Dr Jones the normal neurologist said gabapentin but my headache neurologist suggested metoprolol so they agreed with that. Ive got to take the first ones back and swop them for the second ones. I hadnt taken any. Ive had topiramate and zonisamide which are both epilepsy drugs and both made me very dizzy and sick and eventually felt suicidal and depressed. It was the medication because I was fine once it was out of my system.
I was on Bisoloprol for 6 months and it really helped reset my BP and pulse that had gone wild. I felt much calmer and could actually feel myself feeling slowed down. The only concern, as you said, is if it drops your BP lower so be careful getting up in in the morning and do it slowly
Anne - i think mine is SCM. Im thinking about sending an email to my neurologist. The more I read about the symptoms the more it fits. Ive got scoliosis and whiplash and my left eye pours all the time. Im actually excited. How sad is that !! I hope I can get to the bottom of it. What are you supposed to do next ?
Paula it is always good to get a 'definite' diagnosis when you are struggling to understand what might be the problem, so don't think it is sad at all, as there is always hope then that there might be something that can be done to help. I don't think mime is SCM though. Today it struck me that it is probably something i least suspect, so it is always good to find out as much as you can.
Hi Rocksolid - I think mine is SCM rather than silent migraine. Im going to send an email to my neurologist. Ive to start the beta blockers today so Im wondering whether to leave it until after Ive sent the email. No point taking stuff that I might not need, unless beta blockers are good for SCM.
Hey Will,
I've experienced exactly what you're describing and know how frustrating and miserable it can be. I was incredibly healthy and active a year ago (age 27) when out of the blue one morning at the office, the left side of my head suddenly felt like someone tied an anchor to it. It also only lasted a few seconds. I saw a doctor and they shurgged it off.
A few months later (December) was my first severe attack. It was after a night of intense drinking. The morning started like a typical hangover but with sever vertigo accompanying. My eyes just COULD NOT stop twitching all day! It slowly subsided over the course of a few days and I was functional again but I never felt quite right after, like my head was in the clouds. I explained it as vertigo fallout. Life continued with no major side effects other than feeling sort of perpetually fuzzy.
A few months later was the second attack and this one was a doozy. Lasted roughly a week and my eyes didn't stop twitching for the first few days. Perpetual purging for the first dew days. It felt like food poisoning (total purging) but with that pesky perpetual vertigo and eye twitch.
Got the full battery of tests, saw a vertigo doctor who tested my dizziness response and hearing and I set world records for how perfectly healthy I was. Saw a neurologist who ordered an MRI and guess what, perfectly healthy there too. So what the heck!? Running theory at the moment is sinuses. Memory's not perfect, but I theorize these attacks coincided with sinus flare ups (I live in Georgia and we get it bad when the seasons change). So currently I'm just on guard: If I experience another attack when my sinuses are acting up, off to an ENT. Otherwise I'm back to the drawing board. I hope this helps!
Hey Will,
I had actually experienced the same things as you. I've been through all the testing, Mri, blood test, tilt test, stress test. But then I went to my neurologist and he was reviewing my Mri. it showed I had multiple cysts in my sinuses, sinus inflimation, and an inflamed left ear. I had been complaining about my ears throbbing and constant sinus pressure. And I had finally found an answer. He prescribed me for a medication that will help my inflamed ears. And hopefully stop me from feeling that off balanced unequalibrium feeling everytime I stand. if you're still having problems today I really recommend you try something like that because I relate to mostly all of your symptoms. I hope this helps.
The sinus info is helpful I may look at this re nausea and wobbling.Thanks
I have the same symptoms but they seem to always be accompanied by very dry sinuses. I hope I am correct about the source of the dizziness and nausea. I would hate to think that it something worse. But it seems like if I rinse out my nose with Saline spray and take some headache medicine and drink coffee, and a couple of hours it all goes away. Mine seems to affect me most when I first wake up in the morning.
You need to be checked by a specialist. Sometimes a constant runny nose can be spinal fluid. This can affect the brain. Please see a doctor.
Hi Will, did you ever get any answers? I have been going through is since June 10th just as you described.
Mine turned out to be mini strokes which is insane because I'm in good shape and my heart had no issues.The doctors do not know why this is happening.
I work in the veterinary field and did have a dog die suddenly due to a tumor in the sinus about his eye which caused a stroke.
I'm desperate for answers and releif....I hope you are doing better,
-d
A friend of mine had a sinus infection and an inner ear infection and this caused her to be dizzy a lot. I recommended sinusoothe nasal spray to her and she keeps thanking me every time I see her.
