Vertigo or something else??

Posted by kennedyakelly @kennedyakelly, Jan 1, 2023

So I had Covid in May this year and I had become extremely congested to the point I could barely hear and I also developed a really bad sinus inflammation post Covid but took antibiotics for that. A few days into having Covid I woke up in the middle of the night to a really weird swaying back and forth feeling in my head. I freaked out and say up quickly and once I opened my eyes and sat up it went away. I kinda ignored it and thought it could have been from NyQuil. That same feeling has happened post Covid every now and then. I think it could be vertigo but here is the weird part. It only happens at night when I’m waking up but it had happened on one occasion during the day when I laid down (I was having anxiety during this episode). The feeling is sometimes stronger on some days than others but it’s always the swaying back and forth feeling. I’ve also noticed that I never feel dizzy it’s literally just a swaying feeling in my head and when I sit up/open my eyes the feeling goes away. I do feel kinda like my body is moving when I sit still like laying in bed, sitting in my car, etc. It also doesn’t happen every night, it’s very random and can last 3 nights in a row and then goes away for a week or two. When it comes there is also some nights when I sit up and it goes away but when I lay back down and close my eyes it comes back and nothing helps I just have to wait it out and keep sitting up. This makes me feel like it’s not Vertigo or BPPV because no maneuver I do makes it go away but I also don’t know a ton about vertigo. I went to a neurologist and he did an MRI and it came back normal and he tried to do an EEG but I literally freaked out and had to stop because I began having the swaying feeling during and it gave me a panic attack. I’ve been to about 7 Doctors and nobody has helped at all. They all say they don’t know what’s going on. This has caused me many sleepless nights and anxiety about going to sleep. I’m a 23 year old female student so this lack of sleep has really made my mental health become horrible. I’ve also been to an ENT recently and he also didn’t know what was going on. He said it didn’t match BPPV and gave me an exercise to try during an attack which also didn’t help at all. He also did a hearing and pressure test and said it looked good. Really need help I’m going on day 3 with barely any sleep and my anxiety is through the roof. I’ve tried like 4 different meds and nothing helps.

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lisadunlap | @lisadunlap | Jan 1, 2023

Post Covid I’ve noticed some dizziness and queasiness that goes with it, I have to avoid scrolling etc on phone because it can make me dizzy. Being a passenger in a car can trigger it too, or just moving around. Two days ago the dizziness came in strongly and I started vomiting. I think it is something from Covid. My doctor prescribed Zomig anti nausea Med which is helping. I’m so sorry you are suffering with this.

rtr2 | @rtr2 | Jan 1, 2023

For periodic sleeplessness and anxiety, I have for a number of years used an essential oil roll-on such as Young Living's "Rutavala." Revive's "Reset" blend is an alternative product. Both are an oil blend of Ruta, Valerian and Lavender. It fosters calm, relaxation and sleep. I apply to inside of one wrist and massage in by other wrist. I am most often asleep within 10 minutes. I wish you relief soon -- repeated nights with no sleep can only exacerbate what other symptoms you are suffering from.

suzie99 | @suzie99 | Jan 2, 2023

For the most part I have been working with my general internist regarding my long Covid. Since July we have been working on treating the symptoms while letting my immune system try to get back to normal on its own. It is a long process, but we have made progress. In the beginning, anxiety attacks and not being able to sleep were my biggest challenges and that was awful. I also had nausea and various digestive issues. For 2 or 3 weeks I tried to get back on track without medication. This did not work for me. The main medications my doctor put me on were Ativan (Lorazepam) for anxiety and Ambien ER (Zolpidem) for sleep. Under most circumstances I try to avoid these types of medications, but I tolerated them well and they allowed me to function. My doctor also started me on an SSRI to put me back in balance so I could eventually taper and eliminate the Lorazepam (which I am doing now) and probably do the same with the Zolpeidem.
I worked on the digestive issues with the guidance of a gastroenterologist using OTC medications. It's taken a while to get back to a healthy diet but I'm almost there. From what I have read, a healthy diet and the gut microbiome are important for proper brain function. I hope this information helps you and that you are feeling better soon.

smd0109 | @smd0109 | Jan 2, 2023

I'm not sure if this will help anyone but: Ihad covid in June, 2022 and I also had the dizziness. Ears feeling full all the time. Went to doctors including ENT and was given all kinds of meds. Nothing worked. Even a trip to the ER..Anxiety level being so high. Then I went for Physical Therapy!! Prayers were answed!!! My therapist believed that the nerves between the inner ear, brain and eyes was damaged during covid which effects balance and dizziness. So we worked on retraining my brain to compensate for the damage. It sounds scary, but it helped so much. Went twice a weeks and did all kinds of exercising to retrain the brain. Then I had homework to do at home. I am so thankful that it worked .. The PT person is trained in vestibular disorders, I hope this info helps someone.