Hi All,

Just when I think I've been in every possible situation that stirs up symptoms, I found yet another one. Today I decided to try and give my neck a break and set myself up on the couch with a big pillow behind me for head and back support and then pillows under the knees for leg support. Next I had a notebook on my legs to work on. Well I was totally comfortable and really chuffed that I had the neck thing solved.....but then.....I started feeling a little freaky while concentrating on the screen. The next thing I know my heart rate is up and the music I am listening to is irritating me even though it normally soothes me. So after 30 minutes I get up off the couch and I'm really dizzy and anxious for about 15 minutes and still feel the anxiety as a leftover effect. Dam it all. I can't win. There seems to be not one position where I can relax and work on a PC without either neck pain or dizziness kicking in. I'm trying to work out why this posture on the couch is setting me off and can only think that my eyes are at a new angle while focusing on the laptop. Just like when the eyes move to the corners and symptoms go nuts so too when I look more upward. Clearly I am still stuck with visual garbage stirring up the symptoms.

Can anyone suggest how to get rid of this? I'm really over it. Is the only method through VRT? ie - eye flicking exercises.

Thanks....I'm really miffed tonight because I know the whole night in bed will be a rollercoaster ride now. :dizzy:

Scott

Just a suggestion scott, but I find that listen to music (esp loud) can sometimes set me off... perhaps it was the music your were listening to?

Hi Scott,

Im also sat on sofa with laptop trying to get a comfortable neck position - I find any chin out position sets off the dizzies, but sometimes it just starts from any neck tension, like being in the same position for a while. Does the computer often set off the dizzies for you? I just wondered if it could be migraine related caused by the screen or something. Wondering about this myself and going to ask doc about a migraine med tommorrow - anything is worth a try after 6 years!!

I know when Im having a bad day my hearing is oversensitive and everything seems too loud and grates on my nerves.

Hope you manage to get some sleep and you feel a bit better tommorrow,

Chris

Hi Chris,

Interesting about the chin out position setting you off. I was kind of sitting with my chin tucked looking down but eyes more up if that makes sense. Eye position still has a strong effect on me and it could also have been the chin tucked for a long period of time however I think it's more eyes with me. Apparently the brain switches over to using the eyes over the vestibular system and so, any new eye input can easily throw us off again. On the other hand, what you've said about the neck starting this is probably possible too considering some neck massage I had the other night kicked it off too. I will have to start the VRT Ilia was told about in London again to try and iron out the eye thing. The eye exercises bring on some big symptoms pretty quickly for me. I can see that it's the last thing bringing me down now. I know it's not the screen this time as I was using it the day before sitting at a table with no issues (except for a sore neck).

Are you generally ok using the laptop on the couch? I'm going to work with it again today and see if I can get used to this. It's just too comfortable (apart from the dizzy garbage).

Chris, just read your story again from a few posts back and can see you've had some killer neck troubles and dizziness for a long time now. Did the neck stuff begin from PC work by any chance? Have you found anything to make any big differences in sorting out your neck at all?

BennyGib - thanks for the suggestion but know music will start irritating me once the symptoms start kicking in again....it's another warning that all is not good!

Scott

Hello Scott - I certainly sympathize with you in regards to the dizzyiness and neck problems. I have had VN for 18 months. My symptoms are good for a few months then wham, I'm bad again. My neck pain is recent in the last month and nothing seems to relieve it. Hurts to turn my head toward the right which is my bad ear. I spend a lot of time on the computer with my chin resting in my hand and wonder whether I have permanently damaged my muscles. A CT scan showed some buldging disks. When I start to feel dizzy I start breathing fast, my vision gets blurred, my eyes feel like they are crossing, noise really bothers me and then I start to shakeand feel nauseous. I am self diagnosing these episodes as anxiety and panic attacks....I can't seem to get any Dr's to label this anything but VN. Neurologist said it might be MAV and put me on 400mg of Vit, B-2 but it did nothing. Did you take any antidepressant medication and if so, did/does it help?
I am so depressed over this. Husband is totally unsympathetic and has labeled me a head case.....I was 90% improved and bingo it started in again 2 months ago. Do you experience any fullness in your ears with this? 2 Dr's told me I do NOT have Meniere's. ENG was positive with 55% loss in right ear last year and I have no hearing loss.
I take Antivert (meclizine) and Ativan (lorezapam) which makes me sleepy but seems to stop mos of the symptoms. I am wondering how much of this IS anxiety or just the VN.. How do you tell? Does anyone have any experience with allergies they think may be causing their symptoms? I was allergic to molds and mildew for years and had injections for them (20 years ago). We just found large amounts of mildew in our home probably due to a very rainy summer here in the NE.....
Has anyone experimented with diet changes with any amount of success?
I wish everyone a good evening. Feel well.....and thanks for any input..
Linda

