Dizzy

[alvertta]

Yikes. Woke up today dizzy. That darn prednisone.

[jinasc]

Why do you think the pred made you dizzy?

[alvertta in reply to jinasc]

Yes. Side effect.

[jinasc in reply to alvertta]

I apologise, I should have read your profile before answering. I now see you have GCA and the 8th cranial nerve can be involved with GCA.

You might like to read this:

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk....

[Evercurious]

Did you check blood pressure?

[alvertta in reply to Evercurious]

Will now.

[alvertta in reply to Evercurious]

128/74. Good for me.

[Purplecrow]

Hope it passes quickly. I have allergy related spells, when my inner ear needs a moment to figure out which way is up.

Be careful till it passes.

Kind regards, Jerri

[DianeA1]

Hi, move slowly. I hope it passes quickly.

I have spent a lot of time dealing carefully with dizziness and there are different types and causes besides Pred. (I can only briefly describe my own experiences and want to be careful not to attempt to tell you what you need or have.)

Like upon waking and when I turn my head before rising it feels like my brain is spinning. (Unlike nauseousness dizziness from the flu where the room is doing the spinning.)

About 10 years ago, a visit to an ENT helped me with BPPV.

I have mentioned here before how debilitatingly nauseous (for 8 days) a shot of steroids made me when I was first diagnosed wi PMR. Since the shot did nothing for my pains, they gave me promethazine to stop the nauseousness and the pill form of Pred.

Then last year my GP found I had moisture on my eustachian tubes, so now when I feel unsteady upon waking, I take an antihistamine as well as a steroid spray into my nose, which are a great help.

So dizziness can come at me for a variety of reasons and I have to stay hydrated, move carefully and like Purplecrow says, wait a moment and hope I feel straight and level.

All the best.

[alvertta in reply to DianeA1]

Thanks. All good advice. Moving slowly.

[Suedeshayes in reply to DianeA1]

Have you tried the Epley Manoeuvre? It’s on you tube, for the vertigo you talk about. I find it works.

[DianeA1 in reply to Suedeshayes]

Yes, the ENT performed the Epley Manuver and it worked on me for a while. Since then, my husband helps me to do it when I get the symptoms.

Take care

[alvertta in reply to Suedeshayes]

Yes I have done that. Not for awhile

[SanG55]

I get random bouts of dizziness when I stand up or reach up. GP has put it down to prednisolone (the easy target, me thinks) I am monitoring to see if there are any other factors. I have fallen over twice when dizzy, which I find a bit scary.

[alvertta in reply to SanG55]

As today progresses the dizziness is easing. Still moving slowly.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to SanG55]

Various reasons, low blood pressure is in obvious one, labyrinthitis it another (although that includes feeling nauseous).

Move slowly and keep head in same position I.e. looking straight ahead and level.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to SanG55]

Have you been checked for subclavian steal syndrome?

[alvertta in reply to PMRpro]

Will look that up.

[PMRCanada]

Steady as she goes. Hope you get relief soon.

I had two boughts of dizziness and nausea caused when I was on bp meds and lost weight. Blood pressure dropped with combo of meds and lifestyle change. Cut meds in half dose then off of them altogether when it struck a second time.

Looks like you bp is good. Did you have this side effect when you were first on higher doses?

[alvertta in reply to PMRCanada]

Dizzy left by noon. Phew. I dropped to 65 this morning. All doctors are on vacation. No advice unless I Go to emerg. So now Feeling ok. Niece and 1 year old here. Happy!!! Hugged.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to alvertta]

Some people find they feel woozy as the pred enters the bloodstream - and deal with the problem by adjusting the time they take the pred. Taking it at night means they sleep through it - but maybe a bit more difficult at high doses.

[Meggsy]

I had bouts of dizziness when on 25 to about 15mg pred, also like DianeA1 upon waking. It reappeared at 5mg. One day at the top of the stairs I bent down to tie my laces and toppled sideways, fortunately in the opposite direction to the staircase. It seems to have now gone. Presently on 4mg after slight flare on 3.5mg.

[Joan-E-D]

I used to get slight dizzy spells when reducing my Pred. but have been off Pred. since Nov. 2019 after 3 years of PMR. However 2 months ago, on the news that my very close friend had died, I had full blown vertigo with the vomiting etc. I was given tablets to dissolve against my upper outside gum which worked well and after 3 days I no longer needed to take them. However I still get dizzy if I look up or down, lie down or sit up. So I wait until I feel steady before moving again. The reason I've written this is to show that it may not be the Pred. that's causing the dizziness. It can be caused by stress or shock too. In the meantime I've heard about 2 other people who had vertigo attacks with dizziness for sometime afterwards after someone close to them died.