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do my symptoms maybe point to MS?

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 11:13 am
by chariner
Hello... this is very vague but I thought I would post and see what kind of responses I get. My current doctor has been essentially useless for the past year (I will be seeing someone new) but in the meantime I thought I would see if I could get some feedback.

I am a 34 year old female in good health. I have never had any serious medical conditions and have always felt pretty good in general. Then at the end of Feb 2009, I felt brutally dizzy one day. It continued the next day too, and the following day I was heading off for a trip to Vegas and was worried if I should even go. I did go, and the dizzy spells came and went throughout the trip, and really put a damper on things. Its not like I would get the spins or would fall over, I would just feel dizzy, foggy, couldn't really think straight, zoned out. it was really bothersome. I would always feel fine first thing when I woke up, but if I was meant to be dizzy that day it would start up about an hour after I woke up. sometimes it would last all day, sometimes it would last a few hours, but it was never less than 3 or 4 hours in a row.

when I got back from vegas I saw my doctor, who ordered a bunch of blood tests and found nothing wrong. Diabetes runs in my family but I knew it wasn't that, aneurysms run in my family too but I always associated that with headaches (I have had about 3 headaches in my entire lifetime). My doctor just told me it was stress and that was that. I was really stressed out at the time, so I thought maybe she was right. I also however saw an inner ear specialist, who did all kinds of tests on me and also found nothing wrong, so basically came to the conclusion that I had vestibular migraine, which I also didn't really think was it, and still don't.

anyway in the past several months the dizzy spells come and go. I can go 3 or 4 weeks without one attack, and then have 5 straight days of dizziness. in the past few weeks the dizziness now begins when i first wake up, and the spins are happening too. i sometimes feel way more tired when i should, like i could sleep and sleep, although this seems pretty sporadic as well. i guess i just don't know what i have, and think MS could be a possibility. my aunt has had MS for several years so it could run in the family.

Anyway just wanted to see if anyone has any ideas. Thanks :)

Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 4:39 pm
by gainsbourg
Hi Chainer,

The chances are you've nothing to worry about. The cause of dizziness is notorously difficult to diagnose once ear problems are ruled out. The mind can play incredible tricks on us, and in the rare instances that worry or stress bring on dizziness - you can get caught in a viscious circle of worry-dizziness-worry-dizziness that can go on for months, so I'd say (most likely) your doctor is right.

However, I had something similar for months when i was about 27. I had lots of tests, brain x-rays, everything and they found nothing. I was told it was maybe eye strain, and the problem eventually went away...but then at age 36 I started to get other symptoms like numbness, balance problems, heat intolerance and fatigue - even then, it took them years to establish that my problems were of a neurological nature.

Have you had a brain scan? You say you can go 3 or 4 weeks without an attack - so that suggests you don't have a brain tumour.

MS has so many varied symptoms - by no means everyone with MS experiences dizziness or even balance problems. It could simply be a problem with blood pressure. A trigger such as stress, worry or even a specific emotion can temporarily raise blood pressure - leading to sudden diziness - due to a conditioned reflex response.

Also if you have ever taken recreational drugs such as LSD or even cannabis, you can experience dizzinesss episodes, a little like "flashbacks"


gainsbourg