Author Topic: Dizziness, Loss of Balance, Poor Equilibrium  (Read 10936 times)

NYLady

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Dizziness, Loss of Balance, Poor Equilibrium
« on: February 23, 2015, 01:42:56 pm »
In an effort to accurately describe symptoms, can anyone share their interpretation of what the differences are between these three?

Thanks for any input.

NYL

CHD63

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Re: Dizziness, Loss of Balance, Poor Equilibrium
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2015, 01:57:26 pm »
Hi NYL .....

Even the medical profession gets these terms all interchanged sometimes.  In my mind vertigo should be equated with dizziness, where everything is spinning around.  Loss of balance and poor equilibrium seem interchangeable for me.  I prefer to use the term disoriented, as in not knowing where I am in space (cannot quickly discern what is up and what is down).  This becomes a problem when I begin to fall and cannot quickly determine what to do to correct the fall.

It will be interesting to read how other AN patients describe this .....

Clarice
Right MVD for trigeminal neuralgia, 1994, Pittsburgh, PA
Left retrosigmoid 2.6 cm AN removal, February, 2008, Duke U
Tumor regrew to 1.3 cm in February, 2011
Translab AN removal, May, 2011 at HEI, Friedman & Schwartz
Oticon Ponto Pro abutment implant at same time; processor added August, 2011

ANGuy

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Re: Dizziness, Loss of Balance, Poor Equilibrium
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2015, 09:29:46 pm »
I think true vertigo is the visual spinning, as though you were looking straight up while on a merry-go-round.  Dizziness is the feeling of being off-balance and "loss of balance" is when you literally fall over.  I've only had true vertigo, the spinning, once.  It was accompanied by loss of balance, I had to crawl to the bathroom to vomit because I couldn't stand up.  While my balance issues are infrequent, I get rare "attacks" that last a few hours maybe once a year or so, they usually consist of dizziness and vomiting.

Like Clarice says, these terms are often interchanged, even by medical staff and maybe used improperly.  My definitions might not be correct either.  What might be worth investigating is what meds can help with the symptoms.  For me, valium works for the dizziness when it hits hard, but it makes me stoned.  Zophran is a miracle drug for vomiting, and I actually take a Benedryl or two when I get mild dizziness.  First generation antihistamines are vestibular suppressants and do a pretty good job of making me feel "right" without knocking me out.
Diagnosed June 2014 1cm AN at 47 years of age.  Had fluctuating symptoms since 2006.    6 mos MRI (Dec 2014) showed no growth, MRI  in July 2015 showed no growth.  MRI Jan 2016 showed no growth.  MRI Aug 2016 showed no growth.  I'm gonna ride the WW train as long as I can.

arizonajack

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Re: Dizziness, Loss of Balance, Poor Equilibrium
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2015, 06:44:43 pm »
Vertigo and dizziness have been adequately described by the last two posts.

"Disequilibrium" describes the balance issues that I used to have. It's basically a problem with walking. People with disequilibrium feel unsteady on their feet or feel like they are going to fall. With me it was a lurching sensation from side to side like I was on a boat or subway train.

I had no problems when I was standing still, lying down or sitting, no dizziness, no nausea.

3/15/18 12mm x 6mm x5mm
9/21/16 12mm x 7mm x 5mm
3/23/15 12mm x 5.5mm x 4mm
3/13/14 12mm x 6mm x 4mm
8/1/13 14mm x 5mm x 4mm (Expected)
1/22/13 12mm x 3mm (Gamma Knife)
10/10/12 11mm x 4mm x 5mm
4/4/12 9mm x 4mm x 3mm (Diagnosis)

My story at: http://www.anausa.org/smf/index.php?topic=18287.0

NYLady

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Re: Dizziness, Loss of Balance, Poor Equilibrium
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2015, 08:00:59 pm »
Hi Jack,

Yours sounds like what I have....did any of it resolve after awhile? 

NYL

arizonajack

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Re: Dizziness, Loss of Balance, Poor Equilibrium
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2015, 08:30:46 pm »
Just before and just after my GK I had vestibular rehab. I learned some balance exercises that I continued to do at home. I think by about 6 months after GK, the lurching sensation went away and these days my balance is in good shape. Sometimes when I turn too fast or make a sudden movement, there's a little instability but that doesn't happen too often.

