Lightheadedness

I have had lightheadedness for 2 years. It's not dizziness. I feel weak and usually weird by it. I also have no energy. I do have moderate microvascular brain disease. Is this the cause? It is very upsetting. It has affected my daily activities. It's worse in the morning.

I have had lightheadedness for the past 2 years. It's not dizziness, but also feeling weak. Is it caused from microvascular brain disease that i have been diagnosed with? Just can not stop it. I wish it would go away!

@jadillow
@jadillow Hi,
Sorry you are experiencing this and also the frustration of not getting answers and an effective treatment plan. My husband has had five strokes since 2018 with the last two being cerebellar. From the moment he plants his feet on the floor for the last three years he says he feels dizzy and lightheaded, like when you are inebriated. He has been diagnosed by his neurologist as the cause being 3PD, which I think is accurate, but at times he’s also had orthostatic blood pressure upon standing. The three PD is induced by motion and worsened by his anxiety. Here are some information on both of these conditions. Hope you find it helpful.
“While both 3PD (Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness) and orthostatic hypotension can cause dizziness, the key difference is that 3PD is primarily a sensory perception issue related to balance and spatial awareness, while orthostatic hypotension is a drop in blood pressure upon standing, causing dizziness due to reduced blood flow to the brain; essentially, 3PD is more about "feeling" unsteady, while orthostatic hypotension is a physiological change in blood pressure that can lead to dizziness or lightheadedness.
Key points to differentiate:
Mechanism:
3PD is thought to be related to a dysfunction in the brain's processing of sensory information regarding balance, while orthostatic hypotension is caused by a failure of the body to adequately adjust blood pressure when standing up.
Symptoms:
3PD often presents with a feeling of swaying, rocking, or veering, even when physically stable, while orthostatic hypotension can include dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vision, and sometimes fainting upon standing.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis of 3PD is primarily based on patient history and symptoms, as there is no definitive diagnostic test, whereas orthostatic hypotension is diagnosed by measuring blood pressure changes when standing up.
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) - Johns Hopkins Medicine
POTS is diagnosed only when orthostatic hypotension is ruled out and when there is no acute dehydration or blood loss. Orthostatic hypotension is a form of low ...
Johns Hopkins Medicine

@jadillow
Hi, sorry that you are experiencing this and the frustration of not getting answers and a treatment plan. My husband has had five strokes since 2018, 2 that were cerebellar. Since those two for the last three years from the moment, he plants his feet on the floor, he has what he describes as dizziness and lightheadedness like when you are in inebriated, not spinning as in vertigo. Following many more tests is Neurologist diagnosed him with a condition called 3PD , which is motion induced and made worse by his anxiety. He has also had limited episodes of orthostatic hypertension, but mostly when he was already in a weak state, such as in the hospital. I hope the following information is helpful to you as few people, including many doctors , seem to know about three PD.
“ While both 3PD (Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness) and orthostatic hypotension can cause dizziness, the key difference is that 3PD is primarily a sensory perception issue related to balance and spatial awareness, while orthostatic hypotension is a drop in blood pressure upon standing, causing dizziness due to reduced blood flow to the brain; essentially, 3PD is more about "feeling" unsteady, while orthostatic hypotension is a physiological change in blood pressure that can lead to dizziness or lightheadedness.
Key points to differentiate:
Mechanism:
3PD is thought to be related to a dysfunction in the brain's processing of sensory information regarding balance, while orthostatic hypotension is caused by a failure of the body to adequately adjust blood pressure when standing up.
Symptoms:
3PD often presents with a feeling of swaying, rocking, or veering, even when physically stable, while orthostatic hypotension can include dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vision, and sometimes fainting upon standing.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis of 3PD is primarily based on patient history and symptoms, as there is no definitive diagnostic test, whereas orthostatic hypotension is diagnosed by measuring blood pressure changes when standing up. ”
“

Interesting post. I had not heard of 3PD before. It sounds very much like what I experience. Can CSVD cause it?

@keithl56 We had never heard of 3PD before, either. I would say CSVD can result in it because at the root of my husband‘s ongoing strokes ( known and silent ) is his small vessel disease. Two of his five strokes were cerebellar, which controls balance, movement, gait, and more. It’s important to note that cerebellar strokes present with very different symptoms, which are often missed in the ER and therefore delay the patient being placed on stroke protocol. The symptoms mimic many other things. Symptoms my husband had were dizziness, extreme vomiting, and eventually hiccups. With the second Cerebellar stroke, he also had some of the more traditional symptoms, such as eyelid and mouth drooping and slurred speech.

I have been fortunate since I have only had TIAs and lacunar strokes, although they also have been in areas that affect balance and gait. Nothing major yet and no cognitive effects. I often don't know that I had a lacunar stroke until it shows up on a subsequent MRI and the doctor asks me how many strokes I have had.