Hi there! Been creeping this forum for a while trying to figure out what’s brought on this sudden vertigo. Appreciate your help I’ve seen physios, chiros, and spoken to almost 6 MDs.
June 25 - got second dose of Pfizer covid vaccine. Felt super ill and arm swollen for two weeks
june 28th - moved apartments. Felt major brain fog while moving. Stress for sure but different - found typing hard I’d mix up words…thought it was caused by poor sleep but nothing would fix
1st or second week of July - symptoms of unsteadiness vertigo dizziness began. Constant. While walking. Sitting, bending. No other symptoms.
July 16 - got up from desk after long work day and felt like I might pass out. Shaking. Sweaty. Nauseous. Dizzy even when lying down. Called ER and advised to give it an hour and then come in. Felt better after ginger ale and breathing lying down.
july 17- neuro assessment and BPPV test. All normal. Doctor tells me I have anxiety 😌. ECG lying down normal. Bloodwork normal.
july 18-mid aug
see a chiro who tests again for BPPV not that. Suggests my jaw is tight. We do some neck release. No change.
mid august
Read online that can cause vertigo so start doing jaw release, wearing my night mouse guard and taking a cocktail of anti inflammatory supplements like quercitin, omega 3, curcumin and glucosamine MSM. Start to feel better. Vertigo goes from 8-12 hours a day to 1-2 hours a day to 1 hour
Early September
physio specializing in vestibular does assessment. I have some weakness in vestibular function but most notably my heart rate jumps significantly when I got from lying to standing while my BP stays the same. She says it’s likely POTS causing my vertigo.
Mid september
speak to another MD who says POTS is extremely rare in someone my age and healthy. Does orthstatic test for POTS and normal.
Early october
speak to ENT. Says doesn’t sound inner ear related but said we could do testing to rule out. The Epley FWIW never worked for me.
present
Recently got a treadmill and find running and workouts in AM I feel totally normal. As day progresses I notice it gets worse especially at night or early evening.
often times when watching TV I feel “dragged” by the screen or when walking and I turn my head I feel like I’m tilting.
what are some other things to explore?
I have a pending MRI referral but I’m super claustrophobic- like anxiety panic attack invoking so using that as last resort but feels like I’ve plateaued from seeing great improvement from jaw release in late august
is my body still just reorienting to possible vestibular neuritis? Will this ever go away?
My vertigo is much improved from JUNE ut still present and the feeling is stress inducing. I’m 41 and healthy.
so.. where do I go from here? What should I test first? Could the vaccine cause POTS? Or is it a coincidence timing wise and something else autoimmune causing it? Thank you for reading
Oh my god . Been having vertigo for 2 months now after 1st dose of pfizer. I did all the test that you did and felt the same things . Things are improving little by little , but now i have to do my 2nd dose and quite scare that will getting worst.
@cico89 if I were you I wouldn’t get that second dose for $1 million. I’m afraid I will never be normal again.
@cico89 Don't do the second dose. From what I've read the dizziness and vertigo get far worse after the second. I had the one shot JJ and have really bad vertigo dizziness foggy head. It came on suddenly 3 days after the shot. I never felt anything like this before. It doesn't go away. I think they should scrap the vaccine mandate, too many adverse effects.
I took first vaccine in May and developed a serious problem with my lymph node under my arm. The problem was so serious my doctor and rheumatologist recommended I hold off on 2nd injection.
In June I woke up, got out of bed, and fell to my right because of vertigo. This lasted 3 days, but I didn't realize it was vertigo at the time.
In July I was boarding a flight to Mexico for the rest of the year when I suffered a major vertigo and panic attack at the gate. Trip was canceled.
It was swiftly downhill after that. Days of emergency room and urgent care because I couldn't figure out why I couldn't shake dizziness, unbalanced walking, nausea, visual disturbances, etc..
Specialist are torn between Meniere's disease (multiple family members diagnosed), autoimmune inner ear disease (I have Ankylosing Spondylitis, immune inflammation), vestibular migraines, etc .
Now towards end of October I've had 3 days of no dizziness or nausea, until tonight.
@kevint I'm going through exactly the same thing. I had Meniere's in my 20's, not a symptom since the first jab and then non-stop ...I feel so bad!
