Sudden, Brief, Off-the-Charts Dizziness

[skin640]

I am a 38 year old male. I'd say I have had pretty good health (at least physically) over the past 38 years of my life. I am currently on no medications, though have taken several antibiotics and diflucan in an attempt to treat a scrotal rash.  The rash is still present and has been completely irresponsive to anything.  I have had the rash for several months.

1) I'd estimate this first happened 9-1-08. I was sitting alone in my office. Out of the blue, EXTREME, off-the-charts dizziness hits me and slowly wanes over ~ 60 seconds.

2) I'd estimate that Thanksgiving, most family had left, and I was sitting in a chair in the living room of my parents house just chatting with mom and dad. Again, this happens. Mom and dad never notice a thing.

3) This morning, I was in the shower, and it hit again. ~ 30 seconds into this experience, I find myself amazed that I am standing, and not only standing but not even holding on to anything. It seemed mind-boggling that I could feel this intensity of dizziness and so abruptly and not fall or nearly fall while standing in a wet shower. With this being the 3rd time this happened, I am beginning to get concerned.

This dizziness hits as abruptly as imaginable or even more than imaginable. There are no warnings it is coming at all. It is extremely intense but yet brief, lasting only ~ 60 seconds. As it occurred this morning, I recall looking down at my chest and thinking, "My God. I have never seen blood vessels as blue as that." Granted, I accept that I do not normally pay attention to the appearance of blood vessels, in myself or in others. Also, I accept that given that I'd just experienced something very alarming, I may have somewhat unkonowingly been looking for clues as to what may have just happened to me. However, I just now peered at my chest, and vessels are barely visible at all. It has been ~ 5 hours since the experience.

[superslim]

Sorry Doctor the feeling of nausea is still in the present time, not every day but at least one day in a week. Thank you!

[superslim]

Hi Doctor, I am 48 years old and have had problems with my testicles since i was 20. I had a varicocele surgery at that age (left side) and the pain and the inflammation in my veins didn't change too much, after 2 years i had another surgery to prevent testicular torsion, and around 4 years ago i had a varicocele surgery again, this time both sides. The pain didn't change ,and also the inflammation in the veins, so for me has been almost normal to have a pain in the scrotum. Since last july the pain has increased or at least that was that i thought so i went to the Family Doctor. She examined my prostate, but not my testicles, she told me it was better to go to the Urologist. I had also a blood test , a urine test and a ultrasaund test, this showed that i had varicocele bilateral. I had to wait for 2 months for the appointment with him, and he checked my testicles for less than one minute and told me to take naproxen for one month. I want to tell you Doctor that i have been paying attention to the pain and i have noticed i have two different problems: the varicocele,and other problem in my right testicle. I have the varicocele pain for about half hour everyday and it is no so terrible,and the other is different, i have a pain in the testicle almost every moment, sometimes the pain stops, and sometimes is stronger , i also have a pain in my groin and the pain goes to my back, nowadays it's very strong in my back. I am really worried about my health!. Beides somedays i felt nausea, and a very bad feeling of not being well. As i told you i was ordered to take the naproxen, and i started taking it, but after 10 days i had to stop because it was too strong for my stomach. I called to the Uroligist office to change the prescription, and they send me to the Family Doctor again, this time i had other doctor because my doctor was sick. The new Doctor did a long exam and she told me that i had Epididymitis because of the surgeries i had had. She was so sensitive about my problem. She told me i had had a test for chlamydia in my urine and i didn't have that ( I had been married for many years and my wife is my only sexual partner). She ordered to me to take Apo oflox 400 mg twice a day for 14 days, and nothing else. I told her i have read in internet one month before about testicular cancer, and i have found some of the symptoms very similar to my symptoms and she told me she was almost a hundred percent sure i didn't have cancer. She told me to book an appointment with my Family Doctor after one month to follow up my case. I finished the apo oflox  10 days ago and the condition is the same. I am afraid Doctor i need your advice. I want to ask you something: why the skin in the scrotum is different at night ?  i have noticed that skin is thinner at night and it's easy to identify something like a little grape over my right testicle, if i press that a little is painful, and i have something like veins under the same testicle its bigger than the little grape and its painful specially where they are connected with the testicle. I have also notice if i press very soft over my testicle and under it these veins ( i am calling these somehow) the next day or days the pain increase and the bad feeling is worst. My scrotum during the day is contracted, and is very difficult to identify about i am talking. How can i do to show my scrotum to the Doctor in the same way it is at night? What should i ask to the Doctor?. By the way, the ultrasound test only spent ten minutes approximately, is that enough? Finally Doctor thank you for your help and time. I did't tell you the left testicle doesn't have any of these things, and when the skin is thinner it looks shorter than the other in about one centimeter, i don't now if this could be important for your opinion. Thanks a lot Doctor!. Excuse me for my English please i am learning.

[superslim]

H

[J.M. Keyes, MD]

It sounds like you are describing vertigo... the most common cause of this is something called Benign Positional Vertigo (BPV), especially if you are otherwise asymptomatic (no ringing in the ears or hearing loss).
The inner ear has semicircular canals that contain fluid and sensors that tell the brain of changes in head position. With BPV it's thought that small particles become dislodged within the inner ear and then bounce around when your head moves, triggering signals that your head is still moving even after it stops, and leading to the feeling of dizziness.

You should go to the ER if you experience any of the following along with the dizziness: fever, stiff neck, sensitivity of your eyes to light, ringing or rushing noises in your ear, speech difficulties, weakness or numbness of your body or face,hearing loss, fainting.

It is a good idea to see your doctor if this continues to happen, so that you can have an exam and more thourough history.  Also, if you are diagnosed with BPV, there are maneuvers that your doctor can do that may be successful in disbursing the particles that are causing the problem.

I hope you are feeling better,

JMK MD

[skin640]

I mean dizziness.  It literally feels as though I have been placed in one of those human gyro things and slung around in random directions very fast.  This is very intense dizziness, no chest pain, no shortness of breath, not even a loss of balance as strange as I find that (it seems one should loose balance if extremely dizzy).  So in your terms, it's as if the room is spinning, not in one direction but in many and in a very chaotic fashion.  I do not detect any other symptoms.

Thanks.

[skin640]

I mean dizziness.  It literally feels as though I have been placed in one of those human gyro things and slung around in random directions very fast.  This is very intense dizziness, no chest pain, no shortness of breath, not even a loss of balance as strange as I find that (it seems one should loose balance if extremely dizzy).  So in your terms, it's as if the room is spinning, not in one direction but in many and in a very chaotic fashion.  I do not detect any other symptoms.

Thanks.

[J.M. Keyes, MD]

Hi there,
When you say "dizziness", do you mean lightheaded, like you are going to faint, or dizy, as in the room is spinning?

If you are experiencing chest pain or shortness of breath you need to go to the emergency dept.

Please clarify what you mean by dizzy, and let me know if you are having other symptoms when the dizziness occurs.

JMK MD