Allergies, sinus infection and dizziness

[stacia123]

In May I began to have dizzy spells which coincided with a sore throat and earache, which cleared up on their own. However, dizziness and fatigue continued for several weeks. The dizziness resembled being carsick, with lightheadedness and occasional moments of nausea and feeling faint (but I never passed out).  I had a CAT scan and blood work twice, and so far no diagnosis for the dizziness/fatigue.  It got better for a few weeks but last week I began to have dizzy spells again, this time accompanied by maxillary sinus pressure.  I had just switched allergy medications, from Nasonex to generic Flonase, right at the time my symptoms returned.  Could allergies have led to a sinus infection?  Can the sinus infection cause dizziness and fatigue?

Due to the holiday weekend I haven't been able to call my doctor, but after 3 prior visits he's never suggested sinuses to be a cause.

[anngj]

I have had bouts of vertigo for the past two to three years.  It seemed like every time I got a "bug" that was going around, I would get horrible vertigo for months afterward.  At times, even rolling over in bed was miserable.  I felt like crap every day for months on end, feeling like I was suffering from the worst hangover ever that would never stop.  I tried reducing pressure on my inner ear by using mucous reliever, I tried meclizine, I tried allergy pills.  It would seem to start and stop no matter what I did.  My physician was rather dismissive and offered no additional help.  

I finally had a stretch of several months free of it.  Then, with no warning, I rolled over in bed one night and was spinning so bad I was retching.  Coincidently, I had some peanut butter that evening - which I had not had in the house for several months.  I have eaten peanut butter all my life at least 3 to 4 times a week.  Based only on superstition, I have avoided peanut butter since that date and have been vertigo free!  I don't know if it is really the peanuts or something else in that particular brand of peanut butter or if it is all in my head (figuratively!) but I am just thrilled that I have had no reoccurences in six months.  It does seem possible that as we age, our sensitivity to foods may change, so don't rule out food allergy or food intolerance just because you have eaten something your whole life.  

[itsmeoscar]

Hello everyone,

I too had and still have, though now too a much lesser degree many of the symptoms discussed in this blog.  Ten years ago I came down with severe headaches and dizziness.  I went through pretty much all the test and doctors many of you mentioned on this blog.  To make matters worse a neurologist even told me I had liver cancer, which thankfully I didn’t.  I finally went to an ENT who told me I had something called “VASOMOTOR RHINITIS”.  None of the meds and nasal sprays worked.   It was so bad at one point that I crashed my car.  I took a leave of absence from work and started making a detail analysis of where I felt worse.
In my case what I discovered was that carpets and upholstery were giving me the headaches and dizziness.  I removed the carpeting from my apartment and my car.  I had the interior of my car re-done in vinyl and leather, removing all the upholstery.
So for those of you that may have “VASOMOTOR RHINITS” like me, look into whether you are being exposed to carpeting at home at work.  Try to remove yourself if possible from that environment to see if your condition improves.
Hope this helps someone.

Oscar

[lillyp800]

I am suffering with many of these symptoms as well, and I am very concerned about this.  Mine hit me all of a sudden at work on December 19, 2011. It did not go away, I have a "hangover" type head and headache, as well as extreme pressure in my sinus area and head.  I feel weird, like I'm stoned or something, although I am quite alert.  Sometimes my right eye feels a little "off", but I have no problem seeing.  I was planning on having my eyes checked again because I got two new eyeglass prescriptions and thought maybe something is wrong with them.  My body now has waves of this weird feeling too.  I feel queasy and woozy and this stays 24-7.  I think I even feel this when I am sleeping, although I have been taking a sleeping pill for several months now because I am an insomniac, and I certainly feel it when I open my eyes.  When I first saw the doctor in early January he gave me antibiotics because he thought it was a sinus infection.  I did not have a fever and my sinuses felt clear, no congestion.  After I finished these antibiotics, I did not go away, so I went back and he gave me stronger ones to take for a longer period of time.  Those didn't work either.  I have been for a sinus xray because he thought perhpas there was something in the sinuses but that was clear.  I have had blood work done and that was good.  I am going for an MRI brain scan tomorrow, but by the sounds of this forum, that will probably be normal too (at lease I hope they don't find anything!).  I'm so frustrated with this and very frightened!  I forget what "normal" feels like and I want it back!  I also have chronic issues with carpal tunnel, and I think I have a pinched nerve somewhere as well.  I have had an MRI of my neck and lower back too.  Hopefully something comes to light soon and all of us can be better again!

[mjlklm]

My boyfriend has had dizziness for over two years now. Hes been to the docs about it several times, and they have given him a diff answer every time. They said his sinus's are very swollen up, and the dizziness is often brought on when he sprays fragrance or i wear perfume.
Does anyone know if they would be able to test if this is what he is allergic to at the docs? He doesnt come out in a rash, so I dont know how they would do it.
He still gets it other times as well and has no idea why, but its got to the point where its stopping him doing things. Has anyone had a simular thing or know what it might be?

[SRuthie]

Wow this is incredible. I'm so glad I found this forum. I have been suffering for over 2 years now with these same symptoms. It started out when I noticed I was dizzy, nauseous, and extremely exhausted. I thought it would go away, but it continued and escalated till I was having very dizzy spells almost like I was about to black out, neck stiffness, headaches, then panic attacks started.  I experienced earaches frequently, disorientation, and feeling like my head was in the fog. I went to the doctor many times, initially she thought it was allergies and prescribed flonase to clear up my sinuses. She told me that if it didn't clear up, I needed and MRI because it had been a year since I had been going in complaining of these symptoms. My MRI was normal aside from a lot of congestion in my sinuses. The doctor put me on Lexapro for a year to help with my anxiety and my panic attacks about this. That worked for a year to calm my nerves, but my other symptoms aside from the anxiety were still there. Recently I decided to get off the Lexapro to see how I would do without it. The anxiety is better, I seem to have figured out that the symptoms I am feeling are coming from severe allergy problems of some kind. And able to tell my mind that so I don't go into panic fight of flight every time I feel dizzy or woozy. I'm desperate to find an answer and a cure because living like this is miserable. I'm going to an Allergist this saturday and hope he can help me.

[mehkwr]

I am so relieved I am not the only one suffering through this! I just had the testing done yesterday where they put the goggles on you and you have to follow the laser with your eyes and the one where they blow cold and hot air into your ears. I passed it all with flying colors. which is great that my ears are healthy, but SO frustrating because I still don't know what's causing the dizziness. I've had it off and on for over a year and my most recent vertigo attack was about 4 months ago. I was in bed for four days!! I am so scared that I will have another attack. I've had two bad ones and I have some form of dizziness all day long. I was beginning to think I was crazy or a Hypochondriac! I'm so thankful that I found this forum today. I feel a lot better knowing I'm not alone in this struggle. There has got to be an answer somewhere. I've been on allergy shots for years and allergy pills and Rhinocort Aqua Spray, but I still get these dizzy spells. My sypmtoms are always worse when I'm at work and when I'm at home. I don't suffer too much when I'm away from work or the house, I'm wondering if there isn't something else I'm allergic to that I don't know about. Maybe a food allergy? I'm going to clean my house from top to bottom over the next several days and see if that changes anything. I will report back and lat ya'll know what happens! Again, I thank God I found this forum!!