Post-Covid dizziness/off-balance, as most troubling symptom

Posted by kirstenk2003 @kirstenk2003, Mar 30, 2022

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.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 Support Group.

i'm also dizzy a lot since covid and used to have low blood pressure that is now high, infact it goes up and down.. i'm now on medication for it. my head and ears always seem plugged up. i don't like being on meds so i work everyday to keep my sinuses clear with my navage and am working on building up my immune system, eating cleaner too, why does that seem so hard?? i made a commitment to me on that, i told myself--you wouldn't put water in your cars gas tank to run it...why in the heck would you want to put junk in your body and expect it to be healthy???? serious...plus what is that doing to our heart that never gets to stop and rest!!!!! i have about 23 other symptoms since covid that i got in Dec of 2019...i refuse to give up and let this demon virus win...hugs to all, hang in there, NEVER GIVE UP!

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@beebee000

i'm also dizzy a lot since covid and used to have low blood pressure that is now high, infact it goes up and down.. i'm now on medication for it. my head and ears always seem plugged up. i don't like being on meds so i work everyday to keep my sinuses clear with my navage and am working on building up my immune system, eating cleaner too, why does that seem so hard?? i made a commitment to me on that, i told myself--you wouldn't put water in your cars gas tank to run it...why in the heck would you want to put junk in your body and expect it to be healthy???? serious...plus what is that doing to our heart that never gets to stop and rest!!!!! i have about 23 other symptoms since covid that i got in Dec of 2019...i refuse to give up and let this demon virus win...hugs to all, hang in there, NEVER GIVE UP!

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I am so glad you have reached this point to share with us the much needed helpful fighting spirit. Seems this outlook best to maneuver all these everchanging symptoms and life challenges it creates. Finally saw dermatologist yesterday after experiencing many types of strange rash skin eruptions for about a year including 1” deep round painful bumps that literally pushed inward on throat causing extreme gagging and difficultly breathing. Obvious most do not have a clue what this is like as doctor inquired why hard to shower more than couple times a week? Uniformed just lifting hands up to wash
hair brings on post exertional malaise, hard to stand, denied grab bar, no money from not being able to work for year, EDD severely messed up system, now waiting year and half to two year process for SSA disability. Doctor shared stress causing skin issues? Had to kindly share my body seems to be on hyper sensitive mode that reacts with no rhyme or reason with multitude of symptoms like being woke up that morning feeling like dropping from roller coaster tachycardic and blood pressure all over the place all the time so my body reacting to the stress of this as verified by many in the healthcare system. So thank you for your push forward perspective!!

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@beebee000

i'm also dizzy a lot since covid and used to have low blood pressure that is now high, infact it goes up and down.. i'm now on medication for it. my head and ears always seem plugged up. i don't like being on meds so i work everyday to keep my sinuses clear with my navage and am working on building up my immune system, eating cleaner too, why does that seem so hard?? i made a commitment to me on that, i told myself--you wouldn't put water in your cars gas tank to run it...why in the heck would you want to put junk in your body and expect it to be healthy???? serious...plus what is that doing to our heart that never gets to stop and rest!!!!! i have about 23 other symptoms since covid that i got in Dec of 2019...i refuse to give up and let this demon virus win...hugs to all, hang in there, NEVER GIVE UP!

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Thank you for sharing - Long Covid for a year now and very discouraged. I am normally a positive person but we all have lows. I put as much effort in as I can- doctors, therapy, tests, supplements and cryotherapy. I was fighting before LC with severe PTSD and Anxiety Disorder. Thank you for the encouragement- much needed. Sometimes the fighter needs a break.

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I get so dizzy since COVID I’ve had Covid three times and when my Husband is driving sometimes I think I’m moving and the car is rolling if any car is moving I can’t ride much it really bothers me, I don’t know why this happened to me but it has and I can’t fix it I’m sorry for all who has this problem!

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Same. Dizzy, visual and auditory overstimulation and fatigue are biggest symptoms. I am doing vestibular rehab at PT and symptoms of dizziness are improving enough where I can drive. Still get triggered in stores and unfamiliar areas. Right now I am focusing on trying to figure out triggers to my crash and burn days to help learn pacing. Going back to work part time next week after 12 weeks. I’m not real confident.

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I do have to agree having these dizzy spells is got to be the worst thing to deal with next to the vomiting in the constipation and not being able to eat right just about everything else under the Sun but not being able to ride in a car is horrendous sometimes I think mailboxes are even people walking on the side of the road because of distorted vision my best to you try using visine it does help a little bit

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I'm also experiencing dizzy spell which was started around the time I got covid in Dec. 2022. Initially thought it's due to stress/lack of sleep as I was travelling and now I'm back to my comfort home and still the same after 6 weeks. (actually worse with jetlag which led me to urgent care and the doc did some manual test saying it's likely BPPV and gave me some patch to put behind the ear) Thanks all for the information shared and I finally feel not alone in this adventure.

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Now in my eight month of some degree of congestion and with activity get light headed then dizzy, pressure builds up in head & eyes and this just shuts me down. After 3 months blood pressure is all over the place & heart rate too. At the start of this PCP just said Long Covid & ??? with no advice or anything to help with the symptoms! Covid case was like having mild cold but not negative until day 15. Worried about maybe something else was going on & wanted to rule out any other causes, To date had: sinus C T, brain M R I, 3 hour balance test, hearing test. All testing was AOK at ENT doc. Next at Cardiologist : EKG, 4 hours at hospital stress testing & other scans, Echo cardiogram, heart CT, and have one test left for next week. So far all is good & keeping daily blood pressure log. Doctor not wanting too start any meds at this time. Up till this, fit and very active at 75. Camping, hiking and racing off road motorcycles since 1969. Race season starts in March & looks like I am OUT! Have put on 15#s due to now being a couch potato and eating very little. Force myself to do chores until I get to point of maybe falling down. This virus is running lives & an economist has predicted that it will worsen & could be a $3.7 T hit to our economy in the future. Affecting: healthcare, medical community, Medicaid and further drown us in more debt.

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@jayrow55

Hi,
I was infected in June 2022. Had terrible fatigue and dizziness as part of my long covid symptoms. Fatigue has completely resolved (thankfully) but I continue to experience dizziness. It is intermittent in that I can go days (sometimes a week or almost two) without symptoms and then it returns. Once it returns, it will then be present but not for the full day. I have found crying completely resolves the dizziness for a few hours. Anyone have anything similar? What helps? Thanks!

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Hi @jayrow55, I think you'll find the posts in this discussion helpful:
- Post-Covid dizziness/off-balance, as most troubling symptom https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/post-covid-dizzinessoff-balance-as-most-troubling-symptom/

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@kirstenk2003

Thanks for commenting. Knowing you've been dealing with this longer, what do you do that helps or how do you manage your "bad days"? And how long did it take for you to be able to function closer to normal in terms of dizziness (working, driving, etc.)? Meclizine also did nothing but make me tired. I started a non-drowsy antihistamine right after daylight savings, and I think it made a small difference - I don't feel worse so I'm going to keep taking it. I can watch TV, but using my cell phone is really difficult and brings on worsened symptoms. My PT said the key is not avoiding things and exposing my system to help it re-learn, so I'm following his guidance.

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I have a loss of balance, but am not dizzy. Very afraid of falling at age 79. Severe joint pain, but only in pre-injured joints.
Knee injury dates back to a ski injury at age 15 and being rear ended at a stop sign age 29. Go figure. Anyone out there with this?

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