Dealing With Extreme Vertigo: A Reader's Question

Reader Question

I've had extreme vertigo for one month. Tests show nothing wrong. The doctors can't agree on a diagnosis, except anxiety. (I've gotten panic attacks because of it.) I do energy work, but it isn't helping. I can't even cook supper for my kids. I'm desperate and scared. I've helped many people but I can't seem to help myself.  Any advice?

Nancy's Response

I'm sorry you're having a hard time. I hear your desperation and the fact that your nervous system is on Red Alert.

What really stands out to me is your statement "I've helped many people but I can't help myself."

I'm guessing you may have an imbalance between giving and receiving in your life. Pretty common for a mom of young kids, but I'm betting it goes beyond that. A giving-receiving imbalance is often based on fear: receiving help puts one in a vulnerable position. If so, this may be a major opportunity for you to rebalance that aspect of your life. I especially think this because vertigo represents such a basic, primal loss of control.

Vertigo Remedies

Beyond that, here's a batch of ideas to try:

• Get some Rescue Remedy and use it whenever you feel yourself spiraling out of control.
• Rest your thumbs on your temples and your middle three fingers on the slight bumps on either side of your upper forehead. Hold them there while belly breathing slowly and deeply. If you want, you can add a figure-eight motion on your forehead. This Donna Eden technique can really help when you're panicking.
• Hold the acupressure point Kidney 27, a master point for helping to bring coherency to your overall energy system.
• Add the Celtic Weave to your energy work. (Might be easier for your husband to do it for you.)
• Keep grounding.
• Add maximum stress/anxiety care. See The Energy Healing Site pages on breathwork and anxiety.
• With young kids, work and school, you're probably over-extended. Cut back wherever you can. Your symptoms may be your body-mind's way of telling you you're out of balance.
• Explore gentle, supportive, relaxing herbs.
• Try recordings with alpha waves embedded to help you relax. (I like the Relaxation Company's nature CDs.)
• Your plans to get massage/energywork, c-s therapy and acupuncture are great. You might also try:
  • See a trained massage therapist who can locate and release possible trigger points in the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle in the front of the neck. When on one side only, these trigger points can cause dizziness.
  • See a PT who specializes in treating vertigo.
  • Lymphatic drainage of the head and face helps some people.
  • And another reader has added this extremely helpful information:

    I have 30 years experience with a type of migraine called Vestibular migraine and panic attacks and anxiety are often auras for this kind of vertigo. Its generally treated as a form of migraine, which means that the reader could look into their food triggers. I have all but stopped having the attacks through diet alone, adding magnesium to my daily routine helped tremendously. I thought perhaps you could share this information with the reader, it may help quite a bit. Oh, and of course, over the counter, Bonine (meclizine)is a life saver in those moments when you feel like the world is ending.

Finally, keep reminding yourself that your condition isn't life-threatening, and that your body has a natural genius for healing itself.

Wishing you the highest good, Nancy

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Here's some good medical info on vertigo.

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