Dizziness without obstruction

[Biotoolkit]

I am a little confused about what I have read and my docs are telling me about my HCM.

I have HCM and two weeks ago presented with dizziness and lightheadedness. This has not gone away. I have had testing done, and the echo shows that my heart has not changed much in the past five years with 23 mm sigmoidal septum and no obstruction, 65% outflow. no gradient, yada-yada-yada. If I do not have impaired blood distribution why am I dizzy. Dizzy, not ditzy! The cardiologist could not explain it. Is this normal for other people with HCM and no obstruction?

It seems that dizziness is related to the vestibular organ or neuronal processing of the signals from here. Maybe the dizziness is not associated with the HCM and I should go see a ear nose-troat doc?

[Frosty]

Re: Dizziness without obstruction

Or it could be benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) for which there are home exercises to return the particles to their proper place. I have suffered with lightneadedness/dizziness/syncope for many years and it could never be explained.

There is one other possible explanation -- when is the last time you saw an ophthalmologist, it could very possibly be your eyes.

[Cynaburst]

Re: Dizziness without obstruction

I had a tumor on my auditory/vestibular nerve which caused dizziness. This felt very different from the lightheadedness that I sometimes get from HCM. It is important to figure out whether you feel lightheaded and faint, which is likely related to blood flow or arrythmia, or whether you feel like the room is spinning, which is inner ear related. Faintness can be caused by either obstruction or arrythmias without obstruction.

All dizziness coming from inner ear is NOT always benign. My tumor almost killed me.

[gfox42]

Re: Dizziness without obstruction

It's useful to distinguish between dizziness and light-headedness, even though we often use "dizzy" to cover both. In dizziness, the room seems to spin (well, in severe dizziness). It's not cardiac in origin. There are a number of things that can cause it. Some (like Cynthia's) are definitely dangerous.

Some (like BPPV) are "benign," but as one who has bouts of this occasionally, it sure doesn't feel benign when the room seems to be spinning! As Frosty says, there are exercises that you can do to treat this. But, yes, it sounds like you'd do well to see an ENT.

Gordon

[Biotoolkit]

Re: Dizziness without obstruction

My dizziness really seems to be induced by movement of my head. I would not say that the room
spins, rather that it feels like my head continues to move when it stops. I rarely get this while sitting, again only with a quick head movement, and never get it when laying down. When I am walking, not all the time is seems most severe. I rarely have it when I first get up from laying down. I also feel light headed for hours at a time. The best way to describe it is as I have had a drink or two. This kind of gives it a positive twist as well. I have a appt. next week with an ENT, but am not optimistic as the health care in Vegas can be sketchy.

I tried the BPPV exercises you all suggested from these videos (links below), the latter being the Epley maneuver. The first video seemed to induce the symptoms, the first time, but then not any time there after. While it was very mild yesterday it did not seem like it went away. OK so far today, but its still early.

I saw an ophthalmologist about 18 months ago. So its time to go again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VWyPgfMuvM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq-IQWSrAtM

[jubilee1972]

Re: Dizziness without obstruction

Vertigo is also a symptom of Fabrys Disease which can also cause HCM. There is good detailed info on this forum about Fabrys Disease.

[mbcube]

Re: Dizziness without obstruction

Its also important to realize that not all symptoms we have are related to HCM. Its highly probable that other issues are at play here. Your doing the right thing and ruling this out. Seeing an ENT to rule out things like Meniere's disease, or ophthalmologist are a great start. Hoping its something simple and easily corrected. Keep us posted.

[gfox42]

Re: Dizziness without obstruction

The maneuvers for BPPV *do* induce symptoms. BPPV is caused by calcium carbonate crystals that become loose in the inner ear. The goal of the maneuvers is to get them out of the inner ear - and in doing so, yes, the maneuvers cause symptoms because they're causing the crystals to move (so they stimulate some of the hair cells, which we perceive as movement).

I had my first BPPV episode a few years ago - it was pretty dramatic. The maneuvers stopped it after a few days. I've had two? three? further episodes, but have recognized them and used the maneuvers to end the episodes pretty quickly.

Marc's point is correct: HCM isn't the only cause of our health problems, and unfortunately it doesn't give us any immunity from other problems.

Gordon

[Biotoolkit]

Re: Dizziness without obstruction

Well, I thought my symptoms matched BPPV or labarinthitis. Furthermore, by several types of head movement tests, I could induce the same symptoms.

Went to the ENT doc yesterday. He did an eardrum pressure test and hearing test, listened to a description of the symptoms and concluded that my inner was most likely fine. Thought I should consider a Neurologist next. Oh yeah, and he dug out a half century of accumulated earwax. $#@%$#@%@.

Any how the lightheadedness has disappeared and the head movement symptoms seem to be waning. I have continued with the head movement exercises. Either the exercised are helping or the Crestor is finally leaving my body. Stopped taking it three weeks ago, and the problems seems to come on after taking it for a couple months. I also read that .25% of all patients on Crestor get the dizziness symptoms. Just curious that this is close to the overall incidence of HCM.

Biotookit

[gfox42]

Re: Dizziness without obstruction

Someone in my family has the head movement symptoms, and hasn't yet been able to get an explanation, or even reasonable hypothesis, from her docs.

Gordon