Hi all - I haven't been on in a while, but I need some opinions/advice. I had a TAH in January and for the most part feel pretty good. Hot flashes are inconvenient, but not unbearable. I can have anywhere from 3-12 'surges' a day and they generally last about 2 minutes. A really INTENSE 2 minutes, but.... I was hoping to avoid HRT, but I've noticed that my allergies/sinus issues have been worse this year than usual, plus my vertigo has returned. I went through about 5 years of 24/7 vertigo and never did figure out what exactly was causing it. Tried everything and every kind of traditional and non-traditional treatment with no luck.

Anywho, what I need to know is if anyone has had a similar situation and if HRT helped with the vertigo/allergies/sinus. I can live with the allergy stuff, but the vertigo has to go.

Thanks!

Liz

I had a couple brief episodes of vertigo and so I understand where you are coming from. I have to watch my bp as it tends to be very low, especially hrt. I have allergies but my sinuses are holding up okay. Like you, I had a TAH.

I wish I could say that hrt helped my vertigo but I believe it went away on its own. I guess you have ruled out any inner ear problems as it sounds like you have investigated the cause and come up with nothing. Did it start during peri or earlier? As for the sinuses, they are mucous membranes so dwindling estrogen levels can effect them. Have you tried any of the saline nasal sprays?

OMG.... 5 years of vertigo, sheeesh

I have had the lightheaded feeling 24/7 to some degree for the past 2 1/2 yrs and I'm soooo over it but have found nothing really that got rid of it. 2 yrs ago I had some specialised upper body massage and it nearly got rid of the woozy head for a while but now I have developed a fear of massage anywhere near my neck area so I can't have that done again even though I know it would help. I did read on this site somewhere that Pete Hausseman explained it was because of the declining Estrogen levels especially some mechanism in our inner ear that has a high concentration of Estrogen which made perfect sense. I find that I can't bear to swing on a swing anymore even rock on a rocking chair as this just upsets my equilibrium too much so the inner ear theory must have some truth to it. Even turning my head from side to side too fast can upset my equilibrium which of course started up thoughts of brain tumour etc but I have had this for over 2 yrs now and I'm still here. Thankfully I don't get the head pressure anymore or the tension type headaches or tight band around head feeling like I first had when this all started.

Spose I've got a few more years to put up with this lightheadedness then

Rox

Thanks for the responses ladies. When I was first fighting the vertigo (which began in early 2001) I did go to the ear/nose/throat specialist and had all the test. Everything was fine according to them. The dizzies improved slightly a couple of years ago. Oddly about the time I started gaining some weight, which turned out to be a fibroid, which is why I had the TAH. Just the past few months the dizzies are back again. I have to sleep propped up on a couple of pillows and be careful about tipping my head back. When I go to get my hair cut and lay back to get my hair washed, I start 'spinning'. I'm so upset that this dizzy monster has returned.

I'll give the nasal spray a try. Short of animal and human sacrafices, I'm willing to try ANYTHING! Meantime, I have an appointment with my GYN next week to discuss HRT.

Thanks again.

I don't know what part of the world you live in, but I read recently that allergy season is upon is, and that's it's worse this year in the US. Parts of the US that have had a lot of rain are going to have more mold. And parts of the US that have had very low rain (like the Southeast) are seeing early dropping of leaves, etc from trees, creating more stuff in the air.

So it may not be you - it could be the environment that is worse this year. Good luck.

WriterMom

I suffered HORRIBLY with the dizzies, lightheaded, off balance and disconnected feeling - thus my PS name: Floater! I felt like I was floating, spinning and the world was tilted off to one side. I would often hang on to counters, walls, whatever was near by to prevent falling - although I never did. In fact I found PS from googling menopause and dizziness!! I started with the dizzies in 1997 (ya, I even remember the MONTH), it seemed to go away after awhile and then returned again around '04. It progressively got worse and worse until it was 24/7. No test revealed anything abnormal.

I now take Estrogel and Prometrium and Paxil. I very very rarely get the dizzies anymore, only if I am really really tired. Remember when we were young and you could just keep going no matter how tired you were??? Those days are gone forever for me!

When I had my big ugly crash last year I was having terrible anxiety and panic attacks as well and the dizzies got so intense I could barely get out of bed. I spend 2 months unable to leave my home, and another 2 months struggling with it but I forced myself. I started Paxil in September hoping that would be enough but it wasn't, it helped a lot but I still was struggling. In December I finally went for the hormones and without question that was what I needed.

Its weird though, I can't spin around and around without getting so dizzy I have to sit down (or fall down) anymore. I was playing with my granddaughter, that is why I was spinning around (haha!!). No more carnival rides for this old lady!!!

I'm in northeast Ohio and I think this has been a bad year for allergies and that's probably a little bit of my problem.

Thanks for the input, Oh Floating One! My name was Dizzie Lizzie on another message board devoted to people with the dizzies. It's so unpredictable, too. I never know when I go to bed at night if I'm going to be able to stand up in the morning. I have a 25 mile drive to work and it's scary to think that driving to or from work a really bad episode could hit. It's been my experience that if a doctor can't see symptoms or see test results that prove a problem exists, they don't believe it's real. I'll take these med names with me to the doctor next week and hope she's a little more open minded than others.

Thanks!

Dear Floater
Add this old lady to the no spin list.My grand daughter plays a game where we hold hands,sing and twirl around like Whirling Dirvishees-not sure of spelling-well after two rounds was ready to pass out and sat down.My little love all of four years old said "Grandma I know you are getting old but don't worry I will never throw you away!"

Well I just hugged the little darling and thought how blessed but at 57 am not feeling quite ready for the Trash Heap of discarded Dolls and Grandmas..

Actually,I also find that since have been on ADs i do have more of a tendency to light headedness so always get up very slowly.

All the best
Elizabeth

Awww!! How sweet Elizabeth!! She will never throw you away!! Neither will I!