For years, not long after my FM symptoms began showing up. I've gotten mild vertigo. I can't spin in a circle, can't even slow dance with my husband (used to love to ballroom dance - though he's not a dancer so maybe it's okay I can't, still it'd be nice to move in a slow circle once in while, while he's holding me close), even turning too fast can bring it on. I'm not talking lightheaded-ness, but the feeling the worlds spinning or tilting even it's just a little. I've had ringing in my ears that comes and goes since I was young - I got ear infections a lot. Over the years I'll have the sensation while I'm lying down. Like I'm tilting on my head or my feet, but it's not like it's all the time or even most the time. With the exception of the "movements" I know bring it on, the other's are only occasional. The last two days I've a few times when I lay back with my eyes closed and I feel like my whole body is swaying like I'm on a swing. Or my hubby was being sweet with his head against mine swaying back and forth - had to stop cause my balance gets all whacked even though I was sitting down at the time.
Anyone else get mild vertigo or vertigo at all with their FM?
hi. sorry you are experiencing this. illness started for me with severe case of chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome(cfids)..then other things came along like fm and some neurological stuff one of which was vertigo, spinning, nausea and all.. I might suggest that you see a neurologist as i think stuff like that is their expertise maybe once you have ruled out anything with your inner ear. good luck to you.. xxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Sounds like it could be Labyrinthitis, a virus can get into the labyrinth in the inner ear and cause these symptoms, which worsen when laying down or turning your head suddenly, it can take up to 6 weeks or so to settle, but if it's bad a tablet called stemetil can help as it works on the balance mechanism, might be worth seeing the doc.
I've had it and it's most unpleasant, this was before fibro kicked in.
I've had the same exact symptoms most of my life. I have really bad vertigo. Its so bad now I can't swim with my kids during the summer because I get disoriented under water. When I take a shower I have to be really careful when I lean my head back to wash my hair. I have the spinning feeling when I lay down and close my eyes. I'm not sure about spinning or dancing because with my arthritis I do good to walk. LOL. But yes, I have the same thing. I have no idea if its all related to the fibro or just how I am :)
Interestingly enough there are many "neurological" - type sx that can go along with FM. Vertigo is just one of the many. I, too, suffer from the dizziness - most of the time. Many different postures/movements set it off and it is very unpleasant. I have come to terms with this and have tried to train myself to bend over very carefully, with head in what I call a neutral position, or turn around, or lean over to get shoes off the floor - turn over in bed - heck, just turn my head to the right while lying in bed is sure spinner. Not fun at all. There is a list of these symptoms in some of the places like MedScape or you can just google neuro-symptoms of Fibromyalgia and you'll probably get the article that it's in. Long list - stuff I don't think most people know are now hooked up with FM. This FM is a head-shaker with most wondering what-in-the-world is going on with me!!??
There is vestibular rehab available and you might want to look into that. Most often it is physical therapist who does this and might help you. It is not pleasant at first - but reports say it does help.
I went to your profile to have a look at your meds, but that info was not included, but it could very well be a med, or a med that is intensifying the vertigo. Gabapentin works great for my nerve pain, but makes me feel as though I'm inside of a spinning top! So I was switched to Lyrica for nerve pain, and the spinning stopped!
A car accident that I could never get over lead the way to autoimmmune and fibro dx, and I had terrible vertigo, even before taking gabapentin. My chiropractor helped me with this, through specific adjustments, and those wrist bands for car sickness are great too! I keep them in the car for my grandson, who suffers from it just as I did as a kid. So we both have that inner ear thing going on.
Fibro in general seems to plague many of us with vertigo, sometimes consistantly, sometimes perpetually!
It is something to speak to your Dr about, and do consider 'googling' your current meds, to see if they could be causing this! Hope you can get this straightened out, I know it's miserable!
Big hugs,
SK
BTW, my Doctor told me that even though each med has been through a clinical trial, and most of the side effects are discovered, it could be a rare reaction, or it could be a med combination.
Not a Dr, just a sufferer, giving you some ideas to kick around, be sure to speak with your Doctor!
hi there, i have had Fibro for over 30 years and i also still with the fibro get the dizziness and vertigo...but also did come down with the vertigo thatlasted almost two years and i would sit or stand to eat my meals as the kids would look at me and say why r you going from side to side always was spinning and the room would spin at times and I went to three ear specialists and finally diagnosed me with Recurrent vestibahlapathy and it was hanging around for almost two to three years and it was horrable.nothing worked and had to live with it.Now along with that calming down i just get vertigo on and off and never know when but along with everything with fibro its a vicious circle os dizziness, aches,real pain everywhere and just awful....feel better Soon...hugs...Jackie
I'm only taking Levothyroxine - can't do gabapentin or anti-depressants, anxiety, etc. The psychological side affects always get me! Haven't been able to take any of them with out getting some increasing more severe "mental disorder" that than requires higher/stronger meds. which would result in worse disorder. Stopped that cycle ten years ago. Only had gabapentin for like 3 weeks and it messed with me bad! And I was on a low dose for a sleeping aid.
I believe that someone had posted that they were helped with Vertigo by an advanced Physical Therapist, so that may be something you would want to ask about!
It actually IS a listed symptom of fibro. There are trigger points internally as well as externally, and one is in the labyrinth, that controls your balance. I get dizzy and nausea with it a lot. I have a wonderful fibro book. Those who own it call it The Fibro Bible because the Dr. who wrote it (also has fibro) addressed every possible symptom and it has diagrams and advice on how to deal with every area of you life with fibro, and that's where I found the answer to my dizziness. It's called "Fibromyalgia & Myofascial Pain Syndrome " by Devin Starlanyl. It costs a bit more because its almost like a layman's textbook, but you can buy used copies at amazon.com or any online bookstore.
I just started this last week, only it isn't mild and moving in any direction I can't seem to make it happen. They wanted me to do exercises but they all wanted me to induce the vertigo, and I can't make it happen, I am just doing what I do, standing siting driving and boom the whole world goes out to sea.
The next step my Doctor's wanted to take was a neurologist, but I'm opting for an ENT first. I am having some hearing issues that make me feel suspect of my ears and have to rule that out first.
But I have shook my head like a wet dog, spun in a circle and jumped up and down and can't seem to bring it on at will. They did some test at the doctor's office where they made me sit up and then they dropped me and decided that it was not my positional vertigo because some something didn't happen with my eyes.
(But my GP is very handsome and he can drop me and have me stare into his eyes anytime he wants to .. :) (sight seeing where you find it)
Absolutely. I didn’t even notice it until my boyfriend grabbed me to take a whirl on the kitchen floor. I went to my knees before he made a full twirl. He didn’t understand. I knew immediately what it was. Sorry Butterfly.