I just re-read your first post here. Looks like you and I have more in common than just the balance thing. Small tumor, 6 month growth, SSD, GK, close in age. Kindred spirits, I'd say.  ;D

PS: If you see me at the airport, don't yell "Hi Jack."
« Last Edit: February 25, 2015, 08:36:53 pm by arizonajack »
3/15/18 12mm x 6mm x5mm
9/21/16 12mm x 7mm x 5mm
3/23/15 12mm x 5.5mm x 4mm
3/13/14 12mm x 6mm x 4mm
8/1/13 14mm x 5mm x 4mm (Expected)
1/22/13 12mm x 3mm (Gamma Knife)
10/10/12 11mm x 4mm x 5mm
4/4/12 9mm x 4mm x 3mm (Diagnosis)

My story at: http://www.anausa.org/smf/index.php?topic=18287.0

NYLady

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Re: Dizziness, Loss of Balance, Poor Equilibrium
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2015, 08:57:50 pm »
Thanks Jack....Gives me hope

By the way, I have a niece who lives in Flagstaff...so if we do pass each other in the airport, that could very well happen!   :)

Thanks again..Best to you

NYL

arizonajack

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Re: Dizziness, Loss of Balance, Poor Equilibrium
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2015, 09:18:43 pm »


By the way, I have a niece who lives in Flagstaff..

What a coincidence.

I have sisters who live in Manhattan.

 ::)
3/15/18 12mm x 6mm x5mm
9/21/16 12mm x 7mm x 5mm
3/23/15 12mm x 5.5mm x 4mm
3/13/14 12mm x 6mm x 4mm
8/1/13 14mm x 5mm x 4mm (Expected)
1/22/13 12mm x 3mm (Gamma Knife)
10/10/12 11mm x 4mm x 5mm
4/4/12 9mm x 4mm x 3mm (Diagnosis)

My story at: http://www.anausa.org/smf/index.php?topic=18287.0

ewhitese

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Re: Dizziness, Loss of Balance, Poor Equilibrium
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2015, 06:02:40 am »
All very good descriptors of balance/ vertigo etc.  To me vertigo is the sensation that I am moving in space, with a physical reaction to that sensation vomiting and eye movement like watching the telephone poles pass while riding in a car, I like the description of looking up from a merry go round.  A sense of floating in space I guess.  Vertigo was an attack for me, a severe reaction and stopped normal activity until it was over.  I was unable to open my eyes with out vomiting.

Imbalance for me is equated with trying to stand on a balance beam with one foot in front of the other always in some stage of falling, a continuous battle to stay up right.  This feeling doesn't include the nausea and physical reactions included in vertigo.  Just simply can't stay standing.  Sometimes it was only during movement, sometimes from moving my head to quickly, sometimes just for no reason like a cartoon when suddenly everything is gone underneath and the fall happens as a delayed reaction.  It is kind of comical when it happens.

Disequilibrium is the sensation that the world around me is moving, like trying to get off a merry go round that is still moving. The sensation that my feet are not landing on the ground when and where my brain is saying they are.  Or walking on a frozen puddle while the ice is giving way.  This doesn't include the falling feeling but a feeling that the ground below is hard to navigate and requires mental concentration to ensure good footing.  And like balance there was no vomiting or physical reaction.

All three happen simultaneously in varying degrees, and they are so interconnected that it is hard to separate and categorize specific symptoms to each description.  For instance vertigo would include all the above, another way to look at it would be they are varying degrees of severity with disequilibrium being the mildest form and vertigo the worst.  I built up to my vertigo attack, over a course of about 24 hours I started with disequilibrium building to off balance and finally full blown vertigo.  The ending was the same but longer than the build up, it took about 2 months to get back to normal.

I am 18 months post GK small AN and my symptoms are calming.   My balance issues have calmed dramatically in the past 6 months.  I still have slight balance and disequilibrium in the dark and when physically tired, but not any where close to what it was from 6 months to a year.  I have only had one vertigo attack, so I am not sure I am a good judge of what typical vertigo is like.

After my severe vertigo attack my balance and disequilibrium were screwed up for about 2 months.  I took rehab into my own hands and began to walk.  I started with short trips and gradually increased the distance.  At the beginning I had to concentrate on every motion, watching my feet commanding my feet to resynchronize with my brain sort of speak.  Over time and increased distance the balance/equilibrium came back and I could walk with out paying attention to my feet.  During these walked I practiced the vestibular exercises I learned in rehab months earlier.  By the time this was happening I was walking 4 miles a day.  I have been locked inside the last two months and stopped walking .....snow and frigid cold....... but my balance issues have not returned in spite of inactivity.

Hope that helps put a face to an abstract picture.

NYLady

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Re: Dizziness, Loss of Balance, Poor Equilibrium
« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2015, 01:33:09 pm »
Hello EWhitese...

Thank you for your thoughtful and informative post.  Is it any wonder we get confused when there are so many overlapping descriptions for these symptoms.  I think it is helpful when we see how others describe them and kind of put words to what we are feeling, maybe in a different way than what we have done.  Thanks again.

NYL