Hi Linda,

Sorry to hear your "other half" is so unsympathetic to your plight. If only he could be in your shoes for a week. He certainly wouldn't be calling you anything except for help!

Linda, the anxiety you are experiencing is a RESULT of the inner ear crap. I know this very well now. If there's one thing I can say I'm better off with, that would have to be my general knowledge about how this thing affects me and what to expect. The nice thing about this is that I don't fret over it now (just get ticked off)...anxiety comes mainly from the dodgy inner ear/eye input and it's the same for you. Last night for example, I woke up all wound up from a PC episode early in the day. All the angst feelings were there, I even heard noises that weren't really there (aural hallucination) but I don't fret. Been there done that so to speak and, of course, it has almost passed again (but still have jumpy vision) and I hope it will go for good one day. BTW, I get the same symptoms as you when the dizziness approaches. The thing to watch out for though is how the anxiety can spin off and become its own entity...becomes a disorder in its own right and these inner ear problems can cause that easily. I actually started taking Cipramil (SSRI) in January to stop the cycle and it has helped immensely. I have my life back basically but continue to get setbacks from particular situations that set off the symptoms again. Might be worth considering if you're dealing with non-stop depression. That's def not good for compensation either.

The head forward position on the PC is bad news too Linda. It's really critical that you keep your neck straight and shoulders relaxed while sitting for long periods. Even then, you need to take a break every 20 minutes. I have a timer I use now to remind me to get off my backside. Chin in hand, leaning forward causes "shearing" in the upper neck. But don't worry, you wouldn't have permanent damage. It will heal but these neck pain episodes can last for a long time.

Take care.....Scott

Hi Scott,

Ive only just started using the laptop on the couch. Its much more comfortable as the main computer we have is set up more for my Fiance (a little too high for me). My eyes are really blurry today and I know its not going to take much to set off the dizzies so I am limiting myself as I have a doctors visit shortly and need to drive there.

I actually used to sleep on my stomach when I was younger and twisted my neck so bad one night I could hardly move it for weeks and spent months visiting an osteopath - i was only about 19. Have had trouble with it ever since but the dizziness only started 6 years ago (Im 36 now) I did a desk job for 18 years and beleive it or not until the last year most of the work was writing (we didnt have PCs)!!
So I was constantly in a head down position, so I think it has contributed to the problem. Ive been off sick for 4 months now. I am doing the Cawthorn Cooksey exercises but I havnt seen any improvement in the 3 months Ive been doing them and cant get past the first few exercises. They irritate my neck too.

Hi Linda,

Im sorry you have had a setback, I also tend to sit with my chin in my hand as I feel like my head is too heavy and neck too weak to hold it most of the time. I can also relate to the unsympathetic partner bit too - wish they could feel like this for a while then they might change their tune!!

I tried a gluten free diet for a few months but it didnt help at all unfortunately. Im thinking of maybe trying a dairy free diet for a while - heck i would try anything if I thought it might help. Hope you feel better soon.

