I’ve never had any sort of vestibular disease or illness. I got the 2nd shot of Moderna on 4/1, I immediately felt a rush through my head. Then, after being very sick for a few days, I randomly get these rushes where I feel like the legs have gone out from under me and I’m going to fall. I felt insane until I found this forum.
I had my first vaccine about 10 days ago (Friday, April 9). Exactly 4 days later I woke up and had vertigo. I have had it before, and it was quite bad. I stayed in bed the first time (about 10 years ago) in a dark room for 3 days and nothing helped. It was dx as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) – where certain head movements trigger vertigo.
I am extremely careful to avoid situations that bring on vertigo and have not had it in many many years... this was quite a surprise, and I did not make the connection to the vaccine, but now it makes sense. I had a mild headache for a few days and then boom.
I was drinking smart water for the first 1-3 days ... that has electrolytes in the water. Maybe I need to start drinking this again. I also went to Whole Foods and bought some homeopathic meds for dizziness ( https://www.boironusa.com/product/phosphorus/ and https://www.boironusa.com/product/cocculus-indicus/). I can't say for sure if they have helped, but I am not worse and am slowly getting better as long as I don't move my head suddenly. I seem to be the worst in bed in the morning, though each morning if I make a sudden movement, I start spinning. Today is 7 days. I may send an email to my PCP and let him know. If it is true we can get tested for antibodies, I may go that route and avoid the second shot. I am going in 10 days.
@ccmiles curious how the pepper & turmeric in your palms works & how to do it. I'm all into natural options and am so sick of being debilitated. Can get a load of laundry in once in a while. Washed my little dog today lol! Don't feel safe driving & grocery shopping! Forget about it. I've never done the online shopping but I'm going to have to! Cupboards are getting light!
To moderator...I can only see how to reply to individual posts but not how to share my own 'story'. Or did i just do that Thank? LOL! Thank you for this! My DH was wanting me to see a doc. I told him it was the vaccine.
I understand what you are saying. I think one of the reasons is the location i live the other is my luck with my PCP . When i came to him after my first attack of vertigo, high blood pressure, he simply did not want to listen to me and said that my tonometer was broken. And said that i am fine the left, it took him 3 min. When i lived in Boston area i had the best medical care. But i found finally a good ENT doctor and follow his directions.
I am working on my progress and now i am much better. Tinnitus is bothering me, have morning dizziness. Plan-to find neurologist.I find helpful acupuncture and massage therapy.
thank you for your insightful reply.
Hi Thelma, Thanks for your response - I'm glad you kept looking until you found a good doctor! I have an adult son with a congenital disability (who's had 40+ surgeries) and I'm used to advocating for him, but it's a whole different thing to be needing to advocate for myself. Especially when I'm better or worse depending on the day, or sometimes a part of a day - that makes it hard to decide what to do next. And it can be hard not to be stymied when you're seeking care and you're treated like you're fine, when you know you're not. It's taken a lot of energy for me to keep reinitiating contact with my clinic, but I'm starting to get better at pushing myself to let them know what I need. And this whole process of getting better moves so slowly I really have to dig deep for the patience needed! Best wishes!
Hi everyone! I'm a 57 year old female with no history of vertigo or dizziness but it does run in my family. I've had severe tinnitus forever from chemo over 20 years ago. Ihad my first Pfizer dose March 11th. I iced my arm before & after & had an older nurse that knows how to give a shot so no sore arm. Side effects : I slept from that night through the entire day and next night. Didn't wake once. Headaches every afternoon. Off balance, crashing into furniture. Fell into a glass and wood curio cabinet & thankfully only got bruises, I didn't break the glass. 2nd dose April 1st. Young nurse sore arm for 3 days. Dizziness & sleepiness. Couldn't keep my eyes open but couldn't sleep. Everything went back to normal on the April 4th except the headaches every afternoon. April 16th, 16 days after- everthing returned-dizziness, feeling like the ground is slanted, crashing into stuff,headache from temple to temple, sleeping 12 hours but not good solid so I'm exhausted & feel weak. Felt like I had a cold with stuffed & runny nose. Now my sinuses are dry & hurt. Old neck & shoulder injuries came back. Cold sores that I haven't had in years. Its all wrong. This is the reason I've never gotten the annual flu shot but this is not that so I braved it. I have lung & heart scarring from the chemo so could be at higher risk for a severe Covid infection. Anyhow...thats my tale of woe. If & when I see improvement I will share. I will keep checking in to see how others are doing.
Thank you to the moderator for starting this so we have support & don't feel crazy & let other people dismiss you & your very real issues!! Thank you for the support!!! Also, on Healthline there is a page stating these are all real side effects & gives some recommendations like avoid alcohol, benzodiazapines like anxiety drugs...
@gaggi I think anything is possible when dealing with immediate, intermediate and long term side effects from these vaccines. We are in a place where many front line doctors just don’t know so some are trying to treat the symptoms. There is so much researchers and medical group do not know yet. We are in a new frontier.
Then there are those who received pfizer reporting blood related side effects such as low platelet, easy bruising, scarttered blood pin dots. That is bad.
I am hoping what many of you are reporting is temporary and eventually go away in time. In my mind, there is no doubt vaccines are causing all these inflammatory symptoms we are having.
I have many drug related allergies including anaphylaxis to one injection. I was concerned about getting the vaccine with my history of severe allergies and spoke to an allergist who took time to look at all the meds I am allergic to compared to ingredients in the pfizer. He encouraged me to go ahead and am glad I did. I did not expect delayed onset dizziness but I am not surprised. I have had delayed onset allergies to radio contrast dye twice even with premedication. I don’t consider my dizziness as allergy related but my immune system is revving up.
