Hi all......as some of you have read my posts, i've been having pretty much one and only one symptom since this past october. i'm lightheaded or off balance and sometimes, not most of the time, i get pressure in my head and my heart will race when i'm bed at night.

doc did tests.....catscan and blood work all clear and clean. i just feel off and am very depressed as it has been going on for so many months and has taken over my life......i didn't do christmas shopping OUT in the stores this year (all online), i have to build myself up to go into a grocery store because i think i'll pass out, i don't go out to lunch anymore at work-just run across the street for something quick since my favorite spot is too crowded and 5 blcoks of walking in case i am lightheaded isn't a good idea.....

Well, last night i felt really bad and embarrassed and like i'm a burden. my husband and i bought our first house in november from a friend of ours. he gave us an amzing deal and we thought it would be nice to do something back for him...we got him a trip (only 3 nights) and now he wants us to go with them. along with that we don't have the extra cash right now-have alot of expenses coming up-couple of weddings, RE tax time, etc....we can't go because of my head...and i had been telling my husband that it's just the money that we can't go but had to insist last night that it was the money but my health too (not only with my head but i've been so scared of flying for years!)...he got mad and said...how long is this going to last...you've had this for years...are we ever going to go anywhere? I felt so down........i know i'm hindering his chance to go next month to the Bahamas and that we'd both enjoy it...but i can't fathom the idea of going with my head being the way it is right now....and it hasn't been years....it's only been since october but to ME it does seem like years...he doesn't understand....and i'm getting very depressed...what type of life is this for me? what makes it worth going on in the sense of me not being my old self.....i'm trapped.....

being lightheaded and dizzy can be caused by anxiety,and if all other possibilities have been checked out, this suggests anxiety, have you tried valium type meds at an appropriate dose? these should help a lot as they relax the body and the mind
a possible cause is a buildup of wax in your ears, something that is so obvious that sometimes no body bothers to look, assuming someone else must have already done so :eek:

I have dealt with this kind of thing in the past. I would agree that if you have had a good medical check up it is proably anxiety. If you have not, go and have everything checked out 100%. After that you have to just muscle past it. Sounds corny but it works. I used to feel like that constantly and always felt like i was on the verge of passing out of colapsing. It can only go on for so long before you realize it hasnt happen and its not likely to happen. If you still cant get by you should see a psychiatrist for some meds that may help. You have to overcome this because your life is slowly passing you by. I know it doesnt sound possible that anxiety could manifest in something so physical but it does. Hvae you ever passed out? Fell over? Not been able to make a walk of a lon distance? Im guessing none of this has happned but yet you still think "oh, i better not push myself to hard with my head feeling like this". You honestly just have to push past it and it will subside.

good to hear you've had this symptom as well...i don't read alot of you having this..more of a panicky feeling which i would give anything to just suffer from a knot in my stomach..not that i'm downgrading others' symptoms...just i feel so overwhelmed right now by my own.

No..you're right..i have never passed out..and i try to tell myself this. I was given zoloft and xanax and have yet to try them...due to hearing and reading that zoloft can really cause dizziness...last thing i need. i do have a prescription for valium...will try taking it on a regular basis..i was told by my GP that it can help with the off balance feeling.

thanks for listening.

this definately sounds like anxiety to me... you are even scared of taking your meds! sounds funny but alot of us here are the same way.. the first thing i do when i get a prescription is look at the handout that comes with it to see what the side effects are as well as potential complications.. Obviously there is a little depression as well because it seems you are so distressed about you problems but yet wont even take a medicine a doctor is telling you will help.. just keep pushing

You sound just like me....I have only flown once and that was about 19 yrs ago and the thought of it freaks me out. My doc gave me Xanax a few years ago when I was diagnosed with anxiety and I rarely ever take one, because I don't like to take pills at all. I have to throw bottles of them away and call for a refill after a year because they expire and I just don't take them unless I absolutely have to. He tried to give me Paxil and I tried it for a few days and felt crappy, so I quit taking them. You could try the Xanax though, just when you have to to get thru a tough situation, it does really help relax you, I'm just afraid of getting addicted to them, that's another reason I don't take them often. Hang in there, I know how you feel.

Sorry, I forgot to mention something. When I first starting have anxiety attacks my husband was getting aggravated at me too, but over time he has come to realize how upsetting it is to me too and is alot more supportive now. He still says "you just have to quit worrying about things and letting things get to you and enjoy life" which I of course say "I wish it was that easy...I can't", but he is more help with it now, so your hubby will probably come around....maybe having him read and get more educated on anxiety will help too....give him a better understanding of it and how many people suffer from it.

The light headed feeling you get is from the fight-flight response in the body. I have this problem too. What triggers it for me is a stuffy room and then I start feeling light headed and like I'm going to pass out. Then I really start to panic. It is a totally natural occurence in the body, but the sensation scares people like us with panic. I know what causes it and I still let it get to me! That's how powerful panic can be over us. When you start feeling that way, tell yourself "It's just a symptom of panic, it's completely natural, there's nothing to be afraid of and it will NOT hurt me." Then try to stay where you are rather than leaving. I know that's easier said than done, but I've been working on it and it does help. For example, if you are afraid to go out to dinner and stay at the table when these symptoms happen, then challenge yourself. Go out to dinner, order a meal, and when the feeling comes over you, try your hardest not to give in and get up. If you can make it and keep telling yourself "I'm okay, it's just panic." it will keep getting easier. I went somewhere the other day where it got really stuffy in the room and I started to feel light headed. Rather than leaving the room like I did before, I made myself stay and kept trying to reassure myself. You know what? It really helped. Now I know I can stay and I won't pass out.

I know what you mean about the panic affecting your marriage. Then you feel even worse because you let yourself feel guilty and blame yourself for your panic. You cannot help that you have anxiety. It's just like any other disorder. You didn't ask for it and you are not to blame for this problem.

There's a really great book I read called "Don't Panic" that has some great tips in it about fighting panic and panic attacks. It also addresses how to handle phobias like fear of flying.

Something else you can work on is some deep breathing and muscle relaxation exercises. These are some little tricks that quickly calm the body and help you make it through the bad times of panic. You can find lots of stuff about those on the internet.

Maybe if you equip yourself with some "tools" to help fight your panic, you will be able to cope with it better. Believe me, I know how hard it is, but I have gotten relief with some of these techniques. You know, you really deserve a nice vacation with your husband after how bad you've been feeling. I bet you would be glad you went. As far as fear of flying, think about the thousands of flights that take off every day and how few crashes there are. Then think of all the car crashes that happen every day! You are soooo much safer on a plane than you think.

I hope this helps a little.

manchak, hry is right also about the wax build up. I too have anxiety and was having very bad dizzy spells. It took a couple of visits to get my dr. to believe it was more than my anxiety acting up, but he had the wax cleaned out of my ears and my eardrums were swollen, which he said can cause extreme dizziness. He said allergies can cause this, so he gave me zyrtec and it's much better. I know firsthand how scary and fustrating the dizziness can be. I thought I was losing it for sure, and it turned out to be something so simple. Just a thought.