Shifted centre of balance

[Furi]

Greetings smart people, Just wondering what would this be called, or what may cause it, so I can have a looksee and make sure it isn't anything to worry about.

For the last 3-4 days my perception of my centre of balance/self seems to have shifted from somewhere in my noggin to below my diaphragm, It sort of feels like a damped sprung pendulum shifting depending on my poise to be about 30-50cm below my eyes and can even seem to be outside of my body.

It feels different to when I get vertigo or anxieity attacks, although I get the "butterflies in stomach" feeling when I take a step or shift position rapidly, but it feels more like being on a very slow moving swing rather than the twitchy state I would normally associate with adrenaline or anxiety.

I also have a sensation of a metallic taste/ low voltage battery, at the back of my throat and tongue, but this might just be due to the almost consistant mild nausea

Any ideas where I might look, or any suggestion as what might be the cause of this, as although not particularly unpleasant, it is very very distracting.

 

[paximperium]

You have three systems that help control balance.
Your Inner ear, your proprioception(muscle, skin etc) position sense and your vision. You need at least 2 functional to be able to balance yourself.

Stand up straight. Close your eyes. If you tip over, its very likely your inner ear is out of whack. (It's called a Romberg Test if you're interested). That's commonly caused by an inner ear infection (Labyrynthitis) from a viral infection.

If that's not it, I'm less sure. If you're worried, go see your doctor...don't bother the ER, we're busy.

 

[Rob Lister]

You have three systems that help control balance.
Your Inner ear, your proprioception(muscle, skin etc) position sense and your vision. You need at least 2 functional to be able to balance yourself.

Stand up straight. Close your eyes. If you tip over, its very likely your inner ear is out of whack. (It's called a Romberg Test if you're interested). That's commonly caused by an inner ear infection (Labyrynthitis) from a viral infection.

If that's not it, I'm less sure. If you're worried, go see your doctor...don't bother the ER, we're busy.

Just to reemphasize, if it bothers you enough to ask in an internet forum, see a doctor. An internet forum not professionally hosted by medical doctors is probably not the right place to seek advice.

 

[Arthur Denton]

Dear Fury,

You're either drunk or stoned or sick.

The only viable suggestion at the time is: Doctor, ASAP. Spend the booze money on a check up. And go to the doctor with someone to accompany you - that way you avoid falling, and the waiting time seems smaller. If you're drunk they'll help you, if you're stoned they'll help you, and if you're sick they'll fix you sooner than you think.

Best regards ever,

AD - Bestorium Friendorium Oforium Interneticum.

 

[Furi]

Stand up straight. Close your eyes. If you tip over, its very likely your inner ear is out of whack. (It's called a Romberg Test if you're interested). That's commonly caused by an inner ear infection (Labyrynthitis) from a viral infection.

If that's not it, I'm less sure. If you're worried, go see your doctor...don't bother the ER, we're busy.

I think I might have been wrong to use the phrase balance.

I tried closing my eyes both standing up motionless and lying down motionless (on back and side) when it first started, I normally do that to see if I have a vertigo attack starting, I don't have the feeling of movment. and my balance itself seems Ok, just that the point at which I perceive myself to be has moved.

Thinking about it however it might be just that the motion is not the normal tipping/falling sensations I normally experience, more one of steady slight (upward) acceleration, which might be why I dissasociated it with inner ear or vertigo

I'll give it a little while longer to see if any further symptoms appear or it remains persistant before I go bothering my doc, might just be a migraine buggering about with a new section of my gullivar, It takes an awful lot before I go and bother those very nice caps and chappesses in A&E (ER).

Just to reemphasize, if it bothers you enough to ask in an internet forum, see a doctor. An internet forum not professionally hosted by medical doctors is probably not the right place to seek advice.

Thankyou for the concern, I wasn't specifically looking for a replacement for medical diagnosis, more wondering about probable / possible causes, as just generally interested.

 

[quarky]

I've witnessed some inner ear infections wherein the patient couldn't walk across a room without holding on to something. Very disturbing, with the room spinning uncontrollably.

 

[epeos76]

Are you taking any medications for the anxiety, etc? Near constant nausea sounds like a drug side effect.

The symptoms you describe must be disconcerting as hell. Sorry to hear you're feeling so awful. To add to the chorus which I'm sure is as frustratingly obvious as it is irritatingly sound: See A Doctor, It Will Be Good For You.

Best,

epeos

 

[CrikeyBobs]

I can't imagine what having a shifted centre of being feels like. If you're ingesting certain substances then cut them out. Otherwise, as others have said, see your GP.

 

[TjW]

This could also be an overdose of certain kinds of medication.

 

[Furi]

Are you taking any medications for the anxiety, etc? Near constant nausea sounds like a drug side effect.

A-ha well sort of... ish.. maybe

I can't imagine what having a shifted centre of being feels like. If you're ingesting certain substances then cut them out. Otherwise, as others have said, see your GP.

This could also be an overdose of certain kinds of medication.

Thank you for the advice, I think I might have pinned it down, or at least found a possible suspect.

Rather than an overdose of a drug or the taking of highly recreational compounds (although it does feel like the longest/slowest shroom come up ever), it may be just the readjustment to normality, as I stopped taking Chlorpheniramine a week or so ago for my hayfever, as it was making me drowsy and with all of this wonderful rain we have had this summer here has kept the pollen down quite nicely so seemed a little pointless.

Having a look at what else Chlorheniramine also does it seems that it helps suppress anxiety, so having taken them for a period from early May my body is probably playing happy-happy joy-joy time from all this new found histamine, and with lack of inhibitors going to the brain, has rewarded me with this weirdness, and although this is a constant accelerative sort of feeling rather than the waves of adrenalin from an attack it is sort of familiar, my shifted centre may just be a side effect of my bod now being able to handle serotonin more efficiently and pay attention to adrenaline and histamine(guessing)

I have normally had no issues with Chlorophenirmine and its similar compounds in the past (apart from the Cat napping issue) and do not recall suffering anything similar before when stopping, and have taken them since I was around 8 nearly every alternative year, oh well next year it will probably be Loratadine or steroidal inhalants.

I hope that that is it, if it does seem so, then I have also found a tolerated compound I can take for my anxiety without piddling about with prescriptions (although had suffered mild attacks when taking them but nothing really severe).