Dizzy in the morning?

[April]

Hello all

 

I just need to talk about this stuff. It is all so new to me being a super woman, bounding out of bed, endless energy, loving life to the fullest. Projects, creating ( artist) planning and doing. Now most mornings I am so dizzy. I have to get up, lay on the couch with ice pack and then usually about 2pm I feel better. What happens to the head at night? Should I prop u pillows and not lay flat. I wake up about 2am and have a minor headache.

 

I talked with hubby this am. I said I am not the same person. Made me depressed. All I can do is sit or walk a tiny bit and do nothing I loved. No art ( strains my eyes) limited computer, cant cut grass which I loved to do, can weed my garden, cant drive yet, cant do a dam thing...

 

I am very intuitive knowing I need to rest. I am sooooooooooo scared it will happen again...fear is strong right now for me and all I want to do is cry!

[jess]

April rest relax and drink plenty of water it will get better it just takes time xxx

[Super Mario]

Fear of re-occurrence is something I think that we have all experienced, a natural reaction after such a serious event in our lives. If you want to cry, then cry. I know I cried buckets for months afterwards. In hindsight I now know that it was depression but luckily I managed to haul myself out of it. A visit to your doctors may be prudent as there is help out there if you ask. Many members have found counselling to be advantageous or a low dose of an anti-depressant over a short period of time may be of help to you. Don't suffer in silence, get that help.

More than likely in time you will be able to get back to doing what you love. Along the way you may take two steps forward and one back quite a few times but you will get there by taking baby steps. The worst thing you can do is to push yourself too hard, you have to let nature take its course as recovery can be a very long slow process.

[Winb143]

That's nothing unusual April, 

Think what our bodies/brains gone through, like someone hitting us on the head with a sledge hammer.

Or a drill !!

 

I was so panicky when I came around I sang songs I wanted at my funeral (morbid I am) !!

Now five years on,  I know there is life after SAH and it is good, okay walking is hard for me but to be honest

I could do more shhh do not tell my family as I am taking it easy  lol.

 

Try a v pillow and see how you get on,  I was just like you in fact I was worse so any worries talk and keep talking.

 

Love

WinB143 xx xx

[April]

Thanks for the support. So appreciated.

 

No one knows how it feels to be so scared and have no control. I look fine a bit less weight but inside I am feeling so weird. It is like a big bubble gurgling around. But to be honest it is the first time I have actually listened and take an ice pack cover my eyes and rest whenever I need it. Before I felt like I HAD to do everything...hmmm interesting. Talking helps a lot..

 

I am not sure about medication as I never take anything. Mostly supplements and I had such a awful time in ICU with all the they pumped into me. Then after lots of pain meds to get through the headaches. But I threw those up then ended back in ER with an ambulance as I was so dehydrated and my BP high again. Now stabilized and eating and hardly any pain meds. Just at about 2am I wake up with a weird feeling then need a Tylenol. It is like my eyes hurt...I cannot take morphine, codeine, Tylenol 3 . Poisons me.

[Super Mario]

We do know how it feels as we have all been through the same that is why we are here, to listen and give you as much support as possible. To the layman we look fine so there is no way anyone else will understand our fears and any of the other residual affects that are not visible.

The common consensus is that you look OK so you are OK.

[Daffodil]

Hey April. Welcome.

The first few weeks are so very hard but in time you will be able to look back and see your progress and the positive change but no wishing and wanting is going to speed that process up for you. I had a shaved head which reminded people to slow down and not expect as much from me but when my hair grew back people just told me how well I look , how were they to know what's going on really? And yes I slept propped up for a long time it helped me.

Try and find ways to slow down , your brain needs a bit of recovery space, you wouldn't expect to be able to go dancing if you had just broken your leg and your brain ends the same consideration from you. It's not the flu, it's not a headache , we had a brain bleed which stopped us all right at that moment in our tracks, our busy lives and things changed in a split second . Take the meds if you need them, you will know if you do , my nurses used to say see it as an aid to getting better, you need to be released from the pain to give your brain space to heal, I raely take anything now but the first year was a blur of medication.

All of us experience different deficits, different length of hospital stays, the severity of our bleeds and it's impacts are all unique but fear of it happening again and a grief that it did happen and what was lost that day are common amongst us all I think. Cry when you need to and talk to people, it will help you accept this happened and move forward. I'm sure your artist creativity will help you when you are ready to resume.