I hope you feel better. I know Meniere's tends to go away...I have no idea why I got this except for the vaccine. With each jab, I got a rush of tinnitus, imbalance and vertigo, increasingly worse with each jab. I had my 3rd on Oct 7 and have hardly been out of bed since.
Please let us know what helped and how you are doing!
Judes
I feel like I’m reading my story! I have had Hashimoto’s (hypothyroidism) for several years. Other than adjustments of my thyroid replacement, it’s been pretty manageable. I got the 1st dose of Pfizer in early August and experienced some body aches and intestinal issues for about 3 days. Then a week later the dizziness started. It’s more like a heavy feeling in my head and lightheaded and woozy. I came across this site while searching for answers. I had my hormones tested, including ferritin which was extremely low. So I’m taking iron supplements hoping that is the answer. So far it’s not helping my lightheadedness. Since I already have one autoimmune I wonder if the vaccine triggered some sort of immune response. It’s been 3 months since my first vaccine and I’m no better. I have an upcoming appt with an ENT as a starting point.
Sorry for the delay! Not on here much. Sounds like very similar symptoms.
Updates on my condition:
getting ENT balance testing done next week
physicians re-examined me recommended MRI of brain (non urgent)
seen osteopath and accupuncture regularly. Have not helped
what helped a bit was stopping sleeping with ear plugs but I still have daily vertigo
dizziness clinics where I am are so overwhelmed they’re not taking referrals
menieres has been ruled out as I don’t have hearing issues
next causes are possibly vestibular neuritis, tumour ? Not sure because it came on so quick and has improved. I would assume a tumour would get worse.
I do feel like I get mini panic attacks almost every few days - like a feeling of doom - it’s so weird it’s like my body’s sensory system is all off 🙁
let me know if anyone finds answers
Hi, I'm probably posting wrong here, but don't know where to start. My Dad got the Moderna vaccine in March. About a week later he had a sense of imbalance which seemed to improve, so he went on to get his second dose. A couple of weeks later the intermittent imbalance returned. . . for 6 months. He'd just regained his sense of balance (but still is afraid of Covid given he's 86), so he got permission to get the Pfizer booster 9 days ago. Tonight he experienced his first episode of dizziness in 2 months. I think that pretty much establishes what the cause is. I hope the Pfizer booster isn't worse than the initial Moderna vaccination was.
@magoonl I am sorry to hear that the booster has caused dizziness for your father. i too had both vertigo and dizziness as well as ocular impairment after my second Moderna vaccine. Lasted over 2 1/5 months. Am now apprehensive about getting a booster.
I would like to know if anyone has had the booster shot of any vaccine and has had dizziness and / or vertigo as a result. I am reluctant to get the booster Moderna shot as I had vertigo and dizziness for over 2 1/5 months and it was debilitating.
@annasegreto Yes, following my 3rd (Moderna) booster on Oct 7, I have been very ill with Meniere's type symptoms (vertigo, tinnitus, muffled hearing, unsteadiness, nausea), severe headaches and all kinds of eye and vision problems I have written about in other posts.
I was sent an invite for the 3rd from our provincial government just 15 weeks after my 2nd. I had mild symptoms after my first two, but it's been severe since the 3rd and while I'm a bit better, I'm still off work and not able to move around or live my life.
I'd like to know when you're supposed to have the 3rd. Anyone know? I keep hearing 6 months; I am on daily cortisone and considered "vulnerable", but I still think my 3rd was too soon.
It's a tough decision but there is no way I will put myself through this again!
@judes Thank you for your reply. I am extremely reluctant to receive the booster. I will wait and proceed in my life with extreme caution.
I will definitely pass on the booster, no way I can handle 1 more day of this then needed.
I received my Moderna booster one week ago. I was reluctant to get it because I had vertigo, tinnitus, head pressure and ear fullness from April to August after my second shot. Those four months were awful as I'm sure most here will understand. I still have the tinnitus pretty bad but everything else cleared up. The reason I decided to get the booster is because we recently had a huge outbreak of covid at the school where I work and several fully vaccinated people tested positive. They had received their second shots the same time as me and no one had gotten a booster yet. Anyway, so far so good. My arm was only slightly sore the next day, the same as my initial reaction to the first two shots. The vertigo and other symptoms started about a week and a half after my second dose so I'm somewhat anxious that it could happen again. Trying to stay positive and hope for the best, though!