Anxiety

Does anyone else suffer a certain amount of anxiety because the world doesn’t feel stable anymore…

I really believe having 4 months of the world feeling like a bouncy castle is starting to have a profound effect in the way that I perceive the world and causing a certain amount of anxiety

It’s really hard to describe but it feels like the world is suddenly going to spin and I will lose my sense of position in the world. Is also. Feeling like there is no escape from this dizziness no matter where I am in the world it will always be there.

I guess I am focusing a lot on the negatives of this condition which is in turn reciprocating the anxiety and fear.

Maybe I should think about seeing a psychologist… I just want my old self back :frowning:

1 Like

Richy it will get better with time. I felt like that a couple of months after my diagnosis. I couldn’t even walk to the mailbox. It gets very depressing for sure. Did your Dr. suggest any meds for you? Have you read Buccholz book? Its very informative… There is hope although sometimes it doesn’t feel like it when you feel dizzy day after day. Hang in there. You’ll feel better with time.

Oh ya you started on Sodium valproate… how is that going?

Hi Kathy

I am just 2 days into the sodium valproate / depakine / epilum and at a low dose but haven’t felt any effects as yet, good or bad, but I am some way off the target dose so will stay patient

Hi Richy

Yes I suffer from anxiety as well and the negative thoughts make it worst for sure. I have 24/7 jumping and shaking vision and 24/7 head heaviness and wobbly feeling. I suffer from visual snow symptoms 24/7 which includes after images both when eyes opened or closed. Its crazy. I have been suffering from this for months and still have not been able to control my anxiety. You are not alone. I feel depressed and fatigued all the time. Its def not as bad as it was initially. But I feel the same way as you that I am going to have to deal with this crap for the rest of my life which scares the shit outta me. Just hope that I can find a med that controls my symptoms soon. Good luck with the epilim. Epilim was my 2nd drug trial but to no avail but it just might be your magic drug. I am trying my third drug now.

Cheers
Nabeel

— Begin quote from “RichyF”

Does anyone else suffer a certain amount of anxiety because the world doesn’t feel stable anymore…

It’s really hard to describe but it feels like the world is suddenly going to spin and I will lose my sense of position in the world.

— End quote

Hi Richy,
just wanted to say, I completely empathise. This feeling of imminent spinning is what really terrifies me, and I simply cannot control the wave of anxiety and panic that instantly accompanies any such ‘attempted mni-spin attack’ (as I call them). Having this happen long-term then raises the general level of anxiety and adrenaline, and ‘takes it to the next level’ as it were. Dealing with the anxiety and depression aspects of this disease is very difficult. Just wanted to say you’re not alone!
Hang in there…
Tony.

— Begin quote from “TeeCee”

— Begin quote from “RichyF”

Does anyone else suffer a certain amount of anxiety because the world doesn’t feel stable anymore…

It’s really hard to describe but it feels like the world is suddenly going to spin and I will lose my sense of position in the world.

— End quote

Hi Richy,
just wanted to say, I completely empathise. This feeling of imminent spinning is what really terrifies me, and I simply cannot control the wave of anxiety and panic that instantly accompanies any such ‘attempted mni-spin attack’ (as I call them). Having this happen long-term then raises the general level of anxiety and adrenaline, and ‘takes it to the next level’ as it were. Dealing with the anxiety and depression aspects of this disease is very difficult. Just wanted to say you’re not alone!
Hang in there…
Tony.

