Vertigo and sudden falls not at the same time

[Pepper64]

Hi all , so I recently fell , stepped off a curb from a standstill and it was as though the curb wasn't there. I've had a lot of falls with dizziness episodes leading up to but not at the time of fall. Vertigo and ear pain and presssure have been on going for a long time with no reasoning. I was diagnosed about 20 years ago with Fibromyalgia. I've had 3 falls in about 1.5 years with no real reason. Can anyone relate or have any thoughts

[Hidden]

I have fallen in the way you describe at about the same frequency I think. I have Sjögren's and Hypothyroidism and am told by my neurologist that the probable cause relates to my autonomic and para sympathetic nervous systems and Small Fibre Neuropathy which have all caused problems with my proprioception. I think it's to do with an inflammatory process myself.

I don't know if any of this helps you but I believe some who are diagnosed with Fibro or CFS do eventually turn out to have autoimmune diseases instead or as well. It is confirmed that many with Fibromyalgia have small fibre neuropathy, as do some of those with diabetes and MS. All can cause balance disorders and problems with proprioception. Maybe this is what is affecting you?

Otherwise it is probably worth asking to see an ENT to check out vestibular disorders such as Menieres and Labyrinthitis.

[EOLHPC]

Hello Pepper 👋👋👋👋

Sorry you're having these sensations. Experiencing these is miserable...and dangerous: you can fall & break something. I've been managing these symptoms since early childhood. When I was in my early 30s they got extra bad...I became housebound sitting on the sofa weeping for months until I figured out how to manage my version of this and minimise my predisposition to it flaring severely...but now my daily lupus meds help me lots to keep this damped down & to deal with flares

twitchy's reply is great. Do see your GP about this: get it on your medical records! There can be many causes for this sort of thing. And this occurs in people without our types of conditions. On the other hand, the underlying cause of this sort of thing can be due to various versions of immune dysfunction & connective tissue disorder....here is a link to a great website which can help you to understand more:

vestibular.org/autoimmune-i...

Take care

🍀🍀🍀🍀 coco

PS e.g, one reason for sudden falls, in older women especially, can be related to osteoporosis in the spine....how old are you? If you're in menopause, have you had a bone density scan recently? Women in my family have been particularly prone to this...one of my paternal aunts lived in a big city...due to her spinal osteoporosis, she kept stepping off curbs & blacking out...only to be discovered lying between parked cars...there was no vertigo involved, she just suddenly fell and blacked out

[ShadowSky in reply to EOLHPC]

Oh my gosh I had no idea about people falling due to osteoporosis in the spine. That's exactly what I have too. And all those falls I kept having were obviously due to this reason. I never knew that. I did go for a bone density scan a couple of years ago and found out that I have lost 4 and a half inches from my height due to my spine crumbling away but I never realised that was the cause of all those falls and broken bones I kept getting. X

[EOLHPC in reply to ShadowSky]

👌 do get this checked. My elderly aunt was told that her blackouts were caused by finely fracturing spinal vertebrae. She used to proudly announce to us that her back has breaking! She was a tough old girl 😉🍀😘🌷

[misty14]

Hi pepper

So sorry to read of your balance and falling problems which as Barnvlown rightly says is dangerous. You've had two great replies from her and Twitchy which I can't add to.

What I can say is my mum went thru a phase of falling in a similar way to you and she was referred to our local FALLS TEAM which comprised a physio and O. T who came to our house!. She was given balance exercises to do and has never looked back. She was frightened of going out and walking and they've given her confidence back. This might be something that could help you. Do hope you improve soon with some kind of medical help, it's too important!. X

[Lupiknits]

Sorry you're having the falls experience Pepper. Dizziness/vertigo turning up with me, too. I've spent most of my life accommodating light headedness as a result of low blood pressure, but this is different - much more like sea sickness. I have an ENT appt in a couple of weeks to check on one sided pulsatile tinnitus, and I'm glad I saw the GP when I did, because vertigo is starting ( but might not be connected). Pl see your GP x

[ShadowSky]

I spent many years falling over and breaking my bones with my Lupus. And my balance now is literally nil. I even ended up falling off my electric bicycle to into the road. I have no idea why I cannot keep my balance anymore now. All I do know is after breaking my ribs and wrist the last time I fell I had to end up using crutches continually to stop me from falling over. And for the past years I continually use crutches and a mobility scooter to get about with. I am 57 and have to admit that I never expected to be living like this at 57 years old . Many people class me as an elderly person or even compare me with other elderly people who have fallen alot but as far as I am concerned I am not elderly at all. I have an 80 year old neighbour who lives opposite me and she gets about and goes on outings practically every day . She's so much fitter and active than I am. It feels hard sometimes having a crap and elderly body when my brain is still young . If that makes sense. Many times my falls occured during the days I felt completely exhausted and worn out. Chronic fatigue is a big problem. When people say to me now how tired they feel I very often think to myself how different their tiredness is to the feelings I get of utter and complete exhaustion. I remember once as a teenager how I fell asleep on the back of a Motorbike. And also slept standing up against a shed wall too. Little did I know it was this that had been causing it all those years ago. The only time I do go dizzy is if I stand up to quickly which is due to my blood pressure being to low. So my consultant has told me to stand up slowly. But it's not something I remember to do all the time. Can I ask if anybody out there with Lupus gets a rash continually that itches and scabs over. And never goes away. I have a rash on my right shoulder and around the arm and it just won't go away. It feels prickly at times and then starts itching which causing the skin to come off and bleed. Then when they scab over the cycle continues over again. This has been going on for years with me and now I find that down both my arms very often I have patchy red marks. Never do I allow my skin to get the sun on it due to the very bad reaction I get. I have often wondered if the scabs and rash might be Shingles but surely it's not possible for Shingles to exist non stop for years on end on a person's body. Because I put everything down to being due to my Lupus now I don't even bother seeing the Dr with everything anymore. XX