Chronic Sinusitis and Dizziness?

J

JFLEM

New member
Hello,

My name is Jenny and I have recently been having some symptoms that are unfamiliar to me. I am currently on IV antibiotics for a pseudomonas infection and possible pneumonia. I have had chronic sinusitis for quite some time but over the past few weeks it seems to have really flared up. I'm used to the sinus pressure and the sinus headaches but recently I have been also having some really bad dizzy spells. They usually come on pretty strong and last for about a day getting weaker as time goes on. I'll then be okay for a couple of days and it will happen again. I got a CT scan of my sinuses last week and they showed chronic inflammation which I was expecting but I was just wondering if anyone else has ever experienced the dizziness along with sinusitis? I was also getting the dizzy spells before I started on the IV antibiotics so I don't believe that those two are related.
 
B

Beccamom

New member
Is it possible you also have an inner ear infection?

JFLEM said:
Hello,

My name is Jenny and I have recently been having some symptoms that are unfamiliar to me. I am currently on IV antibiotics for a pseudomonas infection and possible pneumonia. I have had chronic sinusitis for quite some time but over the past few weeks it seems to have really flared up. I'm used to the sinus pressure and the sinus headaches but recently I have been also having some really bad dizzy spells. They usually come on pretty strong and last for about a day getting weaker as time goes on. I'll then be okay for a couple of days and it will happen again. I got a CT scan of my sinuses last week and they showed chronic inflammation which I was expecting but I was just wondering if anyone else has ever experienced the dizziness along with sinusitis? I was also getting the dizzy spells before I started on the IV antibiotics so I don't believe that those two are related.
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M

Melissa75

Administrator
One question you should ask yourself is whether it feels like the room is spinning or you are spinning. Vertigo is when you move your head and it feels like the room spins. I had that for two weeks presumably from viral sources. It was hard to drive and peeing in the middle of the night was staggerific. It got better on its own and I cancelled my drs appt.
 
L

LittleLab4CF

Super Moderator
Watch your temperature. If you develop stiffness in the neck and/or a headache with the dizziness you describe could signal a problem with nasty head/throat infections, meningitis. Don't panic, it probably is a whopper of an ear infection since sinuses love company.LL
 
J

JFLEM

New member
Hey, they don't believe it's and ear infection. My ears looked good right to the ear drum I was told and I had an audiology appointment and they said there is no fluid build up.

It's not as if the room is spinning its more like when you have a really bad flu with a fever but I don't have a fever. It's really odd and pretty unsettling especially because it comes on so strong.
 
L

LittleLab4CF

Super Moderator
The blood pressure/blood oxygenation suggestion sounds like a possibility. An EKG could reveal any problem with the heart function, maybe off due to infection. The sinuses can harbor enormous colonies of infection. Waves of dizziness and other "wave" phenomena like nause, flushing and sweating can overwhelm the body. Infection colonies can cycle in unison from reproduction, eating/excreting/growing to reproduction and death of infection causing microbes or dead body cells. A toxic wave will flush through the body periodically. This can also involve a cyclic attack by white blood cells so there may be more than one repeating pattern. One, probably toxins, could be causing this profound dizziness. By chance are you reacting to gobs of infectious goo you're swallowing?

Your heart, hemoglobin, blood pressure and that blood/brain barrier are all possible causes outside of an inner ear infection. Any massive respiratory infection, including sinuses tend toward dehydration. CF is a malfunction involving chloride ions and sodium from salt can be unstable. Sodium in excess could suddenly change your blood pressure and the quality of your circulation. You may discover your BP is high, low or both, and they all can make you dizzy like nothing before. Anemia and low oxygenation of your blood is obvious in making you dizzy, it also may not be on your doc's radar.

Meningitis doesn't always go to a dangerous and obvious level. I have had "garden variety" meningitis a few times where blood and virus/bacteria in the spinal fluid without the extreme symptoms. Dizziness and headache along with nausea were as bad as it got. I was hospitalized with it more from caution and potential exposure. I usually had a bed infection at the time they discovered meningitis like sinusitis or pneumonia.

I am getting the sense this is considerably more that something like a bad sinus infection. Ischemia or sometimes a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) is a restriction or blocking of the brain's blood supply for a period. The cause is often blood clots or cholesterol blockage. And of course there is the potential of septicemia, blood born infection that above most reasons for attacks of dizziness could be the culprit. Probably not but if you have a fever of 101 F or higher, a blood culture can find blood born bacteria.

It can't hurt to take milk thistle, a suppliment that helps detoxify your blood and liver. Anybody with an infection will feel better by doing this. Other possibilities, mentioned by others and me probably requires another stab at the doctor,

Hope you find a solution soon,

LL
 
J

JFLEM

New member
Hey! Thank you for all the replies I really appreciate it!!! I saw the doctor today and they are setting me up with vestibular testing for my inner ear and an appointment with the ENT doctor. I was on IV Tobramycin about 4 weeks ago. I was looking up symptoms of inner ear infections and/or ototoxicty and I have quite a few of them such as dizziness, popping and hissing in the ears, headaches especially on the temples, heat sensitivity, anxiety, tingling in my face and pressure in my head. I'm thinking it may possibly be an infection though because my white blood cell count is still high. Hopefully I get an appointment soon and get some solid answers. It's a little unnerving not having answers. Thanks again for all the replies. Ill let you know how my appointments go.. *Fingers crossed for some good answers*
 
J

JFLEM

New member
Oh and my blood oxygen level is 96% on room air, my blood pressure is good, I had an EKG and it is normal. The doctor did a test with me today where I hung my head off the bed and he helped sit me up quickly and I got fairly disoriented, I felt massive pressure and got really hot.
 
L

LittleLab4CF

Super Moderator
JFLEM,

Thanks so much for the update. Great detective work in tracking down a potential culprit. Reading pharmaceutical data sheets isn't exactly easy but understanding the side effects and the side effects statistical charts is critical in my book. I realize this hasn't completely played out, you are being a great medical advocate. Go get 'em.

LL
 
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