Hi- I have had this constant dizziness for almost 3 months now..approximatley 85% of the day. Is this normal to have for so long? Can it be from all the abx I am on-both oral and IV? Or is it just a LD symptom? I am just starting to get a little concerned-much less tired of it. Just sometimes I wonder if I actually feel WORSE from all the abx... Thanks
Posted by vachick (Member # 8353) on :
Nat, I went through a spell of constant dizziness, too. I was dizzy even when sitting down.
I think min was due to taking a proton pump inhibitor my gastro prescribed. I think the Omnicef interacted with it in my body. I went off the stomach med and the dizziness subsided.
I also thought it was anemia, but it was probably the medication. What other medication are you taking other than Lyme drugs? Take a look at those as possible causes of dizziness.
Posted by Bothrops (Member # 7393) on :
Hey, I have been dizzy for 3 years, no breaks. It aint fall down dizzy, it is like a high on marijuana dizzy. If I put my head back it feels like i am falling. When I first wake I am off balance, stumbling into walls. In my case it is not the meds! Also not sure if its a lyme, no one has actually proved that lyme is what I have.
Posted by Annthenurse (Member # 5118) on :
I get dizzy when I need to see my Chiropractor. Ann
Posted by lymeHerx001 (Member # 6215) on :
sorry, ive been dizzy now for 2 years strait.
Do a search on my name and type in VERTIGO /
i dont know what else to say
Posted by lymeHerx001 (Member # 6215) on :
Bothrops its called vertigo.
Thats how I feel all the time. When I close my eyes I feel like im falling.
Sometimes that stops and I feel like im in an elevator.
When I put my hands together it feels so strange too and annoying.
Posted by Sparky (Member # 9191) on :
Yes...have had it for almost 4 years now. Deep sleep seems to make it worse. Vertigo. Also times of watching the room spin round and round. Used to think that was just a figure of speech, but it's a vertigo symptom. Vertigo's a symptom of Lyme Disease. Heat makes it worse--summer is coming. MS patients also experience vertigo, and do not tolerate heat well. Seizures set off by heat. No grand mals (yet).
Posted by lymeHerx001 (Member # 6215) on :
sleeping too much for me is akin to DEATH
If I sleep 6 hours, then I wake up and go back to bed for say 2 hours , then I feel terrible.
This has been going on for 10+ years.
The only thing that helped me for a time was cannabis. Id sleep like a child. It was amazing.
No I dont recomend it because it just masked my symptoms for about 2-3 years.
Posted by nat (Member # 8883) on :
thanks- although was not exactly the answer I wanted to hear. I don't know how those of you go on like this for years ?! How do you deal with the dizziness? How do you work? I was supposed to go back to work today, but still not ready.. I can't work through this dizziness- when it's bad won't even drive-I've tried the antivert which doesn't work. Is there anything that helps? thanks Natalie
Posted by cantgiveupyet (Member # 8165) on :
hey Nat, have you tried zmax.
this was one of my first symptoms.....which lead to me going out on disability. It was pretty bad...and scary since i had no clue what was going on with me. Dr thought i was nutz...
my duck put me on zmax for inner ear (his diagnosis) other ducks at the multiple ER's i visited thought i was pregnant. Blah.
The zmax helped.....antivert seemed to make it even worse.
Posted by nat (Member # 8883) on :
Thanks- what exactly is zmax? I go to doc on Thursday and want to ask her..I'll try anything! I think if I can just get rid of the constant dizziness I might feel start to feel better. I just get so exhausted from trying to fight/concentrate through the dizziness all day long, and if that was relieved I would actually maybe feel somewhat normal again.
Posted by cantgiveupyet (Member # 8165) on :
hello Nat-
zmax- is zithromax.
what abx have you tried so far?
have you been treated for babs? could be a babs symptom too.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
Nat, I've had the dizziness for the last 3-4 months too; it was when additional meds were added by my PCP for all the pain I was in.
On 2 meds for 1 month and then stopped them, but the dizziness lingers. I can't stand on one foot so much sit when puttig on slacks, etc.
I hang onto the walls in the morning and when walking; I use my cane full-tme outside the house.
What does your LLMD say? I feel for those of you who have had this for YEARS! gentle hugs to each of you.....