Chris

Hello Scott and Chris,
Thanks so much for your support and recommendations regarding the anxiety issues, diet, neck problems, etc.
Two days ago we had our carpets cleaned and when moving the furniture around we found TONS of mildew and mold growing behind chests, under tables, on shelves, etc. I am mortified! We live in NE PA where it has been really damp and cool this summer. My husband likes all the windows, doors open, even during the rain, etc. I am sure this is how it all started. I can't imagine what is growing under the carpet and in the upholstery! I was treated for mold and mildew allergies with injections for 13 years when living in New Jersey (a moldy state on the ocean!) While I don't have a runy nose, asthma or sinus problem, I am wondering whether this mold growth is exacerbating my inner ear problems. When I was diangosed with VN I was in Florida. I gradually improved over 3 mos (typical) and the got dizzy again when we came back to PA. Good again in Florida for the winter and returned to PA in May and again started again with dizziness and fullness in ears in June and I have remained this way since. I had an allergy evaluation and tests showed I didn't have a strong reaction at this time to molds/mildew. I just had a CT scan of my sinus which was normal but will consult with Dr next week and show her a game board we found with all the white fluffy mold on it. I feel somewhat allergic in my ears and throat.
Does anyone have any experience with allergies and our inner ear problems. Sometimes a decongestant and ibuprofen make me feel less stuffy but the disequilibrium continues......Do you guys have any trouble driving.? Somedays it is a real challenge but I try to ignore the sensations and keep moving. I live an hour from any major shopping area and it's all downhill mountain driving, UGH!
Again, my husband is absolutely NO support on the mold issue! You would think being a veterinarian he would at least give some thought to the medical process going on....I think he is as fed up with disorder as I am. Since the Dr's don't have a cure I think he thinks most of this is in my head......as a result he drinks excessively at night and is absolutely unavailable if I need him. He has made he own life, goes his own way and has left me to figure all of this out myself. No wonder I am having panic attacks. I hate being alone when I feel out of control. Scott, I admire you for being able to not fret about your anxiety when it happens and being able to accept it, even though it makes you angry. I still get very scared.
I am considering going on an SSRI. What side effects, if any, did you have, Scott, when you started the Ciprimil? I tried Zoloft a few years ago and got really nauseaus on it after just 2 pills. How long does one stay on them? Until we're free of all the symptoms?
Thanks again for your encouragement and suggestions.
Feel good,
Linda

Hi Linda,

Hearing your husband's reaction makes me feel sad/mad actually as I know how important support is through this ordeal. That you've managed to soldier on regardless of the lack of support is pretty heroic on your part I think. For what's it worth you can tell your husband that there is another person on the HB (me) who is completing a PHD in biochemisry, has a huge science background and continues to suffer with similar symptoms and it's NOT all in the sufferer's head (well it is literally - inner ear) but you know what I mean. Maybe he'll believe it from another male! And I agree, strange that being a vet, he can't get his head around an inner ear disorder and all that it entails - ie. cognitive disturbances and anxiety from the central nervous system upset.

I think the main reason I can deal with the anxiety much better now is because 1) I know it 2) the strength of the anxiety is not overwhelming as it once was and 3) I know I can wake up my fiance and say "I'm freakin". So I'm no superman with it that's for sure.....and Cipramil definitely got me back on my feet and back in control to handle it. Early side-effects (week 1) were a slightly unreal feeling and some nausea. I also felt indifferent to everything around me. In week 2, I started feeling TONS better and slept much better. Some side-effects continue such as reduced sex drive (ie. don't care one way or the other most of the time) which I really hate, feel like eating more so have to watch the weight, and a little sleepy occasionally. Also think it gave me some mild myalgia which comes and goes. None of the sides are to the point of being really annoying though. Zoloft was horrendous for me btw....increased my anxiety 5-fold and made the dizzies go nuts. Felt dreadful for one week and got off of it. Cipramil was a completely different story. Instant relief from the angst. I'm only on a small dose too which gives me hope that getting off the stuff one day won't be too difficult. I would recommend it though Linda if you are ready to try it.

Not sure about the mould thing especially when you don't show many allergic symptoms and your tests were pretty much negative. Might be a coincidence. I get pretty bad hayfever but it never interacts with the inner ear garbage.

