Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with a doctor.
Without the ability to examine and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of the symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.
The term dizziness has many uses as you describe. It can be a sense of imbalance, room-spinning, or lightheadedness. The description can ultimately guide diagnosis. At any point early in the course did you have a room spinning sensation? Chronic vertigo can cause general sense of imbalance. Lightheadedness is sometimes used to describe dizziness and typically is more of a vascular etiology. In these cases, imaging of the vessels, checking for anemia, evaluating the heart are useful. Lastly, I should mention that anxiety and depression can cause dizziness and tingling sensations. Thyroid dysfunction can be a source of anxiety and “dizziness”.
Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.
9 months is a long time to feel dizzyness and other symptoms. Sorry this is happening to you. Dizziness is actually a very common ailment and the symptoms can feel extreme. I had the following tests for dizziness & numbness in left forearm and left leg.
MRI - to look for brain tumor or ms lesions or evidence of stroke.
MRA- a type of MRI that looks at vascular condition
Cardiac stress test
carotid echo
eeg
ekg
every blood test you can imagine
heart monitor harness for a week
MRI of the cervical spine
Results for me liver tests abnormal high alt & ast
cervical spine c5/c6/c7 bulging disks & slight indentation of thecal sac
For me- spine seems to be the cause of dizziness and cervical traction has helped me some.
Did not have much luck with chiropractic but I know people who have. Of course the doctors tried to pin it on anxiety and give me pills. It took perserverance on my part to get a diagnosis.
My advice is stay on top of this and keep pursuing appointments and tests until you find out what is causing the problem for you. ( It could be stress / anxiety but I would rule out a physical cause first) Best of luck and God Bless!
Thanks for the comment. I have been trying to strive for proper diagnosis but at this point I have started to run out of realistic options. I cannot think anything to test for... and my GP seems to be in same situation.
The anxiety has been in discussions lately and I admit that part of the symptoms are because of that. I have been taking SSRI medication for some weeks now - difficult to say if they are helping or not. But I still find it hard to believe that the anxiety/stress would be the root cause, they may be making things more difficult for me but are they really causing this whole thing.
It's a normal thing to have anxiety when a physical problem manifests. That doesn't mean anxiety is the cause. Fear is a normal reaction to a percieved threat. I encourage you to seek a good diagnosis. Stress/anxiety may be the problem , especially if you have struggled with that before. Stay calm as much as possible and cope. Wishing you the best!
Thanks for the reply.
You asked if I have felt like room spinning around. No, I cannot say I have. I would describe my dizziness as lightheadedness. I met cardiologist who was convinced that anxiety is behind all this. I have been wondering that is there such medical condition in which the blood vessels fail to do their work occasionally and partially. Or would it be so radical that it wouldn't go unnoticed by any doctor?