Thank you for your comprehensive outlook - I agree with so much of what you're saying! Yes, anything seems possible with these Covid vaccines in terms of reactions... makes me think about how Covid infection has such a variety of manifestations. Dealing with doctors that don't know what to make of our issues and are just trying to treat symptoms, and in my experience mainly the ones that are validated with a test result. I looked up what you were referring to about blood related side effects, not only with AZ and J&J, but suspicions of rare issues with Pfizer and Moderna also - that is truly concerning.
And yes, we all hope that these issues we're having prove to be temporary!
Hi Gab, really thinking of you today as you go for your second dose. Let us know how you get on.
As a vestibular patient, I am used to any virus causing a vestibular flare up. My neurologist warned me that the vaccine would most likely do the same thing and that it was relatively safe though there was no way we could know what may happen due to lack of data from the trials, etc.
Is there any chance you have ever had issues with migraines or headaches? A lot of vestibular migraine patients are having issues with the vaccines. It is possible that people with headache problems are having the same problem.
The vestibular system can be sensitive and thrown out of whack. It could be an inflammatory reaction hitting people who previously never had vestibular issues. My daughter is having some issues after the vaccine but nothing like me; however, having lived with vestibular issues for 10 years, I have ways of coping and working around it. I am on a medication that has really kept things under control. The very rare times I get sick with a fever are the only times that I will get a vestibular flare up. Usually, my monthly medication will turn it around.
After the 1st dose of Pfizer, I got a bad flare up. Unfortunately, my medication did not turn it around, and I was very nervous about getting the 2nd dose of the vaccine. I hesitantly got it on Sunday. So far, I am relatively ok. I am of course nervous to see what happens a few days after the vaccine as that seems to be when people are being hit with the extreme dizziness. My suggestion for people with no previous history of vestibular issues is not to load yourself on medication after medication. Many doctors will blindly prescribe you medications that will just make things worse. If you have literal vertigo, then definitely take a prescribed medication. If your dizziness does not go away after a couple of weeks, definitely get a referral for vestibular rehabilitation therapy. It is important to find someone actually an expert in this as not all therapy is equal. I went through it twice and the 2nd time was much more successful and is how my brain is able to work through flare ups. Vestibular therapy is not easy and there may be some days where you feel worse, but in the end you will be thankful that you did it.
I will say that my younger kids will not be getting this vaccine when available. I am not willing to take the risk of causing a vestibular issue to start with my kids, and I want to see the trials fully completed with longterm data.
@mrobbins You are not alone as you probably gathered from the other reports on this forum. What i would like to know is if any of you have4 had this dizziness/vertigo issue resolved? I have a good day or two and then, boom...either another episode of vertigo (although milder) and/or dizziness.
This just goes on and on with reports of basically similar symptoms. Yesterday I went back to my ENT - who seems to have no clear answer as to what is causing the sensation of left ear blockage. It has improved but is surely not back to normal. He suggested my next step would be to take a VNG test. I hate those things passionately, basically because...they make me sick. Tried it twice already over the years. I can't get through the 3rd part of it where they blow air into the ear. I realize that this test is sort of the gold standard as to diagnosing certain vestibular issues, but...I suspect that a 3rd attempt at this test will have the same results. Plus, I'm not certain that the results of the test will do anything to explain - let alone cure - whatever is creating the sensation of blockage. He confirmed again that there is no wax and no water in that ear. He mentioned the possibility of further 'neurological' testing, which I will agree to - but I'd rather jump right to that then undergo another VNG. I'm continuing the steroid nasal spray, but other than that he seems to have no definitive answer. It was a bit disappointing leaving the appointment with no further suggestion than to do a VNG. I'm thinking to just wait it out yet given some reports here that some of these symptoms seem to resolve after a few months post covid vaccine. I'm also considering going to a different doctor.
Hi! I experienced this face numbing as well. It was around my nose it felt almost like when its really cold and it goes numb it would spread out to my cheeks and mouth to my teeth. I tried the same as you taking allergy medicine cetrizone to be exact. It really didnt help. I started seeing improvement when I began to take daily vitaminc c ,zinc, vitamin d and vitamin b. The numbing is pretty much gone now. I got 1st moderna March 3rd 2nd April 7th.
Extreme vertigo and persistent medium grade vertigo is a genuine side effect I cannot get people to take seriously. For me it came on within 12 -15 hours after first dose of Pfizer. I have never had sea sickness or motion sickness of any kind. I have now and the susceptibility still hovers in the background. It's been a week since the vaccination and I'm still nowhere near normal. I've never had a vaccine with such a detrimental impact.
The cause is absolutely clear. The underlying mechanism is unclear apart from you're deliberately triggering an immune response. Possible causes of Meniere's disease include "auto immune problems". I can't say the vaccine can cause Meniere's only that it produces symptoms which match it. We're just unlucky. That said I think people deserve to know what the odds are so they can assess the risk. There's no way I'm getting the second shot. For most fit healthy people Covid is not a big risk. Having your life messed up by susceptibility to vertigo is far worse.
You have to be nuts going for the second dose if you have this side effect. There is no treatment and the condition in many people is very persistent.
I received the phizer vaccination with no issues with the first shot. on 3/29 I received my second dose and on 4/12 exactly 2 weeks later Vertigo. I didn't realize that it was a symptom of covid and also the vaccination. Thought it was allergies as I had never had a vertigo reaction to allergies. Its been a week and i'm taking Claritin daily and sudafed every 4 to 6 hours and it helped alot. I backed off of the Sudafed on Monday and the same symptoms returned. Anyone out there have the symptoms go away and how long did it take?