Lightheaded Most of the Time

[heyitsme]

I'm a 31yr old male non smoker non drinker in Florida, overweight (5'6 215lb), but otherwise no history of disease. I have been lightheaded on and off for the past 6 months. Not dizzy or spinning per say, its more like I have balance issues or fatigue or something. Seems to affect me mostly when I am walking around. Doesn't usually bother me when sitting or driving. But I really notice it when doing things that involve a lot of walking (like shopping). Docs think its all anxiety related, tried Ativan which made me feel better about the situation, but I still felt the lightheadedness. I also seem to have a ton of gas (burping), not sure if its related.

I have had a lot of tests including eyes (normal), glucose tolerance (normal), bp (mild pre hypertensive, slightly rapid heartbeat), blood (elevated cholesterol, TSH 1.26), lung xray (normal), allergist (mold, dust, and elm, no asthma), head mri (normal), ekg 2x (normal), non stress echocardio (normal), gastro endoscopy (mild acid reflux), and sleep study (some apnea, waiting for details), vertigo tilt test (normal).

I don't think the problem is anxiety, I have very low stress in my life (much less than I have had years ago). I'm thinking I should see a Neurologist, from what I have read they deal in balance and dizzyness issues. Any other thoughts? Thanks!

[kentrail14]

Wow praise God for you my friend, i was just reading and i was experiencing lightheadedness for the past three days. I know previously i was drinking alot of chai tea and coffee everytime i was at school and work. But now i have the opportunity to stop it, thank you.

[bill6308]

PLEASE READ THIS - I HAVE A SOLUTION THAT WILL RELIEVE OR ELIMINATE LIGHTHEADEDNESS FOR MANY OF YOU WHO HAVE DESCRIBED YOUR SYMPTOMS ON THIS BLOG.   I have suffered from “lightheadedness” for almost seven years.  Within months after it started in 2005, I sought medical help – first from a neurologist-ophthalmologist – reputed to be one of the best in the southeast.  He prescribed all of the tests that many of you have reported as having had: a full brain scan / in-depth eye exams, hot & cold water in the ear test / audiology tests, etc., etc.  Nothing was found that could explain or relieve my lightheadedness symptoms.  Then over the next two to three years I was examined by two different ENT docs and an allergist.  Got X-rays, sinus checks, tried prednisone and acyclovir, but no diagnosis or relief.  At one point, a heavy dose of acyclovir seemed to help (on the theory that I had a viral infection in my inner ears), but the relief didn’t last more than a few weeks and was apparently just a coincidence.  At my annual physical exams over the past seven years, I would report my lightheadedness symptoms to my GP and he would point me in the all of the different directions described above.  Incidentally I am 5’10”, weight 160, am 72 years old, and in otherwise good condition – I take no medications.  Last year (June, 2011) my GP finally ran out of suggestions and told me that my lightheadedness condition was one of those unexplained ‘diseases’ that I would just have to learn to live with.  However, this year at my annual physical (in June, 2012), my GP said he had a new suggestion for me: see an acupuncturist.  He even recommended one who he had heard was well trained and a professional.  I contacted her immediately and began weekly ACPT treatments in mid June for lightheadedness.  I took six treatments over a 7 to 8 week period.  The ACPT results were inconsistent – after one early session, the lightheadedness symptoms disappeared for over a week, but then she was unable to repeat that result over the next 5 attempts.  However, during one of the last sessions the acupuncturist mentioned that her research of my symptoms in the ‘Asian literature’ indicated that DAIRY PRODUCTS might be a contributing factor to my problem.  I have been drinking 2 to 2 ½ gallons of milk a week most of my life – a large glass every morning plus yogurt – then one or two glasses of milk at night.  Two glasses if I went out to a restaurant for breakfast.  A yogurt at night several nights a week.  McDonald’s ice creams at lunch every day.  And lots of cheeses – especially on weekends.  The milk that I drank at home was all skim – no fat.  But I have enjoyed and consumed a lot of milk over the years.  So just to check the acupuncturist’s research theory, on August 26th, I stopped consuming ALL DAIRY PRODUCTS.  Within a week to ten days, the lightheadedness symptoms started to fade.  Now after five weeks of NO DAIRY PRODUCTS, the lightheadedness is 100% gone!  So if any of you, who are experiencing lightheadedness, are consumers of dairy products, I think you will find that the answer to relieving the lightheadedness problem is to stop consuming ALL such foods.  I hope this helps all or many of you.  Good luck.