Keep in touch about how the meds go if you decide to try it again.

Cheers....Scott

Hi LInda. I agree with scott that you do so well to cope without your husband's support. Im not married (too young for that!) and I sometimes think this would have been easier to deal with if I was - but then I have a v v close male friend (platonic friendship) who I tell everything to and I also have another dizzy who understands all this - so this helps me. Plus I think well what if my husband just didnt get it. Im surprised by his background too -animals do too get inner ear disorders - infact a friend of mine who dated a vet said that its common in pigs and they put them down if they get it! Thankfully they dont do that to us...:)

I too get bad hayfever and it doesnt affect my dizziness.

Keep smiling.

CL.

Good Morning All,

Linda, your posts caught my attention in here.

Anxiety can be caused by inner ear symptoms, and it does certainly sound like you are dealing with physical symptoms/sensations of anxiety and some low level panic attacks.

Goodness, not only are you dealing with your inner symptoms, you are dealing with anxiety that comes from that, plus the stress of dealing with an insensitive and non-supportive spouse. Shame on him. I realize that for anyone who has never experienced inner ear symptoms and the anxiety that comes with those symptoms, it can be confusing because most times a person doesn’t “look sick”. But inner ear issues and related anxiety symptoms is a very real condition. Even if your spouse doesn’t understand the dynamics of your symptoms and anxiety, as your spouse, he should at least try his best by you, and your relationship, to learn about what you’re dealing with and be gently supporting and encouraging. The fact that he cannot or will not be supportive must be extremely difficult on you.

Sadly, some people are quick to place blame or cause on the fact that physical symptoms or sensations are “all in your head”. Or just chalk them up to “anxiety”. Anxiety seems to be the root of evil these days. And although anxiety can play a part in exacerbating bodily symptoms at times, it’s not always the true problem. Too bad your spouse isn’t willing to take the time to gain enough knowledge to understand about anxiety at the least, or your symptoms at the most. I am boo’ing him.

You mention a possible diagnosis of MAV. I was told a few years ago that this may be one of the main reasons for my symptoms, although a formal diagnosis for my woozy head has never been established.

I also tried the B Vitamin complexes and it did nothing to alleviate the symptoms for me. One benefit of Vitamin B is that it increases blood flow. In specific, Nicotinic Acid (also called Niacin) is the water-soluble form of Vitamin B. It comes in “flushable” and “non-flushable” form. It gets the label “flushable” because when a person takes it, the increased blood flow causes a person to look like they’re flushed, or blushing. Niacin is thought to be good for the inner ear because it increases blood flow to and within the inner ear. In some cases, it has been known to alleviate symptoms of dizziness, depending on the reason for the dizzy symptoms.

Back to the MAV: I was prescribed a medication called Amitriptylinea few years ago. It’s an older anti-depressant medication, that recently has been making the rounds more within the medical profession because of it’s ability to alleviate a wider array of physical symptoms than just working on depression. It was prescribed to me to just alleviate the symptoms of wooziness that I was experiencing. The added benefit of taking this medication was that after a little while, the anti-depressant part of this med kicked in, so it made the anxiety and depression go away that I had been dealing with because of my symptoms. You may want to try this, not only to see if it alleviates your inner ear symptoms, but to give yourself a break from the anxiety and depression.

Also, you may want to try cutting out excess salt and sugars, aged cheeses (like Swiss), alcohol, caffeine, MSG, aspartame, and nuts. For some people, these are migraine triggers. For me specifically, I know that if I ingest a lot of refined sugar (like in powdered drinks – iced tea – and heavy sugary cakes), this will increase my symptoms. Has MAV been explained to you?

Also, you may want to look around for some counseling, not only to help you deal with coping with these ongoing inner ear symptoms, but to also help you find a good method that works for you to help alleviate the anxiety and stress of your symptoms and your situation at home. It’s important to be able to maintain a positive outlook (not always easy, I know) and good mental health especially when you’re dealing with a chronic condition, like an inner ear problem. So, sometimes getting a little extra guidance can help with that.