— End quote

Hi Tony,

Just wondering if you may have seen a psychologist about this? I am considering this as a next step

Hi Richy,
in the past I have suffered quite badly with panic attacks, which lead to a generalised panic disorder and even started leading to agoraphobic type symptoms. I did attend a support group for this, and see a psychologist at some point. To be honest, they didn’t really offer any amazing tools. The support group was all about facing your fears, or panic attacks, or situations, etc. And the psychologist did try hypnosis at some point and point me in the direction of some bio-feedback software to help provide a focus for some meditative type exercises (actually some were quite fun, like ‘Journey to the Wild Divine’ - you might want to check it out). I have quite a few books, but I found the ‘work-books’ type quite hard work, and one of the best I found in the end was this. Claire Weekes just seemed to understand completely what anxiety was all about:

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“Self-help for Your Nerves”
More recommended books here

But this was all pre-MAV. And what happened then was that gradually, over a long period of time, the overall adrenaline and stress levels fell, and the panic attacks stopped, and the anxiety fell away. But with the MAV, it’s somehow different. For a start, you can’t really control what’s happening easily, so it’s ‘in your face’ all the time, not allowing adrenaline or stress levels to fall. Plus, the anxiety that hits along with one of the MAV ‘attempted mini spin attacks’ is what I’ve heard someone else describe as physiological rather than psychological, if that makese sense? It’s like it originates from a different place - the neural pathways for anxiety and MAV seem to cross and you cannot control the anxiety in the same way…? Like this mvertigo article on MARD suggests: http://mvertigo.cloudapp.net/t/migraine-anxiety-related-dizziness-mard/451
Tony.

I had terrible anxiety and panic attacks when MAV started. Some of it, I think was from withdrawl from Lamictal. I am on Nortriptyline now and it helps with my anxiety, unfortunately it hasn’t helped my MAV syptoms. Anti-depressants will help with the anxiety, just have to find the one that works for you. Good luck

Just wrote about anxiety and not trusting my diagnosis at…
www.dizzytimes.co.uk

Thanks for all the support so far!

Hi Henry,

I don’t mind you linking the odd post to your blog but it would also be good for you to contribute to the forum with your story too if you could in the context of the threads here.

Thanks,
Scott

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Hi Henry,

I don’t mind you linking the odd post to your blog but it would also be good for you to contribute to the forum with your story too if you could in the context of the threads here.

Thanks,
Scott

— End quote

Of course!
As well as damage to my right inner ear I have suspected, but not proven, vestibular migraines. I have been feeling off/ wobbly / dizzy for around 18 months. My anxiety has spiked a number of times. I initially panicked when my condition first developed. Seeing doctors made me initially feel better, but as it became clear that this was going to be a long-term problem I slumped into despondency and panic. I am definitely notice a link with my condition and anxiety. As I feel more dizzy, I feel more anxious. Anxiety then leads to more dizziness. Thus cylcle can be hard to break.
I have been offered citalopram, but can’’t help feel that taking it is akin to failure!

I can totally relate to this. Anxiety from my MAV has totally changed my life. Like you I still deal with it daily.
On top if it, I work in a VERY high stress job for a very large Fortune 500 company, which just adds to the fun.

I’ve been dealing with Migraines for over 15 years, but, my MAV started in May 2011 and it triggered all sorts of panic and anxiety issues that I never experienced before. Because the MAV was triggering almost daily panic attacks, I tried a total of 5 medications for anxiety. One almost put me over the edge (Buspar) and one I got fairly addicted to (Ativan). I stopped all of those, and after several months of daily chest pains from the stress of vertigo combined with the stress of my job, I had a final “rock bottom” panic attack at work that caused me to go on medical for 5 months. During that time. I went through 1 month of anxiety therapy followed by 3 months of vestibular rehab, plus various medical tests throughout that period – all of which turned out fine, thankfully.

MAV has changed my life in many ways. I developed fears that I never would have dreamed of prior to it, many of which are quite crippling and extremely terrifying. I also came to realize that, oddly enough, the physical pain of the migraines which used to bring me to my knees years prior suddenly became secondary to all of these fears.

However, it also changed my outlook on life overall and appreciate it in ways I never could before. I also made some very positive lifestyle changes (stopped drinking, started eating much healthier).

Everyone is different, but I feel that the anxiety therapy saved my life – it forced me to deal with everything without medication. I had to go out into the world and face all of it’s ugly spinning and continue on as normal. It was miserable, terrifying, and very paralyzing. On the bright side, it got me into photography which has been a godsend through all of this.