[Leahjf]

I do have a lot of the lymes symptoms, but wouldn't I have swollen lymph nodes and an elevated sed rate or elevated crp?  The infectious disease dr said that he basically ruled out any infection.  Is there anything besides a lymes test that would indicate I possibly have the disease?  I have heard that CSF is positive sometimes for MS with lymes and mine wasn't.

[Ricobord]

Go to an LLMD, a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor.  Most mainstream doctors still insist that a negative test excludes it, despite lots of scientific evidence that it doesn't. Even the CDC web site now acknowledges that a negative can't exclude Lyme.

I went through 12 doctors before I went to an LLMD where I got diagnosed. I tested false negative in both a blood test and a CSF test before I got tested at IGeneX, a specialty lab that does more advanced testing. I was positive there. IGeneX also found my Bartonella.

I am now much better with antibiotics, but I would never have been diagnosed by an Infectious Disease doc as they're too stuck on an old belief about the blood tests and short treatments. We shouldn't have to figure this stuff out for ourselves, but until the controversy gets resolved, the patients struggle.

There is another test that is helpful. A CD57. Labcorp and IGeneX do it. It is an immune cell that is nearly always suppressed in people with Lyme disease for many months or longer. Also, if your neuro is willing to order a SPECT scan, it nearly always shows reduced blood flow in the brain of late stage Lyme patients.

Check out the symptoms list here to see how many you have.
http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/B_guidelines_12_17_08.pdf

You are welcome to come post on the Lyme forum to get additional opinions!

[Leahjf]

Hi Everyone,

I have a lot of your symptoms and have been tested for everything under the sun with no answers!  I get tachycardia, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurry vision, headaches on the left side, neck aches, numbness in my face and arms and legs, my eyes hurt and it feels like there is a lot of pressure behind them, I've lost 20 lbs in a month and a half, I get vibrating sensations throughout my body, and the list goes on!  I have had my thyroid checked, 2 mri's of my head, diabetes check, lymes disease and one of its coinfections checked, tb, histoplasmosis, toxoplasmosis, ana, sjorgrens, celiacs, eeg, ekg, echocardiogram, carcinoid test, endo and colonoscopy, ent, checked for pheochromocytoma, hiv, and a few other tests I can't think of off the top of my head.  All were negative!  I just had an MRI of my c spine which shows a lesion on my c7 spinal cord.  I have had a lumbar puncture to check for infection, ms and cancer cells and everything was negative.  I don't know what to do I feel like I am going to die and no one will be able to figure this out!  I'm so scared because I have two kids and I don't want them not to have a mom.  I'm also extremely tired all the time.  Does anyone have any suggestions? I would really appreciate it!

[LynchMob0809]

I have been for going on 4 mths now dizziness, along with feeling like I'm spaced out (outer body feeling) I have pressure in my temples. Feeling nauseated a lot.  I have been to neurologist  & a nero sergan several times. Have done lots of MRI 's and ct scans on me. Which found a small spot on base of mg brain, doc says its either calcium deposits or small anyrsm??? Don't know. But hasn't grew any.  I have been to a ear specialist as well, order a hearing test in me, came back good. I have been to ER countless times, well this mth sept I have been 10 + times just for the month. They checked my gaull blather every thing was okay.. No one can give me answers and I feel like I'm dying and there is nothing I nor anyone else can do. It seems ease up when I'm up moving around, the sec I sit the dizziness comes on, and it feels like it starts at the back of mg neck.  I'm only 25 yrs old male. I can't handle feeling this way. Any suggestions ?