Posted by ChrisBtheLymie (Member # 8916) on :
I am not on any meds yet and I have Lyme without coinfections (I think) and I have terrible vertigo, It's one of my worst symptoms. However, mine seems to come and go. It's been with me for about 4 weeks now, it does seem to go after a while, then come back. Very annoying indeed.
Posted by nat (Member # 8883) on :
Hi- currenly on IV Zinacef 3g 2x day, 1000 mg tindamax, 200 mg doxy, and 600 mg rifampin. Plus all the Bodywise vitamins, supplements and I do the b-12 shots daily. Was on orals last July when I got sick and then it came back in Feb. I tested negative for co-infections last July.
Is this a lot of abx treatment for LD?
I just wonder if all the meds are making me worse, or just not better-but staying the same? Maybe I am being unrealistic thinking this is just going to all go away- especially after reading that many have this for years. I honestly don't know how you all do it. I guess mentally I am not yet ready to think that this might be a "lifelong" thing- I still have to think it will just go away and I will get better. Thanks for all your help- I would be totally lost without this site. Natalie
Posted by lymeHerx001 (Member # 6215) on :
By the way the anti fungals didnt help my vertigo at all.
Let me say again that I used to get "attacks" but now it became chronic.
The only thing I can do now is pray. I used to be against any belief system. Now I just look to the part of me that is not experiencing this physical torture; my spirit
Posted by Jill E. (Member # 9121) on :
Even though you tested negative for coinfections, your LLMD must think you have either Bartonella or Ehrlichia because you are on Rifampin.
Have you checked the package inserts or the written instructions the pharmacy gives you with each medication to see what the typical side effects can be? If one lists dizziness, that could help you guess if it's one particular medication or the effect of a combination.
Are you having your liver enzymes checked? Both Tindamax and Rifampin can be very hard on the liver. When the liver is having a hard time detoxifying, all kinds of symptoms can happen.
I wish you well. I don't have vertigo with Lyme, but I had it on and off with chronic fatigue syndrome years ago - it felt like being in an earthquake all the time - and I lived in earthquake country at the time.
Please keep us posted as to what you find out.
Jill
Posted by nat (Member # 8883) on :
Jill- doc has me on the rifampin since she thinks I did well on it last summer. I just started it about a week ago and had a really bad herx this weekend-spent all weekend in bed- it was bad. My liver has been up very high 2x in last few months, and I've had to stop and start the IV..maybe that's it w/ the dizziness?
Posted by dguy (Member # 8979) on :
Dizzyness has been my constant companion for, oh, pushing 10 years now. It's my most life limiting symptom. After years of tests that come back normal, I'm convinced the symptom is due to the infection. In that time, I've found only two meds that help.
Predinisolone works like a charm, but of course steroids like it are very much a no-no for us. I suspect my trial of it shut down my immune response, and reduced inflammation somewhere (inner ear?) that leads to the dizzies.
High doses of thyroxine (T4 thyroid hormone) also help a bunch, but far from completely. This implies my dizzies are a form of sub-clinical hypothyroidism. The bugs are said to produce high levels of vitamin 1,25D, and some report 1,25D interferes with the body's normal thyroid hormone use. My high dose of replacement hormone (pushing my TSH down to about 0.01 or 0.02), may be compensating somewhat, but may be unwise long term.
Posted by nat (Member # 8883) on :
Oh my gosh- 10 years? I feel for you..I just sure hope that won't be me. I don't know how I could deal. I have been on prednisone since last July and finally got off of it about 2 weeks ago.. I thought maybe that was contributing to dizziness and also not helping me get well- but I haven't noticed a change..if anything it's worse now. Thanks for the input. Natalie
Posted by dguy (Member # 8979) on :
Nat - like you, my dizziness is worse without steroids, but the steroids are dangerous to take when there's an infection in progress because they dampen immune response, which can let the bugs multiply even more.
The prednisolone wiped out my symptoms ONLY while I was on a high dose. Symptoms returned when I tapered the dose. It was not a cure, just a temporary symptom mask, and riskier than I had realized at the time.
It would not surprise me if your symptoms are worse on the abx... it could be due to herxing, which can be a sign the bugs are being killed off.
[ 09. May 2006, 06:42 PM: Message edited by: dguy ]
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