The poking and the prodding and....

[slipjig3]

So I've got this ongoing Medical Thing, which is intermittent dizzy spells. The spells in question come in two flavors: (a) mild lightheadedness, usually manifesting when I'm worrying about money or work, and (b) major head-whirlies, like I'd just gotten on one of those rides when they spin you around fast enough to stick you to the walls. The former is much more frequent, but the latter does kick in once in a blue moon or so, most recently a week or two ago. I'd talked to the doctor about it roughly a year and a half ago, but it's still around. Aaaaand, since my mother has MS.... Yeah. Made another appointment, which was this morning.

So. After nearly oversleeping straight through it, Dr. B gave me the usual neurological rundown, and we chatted about what might be going on: blood sugar issues, stress, heart weirdnesses, MS, Henry Thripshaw's Disease, whatever. As a result of this conversation, he requested the following, in this order:

1) Better eating habits. I had a Wendy's Triple for dinner tonight. I'll start tomorrow, dammit.

2) Blood work, drawn on site. They do this every time, and even though the last time came up fine and dandy, they like to be sure. That, or they just like to get their ya-yas out by poking blonde guys with needles.

3) Holter monitor, to be done on Thursday, my next day off. I think this is the one that someone on my friends' list had to do (not mentioning names because I don't recall if that was friends' locked or not). Basically, the nice folks at Adirondack Cardiology are going to wire me up like Leibniz the Space Monkey and take a 24-hour reading of my innards. The only thing expressly disallowed during those 24 hours is showering, although I might forgo sex out of sheer unwillingness to 'splain some things:
Doctor: [reading chart] What exactly were you doing at 10:35 p.m.?
Me: Um, how specific to I have to be?

4) MRI, if none of the above produces any big, honking answers. Swellsers. Xanax, please...

And so we go. No big deal, although admittedly I feel like a raging hypochondriac now. ("I feel lightheaded, Doc! Hook me up to the biggest machine ya got, pronto! Put it on Aetna's tab!") Onward, ever onward....

Comments

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

Ugh, doctors, ick. Hope they can figure out what's wrong though, dizzy spells are no fun.

Has anyone mentioned vertigo or Meniere's Disease, the inner ear thing? My mum has that, or something similar, and finds she needs to drink and pee plenty to keep things balanced.. if you don't eat a healthy diet (no criticism meant, just saying), it might also be you don't get enough liquids. Of course, for all I know you drink 10 litres of water a day and could pee for your country, so ignore me if this is unhelpful!

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

*nods* I mentioned the situation in LJ once before, and several people brought up Meniere's; the doc doesn't feel inclined to believe that's a likelihood, however. It is something we're keeping an eye out for, though. And I do drink lots of liquids, but a lot of them are caffeinated, so the diuretic effects might be throwing things off, too. Hmmm....

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

lol was probably me last time too... its just weird how many odd symptoms can be caused/helped by drinking enough water, I'm quite the tyrant about it whenever anyone is sick (sorry)

[adamchristopher.livejournal.com]

Better eating habits, hmmm? ;) That plus regular exercise would make a world of difference, I'm positive. Find fun stuff you enjoy doing, sex included, that doubles as exercise, then do a lot of it. Works wonders, I promise. :) And good luck on the whole not-having-MS thing. You'll have a lot more info very quickly, and that will be reassuring. Don't worry about sounding like a hypochondriac. If you're enduring substantial suffering around this, and you are, and it's been going on, and on, you're certainly in the right to seek help and answers.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

I know, I know, I know. I am so unmotivated on health matters, it's not even funny. I think I'm finally going to be making some changes, though; if nothing else, fewer cheeseburgers. *laugh*

[adamchristopher.livejournal.com]

For motivation and determination, look to the two happy little faces you made, who need you to be well.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

I did both the Holter monitor (48 hours) and the King of Hearts monitor (six weeks, but you can change the electrodes and therefore shower).

You can have sex - they want you to act as normally as possible, "including exercise". But it may be difficult.

kires, upon hearing the layout of my Holter monitor and why it made sex improbable: "Now, I see that as a challenge!"

So. Yes. The Holter is mildly annoying, but no big deal. MRI is also not big deal, unless you're claustrophobic. Having my head strapped into the cage did freak me out a bit, but not enough to require Xanax. *hugs*

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

Thank you; you were the one I was wondering about. (Sorry, I couldn't remember if your health posts were public or not.) I'll probably be commiserating with you on this tomorrow, once the thing is in place.

It's the having my head strapped down that's preemptively freaking me out, too. There's no way I'd be able to hold perfectly still, me being FidgetBoy and all, and I have a serious problem with being physically restrained. I don't know if I'd really need drugs, but I have a feeling I'd welcome them. *hugs*

And challenges are a good thing. *laugh*

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

you were the one I was wondering about.