There's no special prize for this recovery , we all Move at whatever speed we can best manage that day and when we can shouting encouragement to others to keep on keeping on.

[iola]

Hi April,

Oh, I know all about dizzy! I still suffer from dizziness especially when I am tired. At my 6 month mark I went to see my surgeon because I was not at the place they told me I'd be and he said it could take 12 to 18 months to feel "normal". But, to make no mistake that I had gone through a life changing near death experience and I'd never be the same again. This is very true. Normal is different now. I still go kayaking, hiking, mowing the grass, etc... But, I get tired more often and headaches are a daily thing.

I take Tylenol most of the time and some times Midrin in the evenings when I am heavy headed. Midrin is non narcotic.

I have to sleep prop with a couple pillows. Sleeping flat makes me dizzy and I've noticed I favor my left side now.

My eyeballs actually hurt in the evenings. So, I do understand and feel for you.

I was terrified for such a long time it would happen again but one comforting thing to know is your brain has been looked at in such detail that if anything were to be wrong the drs. would have seen it.

Rest is so important.

Iola

[April]

Thanks so much Iola...Gives me a bit more peace knowing it will take longer. We have a home in Mexico and go south for 6 months.

 

#1 ....terrified it will happen again...now in a foreign country!!!

 

#2....I know flying is OK but the tired and not being able to do things.

 

#3 ...Thanks for the lying flat as I am so dizzy when I wake up in the am. I also sleep on my left side.

 

#4. ..yes my eyeballs hurt and feel heavy.

 

All this helps me so much as I now have friends who can give me advice and help

 

so grateful

[kpaggett]

I had your exact symptoms.  I think it has to do with where the bleed took place.  It really helped me when I finally got a physical therapist to just show me what I needed to do to 'exercise' the vestibular system...the system that makes you dizzy.  It was hard work that left me feeling like I was going to get sick to my stomach for about 30min afterwards, but it really did help get my day going after that.  I did them religiously about 3 times/day.  Everyone is different, but the dizziness lasted WAY longer than I had hoped.  I even get it occasionally now if I'm on the computer too much (the scrolling is murder on my brain it seems).  

 

As for creativity, I did a lot of music listening.  Classical or quiet music as I couldn't stand anything else.  Bright colors, light, just looking hard really was awful at first.  I have almost no visual issues now unless I am really tired and I get double vision.

 

The anxiety about it happening again was intense at first and then it eases after you get some 'success of not having a SAH time' under your belt.  It is really hard to go through as others are sensitive to what you say as well and I never wanted to place my worries on others.  But do it!  You need to talk about it.  Endlessly talk about it to the point where you feel so selfish and guilty...and then one day you don't have to talk about it anymore except when it is appropriate.

 

Good skill at your recovery!

~Kris

[Winb143]

I think April that this site helps us as we know we are not alone.

 

Keep smiling and singing or whatever makes you smile.

 

I think of my Mum and how we used to laugh so much we would get hysterics and cry as well as laugh.

 

Just keep going and never give up, we can make it, we have time to spend with our loved ones.

 

Good Luck April and be happy.    SMILE Always !! 

 

WinB143  xx xx

[April]

Thanks everyone for your kind and comforting words.  I went back for my 1 month check at the hospital. They did #5 CT scan. My neurosurgeon told me it was really good. No vessels had gotten larger as in 1 CT scan they had. The bleed was almost dissolved.

She did all my neurological tests as walking and moving and all of it. I passed 100per cent. She called me a pristine patient. As I did everything they told me to do as resting, ice packs and taking it easy. They have released me and I can fly. Also drive if I feel good and not too dizzy etc.

I have no headaches just the fuzzy vision behind the eyes and dizzy. Light headed I guess. She said it could be due to my BP meds and she reduced it a bit in the am.

I am so lucky to be alive and no disabilities. She said this bleed was the most deadly kind but if you survive it is a good recovery. My brain is tired and just needs to rest is how I feel.

But the simple things like sitting and looking at flowers is so wonderful as I was so sick and in so many hospitals and ambulance rides.

Thank you brain for being here!

[Tina]

Great news April now rest your brain and take things easy xx

[April]

Thanks and yes. No more Tylonel just dizzy lots.

 

At night when I move my head wow!! I am not taking my BP meds at night to see if that was it but no. I am still dizzy...light headed...how long does this last??

[Super Mario]

To be honest I am like you all of the time and my SAH is just over 10 years old. I have learnt coping strategies to deal with it.

Trying to turn my head very slowly helps me but instinct sometimes makes me look round rapidly and then everything spins, or to focus on one point helps, just like ice skaters when they do those rapid turns. It makes me look like a drunkard when I try to walk. In fact I have been accused of being drunk in the past.

It may or may not get better, only time will tell.

[SarahLou]

Hello April,

It's great news that your recent scans showed good results.

I'm sure you're fed up of hearing this... But it really is such early days in your recovery. Give yourself plenty of patience and understanding.

It's 4 years today since my SAH rocked my world. I struggled badly with dizzyness and balance issues. It was always worse when I'd done too much in early recovery but it did settle down at the 2 year mark, as did really bad head aches and temple pressure.

However, I've struggled bad again with it for about a year, had various tests with ENT and no sign of my ears causing the problem. I feel off balance and dizzy most of the time. It's now causing me problems with every day tasks and life in general. I often feel that other people must think I'm drunk when they watch me walk.

Waiting to see a Neurologist.

I'm also on BP medication so have to make sure I don't leap out of bed in the morning!

Sleep is still a struggle, I use V pillow, and it still takes about an hour for my head pains etc to ease off in the morning.

You are not alone in this, our strengh will become your strength.

Take care,

SarahLou Xx

[April]

Thanks so much. In the past few weeks I am dizzy , kind of light headed , no matter what I do. Even sitting or walking and turning my head at night on my pillow my world turns. I am not over doing anything. My neurosurgeon thought it was my BP meds?? It never did that before.

Almost 7 weeks now. I guess everyone is different but what a strange feeling???

[Daffodil]

April, I think the sensations as the brain heals are most unsettling to say the least. The state of dizziness for me continued for over a year and still hasn't left me entirely but some days are clearer and like Penny I have adapted with coping mechanisms, so I never stand up too quickly and even now don't lie entirely flat in bed but the feeling has improved with time ( or maybe I'm used to it) anyway I am back doing some work, driving and living a new version of my life now but early on simple daily things seemed out of reach but over time they gradually returned as I managed to reclaim something, not all is back and it's different now but progress has been made. .

 

Dealing with that sensation of being off balanced all the time is tricky and I often just fell over even with my walking stick but I tried to see the progress as I had gone from not being able to walk at all so maybe try and track the improvements you will be making and note those down as it helps you deal with the harder aspects of recovery. Don't be too hard on yourself either and expect to much, celebrate the small steps, be kind, you are doing well, remember the brain is running everything else in your body too and healing at the same time so I always thought it wasnt really a surprise if I felt dizzy horrid though it was dealing with it.

Some things that worked for me, like Kris i played soft music in the day but avoided anything that was intense like TV. I found that my wearing sunglasses nearly all the time in the first year helped me take the edge of things, I reasoned it was lessening the work my poor old brain had to do to process everything, it turned the glare down. When you go to bed maybe it is the first time you have really stopped and then you notice what is there all the time, maybe try adding some extra moments of complete quiet and still during the day just to give your brain some healing space.....again that was helpful to me. It still is very soon after you had your bleed and in time hopefully the symptoms will ease for you, I hope they do.

[Macca]

April,

Hi, what a thread this is! Time is the biggest healer.  I still worry about re-occurrence four years down the line but it gets slightly less with each passing day.  Perhaps going to see your optician to get some tinted sunglasses  -invest in a quality pair not just an off the shelf pair - that are specifically designed for your own eyes.  It's worth it.  It is probably too early to do art but perhaps you can look at art in book form or on the internet and adjust the lighting to suit your eyes. You can also get filters that cut glare on your screen.

 

As for dizziness and light headedness, do you know I used to pay good money to do that on Friday nights?  It was called  'six pints of beer!'  Only trying to make you laugh!  Seriously though, I suffer dizziness sometimes but not as often as I used to, but particularly when I stood up or sat down or when I got tired.  It's your body's way of telling you it is struggling to cope with the pace you are moving at and you need to slow down.  Annoyingly it will keep telling you this for quite a while yet as it is still very early days for you!  The good news is it will probably get better over time, as did mine.  

 

Patience is a virtue, my mum used to say and how true it has turned out to be! You will realise what's important is that you put yourself as number 1 and things you want to do come second - but they will come to you eventually!

Good luck April

Macca