Discovered PPPD and finally feeling hopeful and needing feedback.
Where do I even begin. I have been experiencing lightheadedness and non-spinning dizziness on and off for almost 10 years, but the past month or so has been brutal. Of course I’ve addressed this unsuccessfully with my doctor and have a lot of testing done but was never referred to neurology. I have always been and anxious person struggling with depression and panic attacks so of course that’s what I’ve been told. I actually had a misdiagnosis of panic disorder and was put on welbutrin when I really had asthma so bad that I had to take injections for it. I had a terrible experience on welbutrin so I was not into taking any form of recommended SSRIs after that, but I didn’t really understand the medication side of anxiety. Then my blood pressure was addressed and I was hoping that I would find my solution with that medication. My doctored referred me to ENT, cardiologist and does very thorough bloodwork, checked gallbladder etc she even tried treating me for vertigo. About two years ago I had an event which caused me to get an MRI and they said I had a vestibular migraine but saw nothing out of the ordinary and in October I got into a car accident and I flipped my car and they did a head and neck CT scan and also saw nothing. I don’t know if this fully rules anything out but am going to bring up to my dr as well.
I recently started cognitive therapy due to the return of panic attacks and other things and she’s recommended I see psych and discuss SSRI. I am tired of anxiety/OCD controlling my life so I’m open to it now.
Now the PPPD. I was doing some research and learned about it, I thought oh my god this sounds identical to what I experience. I am NOT diagnosing myself with it, but am feeling hopeful to bring it up to my dr. When I read the treatments and use of SSRIs to help I thought well isn’t it perfect timing since I was finally open to them anyway. I have to get routine labs done, and will being seeing my doctor soon. Although I am hopeful and am nervous, I’m not the best at advocating for myself and have a habit of minimizing my symptoms (working that out in therapy.) Any tips to bring this stuff up to my doctor and/or ways you’ve had to advocate for yourself would be so helpful. This dizziness/feeling light headed is honestly ruining my life at this point. Being a mom to a toddler, in school, working a full-time job is challenging enough. People around me just truly do not understand what it’s like to go through this and it’s so hard. If this is what I have and I’m able to address it this would be LIFE CHANGING for me.