Vertigo Symptoms - Any advice?

[BinaryAudio]

Hi @Violeta,

many thanks for your quick response. Ah right, I think I see now what you are drving at, that's very interesting.

My brother recently had a series of blood tests, which showed low iron levels. He is currently suffering with some unusual symptoms, such as shortness of breath, ringing in the ears, tighness in his arms and chest, etc.

These symptoms are, unfortunately, driving anxiety in him, which has now become a factor, because I think the Lupus diagnosis has made him more sensitive to "unusual" symptoms. Although recent tests show his Lupus to be under control, and at the moment, relatively mild, there is always the fear it can escalate.

These unusual symptoms sound to me like low iron symptoms. I suspect he has had low iron for years, in fact I know he had blood tests a few years ago that also showed it.

I mention it because something that jumped out at me in your reply was this:

There is a potential link between elevated lactate levels (a byproduct of anaerobic metabolism) and dizziness, specifically vertigo. Excessive lactate production, often due to low oxygen or disrupted metabolism, can contribute to dizziness and vertigo symptoms.

You mentioned low oxygen, which i would imagine is something that could be related to low iron. Could the low iron be contributing to lactate production?

Kind regards.

 

[Violeta]

Hi @Violeta,

many thanks for your quick response. Ah right, I think I see now what you are drving at, that's very interesting.

My brother recently had a series of blood tests, which showed low iron levels. He is currently suffering with some unusual symptoms, such as shortness of breath, ringing in the ears, tighness in his arms and chest, etc.

These symptoms are, unfortunately, driving anxiety in him, which has now become a factor, because I think the Lupus diagnosis has made him more sensitive to "unusual" symptoms. Although recent tests show his Lupus to be under control, and at the moment, relatively mild, there is always the fear it can escalate.

These unusual symptoms sound to me like low iron symptoms. I suspect he has had low iron for years, in fact I know he had blood tests a few years ago that also showed it.

I mention it because something that jumped out at me in your reply was this:



You mentioned low oxygen, which i would imagine is something that could be related to low iron. Could the low iron be contributing to lactate production?

Kind regards.

Yes, it can.

Yes, low iron can indeed cause hypoxia. When hemoglobin (the protein in red blood cells that binds oxygen) is deficient due to low iron, it leads to reduced oxygen delivery to tissues, resulting in hypoxia.

 

[Violeta]

I realize your brother's ME/CFS isn't from COVID, but there's a lot of good research coming out because of COVID.
I looked up if a virus can cause low iron and found this.

Yes, viral infections can contribute to low iron levels. Ongoing inflammation, a natural part of the immune response to infection, can lead to low iron levels and disrupt red blood cell production, according to a study at the University of Cambridge. This is especially true for individuals experiencing long COVID, where low iron levels and resulting anemia have been observed as early as two weeks post-infection. The University of Nebraska Medical Center has also highlighted the role of problems with iron regulation and levels in the blood due to SARS-CoV-2 infection as a potential trigger.

 

[BinaryAudio]

Many thanks for your replies @Violeta

It feels like there could be a link between his vertigo like symptoms, and lactate levels. It's certainly something new to look at.

If his iron has been low for years (which it has) then this might be causing increased lactate levels, which in turn, could be causing the flying. He does not have classic vertigo, because he's seen every type of specialist in that field and they cannot understand it. It does not appear to be inner ear related, so it's got to be something else.

His "vertigo" can be worse on certain days for unknown reasons. I have often wondered if this randomness was linked to diet, or some blood chemistry, because those things will fluctuate from day to day.

He is currently trying to increase his iron levels through diet and supplements, but apparently it can take weeks or even months for levels to increase.

There is also one other factor whch could be aggravating his iron levels. He has to take a drug called Omeprazole, which is a PPI drug that helps reduce stomach acid production. Unfortunately, PPI drugs can reduce absorption levels in the stomach, so it might well be that this is also having an effect on his bodies ability to absorb iron though diet.

There are a lot of variables at work, so finding soultions is very hard. But we continue to hope for some answers that will help.

I am most grateful to anyone who offers up insights that might help him.

 

[Wayne]

He has lived with this for almost 30 years. But recently, it has began to get worse, which is something he has greatly feared. It is for this reason that I am writing this, in the hope that someone out there might have experienced something similar, and can maybe help him.

