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Post-Covid dizziness/off-balance, as most troubling symptom
I contracted Covid in December 2021 and am currently dealing with persistent dizziness (off balance, sometimes feels like swaying, rocking, spinning, or a pull to one side). My other most bothersome symptoms are ear ringing, headaches (pressure in the head), feelings of pressure change in my ears, trouble multitasking or thinking, along with developing anxiety/ depression and some elevated heart rate and blood pressure.
Dizziness was not a symptom of my initial infection. I developed dizziness (not BPPV) around January 15th. I saw a physical therapist who determined I had Vestibular Hypofunction and I began vestibular therapy. It seemed to be working and I even returned to my office job for about 3 weeks, restricted hours. Two weeks ago I began feeling worse again. My physical therapist believes my initial issue has improved - so he doesn't know what's causing my current onset of symptoms. I started an antihistamine to combat any allergy related ear fluid, along with an anxiety medication to try and improve my blood pressure and heart rate.
I'm going to see an ENT next, and hope that I haven't waited too long to try other remedies (if there are any). Has anyone else experienced this overwhelming dizziness and had positive results with treatment or answers as to the cause? I'm scared that this is going to be how I feel forever.
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I can get dehydrated very easily since by bout of COVID in 2020. The dehydration causes dizziness as your body cuts some of the blood supply to the brain. I sip on electrolytes all day and whenever I wake up at night to keep it at bay.
Nothing I have found minimizes the tinnitus COVID blessed me with. I have not tried the hearing aids that supposedly help with tinnitus but that might be something I will consider in the future.
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1 ReactionI am having tinnitus and a little dizziness, although not too bad. The tinnitus is aggravating. I am just now getting over my first Covid infection, so am hoping the tinnitus goes away. I'm sorry about all the other people here who are still experiencing these dizzy/tinnitus/etc. symptoms.
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1 ReactionI had pretty strong anxiety feelings.REAL strong.Couldn't shake em at first.DR gave me lorazapam.Took that for around 2-3 wks and noticed I was becoming dependent on it.I stopped that.So many things can cause these reactions.Now it's around 1 year since all that.VERY TINY hints of anxiety sometimes 'begin',but I take a fact check with myself and how far I've come,it doesn't develop into a full on anxiety deal.So glad that's pretty much gone.I'm almost over all these kinds of symptoms.After being so sick for 5 years,this is a HUGE deal for me.Along with the body pains and sick feelings.Gone.I drink a LOT of water,take my targeted vitamins,and keep going forward.I'm feeling now nothing like I have for 5 years.I'm almost afraid to say.."This is coming to an end".But I can tell it is.Small amount of brain fog occasionally...I can deal with that.I'm 71,so it's sometimes difficult to determine certain things as being older age or covid.Hang in there all...this DOES get better.
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4 ReactionsWhat bothers me the most is the constant mouth dryness, and most of all, the horrid brain fog and forgetfulness.
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1 ReactionHi @h2998sc. So happy for you that you are experiencing such improvement and cant thank you enough for sharing it with everyone here!!🌈
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3 ReactionsYes, I have experienced it! It’s Long Covid…I’ve been dealing with this for almost 3 years now. Loss of taste/smell, balance issues, body tremors, stuttering. Most of my symptoms are better, especially my balance, but I do still experience that feeling occasionally. Time is what took care of most things, but I still don’t have my taste or smell back and that in itself, is awful!
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2 ReactionsI have had all of these symptoms and after 2 years at Mayo seeing a neurologist and a neuro-ophthalmologist with no diagnosis in sight I left and went and saw a new neuro-ophthalmologist not at Mayo. He took me so seriously and 4 weeks later I was diagnosed with IIH, Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension. He did his own set of testing, but I provided him with every image desk as well as doctor’s notes that I have ever had at Mayo. After going through all of my imaging, he showed me where I had a stroke (the left side of my face was paralyzed, and it wasn’t Bell’s palsy because my forehead moves) in February 2024, which I was 99% positive that happened because my symptoms went from a 4 to 10 after the episode that I experienced in February 2024. The cherry on this cake is, I had two distinct episode, and after both of those episode there were aneurysms found. But I was gaslit a made to believe that those aneurysms were not causing any of my symptoms, they just so happen to be located in the exact location that I described the pain that I was experiencing.
All I have to say is that I am so lucky that I did not have a catastrophic event and that the damage that I’ve been left with is not permanently life altering, but has absolutely caused damage to my marriage, my friendships and my mental health. I started my new medication three days ago and I can already see little changes with the amount of pressure being released from my brain. I see a Neuro radiologist in two weeks to figure out if I need stents or shunts in my brain but for right now I’m just taking this one as a win because after almost 2 years of begging these doctors for help I can’t think the one that I found that knew I was not making this up.
* one thing I learned is there’s a noticeable difference between Bell’s palsy and a stroke, with Bell’s palsy it will freeze your forehead and with a stroke, you are able to move your forehead.
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1 Reaction@lkirnbauer
It’s just one of many nuisances.
suef
Yes, exactly! I do hope you get some more relief! It’s just awful.
@lkirnbauer it all is zzz
Amen