Figured I might be. :)

I'll probably be commiserating with you on this tomorrow, once the thing is in place.

Oh, you won't truly know til you have to try to sleep with it on...

It's the having my head strapped down that's preemptively freaking me out, too. There's no way I'd be able to hold perfectly still, me being FidgetBoy and all, and I have a serious problem with being physically restrained.

Oh, me too. On all counts.

You can do it. *hug*

[odheirre.livejournal.com]

Doctor: [reading chart] What exactly were you doing at 10:35 p.m.?

Aerobics?

Seriously, though, I second what adamchristopher says.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

"Attacked by rabid wolves, Doc. I know, weird, innit?"

[daev.livejournal.com]

"Damn, I gotta stop going to bed with furries."

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

You realize that you're just digging yourself in deeper, y'know.

I underwent 6000.00 in testing for the same......

[leolovesvegas.livejournal.com]

Hey there,
No joke but I went through numerous tests to find it was all panic attacks. I don't know you well but I read this and thought hmmm...if they come back with everything norm this may be it.

Unfortunately I take zannies but they help me-don't be freaked out by them please as so many are quick to judge but it is no joke.

The plus is I am weeding off of them currently but at one point my attacks were so severe I couldn't barely drive etc. Alot to go into but I feel for you as these spells so suck and are scary as hell.

What other symptoms do you have????? I had the holter monitor test done as I was having severe chest pains, an EEG, EKG, audiogram, MRI and I can go on.

First diagnosis was right positional vertigo and then they thought Meinere's. None of the above nuerologist said everything was norm and turned out all panick attacks and anxiety.

Keep me posted and write me anytime. I care and hope you are okay. Sounds funny from a stranger but I KNOW totally how it feels and am still not 100%.

Hang in-
Laney

Re: I underwent 6000.00 in testing for the same......

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

See, now, the longer I go on with this, the more I'm thinking anxiety attacks might be the culprit. No other symptoms, though, other than frequent headaches, which could very well be simply eyestrain, given how much time I spend at the computer between work and home.

[jenphalian.livejournal.com]

(a) mild lightheadedness, usually manifesting when I'm worrying about money or work

To me, that screams "anxiety/panic attacks." Medication and therapy, really. Although I suppose ruling out neurological and cardiological issues is important. Remind me to offer extra hugs next time I see you. Which shall hopefully be soon.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

*nods* Understood, and very much agreed. I'm wondering if I should've just walked in and asked for a prescription to Klonopin or something. *hugs*

[icarusfallen8.livejournal.com]

You mean there are times when people don't worry about money/work. :P

Kidding. Hope things go well.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

I've heard there are people who don't. I don't believe it for a minute.

[knotwork.livejournal.com]

I think I've mentioned this before, but I don't think you acted on it...

You're doing the right thing by talking to your MD, but if the tests come back and show there's nothing wrong, SEE A CHIROPRACTOR.

I went through 2.5 years of whirlies and the Holter monitor and the MDs saying it was all in my head. Then, I finally consultated a Chiropractor. The xray of my neck was _perfectly straight_ (which is NOT the way it ought to be). After a series of chiropractic adjustments, the dizzies quickly disappeared. These days I almost never have a problem, but if I do something stressful (straining) to my neck the dizzies come back. I just call my chiro and as soon as I get adjusted they go away.

Now that I have a REASON for it, it causes me a lot less anxiety than it did when I didn't know what was causing it or what would relieve it. I hope you'll be able to find the same peace of mind soon!

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

You know, this has never come up, strangely; I had no idea! That's something that has never occurred to me as a possibility. My one concern is that I don't know if my health coverage will stomach chiropractic care, since it's still considered a medical bastard child in a lot of circles. But it's very much something to look into. *hugs*

[knotwork.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, frequent headaches too you say? The headaches are what finally took me to the chiropractor. And come to think of it, I don't think I've had a headache in the past two years now. (!)

Most chiro's will offer a pretty low cost or free initial consultation, you could at least look into it and see if they see something wrong in your neck. Even if insurance won't cover it and you can't afford the ongoing adjustments to treat it, you might find it reassuring to know what is causing it. (And that it's NOT something awful/fatal.)

I also found I could make some modifications in my daily life now that I know what position my neck WAS in and what position it SHOULD BE in.

[daev.livejournal.com]

"Twin Cinema," The New Pornographers

Are they good? Kate asked me about them a couple of night ago and I was clueless.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

They're excellent. Picture a 60's 1965-or-later British Invasion-esque band (Anna's saying, "Picture the Zombies"), only run through a Franz Ferdinand filter. Hopelessly catchy pop earworm stuff. I've only got the one track, but if I get any music store gift certificates for Xmas, I'll likely be grabbing the Twin Cinema album.

[margrietta.livejournal.com]

I loves the New Pornographers. They give me flashbacks of college. "Loose Translation," and "Letter from an Occupant" are some of my favorites.