I keep feeling dizzy unbalanced and slightly "had one too many" although I don't drink !!!
I'm not sure if there is any connection to PMR or PREDNISOLONE but I am pretty sure that someone will offer advice and suggestions for me 😊
In NOVEMBER 2014 I had a FLU JAB in one arm and a shingles jab in the other arm within minutes of each other. Twelve hours later the following morning, I got up from bed, felt very very unbalanced , fainted from a standing position and subsequently recovered consciousness flat on my back on the bedroom floor and wondering WHY ??? !!!
I got back into bed to recover from the shock ! On rising later and ready for the same to happen again, over the next couple of hours I had to steady and sit down 3-4 times more to prevent the same happening again ... and again ... and again ... and again ...
It was weekend, I live alone was apprehensive so phoned emergency number for paramedic. After around 30 minutes and thorough checks, he can me to the conclusion that "for my age I was in pretty good shape and ... The faint was presumably my body's reaction fighting off the two inruders that had been injected into my arms on the afternoon before " ... the flu and shingles jabs !!!
After the weekend, I reported to my GP practice and told them what had happened ...
Sayin that I now felt dizzy, unbalanced and a little shaken.
(A very colourful bruise was now developing on the fingers and hand of the arm that had been twisted beneath my body as I fell !)
I was briefly examined and then prescribed prochlorperazine 5mg ...
Subsequent visits to my GP resulted in having an appointment with an ear/hearing consultant and a visit to the opticians to ascertain if either hearing or vision were causing my feelings of imbalance, but nothing definite came of either consultations ...
During the early part of 2015 dizziness came and went ... and (as we do) I began to live with the new situation of not feeling quite "with it" some of the time ... Until ...
24 SEPTEMBER 2015 ... when I had another flu jab !!!
Within a few days the dizzy feelings were back with a vengeance, plus other feelings that I'd NEVER experienced ... these turned out to be PMR (which I am pleased to say, 4.5 months on, appears to be under control thanks to PRED now at 12mg from a start of 15mg). BUT ... The underlying dizziness and feeling off balance still haunts me 😒
It's a long story ... So sorry but I thought the clue may be the 2014 flu jab ...
However, during the last few months (maybe PMR/PRED) I have had very high BP, been diagnosed with heart murmur/arrhythmia and have appt for that mid March.
I'm on medication for BP reduction and a beta blocker, plus a mini aspirin , so the ongoing dizziness could be exacerbated by meds side effects ... ?
The latest prescription to sort out the dizziness, just appeared to make it worse ...
So I've stopped taking it.
The LEAST dizzy I have felt , in fact I felt pretty good, was a short while ago when I had for seven days an antibiotic for UTI but ... Dizziness returned as soon as I finished the one week course.
Any suggestions please ... and so sorry about the length of my "story so far" ...
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Polylinc
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There are anecdotal cases of antibiotics having a remarkable effect on symptoms in RA and PMR. There is a paper relating the use of an antibiotic for 3 different PMR patients which seems to have worked:
I wonder if your doctor would consider it if you explained the fact you felt better on abx. Just to see what happens.
There are quite a few people who feel their PMR started soon after a flu jab but equally plenty of us who developed PMR without ever having had one. But I certainly wouldn't have another one if I were you! And I won't be accepting any offer of a shingles jab either!
Your cardiac story matches mine - atrial fibrillation started after the PMR, nothing to do with pred, I wasn't on it. I had very occasional similar episodes to the ones you describe, probably a/f since they stopped altogether after it was discovered and treated. Cardiologist is confident it is due to damage caused by the autoimmune part of PMR.
I'm quick off the mark if I happen to be emptying my email box when a new post comes in!
You didn't say you banged your head when you fainted, just your arm! And you were dizzy before fainting. The paramedic would have checked for the usual sort of things there. Doesn't mean it isn't associated of course.
Like kingharold, I can just envisage the expressions on doctor's faces! "It isn't a normal symptom of what I know you have..."
If it is BPPV - I do know a couple of PMR patients with it. However - it is easily treated with the Epley manoeuvre. The head is moved into different positions to dislodge the crystals that usually cause it. One of the other ladies had had it for a long time and her rheumy and GP were clueless (they were anyway as it happened) and she went to a neurologist about some of the symptoms. He took one look at her and made 2 diagnoses. He told her about the Eply manoeuvre but didn't offer to do it - apparently doctors don't like doing it in the consulting room as patients often vomit. Her doctor daughter did it for her - all gone dizzy spells!
I think you may have to repeat it a few times if it doesn't work the first time. The idea is to dislodge the crystals that cause the problem. And no doubt they can get back in the wrong place again!
Three weeks ago, I suddenly had an awful attack of vertigo and just had to lean on the kitchen worktop until it passed, but over the next ten days or so it kept recurring. The worst attack was when I was going upstairs, which scared me so much that I went to the GP in our practice who deals with ENT cases and he gave me a thorough check up. I am also on 6 weeks of clarithromycin for chronic sinusitis, but the vertigo seems to have been an unfortunate coincidence. I've been on Pred (now 4.5) since June 2011 and never previously been afflicted by vertigo. This kind of vertigo is 'Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo' (BPPV) - according to my retired GP sister who has also suffered from it. It's caused by the movement of tiny calcium crystals in the inner ear. I don't know if your symptoms are like mine but they sound very familiar. There's an excellent article on BPPV on Wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benig....
By the way, my symptoms have cleared and I have dared to drive again this week. Good luck to you Polylinc.
My sister described it when I spoke to her on the phone and I remember when I had labyrinthitis four years ago (more scary and even more horrible) I found it on Youtube. I will keep it in mind and hope I won't need it! Thanks.
I have had PMR since May 2011 and have been on various doses of pred. I have had flu jabs and a shingles jab at roughly the same time and intervals like you. I have also been dizzy for most of the time and suffered just like you I have lost count of the number of medical people I have tried to describe the symptoms to only to have them look at me vacant ( they don't know what to do) I posted on here a couple of months ago. My BP is fine so its not that . I wish somebody could tell what is the matter.
I also have recurring light headedness/dizziness. It occurs when I go from lying or sitting to standing. I have to just stop what I'm doing, hold on to something, and wait for the symptoms to pass.
However, I have recently found that I have orthostatic hypotension. When I go from a lying or sitting position to standing, my systolic blood pressure (top number) drops about 10-20 points. This is a big drop which can explain the dizziness/light headedness.
You may want to have this checked for you the next time you see your doctor.
Best wishes. This is not a fun way to move around.
Sounds feasible and I do take particular care moving my head early mornings and ...
I'm trying something else starting today ...
Some of the medication I usually take mornings, I am going to try taking afternoons on my resting period 😊
I did think maybe the meds particularly for BP and heart rate may be having an effect.
Thank you so much for your time and interest X
I too have this dizzyness and feeling of being drunk, seems to affect my eyes, they feel very heavy. Dont know if it is they Pred as i had a bout of vertigo a few months ago, waiting to see ENT consultant. Maybe it is all connected to PMR, does anyone else think so?
I have had a variety of replies, mostly different opinions so I'm still confused ...
Maybe nothing at all to do with PMR or Pred as I think we often believe other problems are connected, but they are maybe not ...
Currently I have swollen ankles and started today med for that. One lady on here suggested that water retention could cause dizziness, so fingers crossed these meds will sort it out.
I have also requested blood tests to check for thyroid problems and for testing blood sugar levels as I understand that they too can cause dizziness if not dealt with.
If I get any results and/or cause of dizziness is solved, I will post my results on here.
Thank you so much for your interest and your contribution X
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Dizzy spells
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