Another suggestion (again, run it by your doctor), since you say the Meclizine does alleviate some of your symptoms, is to try a plain 500 mg aspirin mixed with a teaspoon of Children’s Cherry Flavored Liquid Benedryl. Meclizine is a higher power (stronger) antihistamine. You may find the same benefits using the Benedryl but not feel as sleepy. Taking an aspirin with this may alleviate some of the “migraine” portion of your MAV symptoms, even if you don’t have an actual headache. Try one aspirin and one teaspoon first, and you can always up the dose for both if you need to. I take this combination on really bad days for me, and within an hour I am able to get out and about. If it’s okay with your doctor, you may want to try staying on this routinely (every 4 hours) for a few days to see if there’s a difference in how it makes you feel.

Benedryl is also good at bed time because a little extra will make you feel sleepy, which will make you be able to drift off easier. It’s difficult to try to lie still with inner ear symptoms sometimes. You mention neck pain (welcome to my world). It’s hard to get a good night’s sleep due to feeling your symptoms or dealing with neck pain, or even stress. I cannot comment on the fact that you have bulging discs in your neck, but I understand that to be very painful. Neck misalignment can make or aggravate dizzy symptoms, so you may want to seek out a chiropractor to help alleviate the tightness and misalignment in your neck. The chiropractor can also give you some ideas/exercises on how to keep the muscles in your neck loose and limber – which aides in less neck pain. I have neck pain because of the way I sleep to accommodate my symptoms, as well as from years of holding my head and body in certain ways to avoid feeling my symptoms so much. I stretch my neck and rotate my shoulders to ensure good blood circulation – my chiropractor showed me these quick exercises that I can do anywhere. In addition, a nice heating pad on the back of my neck helps a lot on the days where I’m too stiff in that area to be comfortable.

You mention molds. Molds can play a part in aggravating some head symptoms, which can lead to feeling dizzy. When I first started having my symptoms, I looked into every possible cause that I was aware of at the time – and one was a reaction to common and not so common household molds. I have a member of the Department of Conservation come to my house to evaluate every thing in every room to see if I could eliminate anything or clean anything. There were some areas of concern, like unseen mold around the window casing. These needed to be cleaned with a bleach mixture. I also had to repot my house plants with cleaner and newer soil. There are also different kinds of mold that can cause real harm if you have them in your house, but we had none of that. I went to the extreme with this, looking back, but I was having everything checked out. And it was interesting to hear what things in our house needed attention, even though it was “normal” mold. I don’t think that the mold in your home is the complete culprit, but instead, an additive to your symptoms, like the weather can be.

There is a good book that you may think of getting called “Hope and Help for your Nerves” by Dr. Claire Weekes. It s tiny book that easily fit into your purse. For me, during the worst of my symptoms and anxiety (I was literally housebound one point from fear), this book and some counseling did wonders for me as I worked through things.

And yes, driving is difficult, but good for you to keep doing the things that you do, despite your symptoms and the anxiety.

The more you take personal control where you are able (like your outlook, conquering your anxiety, dealing with your symptoms, persevering despite the bad days), the better things will feel for you. With or without your spouse’s support.

Sending you a big hug.

