Intermittent dizziness?

Posted by robindancer5678 @robindancer5678, Sep 16, 2023

My diagnosis was in February 2023 and I still have lots of questions. There are some days and a week at a time where I am doing great and think I am on the mend. Then I have what appears to be a flareup? Is this normal? It’s almost as though somebody flipped a switch. Suddenly this week, I am dizzy and think I’m going to fall over, I have fluttering in my chest, get short of breath when walking. But no weakness and no numbness. Generally feel lousy. But the next week I could be fine. Is this normal? Particularly the dizziness.

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I had a problem with Lexapro. Dr. Did not agree. I quit and dizziness stopped. I would double check all meds.

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@ray666

Hello.

A third category I’d like to add is wobbliness on standing and walking but without what I think of dizziness. When I stand (especially after having been seated for a while – 20-30 mins.) and often when I walk (even short distances – ½ city block), it’s as if the lower half of my body is made of rubber bands. I have to be so careful.

However, ever at the wobbliest of these times, my mind is clear (nothing appears to be spinning). To my doctors, I’ve sometimes described the sensation as like being on board a small ship in a mildly rolling sea and trying to walk from place to place without falling.

Ray (@ray666)

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What you may be experiencing is a loss of proprioception, which is the sense of where your body parts are in space. PN is known to have an effect on proprioception.
I believe there are exercises that can improve this problem.
Good luck!

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@jeffrapp

What you may be experiencing is a loss of proprioception, which is the sense of where your body parts are in space. PN is known to have an effect on proprioception.
I believe there are exercises that can improve this problem.
Good luck!

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Good morning, Jeff (@jeffrapp). I believe you're absolutely right: poor proprioception can be improved (albeit to varying degrees) through diligent balance practice. I've been following an online balance workshop for the past year. I know when I'm consistent, my get-around-town is better; when I skip my daily practice, I pay in increased wobbliness. Best wishes, Ray (@ray666)

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@robindancer5678

Here's what I've tried so far which has been helpful. I remind myself "you are just dizzy from the peripheral neuropathy, you are not having a stroke or heart attack, you are not going to pass out in your chair in this restaurant!" That helps my anxiety - no, I am not going to end up in an emergency room. Then I focus on "grounding." I push my feet into the floor, breathe, drink some water and focus my eyes on something or someone near to me and don't look around a lot until it generally passes. I am a dancer, and I use those strategies - get grounded into the floor, engage my core, find a "spot" to focus on (we do this when we are spinning or turning). It's also kind of like when we were younger and came home after drinking too much and lay in bed with one foot on the floor to ground us and stop the spinning 🙂 Anyone else have some strategies?

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Good morning, @robindance5678

" … and I use those strategies – get grounded into the floor, engage my core, find a "spot" to focus on … "

Yesterday I was having an unusually difficult day with my unsteadiness. I deliberately applied your "get grounded" suggestion and it worked! Mind over unsteadiness, eh? 🙂 Thank you!

Cheers!
Ray (@ray666)

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I am interested in these dizziness coping solutions. I’ve had brief bouts of dizziness for years, but now they are very frequent, and last for hours. I’ve decided that morning movements bring them on - dressing, making the bed, loading the dishwasher etc. I find that when I’m about ready to leave the house after completing morning tasks, I am dizzy.
My son is visiting, and this has altered or ruined activities every morning. Instead of lying down, I am trying to power through it, and I eventually end up feeling drained and well, just sick. We had plans to visit the shopping mall, the large department stores, to shop for a new suitcase for me ( not sure why I need a new suitcase now, but I’m stubborn sometimes). I have found that if I keep my sunglasses on inside, it calms down the dizziness somewhat. I used the “ focal point” trick, which for me is keeping my gaze slightly to the right, and downward. We had to visit the far end of the mall. Because I’m tired of being a sick Mom, and ruining outings, we walked the length of the mall, shopped, and came back. Kept my sunglasses on. Used my reading glasses on top of the sunglasses. All my little oxygen-deprived leg muscles protested (SFN).
I’m 63 and can’t even go shopping now without suffering. A year ago I was doing a two mile hike. Crazy.

