about 2 months or so and it drove me nuts. For a quick overview you can go to the following URL.

http://www.healthsquare.com/mc/fgmc1356.htm

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Iriadne]

Hydration?

I get dizzy spells quite often and they usually have the pain associated with them. My doctor has bandied about a lot of ideas but so far no firm diagnosis. Two things make them particularly bad: dehydration and being on my period. The other thing we're currently considering is iron deficiency anemia, i.e. too little iron for your red blood cells to carry oxygen effectively. A simple blood work up should be able to catch the anemia.
Good luck with the doctor.

 

[tisluvbull]

So for the last two weeks or so I've been having these really strange dizzy spells. It starts out feeling like my mind is spinning, and then my eyes start to hurt and things go black. I haven't fainted, but I do have to stop whatever I'm doing, grab onto something so I don't fall and close my eyes because of the pain. I've done a bit of research but need more help. I read it can be caused by low blood sugar, but I'm thinking this isn't it as I've been eating well lately. I've also read that it can be caused by standing up too quickly, but I get them even if I stand up slowly. I will be going to the doctor soon, but wanted to get any ideas I could from you Litsters as to what could be causing this, and if there's anything I could do to put an end to them.

As always, thanks for any ideas/advice/suggestions/etc.

Stress, depression, low blood sugar, Brain Tumor, anxiety disorders...

 

[Avery_Chisholm]

i feel for ya, i had an aweful panic attack and of course where did it choose to hit me but the dnv ooh my god the poor counter woman scared her half to death she thought i was having a heart attack

 

[GeorgeWBush]

You could be dehydrated (not sure i spelled it right) but you may need to drink more fluids then you are.

If thats the problem when you stand up your blood pressure drops and you get dizzy.

Go to the ER and they can tell after running some tests.

But it could be several things.

Good luck.

 

[cricketbug]

This may sound REALLY weird, but it could be your sinuses. I had to cut short a week-long camping trip 'cause I got so dizzy I thought I'd vomit and pass out. Come to find out (after going to the DR) that my sinuses were out of whack.

 

[sheath]

I just thought of this...it could also be a spike in blood pressure. Especially since you say your eyes hurt...the smaller vessels in your body are especially affected by hypertension, and it might also cause pain...it would definitely cause a headache that lingers afterward. And blood pressure spikes can be brought on by intense stress, and when you least expect them.

Have you had your blood pressure checked lately?

S.

 

[southpaw77]

I've had the same kind of dizzy "spells" for years. My doctor ran some tests and told me that I'm anemic. The iron pills don't help me, so I try to eat some kind of meat daily. I'm not exactly fond of it, but steak works the best for me. It could also be hormone related or anxiety. Iron testing will probably be one of the first things that a doctor will do. It's really quick, though, and just takes a finger-stick.

 

[boston_bbw]

I am also a diabetic and would not make diabetes my 1st guess as normally there is no pain. I was gonna guess more along the line of migraines or the labarythitis as mentioned before.

 

[BohemianEcstasy]

GOOD LUCK. Seriously. This might not be a useful post, but more...an effort to remind you that you're not alone.

About four months ago, I started having these wierd problems, like I'd periodically lose control of my left arm and leg (it was the wierdest limp people had ever seen, they wondered if I had been bitten by a rabid campus squirrel or something). Alternatively, I'd have these dizzy spells that would make me close my eyes, sit down, and almost cry. In my religion class, I blacked out for like five minutes and a couple of guys had to carry me across campus to the campus nurse, who gave me a shot for the vomiting because I couldn't open my eyes without throwing up. The shot knocked me out for like four hours, and when I woke up, it was gone. It took three weeks or so for the dizzy spells to let up.

Meanwhile, after that horrible episode, I went to the hospital and they did an MRI that cost me $1,500 (uninsured, mind you!) that didn't tell them anything. Well, it basically told them that I didn't have a brain tumor, I guess, but they wanted me to go to a neurologist. Due to the lack of insurance, I couldn't go, but it would have been interesting to see what it was. The doctor pretty much passed it off as a virus affecting my inner ear and told me to take care of myself as I would with any other virus. *shrugs*

I think I'm getting something similar, again, though. I ran myself into the ground one day (like a mile and half straight) after having not run for quite some time, and it did such a number on my system that now I'm getting dizzy when I stand up too quickly. Hoping they don't nail me with the hereditary high blood pressure at my upcoming physical!

 

[Hotred911]

Thank you all for your replies and concerns. I apologize for not posting here sooner. I talked to my mom about this, as my older sister has also experienced dizzy spells, although I'm not sure they're the same kind. She had gone to the doctor and neurologist, and was told it was a lack of sleep. It maybe the same for me, although I'm thinking stress is a bigger contributor than the lack of sleep.

