about four months ago I had an unpleasant viral infection that went on for a couple of weeks and left me with a very disorientating dizzy symptoms along with a feeling of light-headless as though I might faint - feels a bit like I have done after being badly sleep deprived. I notice that I also find it harder to cope with watching something like a car chase on TV and can get motion sickness symptoms.
I am completely free of symptoms when lying down and have had no head spinning symptoms at all. So when I get up in the morning I feel fine but the symptoms are usually back by the time I have made my breakfast.
the doctor doesn't think it sounds like labyrinthitis and is sending me to a neurologist for an MRI scan as the symptoms have lasted so long.
My experience sounds similar to many reports on this forum but would welcome any advice about how to manage the condition. I am now getting anxious before the MRI that this might be something more serious than I thought like a brain tumour or MS.
Hi Tony,
I'm a former neuro nurse (albeit from way back when) and I have to say your symptoms don't sound remotely like a brain tumour. I doubt whether you have MS either, but it would still be sensible to get yourself checked out by a neurologist and have an MRI.
Some viral infections can leave you out of kilter for a year or more, so my money is on that one.
I'd say don't worry about it, but take all the checks you're being offered.
Many thanks Lily. That is reassuring to hear. When your GP recommends you go and have an MRI I suppose you start running through the worst case Scenario!
thanks for taking the time and trouble to post.
You don't need to be worried about this. First you should get the report and wait what the doctor said. Good luck!
During the viral infection, did you experience vertigo (spinning sensation)?
Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN
Clinical Neurophysiologist
Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology
Thank you Eleftherio for joining the conversation. The viral condition was a fairly non descript illness which involved some gastric upset, night sweats and feeling exhausted for a couple of weeks.
I have never had any vertigo sypmtoms and certainly get some relief lying down - I don't have the symptoms at all in bed. The nearest I get to a spinning sensation is if I rotate my head and it feels like it takes a moment for my vision to catch up.
Because your symptoms do not sound vestibular-specific, going to the neurology service is probably necessary. However, it could simply be a mild viral diffuse affection of the brain (a left-over of the virus if you like that has found its way upstairs), and you should not be worried at this time.
Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN
Clinical Neurophysiologist
Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology
I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but what you describe reminds me a lot of the description of a condition called Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness.
It seems like you have a possible triggering event (the viral infection), a worsening of symptoms in response to complex visual stimuli (your car chase example), a lack of a "spinning" sensation, suggesting a non-vertigenous form of dizziness, and a lack of symptoms or improvement in symptoms when lying down. These all sound consistent with PPPD, but I will repeat that I am not an expert. As another note, I don't believe PPPD would show up on an MRI. In fact, it's such a new diagnosis that some doctors may not even know it exists.
Whether that info helps or not, best of luck in getting your symptoms figured out and/or treated. I only learned about PPPD myself due to having similar (but not identical) symptoms that nobody can seem to explain, so I know firsthand how stressful it is.