My dizziness and balance issues turned out to be caused by hashimotos. It's an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid. It took several months to get back to normal with thyroid meds and vitamins/supplements. I also cut out gluten. It's been over a year now. Gluten will cause an inflammatory response and the dizziness starts all over. So happy to be feeling somewhat normal again.
hi Will, I am seeing a lot of posts like this and I identify with all of it. I was diagnosed with an auto immune disorder about 13 years ago and that was the cause of all of my symptoms. I did the same thing as you going round different docs ent neuro gastro. But in the end all of my symptoms were connected. After long treatment I have been in a sort of remission for the last 4 years. For a variety of reasons I had to stop treatment and the sinus problems seem to be returning but so far not the dizziness or the migraine.
I wonder if at any point you have seen a rheumatologist and I wonder if you have ever had your imflammatory markers checked in blood tests. Have you ever had tests done which cover esr crp and ana?? It is not always done by your gp. But I wonder if you have and what they might reveal about underlying reasons for your symptoms. Very worth checking. In the end I was diagnosed by and immunologist after being referred on by a rheum who recognised that I had an underlying inflammatory condition. It was a long road to travel and I was only diagnosed in my late 30's early 40's after a lot of suffering.
This is exactly what I was posting about. Auto immune disorders cause these kind of symptoms. I, like you, have been diagnosed with an auto immune disorder and am now in a kind of remission. It takes a long time for some people to be diagnosed. But once you are and if you can find a treatment that helps....your life suddenly becomes your own again. I too have returned to a sort of normality. I still get some symptoms but I have a great specialist who really helps and understands.
I see this post is several years old. Unfortunately I can't provide any answers but I can relate to what you're going through. I developed sinus issues when I was about 30, along with IBS and reflux. I also have been dealing with mild anxiety for the past seven years. For me, it always seems like one issue feeds upon the other. If my sinuses are acting up, I end up with a lot of drainage into my throat. That drainage creates reflux. And a combination of the drainage, reflux, and pretty much any medicine I take to help with anything causes my IBS to kick in. And then comes the anxiety. My anxiety is directly tied into my physical health. It's a vicious cycle.
I have noticed and wondered about the dizziness/lightheadedness/nausea I often feel when my sinuses act up. I have not been able to find a cure or treatment for it myself. I went to an ENT last year but he just told me I have chronic sinusitis and I could get an MRI to see if it was caused by something that would require surgery. I can't afford that so I opted out. The dizziness often hits me when I'm sitting at my work desk and when I'm driving. Like you said, it kind of feels like I'm standing on a boat in still water, just a light sway that is enough to make me notice and start to worry. I've never thrown up but the nausea that comes with it definitely reminds me of motion sickness. Thinking about finding a new ENT next year and seeing if there is something I can be doing. The one major change I made is quitting smoking back in July. I had hoped that I would see marked difference in the way I feel but so far not much has changed. Hoping I find a solution but happy to know I'm not alone, or crazy! 
Hi! So I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's about a year or so ago but never had any issues. In July of this year all of a sudden out of no where I started getting weird feelings, like numbness and tingling in my arms. That's when my TSH levels started going back and forth between being high then low again. In October I started getting dizzy and feeling off balanced, it hasn't gone away. Some days are worse than others. I've had lots of testing by my endo and she doesn't know what's causing it. I just seen an ENT doctor on Monday and he said I have an inner ear issue, but didn't do any sort of scans. Just asked a couple of questions about the feelings I'm having and asked me to follow his finger with my eye. That appointment isn't until the 28th of this month. Since you cut out gluten did you start feeling better? I'm still working in trying to find the right dose of thyroid meds again. Any help/advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
My vertigo started when I was living in a ground floor unit and the surrounding gardens were very damp and devoid of sunlight. I noticed when it rained that, I would wake up with vertigo and over time it became worse as the walls of the unit became damp and mould developed. I moved from that unit and a few years later the weather became unseasonably rainy and I got vertigo again. Then recently, the weather became very hot and sub-tropical with rainy periods and I put the air-con on all day and night. Well, this morning I have woken up with vertigo - dizziness, vomiting, cold like symptoms etc. So clearly, for me the trigger for vertigo is dampness/rain and air conditioner moisture. I think the air-con causes many symptoms because the air contains moisture particles and keeps the environment damp. Add that to the rainy weather and there one has a perfect breeding ground for vertigo....