Post viral fatigue / Dizziness

Hi folks,

I have posted here previously about my auditory condition and pelvic condition. Thoroughly acknowledged the existence of TMS and worked through a lot of it in 2024 and I was actually in a pretty good place and life was getting better.

My symptoms were in control and the severity was down to 2-3/10 until i got a primary infection of EBV at the end of Oct '24.

Fast forward 9 weeks, i am battling persistent fatigue / dizziness / off balance / brain fog /hypersensitivity and an aggravation of my hyperacusis / TTTS / pelvic pain. I have literally been home bound for 9 weeks due to the severity of the symptoms.

Unable to exercise, socialise, be out in the nature that helped me alleviate my TMS symptoms previously.

...It's like mother nature is testing me with one hurdle after the other. The anxiety is off the rough due to the uncertainty of the recovery and the unexplainable dizziness and a flare up of the symptoms. I still feel horrible in spite of SSRI's.

I am exhausted and really questioning the meaning of life. I have been patient, trying to gradually get back to 'semi-normal' activities but the post viral fatigue and dizziness is relentless and I feel helpless.

 

Hi:
Here’s a success story from a woman who recovered from Epstein-Barr and a host of other symptoms. It’s an excellent post.
Hopefully it points you in a healing direction: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/success-story-cfs-hip-pain-mri-labral-tear-fai-ibs-insomnia-eczema-tooth-pain-many-others.28260/ (Success story: CFS, Hip pain, MRI labral tear, FAI, IBS, Insomnia, eczema, tooth pain & many others)

 

Thank you . Living with persistent dizziness is life changing

 

I had persistent dizziness as a symptom.., of anxiety! Once I recognized it consistently, it disappeared.

 

Sorry to hear about your difficulties. Dizziness is a particularly hard symptom to live with. You didn't say whether or not you believe your current symptoms are TMS. It is estimated that 95% of adults have the Epstein Barr virus. I learned about this when I had chronic fatigue syndrome and was told by a doctor that I had Epstein Barr. I treated it along with my fibromyalgia as TMS and recovered. I encourage you to consider that you have TMS and seek help from a TMS therapist or coach. Sounds like you could benefit from some help with resolving this.

 

I am treating this as a TMS but i have had no improvement

 

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Thanks Ellen. I have done a lot of TMS work. Its the first time i have got this virus but it has really brought me down.

 

Of course not, you are back in an early stage of TMS recovery with high anxiety and focusing on improvement of the symptom, and not on your stress, emotional state and the anxiety itself.

Recently, the entire subject of uncertainty was discussed in this podcast. You'll notice that they suggest the fear of uncertainty goes far beyond your current symptoms. Your current symptoms are just the calling card that you have having difficulty with uncertainty in your life, overall. With the knowledge you have, you'll need to begin dialing back on the fear, and anxiety and try to stop the layers of first and second fears - they can be persistent, but consistency will bring you through.

 

I agree and this video is amazing. I think after going through the first wave of 'TMS symptoms' i have become very fearful of feeling unwell. So this time, i am struggling to handle it as it reminds me of what happened to me 2 years ago. Even though this time it is a viral infection which has 'triggered' all my other TMS symptoms, i cannot stop to catastrophise

 

Part of what is going on, is you are giving this “viral infection” all your power.
@Ellen has already mentioned most people have this in their systems but don’t have symptoms.
What was your stress before you had symptoms this time? Remember, this stuff doesn’t come out of the blue. It manifests itself because you aren’t tending to parts of you. You are repressing those parts.
You are also totally victimizing yourself and playing into your TMS. Read Claire Weekes, work on her techniques for anxiety. They are proven to work if you apply them with all your heart. Meditate, calm the nervous system. Write out your rage and fear at life, your worries about life, frustration with people etc. see the patterns and triggers for nothing more that moments that bring back deep memories of those hard emotions. Notice that when you do all these things you are safe, alive - food to eat, roof over your head, support team here.
And if it’s really tough, reach out to a TMS coach who can guide you.

 

hello. No i was actually having a great year. I was back to exercising, bouldering, long distance running and my TMS symptoms were at bay. I suddenly noticed a bouncy feeling one day when i walking, this was when i was on a running challenge and i thought i have just been fatigue and i remained calm, but it gradually got worse and escalated and suddenly i experienced persistent fatigue, sore throat which it warranted a blood check which confirmed i have had a viral infection (first time glandular fever) in mid november. EBV is known to cause persistent fatigue (post viral) but the imbalance has made me worry as i am unsure if its my the tympani muscles fluttering is causing the persistent imbalance / dizziness as this is one of my TMS condition (tensor tonic tympani syndrome / hyperacusis). I have noticed all my TMS condition gets worse during a viral and quickly goes back to baseline (like covid)... but this time it has been different as its been so long and the fatigue has disrupted my nervous system.

 

meditation is one thing i am very consistent at i can assure it has been helpful. This time around it hasn't, but i am continuing the practice everyday and 'surrendering'

 

"I was back to exercising, bouldering, long distance running and my TMS symptoms were at bay."

Ah, all the focus on the physical.

 

I guess at this point, i should focus on surrendering. I struggle to 'float/accept' the dizziness...

 

How timely!
This popped up today, and I think it might be a help to you @chintand17
Here is a conversation with a TMS specialist in chronic dizziness. She is equating dizziness to anxiety, and like you describe, feels it may come out of "nowhere" - and that it becomes chronic because of the OCD like patterns of the mind that the anxiety is creating. Dr. Yonit explains that you do need to learn to be OK with this anxiety and these sensations to stop the cycle. It is pretty much exactly how Dr. Claire Weekes describes dealing with anxiety in all of her books.
You can find Dr. Yonit called "The Steady Coach" on youtube
here is today's discussion:

 

Thank you so much.

This is very helpful, i really appreciate your responses and this TMS community.

 

Hello

so i went to a top vestibular neurologist and has diagnosed me with vestibular migraine which causes dizziness, feeling of 'out of it'. This is heart wrenching. How can glandular fever trigger such symptoms.. i dont know how to get through the days, i am constantly fatigued and imbalanced as soon as i stand up. Unable to exercise, walk much... In a matter of weeks my life has turned up side down.

hyperacusis, cpps, tinnitus, dizziness, fatigue.. i am not sure how to cope and become optimistic again.

 

I totally hear you and i can clearly see a fear pattern but i have developed constant fatigue and have develop some form of orthostatic intolerance (fatigue/dizziness when upright which is perpetuating all my other TMS symptoms.