Hello Everyone,
I can't thank all of you enough for your terrific support and very useful suggestions. Yes, the hubby issue is a major stress factor for me right now and my counselour has said it is time I considered taking control and possibly trying a medication for a few months. I have an appointment coming up for just that. I firmly believe that the stress is producing large quantities of adrenaline and that in turn is stimulating the inner ear even more.....The fear of being alone with this ear stuff going on forces me to stay put. I would LOVE to get away for a few weeks or months and see how I feel but getting where I want to go is more than I can tackle right now.
Wowwwweeee, I do have Claire Weeks book and it is with me 24/7 and I have also eliminated the migraine triggers. I am an ice cream addict (Starbuck's Java Chip!) and must now concentrate on eliminating all the sugar from my diet. Wondering, too, about the dairy issue. It won't be easy but I had my last cup of it tonight. It's gone! It has been my 'comfort food".... Interesting that you, too, looked into every possible cause of your dizziness. I am sure the mold issue is just the common variety that grows due to the rainy weather but after cleaning all I could see off the furnitures yesterday, today, my chest is tight and I have delveloped a cough and slighly sore throat. Not experiencing any additional dizziness, thank goodness.
Again, Wowwwweee, you have been so very helpful with your suggestions and observations. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with me.
Scott, thanks for the information of the Cipramil. I am ready to try something. You are so fortunate to have a partner that you can turn to. I "think" I am handling the anxiety attacks a little better. I know they will go away. I just so freaked out that I am going to vomit or fall on the floor dizzy. I have a phobia about vomiting. Hasn't happend yet but I' ve read too many posts about people that have this with their dizziness. It just plain scares the beans out of me......
One last question for all of you. Has anyone flown with your ear problems and if so, what was your experience? ENT said to "try" it. He couldn't say how it would be for me but did give me a formula to use prior to take off and landing.....
Have a great day everyone. Thanks for listening and please feel good....
Linda

Hi Linda,

Flying was good and bad for me...it depended on how under control the anxiety was. On the way to Toronto earlier this year, it was hell for about 5 hours because I was having a continuous panic attack and we hit really bad turbulence. Then it just stopped. On the flight home (Toronto to Sydney) I was absolutely fine. Not one episode or freaky feeling...dizziness a little worse for one day only and than I was fine. It's different for everyone though so can't say one way or the other....you'll just have to go for it I think.

The fear of nausea thing sounds bad. Sorry to hear that but think all of these sorts of neurotic fears that are generated by chronic anxiety will go once you sort out the angst. It's not you, but a product of your physiology and excess adrenaline etc. I was getting aural hallucinations...hated that but now don't care if it happens cause I know what causes it and that it's not me and that it will go.

Just wanted to mention something on restricting your sugar intake. While doing this is fine if you eat excess sugar and you have a weight problem, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're doing it because someone mentioned sugar was "bad". Not true. My thesis is all about carbohydrate and chronic disease risk. Look up the glycemic index on the web and read up on it. It's backed by 20 years of good science and not a fad.

Cheers....Scott

Hi LInda- I had an awful experience flying but dont want to put you off - just being honest. I went on a longhaul flight a year ago and developed new motion symptoms which were horrible. They are still with me now but the worst of them went after 3 mths.

Dont wantt scare you as I think I am an exception...plus I was fine on a short haul flight I did. My specialist said 13 hrs was just too much for my dodgy inner ear :)

I am now motion intolerant as a result and I think this has all hindered my recovery as about a week before I flew I felt I was really making progress. But I am just being honest and this is just what happened to me - v v v unlikely to happen to you - and also, I didnt take any meds prior to flying - so it sounds a good idea to. If its a short haul you're thinking of - I'd def say go for it.

CL.

Good Morning Linda,

Ha, I received the same answer when I asked about flying. I was told that flying affects people differently, even those with inner ear problems, so that I would just need to try it and see. I thought that I would plan a short flight just to see how I would feel, but instead made the jump and decided to fly from NY to Las Vegas for vacation. So, I flew for the first time in May 2004. The flight was difficult for me due to the “floating” or “gliding” sensation of the plane. I felt great during times of turbulence (believe it or not), but the gentle motion/swaying of the plane made me feel that I was going to go into a spin at any moment. Once I got used to that feeling, which I had the entire flight there and back, I was less anxious about it, and was even able to look out the window, read, and walk to the Ladies Room. What helped me the most was taking my antihistamine every three hours, wearing ear plugs throughout the entire flights, and listening to music, which relaxed me and I was able to focus on that rather than on my woozy head. I was fine upon landing both times; after the first leg out, I needed to sit down for about an hour or so because I was really worked up, but not really symptomatic. Upon return home, I didn’t need any time to sit down after the flight because I knew what to expect, and was comfortable with those feelings even though I didn’t like them. For about four days after I got home, I had a gentle rocking/sensation of movement in my body, but it was tolerable and I was able to do everything that I wanted. I just maintained a more routine dosage of aspirin and antihistamine until that feeling subsided.