Thankfully, I didn't have any "spells" yesterday(what a nice Mother's Day gift), and had one this evening. They only last a short period of time, probably less than 20 seconds, although while they're happening it feels much longer.

I occasionally have headaches that come on this quickly, but most of the time they come on slowly and then build up. There's also the occasion where a headache will linger after a spell.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed this isn't pregnancy related. While pregnant with our daughter was the only other time I've had these spells. So, guess we'll know if that's the cause in a few days.

Thanks again for the replies. I appreciate knowing I'm not the only one, although I feel for all of you that are going or have gone through this before.

 

[watergirl]

hmmm

Dear HotRed,

My mom was having awful dizzy spells for a while (not while pregnant)... where the world would spin, horrible head aches, and she'd just have to lie down until they went away... not a good thing for a single lady who's an over the road trucker. She'd start off with the slow build up of a headache, and could sometimes ward them off with a nap and staying well hydrated.

She was finally diagnosed as having something called Meniere's syndrome -
http://oto.wustl.edu/men/mn1.htm

Mostly severe vertigo, naseau, and there can be gradual, irreversible hearing loss in the low registers...

Since my mom was diagnosed, she's taken the doctor's advice and avoided all caffeine and really cut down on her salt intake, and, count our blessings, hasn't had a dizzy spell in a long time...

Good luck, see a doctor, and I hope things work out ok!

 

[SexyChele]

Get it checked out, even if you feel it might be this or that. Dizziness is a symptom for (but not limited to): brain tumor, low blood sugar, pregnancy, anemia, diabetes, sinusitis/allergies, Meniere's syndrome (this is not a disease, it's a syndrome), inner ear infections, pressure problems, neurological problems, and epilisey. This is just to name a few.

Go to a doctor and let them know your symptoms. If your doctor is worth his/her degree, s/he will do a complete blood panel to begin with. If the blood panel shows nothing out of order, it would be best to either: see an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist, or ask for an MRI. (Yes, I know MRIs are not cheap, I know. I've had 4 of them with a span of 5 years.) If your doctor tells you the spells "could be anything" and writes a prescription for either Antivert or Meclazzine - RUN! Especially if you continue to have these spells.

Chances are you will not be referred to an ENT or for an MRI until you have this prescription first. If you do manage to work yourself up to an ENT and a Neurologist without being diagnosed, look for an Otolaryngologist (a specialist in disorders of hearing and balance).

Why do I say this? I experienced my first dizzy spell in December 1986. They started gradually and slowly, and for the most part I wrote them off. When I went to doctors, I was blood-tested and given drugs but no diagnoses and no referrals, except an occasional one to an ENT. After 6 years and having dizziness spells almost continually and several emergency visits to the hospital (that shot, btw? Very high dose of dramamine - works great, but knocks you out for 3 - 4 days) I had lost my job, was on disability, and a prisoner of my home. I couldn't drive, couldn't work, couldn't go anywhere in public.

I finally found my way to an Otolaryngologist who diagnosed me with a form of Meniere's syndrome - it's a pressure problem, so it isn't really Meniere's except for some symptoms. I've had 2 surgeries and a moderate loss of hearing in the left ear. I have been battling this for almost 18 years, and though I've not had a dizziness spell in years, it is always on my mind. (I just started steriod injections into my left ear to see if I can try to gain some of my hearing back, as it is disappearing rapidly, and a hearing aid will not help)

Dizziness is not something to fool around with or discount. It is a symptom of a bigger problem. The hard part is finding that problem. You have to be willing to fight the medical community which in itself discounts dizziness - especially in women! Do yourself a favor and find out what it is now. Trust me, losing your hearing is no fun.

I'll be thinking of you.

 

[watergirl]

wow

Thanks very much for your post, Chele - I know my mom suffered through her dizzy spells for quite a while before getting it diagnosed, and she was aware of her gradual hearing loss, but chalked it up to driving school bus, and then a big truck, for too many years - it is a loud job.

Thanks for correcting me on syndrome vs. disease, too.

I'll be thinking of you & HotRed - good luck.

 

[SexyChele]

Re: wow

Thanks very much for your post, Chele - I know my mom suffered through her dizzy spells for quite a while before getting it diagnosed, and she was aware of her gradual hearing loss, but chalked it up to driving school bus, and then a big truck, for too many years - it is a loud job.

Thanks for correcting me on syndrome vs. disease, too.

I'll be thinking of you & HotRed - good luck.

Thank you, Watergirl.

Most people think Meniere's is a disease, so it is common enough. I feel so very lucky and fortunate, as my dizziness spells are so much more controllable now. Just being able to do what I want, when I want is a huge blessing to me!

My thoughts do go out to your mother. Having full blown Meniere's is no fun. It can be very dibilatating for some people.

 

[Hotred911]

Thank you both for the posts Watergirl and Chele, lots of good information in the both of them.