Vertigo, Dizziness and Anxiety

[1Freebird]

I have had Vertogo for over 10 years. I use to drink every night mixed drinks and beer and smoke cigarettes as well. I have not drank in like days because my vertigo has been so bad and anxiety even worse! I have almost quit smoking as well. I did a search and found this forum and hope you can help me out. I have seen other posts with caffine and nicotine on here and am wondering if the amount of caffeine I consume daily could be contributing to my dizziness and anxiety? They say that you can have between 200-300mg of caffeine a day and I only consume about 175-200mg a day. I have had every test ran possible and all of them have came back ok. I am curious if anyone else has had vertigo/dizziness problems related to caffine or anxiety issues that may be actually making our causing my vertigo to get worse. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!

[cinderellawkids]

I dont know if related but I had vertigo and dizziness as well as anxiety. Ive cut my sugar and carb intake in 1/2 and feel completely different

[1Freebird]

So what does your diet consume of? Reason I ask is I had lost about 85 pounds 3 years ago by eating low fat mostly carbs and felt really good for a while. Since I have put the weight back on though. So do you just eat a "balanced" diet?

[cinderellawkids]

I was trying to follow the South Beach plan. Ill try to get a list, as my mind keeps going blank at this moment (its been a long week)

[justanothrdrunk]

I've got vertigo and anxiety. I do notice that since I quit drinking (funny) that the vertigo is better. I still get it though, especially in very large spaces like auditoriums and malls.

I haven't been able to equate my vertigo with anything. Someone once told me it could have something to do with my poor vision and wearing glasses. Long story short, I wear glasses almost exclusively (as opposed to contact lenses) and have a much stronger correction in my right eye than my left.

Do you wear glasses?

[nandm]

Just some random thoughts on the subject.

Vertigo can be caused by many different things, from an inner ear problem, to head injury. The list is quite extensive. Alcoholics can develop vertigo due to the fact that active alcoholics have less CSF to cushion the brain. This is why they are more prone to head injuries. Once they have been sober a while this fluid tends to balance itself out to a normal level.

I had vertigo in early sobriety that lasted nearly 2 years. But mine was from a significant head injury I recieved towards the end of my drinking.

I do get vertigo when I decrease my anti-depressant dose or forget to take a dose. This is common with SSRI's as when the seretoning level drops rapidly it causes vertigo.

I also found this information on the net that I found interesting on the topic. I have also put some of the causes of vertigo in the quote. The site is interesting and you might find it useful; I have provided a link to it.

Vertigo, or dizziness, is a symptom, not a disease. The term vertigo refers to the sensation of spinning or whirling that occurs as a result of a disturbance in balance (equilibrium). It also may be used to describe feelings of dizziness, lightheadedness, faintness, and unsteadiness. The sensation of movement is called subjective vertigo and the perception of movement in surrounding objects is called objective vertigo.

Vertigo usually occurs as a result of a disorder in the vestibular system (i.e., structures of the inner ear, the vestibular nerve, brainstem, and cerebellum). The vestibular system is responsible for integrating sensory stimuli and movement and for keeping objects in visual focus as the body moves.

When the head moves, signals are transmitted to the labyrinth, which is an apparatus in the inner ear that is made up of three semicircular canals surrounded by fluid. The labyrinth then transmits movement information to the vestibular nerve and the vestibular nerve carries the information to the brainstem and cerebellum (areas of the brain that control balance, posture, and motor coordination). There are a number of different causes for dizzy spells.

Incidence and Prevalence
Vertigo is one of the most common health problems in adults. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 40% of people in the United States experience feeling dizzy at least once during their lifetime. Prevalence is slightly higher in women and increases with age.

Causes



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Vertigo, or dizziness, usually results from a disorder in the peripheral vestibular system (i.e., structures of the inner ear). Dizziness also may occur as a result of a disorder in the central vestibular system (i.e., vestibular nerve, brainstem, and cerebellum). In some cases, the cause of vertigo is unknown.

Peripheral vestibular disorders include the following:

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV; most common peripheral disorder; may be accompanied by hearing loss, reduced cognitive function, and facial muscle weakness)
Cogan's syndrome (inflammation of connective tissue in the cornea; results in vertigo, ringing in the ears [tinnitus], and loss of hearing)
Ménière disease (fluctuating pressure of inner ear fluid [endolymph]; results in severe vertigo, ringing in the ears [tinnitus], and progressive hearing loss)
Ototoxicity (i.e., ear poisoning)
Vestibular neuritis (inflammation of vestibular nerve cells; may be caused by viral infection)

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo occurs when debris made up of calcium carbonate and protein (called otoliths or ear crystals) builds up in and damages the inner ear. Inner ear degeneration (usually occurs in elderly patients), head trauma, and inner ear infection (e.g., otitis media, labyrinthitis) can cause BPPV.

Some medications and environmental chemicals (e.g., lead, mercury, tin) can cause ototoxicity (i.e., ear poisoning), which may result in damage to the inner ear or the 8th cranial nerve (acoustic nerve) and cause vertigo. The damage can be permanent or temporary.

Long-term use or high doses of certain antibiotics (e.g., aminoglycosides [streptomycin, gentamicin]) and antineoplastics (e.g., cisplatin, carboplatin) can cause permanent ototoxicity.

Medications that may cause temporary ototoxicity include the following:

Anticonvulsants (e.g., phenytoin, carbamazepine)
Antidepressants (e.g., clomipramine, amoxapine)
Antihypertensives (e.g., labetalol, enalapril)
Loop diuretics (e.g., bumetanide, furosemide)
Pain relievers (e.g., aspirin)
Prescription and over-the-counter cold medicines
Quinine (e.g., chloroquine, quinidine)

Alcohol, even in small amounts, can cause temporary vertigo in some people.

Central vestibular disorders that may cause vertigo include the following:

Cardiovascular disorders (e.g., bradycardia [slowed heart rate], tachycardia [rapid heart rate])

Central nervous system (CNS) disorders (e.g., stroke [brain attack], brain hemorrhage)

Head trauma

Migraine (30–50% of patients experience vertigo)

Multiple sclerosis (MS; may occur when demyelination affects the brainstem or cerebellum)

Orthostatic hypotension (sharp decrease in blood pressure upon rising from a lying or sitting position to a standing position; caused by diabetes, dehydration, and anemia)

Systemic diseases (e.g., kidney disease, thyroid disorders)

Tumors that affect the central vestibular system (e.g., acoustic neuroma)

Vertigo (spinning sensation)- Dizziness, Balance Disturbance - neurologychannel

[nandm]

Welcome to SR!

[mooselips]

Just a small note to add what I know regarding Vertigo, because I beleive if anything helps, it's worth a try.

My mother is 89 this year, and suffers on occasion fromVetigo. She gets it so bad, she cannot roll over while sleeping, or she feels she will pass out.

When she gets real bad, I take her to a Physical Therapist, and they do a procedure called an "EPLEY PROCEDURE"
what they tell me, is: everyone has crystals in their labyringths. When those crystals get misplaced, due to a fall, or age, (the cilia in the ears isn't as dense as it use to be) then you have Vertigo.

They put these special glasses on her, and turn off the lights, and can see her eye movement on the screen, the abnormal eye movement is called Nystagmus, and it tells them which ear has the misplaced crystals. Then they lie her down, and rotate her head in a certain fashion to place the cystals in the gel, she sleeps stiing up or slightly reclining for 48 hours, and ALAS! problem solved.

The name of the place I take her, is called Balance Solutions. It's in Cleveland Ohio.

You may want to call around and see if someone in your area does this "Epley Procedure"
Let me know how it goes, okay?