I also was told that I could fly one time and be affected, and then fly again, and have a good experience, etc. I probably will try it again at some point.

You mention a phobia about vomiting – this is a more common phobia that you would think! I think that generally speaking, and my opinion only, that if you were going to vomit from the type of vertiginous symptoms that you deal with, you would have already. I have found that for nausea, something ‘pepperminty’ always helps me out, or some bubbly cola.

I understand that feeling of thinking that you are just going to –plunk- right to the floor. It can feel so overwhelming, and I know where you are coming about being fearful of being alone with your symptoms. That was the main factor in my anxiety attacks and thinking. It took me a LONG time to face my symptoms more objectively, which helped me not to feel so overwhelmed and frightened of them. For me, once I was able to get a better handle over the fear of the physical sensations and the “what if” thinking about my symptoms, I was able to push through them more in little steps. It certainly was one of the most challenging times in my life. I never knew how badly fear could diminish self-esteem and independence, and I didn’t realize how empowered I’d feel when I was able to overcome the majority of these things. That’s not to say I don’t still have anxiety on some level, because I do and probably always will. For me, I think I am geared to be a worry wart to some degree. But when I don’t feel like doing something simply because I’m afraid or worried that my symptoms will interfere, I will usually go ahead and do it anyway, even if I may not enjoy the entire event due to worrying about it. One of the keys to pushing past anxieties and fearful thoughts is to “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway”. However, sometimes I know that it’s unrealistic to do something if you’re having a day when the symptoms are just too much (I have those too). On those days, I just take it easy on myself and do what I can until the symptoms lessen again. I have had days in the past where all I could do comfortably was sit with the sunshine and listen to the birds until my woozy head felt better. And on those days, I was just thankful that I could hear the birdsong and feel the sun on my body.

So go easy on yourself about the anxiety Sticher. You have a lot that you’re dealing with, and anxiety/stress is understandable. Try to challenge yourself in small ways (baby steps will get you far), and try one small thing every day (even if it’s the same small thing that you repeat every day) that scares you about your symptoms. If walking down the stairs really upsets you, then try to walk down the stairs at least a few times per day. If you can't make it on the first try, you can always “butt bump” up and down stairs and try it again. There were times when I “bumped” down the stairs, too! Or if walking outside is difficult, then every day go for a short walk – first just around the yard, then around the yard and down to the mailbox, etc.

I realize that you don’t have any support at home, so things like going for a short walk may feel scary especially if you have no-one to walk along side you. Maybe a caring neighbor or other family member can become a walking/encouragement buddy? Or someone from your church or local YWCA? I am sure there are places you could call that may be able to help you out, and you would make a new friend in the process. Never given up – even if you need to pursue some outside assistance for a little support.

Big Hug!

Scott,

I hope you weren’t to my earlier reply to Sticher when you stated that it was mentioned that sugar was “bad”! For me, ingesting a lot of sugar does exacerbate my symptoms, but I still eat it. I just don’t overindulge too much anymore (unless you count the two Dunkin Donuts I had last night before I went to bed), LOL.

Take care.

Hi Wow,

Actually I didn't see that you had mentioned sugar in your previous post...sorry, I meant nothing about that. A lot of people are made to believe that *any* sugar is bad as in an overall health thing which is what I was referring to (and don't agree with)....I wasn't referring to dizzy symptoms. Def if dizzies are worse from a sugar hit, then best to avoid it. I have to watch it too sometimes, particularly on an empty stomach.....but haven't had anything nasty happen since a handful of dates 2 months ago! Go the dates!

Best....Scott :)

Hi Scott,

I didn't take it offensively, just wanted to make sure that I wasn't being "read" wrong because I try to convey myself accurately on here when it comes to my symptoms.

I'm would be interested in knowing why the dates caused such a reaction, as opposed to other fruits or sugars?

Take care.