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@julbpat

I am interested in these dizziness coping solutions. I’ve had brief bouts of dizziness for years, but now they are very frequent, and last for hours. I’ve decided that morning movements bring them on - dressing, making the bed, loading the dishwasher etc. I find that when I’m about ready to leave the house after completing morning tasks, I am dizzy.
My son is visiting, and this has altered or ruined activities every morning. Instead of lying down, I am trying to power through it, and I eventually end up feeling drained and well, just sick. We had plans to visit the shopping mall, the large department stores, to shop for a new suitcase for me ( not sure why I need a new suitcase now, but I’m stubborn sometimes). I have found that if I keep my sunglasses on inside, it calms down the dizziness somewhat. I used the “ focal point” trick, which for me is keeping my gaze slightly to the right, and downward. We had to visit the far end of the mall. Because I’m tired of being a sick Mom, and ruining outings, we walked the length of the mall, shopped, and came back. Kept my sunglasses on. Used my reading glasses on top of the sunglasses. All my little oxygen-deprived leg muscles protested (SFN).
I’m 63 and can’t even go shopping now without suffering. A year ago I was doing a two mile hike. Crazy.

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I am so sorry for what you are going through. I can relate. I too (as of now) am powering through. I'm exercising to keep my core and legs strong, using a focal point when I move, being intentional about engaging my core when I move, taking a hiking stick for balance when I walk in the neighborhood etc. Now I'm researching grab bars for the tub/shower. Sucks. I'm also trying not to have this SFPN drive what I can do in life or limit fun with friends and my significant other. It's miserable. Not how I thought I would be functioning in my 60s. I've always been really resilient in the face of other things I have been faced with in life, and am calling on that resilience again.

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@charlie807

Hello Robin, I'm Charlie I also have unexplained dizziness. And I did go to ENT nothing found there. Sorry no good hell. It's not something that is constantly worrisome. Its a mess throughout the week.
I also have a great deal of balance problems I fell alot last year and sometimes I just don't seem to pay enough attention. Thank goodness for walls in the house and other objects to grab hold of, but now I'm using a cane. I still garden love love my plants my husband helps now so that's good. He's my Gopher!! He gets everything out for me.

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What helps me most is to stop before I change direction. When walking forward and needing to go backward (to turn in behind position) - I often just stop in fwd position and just walk backward, or go into a room, slowly turn around to then walk in the position I needed to go. Slowly turn into a different position. Always slow neck movements. No quick turning of the head. Close eyes if needing to change direction .

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@robindancer5678

I am so sorry for what you are going through. I can relate. I too (as of now) am powering through. I'm exercising to keep my core and legs strong, using a focal point when I move, being intentional about engaging my core when I move, taking a hiking stick for balance when I walk in the neighborhood etc. Now I'm researching grab bars for the tub/shower. Sucks. I'm also trying not to have this SFPN drive what I can do in life or limit fun with friends and my significant other. It's miserable. Not how I thought I would be functioning in my 60s. I've always been really resilient in the face of other things I have been faced with in life, and am calling on that resilience again.

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Resilience is good. Keep looking for ways to cope with your needs and new ways to do it. I am 81, having spontaneous dizzy feelings. Causes are not evident but consider quick movements of neck and head. Closing eyes when needing to change directions helps. Keep focus on your changes and ways to cope.

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@julbpat

I am interested in these dizziness coping solutions. I’ve had brief bouts of dizziness for years, but now they are very frequent, and last for hours. I’ve decided that morning movements bring them on - dressing, making the bed, loading the dishwasher etc. I find that when I’m about ready to leave the house after completing morning tasks, I am dizzy.
My son is visiting, and this has altered or ruined activities every morning. Instead of lying down, I am trying to power through it, and I eventually end up feeling drained and well, just sick. We had plans to visit the shopping mall, the large department stores, to shop for a new suitcase for me ( not sure why I need a new suitcase now, but I’m stubborn sometimes). I have found that if I keep my sunglasses on inside, it calms down the dizziness somewhat. I used the “ focal point” trick, which for me is keeping my gaze slightly to the right, and downward. We had to visit the far end of the mall. Because I’m tired of being a sick Mom, and ruining outings, we walked the length of the mall, shopped, and came back. Kept my sunglasses on. Used my reading glasses on top of the sunglasses. All my little oxygen-deprived leg muscles protested (SFN).
I’m 63 and can’t even go shopping now without suffering. A year ago I was doing a two mile hike. Crazy.

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Reading glasses outside will make you disoriented. Even walking around inside with mine on gets to me. Surprised you do it. I have used Meclizine 25mg for years. One tablet soon after getting up in am usually helps all day. It is cheaper my prescription, but the same as Bonine which is OTC, or Antivert which I think also requires RX. Atmospheric changes always cause me disoriented feelings - lightheaded - different than dizzy. Can you get RX?

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This discussion has been so helpful! I too am disoriented when walking with my progressive lenses on. I've had progressive lenses for over 20 years without a problem. For the past 2 years I was mad because I thought the optician simply couldn't get the prescription right after I was spending all that money! The glasses were perfect for reading, and perfect for watching television and driving, but I when I was moving around I thought I would fall over! I guess I'll have to stop blaming the opticians...

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