Hi @BinaryAudio -- I actually do experience something similar, but not nearly as intense as what your brother experiences. I also experience more "classic" vertigo. I've discovered that some self-acupuncture helps significantly with that.

I developed pretty severe classic vertigo after I got COVID about four years ago. It persisted for months after my initial infection, and I didn't know if it would ever get better. I then started doing some "self-acupuncture", and doing one point in particular made a huge difference (the crown point).

It's one of the two "master points" that are described in this video. I start the video where he demonstrates the two master points. If you notice, it's actually fairly quick and easy to insert these needle, and can be readily "self-administered".

So for just a few dollars for some acupuncture needles that can be bought online, your brother could get a sense of whether or not it might help him. They mention anxiety in the video, and I think it's possible your brother's (understandable) increase in anxiety could be making things more difficult.

I have another story (using energy medicine techniques) that you or your brother might find interesting if you're interested. Not everyone is, so I usually just offer it before posting about it. -- Good luck to your brother. And bless you for all the advocacy you're doing for him.

 

[BinaryAudio]

Hi there @Wayne

Many thanks for your response.

I know that my brother has not tried acupuncture, and it's probably one of the only things he hasn't tried!

I think this is very interesting, and it is certainly worth investigating further. It's a fact that traditional western treatments have not given him any relief from this wretched problem, and it seems to have vertigo experts baffled and unable to offer any solutions.

I'm glad to hear that you had success with it.

I will pass this info on.

Kind regards,

Chris

 

[JadeD]

I’ve experienced very very severe feelings of dizziness laying down but also upright. Mine got particularly severe after Covid. When I tried to sleep I felt like the bed was moving and I was falling with every breath out it was terrifying just like being on a rollercoaster.

I’ve later found out it’s part of vestibular migraine which can be chronic and you don’t need a classic headache to experience the other symptoms. I’d look it up to see if it fits.

 

[linusbert]

did it get better? what did you do?

 

[BinaryAudio]

I’ve later found out it’s part of vestibular migraine which can be chronic and you don’t need a classic headache to experience the other symptoms. I’d look it up to see if it fits.

Hi @JadeD

This is something that I've heard of, vestibular migraine, in fact, I think it was the suggested diagnosis of one of the vertigo specialists my brother was examined by.

I will echo @linusbert - What kind of treatment did you undergo to help with this? Any info would be most helpful.

 

[JadeD]

Hi @JadeD

This is something that I've heard of, vestibular migraine, in fact, I think it was the suggested diagnosis of one of the vertigo specialists my brother was examined by.

I will echo @linusbert - What kind of treatment did you undergo to help with this? Any info would be most helpful.

I’ve struggled with this daily for 2.5 years now unfortunately and it’s still debilitating. I’ve had Botox treatment for migraines which has slightly calmed down the headache part but also the vestibular symptoms too.

I’ve gone through a lot of migraine preventatives I can’t tolerate due to pots, SFN etc.

I’m about to try the gepants to see if they help. Benzos seem to quieten down the nerve overactivity but obviously aren’t a long term solution.

I would highly recommend getting your brother to see a neurologist specialised in headache disorders who’s familiar with vestibular migraine. Dr Michael Teixido has some really useful YouTube videos and medication information out there. Dr Shin Beh is also well respected in the field.

It depends where you’re based I’m in the U.K. and have had some luck with private then NHS neurologists.

But for me I have many overlapping problems the ME, pots, SFN and these vestibular and chronic migraines which all feed into one another. The vestibular symptoms are shocking though and can render you completely unfunctional so my sympathies are with your brother.

 

[linusbert]

I’ve had Botox treatment for migraines

where did you inject , what muscles?

did you try high dose b2?

 

[JadeD]

It’s a standard protocol of 30-35 injections in forehead, temples, occipital area and shoulders if you Google it you’ll see the areas.

I tried B2/dolovent but my bladder is very painful when taking b vitamins so I couldn’t tolerate it but others find it helps along with magnesium. Mine was too severe to avoid pharmaceutics.

I spoke to a professor who was researching it in mice and they triggered it with covid and found the CGRP system was upregulated. The poor mice even swayed which is what I do when very dizzy as my balance is so off.

 

[linusbert]

I spoke to a professor who was researching it in mice and they triggered it with covid and found the CGRP system was upregulated. The poor mice even swayed which is what I do when very dizzy as my balance is so off.

woa this is bad. poor mice indeed!!

covid... interesting , many neurological effects started after corona.