Still Dizzy. