Vertigo

[Orinoor]

My seizures have been controlled with meds for many years now, but recently I've developed a moderate case of near constant vertigo (a sense of falling or spinning). I've ruled out an ear infection, but I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this as part of their seizure disorder? I take 120mg phenobarbitol and 250mg acetazolamide, which I've been on for 26 years. I'm fine otherwise, just the normal side effect complaints that go along with my meds. I was just curious if anyone else has come across this in relation to their epilepsy.

[Endless]

Hi, Oorinor,

Welcome to CWE!

I'm really sorry you are going through this. Dizzy is a miserable thing - it affects our ability to do so many things. I have dizziness as a side effect of Lamictal - the vertigo makes me nauseated, too.


Lots of things could be causing your dizziness, in addition to an ear/sinus infection. I assume you saw your doctor?

The doc reached the conclusion that the Lamictal was my problem only after I was tested for everything else, including a full blood panel (to check for MS and diabetes) and going to an ENT (Ear nose throat) doctor to get checked out for Meniere's Disease, etc.

Both your meds have dizziness as a possible side effect (see drugs.com). Sometimes side effects pop up after years of taking them.

Dizziness is also associated with epilepsy. Here's a good article: http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com...epileptic.html

While epilepsy is commonly accompanied by dizziness or vertigo, vertigo is only rarely caused by epilepsy (Bladin 199. This arises primarily because vertigo is much more commonly caused by ear conditions.

Epileptic vertigo is felt to be cause by abnormal stimulation of parts of the cortex that represent the vestibular system -- parietal, temporal and frontal cortex. Specific areas include the superior lip of the intraparietal sulcus, the posterior superior temporal lobe, the postero-medial parietal lobe (Wiest et al, 2004), the temporal parietal border regions (Penfield, 1954; Blanke et al 2000; Kahane et al, 2003), V5 (Laff et al. 2003), and frontal cortex -- left middle frontal gyrus (Kluge et al, 2000).

I thought this was a pretty good article on dizziness: http://www.pneuro.com/publications/dizzy/

[epileric]

Welcome Orinoor,

I was on phenobarb many years ago. I would have to wonder if the vertigo is a side-effect of the phenobarb. You may not have had that side-effect previously but our bodies change & side-effects from our meds can arise or disappear, sometimes quite randomly.

[Orinoor]

Sorry, I get confused with the terms and that article helps, but it doesn't seem to address non-vertiginous dizziness. I'm not light-headed, I just have the sensation of falling. I have an appointment with my neurologist in a few weeks, but I've tried to find answers on my own since I no longer have any health coverage. I have been going through other body changes over the last six years (early onset menopause), so perhaps this is part of that ongoing challenge.

[RobinN]

Menieres disease?

http://dogtorj.com/?page_id=410

[Orinoor]

No, none of the symptoms match with menieres.

[Endless]

I thought I'd post my question in this string. I've been really dizzy on Lamictal. Regular dizziness, like I'm floating or moving around (not the room moving). Now that is much better but not gone.

Here's the question: I'm having something new. Once in awhile I'm getting a weird kind of dizziness - I feel like my BRAIN is moving inside my skull. This wakes me up at night, I feeling it just sitting or standing there. I can be physically moving or perfectly still when it happens.

Is this most likely a simple partial seizure or just general dizziness? Anyone else get this?

[Orinoor]

It kind of sounds like what I've been experiencing. I see my neurologist Dec 8th, perhaps he can shed some light on it. I'm not on the same medication as you though. Let us know if you learn anything and I'll post after my Dr visit.