Vertigo & Dizziness

[goofysmom1]

I have not been diagnosed with MS.  But, after speaking to a friend who has been diagnosed with MS since 1997, she conviced me to "keep pushing" if I didn't like what I was hearing from my doctor. Obviously, she doesn't want me to have MS, but she also knows that it took her 4 or 5 years of symptoms before anyone took her seriously.

So, after spending the last year going through the hoops that doctors make you go through....I got sick & tired of being told that my symptoms were "anxiety" or made to feel like it is "all in my head".  I know that something is wrong - I just don't know what it is yet.  My acute symptoms began July 2007.  First I was lightheaded and felt faint.  Then I developed severe chest pain.  My PCP prescribed Prilosec to take for 28 days thinking it was viral esophagitis.  During this time I started having numbness & tingling in my left arm.  That with the continued chest pain sent me to the ER.  They ran every blood test, checked my heart & said I didn't have a cardiac event and sent me home.  I saw a cardiologist for a complete workup & my heart is fine.  After a few months of the bad chest pain & the intermittent numbness & tingling in my left arm, I finally found my gastroentereologist who diagnosed me with acid reflux & barretts esophagus, esophageal spasm and hypersensitive esophagus.  I have tried many medications & am okay right now.  Still have the occasional spasm & the hypersensitivity seems to be totally related to what I eat.  At that time, the numbness & tingling in my left arm was attributed to my bodies response to the amount of pain I was having.

So, you ask, why is this girl posting in the MS forum?  Well, my symptoms are evolving and changing, which prompted me to seek a neurologist.  My last episode of left arm numbness & tingling was in March & lasted for 5 days.  In Feb/March I started having numbness & tingling on the left side of  my face.  Since then I have had intermittent numbness & tingling on: left arm, legs, scalp, face and top of foot.  I have also had deep pain in my left thigh (no explanation of that), muscle cramping & spasms in legs and recurrent hip pain, 3 "floaters" in left eye, fatigue (sometimes so bad I wonder how I am even functioning), problems with urinary leakage after urinating, I find myself "taking a step back" a lot to catch my balance and Vertigo.  

The vertigo began in July of this year - and I have it only when I am sleeping.  Initially I was having it every night, but now it has mellowed out to only when I get too hot under the blankets.  

The neurologist I was seeing ordered an MRI (no contrast) to "rule out MS" and that was normal.  I have also had a balance test (for the vertigo) - results within normal range, except for the caloric testing (hot & cold air in ears) where I had a bi lateral weakness that according to the doctor who performed the tests, said that a CNS disorder needs to be ruled out.

The neurologist who ordered these 2 tests, told me that my tests were normal & then gave me a prescription for Klonopin saying that he thought I might be having sensory siezures.  I took the Klonpin for 5 days (of the 7 he wanted me to try it for) and said enough.  It didn't help with the vertigo, and I could barely function on it.  When all the neurologist wanted to do was try another medication, I got frustrated & decided not to go back to him. I guess he thought that because the MRI was normal - I couldn't possibly have MS....but he also didn't offer to explore it any further.  When I went in to see him for the results of the MRI & balance test, my appointment was literally 13 minutes long.  When I started to ask him a question, he stood up, put his hand out to shake mine & ushered me out the door...I was stunned...so between that & his penchance for prescriptions....time for me to move on.

I am very fortunate that I just found out last Thursday that I have been accepted at The Mayo Clinic in Arizona.  I am on a waiting list to be seen there, but at least I have hope.

I am curious - do any of you deal with dizziness and/or vertigo?  Do you find that it is worse in warm weather or if you get too warm?

I can't seem to find anything on the internet about vertigo & it being triggered by heat.  I know that in MS, symptoms can be excacerbated by heat.

Just looking to see if anyone has any thoughts..

Thanks,
Chrisy

[goofysmom1]

Thanks for your reply!  I have been looking at the health pages - they are a great source of information!  

Chrisy

[jensequitur]

Welcome to the forum!

The only symptom I see that isn't in the MS category is the floaters, which are usually just wrinkles in the retina.

It's unfortunate that your MRI was without contrast - I think you know that makes it basically useless.

Symptoms can definitely be exacerbated by heat.  Not all MS patients have a problem with it, but I think a majority do.  I had dizziness and vertigo for six months, and it comes back when I get overheated.

It sounds like you're on the right track.  Visit the Health Pages for some good advice from these forum members - they've been exactly where you are, and can guide you about what to do next.