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Balance, high blood pressure medications, and …
Neuropathy | Last Active: Jul 22, 2021 | Replies (26)Comment receiving replies
Hello, all!
I’m wondering if any of you have had symptoms progress as mine seem to be. For well over ten years I’ve had worsening balance problems. I’ve said all along: I’m not dizzy! Even at its worst, the room was never going round and round. I’ve always thought my balance trouble was caused by a combination of (1) severe flat feet, (2) bad knees (one is now artificial, the other has lots of arthritis), and (3) hip/pelvic arthritis. Assuming my problem was “structural” and not neurological, I’ve done years of PT, but with little improvement to show for it. I’ve only recently started to see a neurologist. We’ve had only two appointments, with a third coming up. I had a brain MRI: no apparent problems there. Last week I had a cervical MRI: results still pending. What I’ve noticed recently are recurring bouts (maybe once every two or three months) of what might fit the definition of “dizziness.” I’ll have to hold on to walls, countertops, etc., to go safely from here to there. When this is happening, both my legs feel weak; they’ll be achy, and that achiness will still be with me the following day when I’m no longer dizzy. Does any of this sound familiar to anyone?
Ray
Replies to "Hello, all! I’m wondering if any of you have had symptoms progress as mine seem to..."
Hey @ray666, you'll see that I moved your post to the previous discussion that you started just for continuity and so the members that already reached out can see any new information you have and are posting.
Something you might be interested in reading:
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-bppv-dizziness-caused-by-inner-ear-crystals/
I am sorry to hear that since your previous post you have started to feel a bit dizzy at times. Have you considered talking to an otolaryngologist about inner ear problems that may cause balance issues?
Connect
@ray666 Hello Ray, and welcome to Connect. I think that you are on the right track working with a neurologist. I am a spine surgery patient, and I did have bouts of vertigo where I had to hold onto the walls and the room was spinning. That was before I had spine surgery. What was happening was that I would get a muscle spasm that twisted or tilted my cervical vertebrae, and when it does that, it stretches the arteries that run through the sides of the neck vertebrae which alters blood flow to the brain, and causes dizziness. I had spinal cord compression because of a collapsed C5/C6 disc and that affected my legs and caused pain. When my vertebrae were shifted it put extra pressure on my spinal cord and made me walk with a limp. This is something that is common with cervical cord compression, and that can sneak up on you even if you are not aware of a spine problem. If you lay down on your back and your neck muscles relax, a physical therapist (or your neurologist) could feel to see if your spinal vertebrae are correctly aligned. Ask your neurololgist to explain what is seen on your MRI. You may need to take that to a spine surgeon for a better reading of the imaging if something is found. Let me know if I can be of further assistance. Does this sound familiar to what you are experiencing? Would you be comfortable sharing the results of your imaging?