Vertigo - 4 days in, no easing (graves)

[Zudukk]

Hi all

I woke up at 4am 4 days ago with an all too familiar feeling of vertigo.

I've had these episodes before, throughout my 34 tears, even as a young child, but usually limited to the one episode. Never has it been so long-lasting, so I'm naturally very worried.

My medication stack is already pretty intense thanks to my recent Graves diagnosis (hyperthyroid), but I have been making really good progress in all metrics recently through the block & replace approach - FWIW, my TSH now traceable and both FT3 and FT4 normal ranges.

I'm wondering if anyone thinks these protracted vertigo episode could be related to my thyroid issues? Perhaps I've regressed and perhaps related to my accelerated heartbeat (I have been feeling rather more anxious and tight-chested recently, but I don't see much evidence about this online).

Has anyone else suffered this way or is there a suggested alternative forum you think I should visit?

Many thanks

N

[SlowDragon Administrator]

TSH now traceable and both FT3 and FT4 normal ranges.

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested.

What are actual Ft4 and Ft3 results

EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, with Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Have you had Graces disease confirmed by testing TSI or Trab antibodies

Have you had coeliac blood test done

Strictly gluten free diet often helps improve symptoms

But rule out coeliac before cutting gluten out

[Zudukk in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks for the feedback here. Thankfully not coeliac, but I do limit my gluten intake as a matter of practise anyway so your post was really helpful nonetheless.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Zudukk]

Come back with new post once you get vitamin results

Gluten free diet does need to be absolutely strictly gluten free to be effective

[Bearo]

I’m hypo. I have dizziness and feeling sick episodes (identical to travel sickness which I also suffer badly). Not Vertigo, as the room doesn’t generally spin, but I suspect there are just lots of variants of dizziness. I’ve seen a couple of others post about similar conditions on here.

I’m hoping my condition is related to thyroid because then if I can get on the magic dose of Levo it might go away! But I don’t know.

I’ve just been prescribed Prochlorperazine which do prevent me from feeling sick if I start feeling woozy, but they are antipsychotics which are not recommended for thyroid sufferers, it says so on the PIL.

[Zudukk in reply to Bearo]

Hi Bearo - sorry to hear this.. Dizziness in any form is terribly uncomfortable. I can't speak much to what is causing it though.

One thing I have found, as you rightly pointed out is that dizziness and related symptoms can be symptoms of such a wide number of conditions, so you really need to seek out the right clinicians with the clues you have. In your case your endo.

I was diagnosed with BVVP yesterday, I think disconnected from my thyroid condition, but just another bloody condition to add to the list

[Bearo in reply to Zudukk]

Thanks for your reply. I don’t have an endo. I’ve been referred to ENT at the local hospital - they said it was BVVP and told me to do the you tube exercises, but no follow up. My GP told me recently that in his view I don’t have BVVP, but he didn’t say what it might be instead. I don’t think they have any idea really.

[Zudukk in reply to Bearo]

When is your appointment with the ENT?

On what's grounds did your GP rule out BVVP?

From what little I know and in my own experience, the ENT I saw was able to diagnose BVVP from just the symptoms I described, but confirmed it nonetheless with a manoeuvre called "Hall-pike", which sets the patient in a position to trigger the vertigo. The eyes will rotate involuntarily as a result thus signifying BVVP.

Even without doing that test - the giveaway is the "P" in BVVP = "Positional". If certain head movements trigger the vertigo, then in my experience its BVVP.

[Bearo in reply to Zudukk]

That’s interesting, thank you. I can get dizzy from just turning my head sideways so I suppose that’s why I was originally told BVVP, although I never had the hall pike test. My GP said it wasn’t that because I confirmed that Prochlorperazine, an antipsychotic, stops me feeling sick. I’m supposed to be on a short course of those, three times a day to reset the area in my brain that tells me I’m dizzy, but I’m not taking them because the PIL says not to if you have thyroid problems. However, if it’s not going to go away with increased Levo, I shall have to try the tablets or the eye exercises, as the dizzy/sick thing is by far my major health problem.

What treatment have you had for PVVB? The quick side to side head movement exercises?