I see a psychologist occasionally now and while it doesn’t magically cure anything, it certainly helps sort things out. Not everyone can go the non-med route (and I will never criticize anyone who benefits from them), but for me personally I believe that, some day, it will pay off.

But it’s a long road ahead…

have u tried any mav meds? did vrt help at all? glad to hear you have had some success with therapy that is great!

— Begin quote from “sarahd”

have u tried any mav meds? did vrt help at all? glad to hear you have had some success with therapy that is great!

— End quote

Thanks for the kind words. I was offered Depakote and the other main one (can’t think of it now - migraine fog), but since one of the possible side effects on each one was “panic” I said no thanks. Over the years, I also tried all of the triptans and what not, but all did absolutely nothing for me.

I take B2 and Magnesium daily, plus an Allegra when my sinuses flare up (which also contribute to the vertigo). I only use one ibuprofen every 4 hours with heat or ice when the migraines attack me - taking more than one gives me no better result.

VTR helped me a lot - at least I can walk again, and I still do my exercises every few days. But it took several months after that even for my feet to feel solid on the ground again. I also see a chiropractor for the pain occasionally (I know there are very mixed feelings on this site about them). Between that, the supplements, etc everything helps, but only to a point. I generally feel best when I first wake up and then it all goes down hill from there.

thats awesome that vrt helped you walk better- for me it was the opposite- 1 month of it and my remaining balance has been permanently destroyed :frowning:

so u were only offered depakote and another one? dont worry just bc a potential side effect can be panic that doesnt mean you will get it. in fact depakote is used also to treat anxiety and i tried it- although it didnt help my mav it actually helped take the edge off my anxiety- i think at a higher dose it would probably help the anxiety even more- but i was gaining soooo much weight on that stuff.

what % do you think your balance/walking was before vrt and what is it now? i would encourage you to try the meds honestly none of them have made me panic- but the MAV and the severe imbalance does !!! if it makes you anxiious you can of course always stop it.

Did we hijack the thread here? Sorry guys.

— Begin quote from “sarahd”

thats awesome that vrt helped you walk better- for me it was the opposite- 1 month of it and my remaining balance has been permanently destroyed :frowning:

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I can’t tell you how sorry I am to hear that. I did it for 3 months as 1 month was not enough (I felt little difference initially).

— Begin quote from “sarahd”

so u were only offered depakote and another one? dont worry just bc a potential side effect can be panic that doesnt mean you will get it. in fact depakote is used also to treat anxiety and i tried it- although it didnt help my mav it actually helped take the edge off my anxiety- i think at a higher dose it would probably help the anxiety even more- but i was gaining soooo much weight on that stuff.

— End quote

The other one was Topamax. I hear what you are saying, but I am very sensitive to medicines and would prefer not to try it. And I don’t need the weight gain either. Thanks but no thanks.

— Begin quote from “sarahd”

what % do you think your balance/walking was before vrt and what is it now?

— End quote

I would give my pre-MAV days 95%+ excellent for balance and walking, only on really bad migraine days would I feel off balance and it was so mild it never made me panic. In fact, pre-MAV I was pretty much the epitome of physical/balance health - only endless hours of video games would make my head spin (which would stop after a couple minutes).

Now, two years later and post VTR, I would rate my daily sense of balance as the following:
a. At worst, I am at 45-50% normal balance.
b. On RARE days, I am 90%+.
c. Most days vary somewhere in between.

Additional variables for me are:
a. Travelling more than 20 mins in a car will mess me up for a while
b. What level of migraine I have for that day (it’s very rare that I don’t have some pain brewing)
c. I live in the Midwest, so mold is pretty rampant and I have a high sensitivity to it (despite 5 years of allergy shots)
d. How much sleep I get (I am rarely consistent)
e. How badly my neck is out of place, which often triggers the migraines