Light-headedness and apprehension

[EndUser13]

So occasionally I'll get light-headed or more rarely severely dizzy. It comes out of nowhere and I'm really not sure what to do about it. I've mentioned it to my psychiatrist and PCP, only to feel ignored. I understand it's hard to diagnose and treat dizziness because it could be a million things and it's typically not dangerous.

Besides it being another annoying thing to deal with it tends to make me feel anxious. I had a minor panic attack this morning after suddenly becoming very dizzy and not being able to figure it out. When this sort of thing happens I become apprehensive and over-sensitive about any given thing, I focus way too much on what my body is doing and forget to just go with the flow of things.

I suspect it is a side effect of some blood pressure meds I take for hypertension but my PCP just ignores my worries. It would be difficult for me to effectively get a second opinion because my PCP is the only physician in my tiny village and being as agoraphobic as I am it's been difficult to travel the 15-20 miles to any other nearby "towns".

I don't expect anyone to have any great advice, I suppose I am just ranting. Thanks for listening

[Hb2003]

i am so sorry about that i got dizzy because of vertigo and Propranolol and i had a very good doctor she taught me some exercises to help decrease the dizzy spells

[jackiesj in reply to Hb2003]

could you chat me and let me know those exercises pls.

[Hb2003 in reply to jackiesj]

Sure ☺️

[CL3V3R-G1RL]

I know the feeling of being ignored by a doctor. Like for me it was with my levothyroxine. I did well on it for a year and then he raised it. And when he raised it I felt more anxious and I had two major panic attacks. I called him up I told him about it. Even though he has the capability of seeing me through a television he chose not to. Siding he needs to observe me. So I'm panicking in his office. I'm going constantly in the bathroom to cry and resettle myself. And then I get left in a tiny room. Freak out go back to the bathroom to collect myself and come back. And I tell him all this and he's of the mindset of well it's a small dosage 50 micrograms couldn't cause all this. Your anxiety is just left uncontrolled despite the fact that I have my anxiety has been under control for more than 9 years. And after I tell him and beg him okay fine he'll lower the dosage. And that caused me to have a real traumatic experience which I am just now starting to heal from. And I have moments where I feel like I have such deep regret that I didn't seek out another doctor sooner. But you know with insurance is in the US it's a pain in the butt. And to get a second opinion I have to go through the same clinic in order to get a second opinion. Which is to me kind of stupid because I'm basically asking his colleague do you agree with your other calling that this medication is fine for me. And I feel I'm not going to get even a second thought because they work together in the same damn office. He's older and she's younger, she's probably going to follow his lead cuz she's the new doctor.

My sister IG has hypertension in her blood pressure medication was making her dizzy at the time and she finally got the dosage right or she changed to a different medication. I have to ask her. I know that doesn't help you in your situation. Because like you said it could be a variety of things. Anxiety can cause dizziness. What's so can hypertension medication. And it's terrible that doctors get so lasered focus when they see oh you suffer from anxiety then that means every sensation you feel must be anxiety related. And they don't take your thoughts seriously. And doctors really aren't trained for the mental health. As long as I do blood work on you and your test come back normal then you're fine. You want mental health go get it from somewhere else that's the way they see it. They don't understand about health anxiety. If they can properly reassure you that okay I'll take a look at this And after they do go okay we did the test we looked into what you're concerned about and you're okay. It's the medication will change your dosage. And we'll monitor you for a month and then take blood work or a blood pressure reading to see if you're still doing well. And if you are well then we'll go back to our regularly scheduled program. But yeah it sucks when doctors just roll their eyes at you. Like oh you don't know how anxiety is. It's kind of insulting cuz you live with it you know what it feels like. You're not a child, and it kind of makes you feel like you're a kid asking some stupid question. And yeah I know the feeling about traveling. There was an endocrinologist I wanted to see for my thyroid. Because the majority here only look after diabetes the thyroid is a secondary thing. And the way they handle it is by just upping your dosage they don't really care how it makes you feel. But she is about I would say maybe 14 mi away. But to an anxious person that is a mighty long drive. And the fact that she doesn't take my insurance or hardly any insurance it's cash up front. So I would have to save to make sure I can go to these appointments. But now that I gotten my doctor to lower it I'm starting to notice a change I feel a little bit more confident in myself and less anxious. I wish you all the best and I do hope you'll eventually get your answers to why you feel dizzy. I really do. Hugs 🫂

[EndUser13 in reply to CL3V3R-G1RL]

Thank you! I'm sorry you had to deal with such a callous doctor in the past, he sounds toxic.

[jackiesj in reply to CL3V3R-G1RL]

ty for the share..sure not alone.

[EndUser13]

Leave my posts alone. I leave you alone. Stop trying to stay within the boundaries of the rules, antagonizing people, and then acting like a victim when they lash out at you. I do not care about anything you have to say. You offer NOTHING good or useful. I think you are a shallow, sad person who thrives on drama. You are the kind of person who makes HU a worse place

[AnonymousUsername13]

I had an odd medical issue before, i woke up & got dizzy & passed out. I went to ER & they said ot was hypokalemia (low potassium), i was on supplements for 2 years, it eventually normalized & i went off of them. I had panic attacks my entire life, & this made them worse for years. I always felt dizzy, but eventually overcame it, because i think it was caused by my panic attacks/anxiety. This may not be the case for u, but i wanted to share just in case. I've had other medical issues recently (thinking i had heart problems, went to ER three times in 3 months. It wasn't heart problems, they said it was anxiety caused). The ER did blood work, & my potassium was at the same level it was when i was having those dizzy episodes for years (3.3, normal range os 3.5 to 5.0), but no dizziness. I think it was psychosomatic for me, that just panicking & thinking back to my episode of passing out, made me feel dizzy. That morning, i jumped out of bed really fast, then stood up excited for the day (it was Thanksgiving day 2010), so it could just be i stood up too fast, which caused me to pass out. It's never happened again, the passing out, & the dizziness stopped after i got work & stopped fixating on it. It has caused PTSD because I've had several other medical oddities, which seems to be the cause of my debilitating health anxiety, but those symptoms are gone. This may not be directly related to your issue, but i wanted to offer a perspective that you can consider, because it's possible it's a similar cause.

There are online doctors u can see, btw, like healthtap dot com. They do video visits, so that can be an option for you, though they won't prescribe controlled substances. Hopefully you can figure this out & get to living a life where you can overcome this issue & be fulfilled.

[EndUser13 in reply to AnonymousUsername13]

Thanks for sharing, that sounds kind of scary! Fortunately for me, my light-headedness hasn't reached a point where I have fainted, it's just an annoying thing that provokes anxiety, as you can relate to.

[jackiesj in reply to AnonymousUsername13]

Great points that physical and mental we cant always tell...hopefully a doc can help at times to decipher what knowledge we do give them.

[jackiesj]

I am sorry that you are not taken seriously by the medical profession. i have suffered much so only have experience of ideas. Dont give up and not all are mental. A good doctor told me that even if its mental the brain is an organ!First breathe.Know you are not alone. things for dizzy...sugar level, caffiene, inner ear issues, stability on feet,holding breathe in stress times.JOURNAL... as i journaled for a week..everything(and keep it safe from others)...you can find a pattern, of mental physical and then get an idea for yourself.....that1 you will get thru this and in 5 minutes what can you give the doc as information. routine is key for my own sanity. hope it helps.

[EndUser13 in reply to jackiesj]

Hmm, yeah I will journal for mental health purposes but I never really thought of keeping track of some things, thanks for the idea. I do try to keep a routine, I agree they can be helpful 🙂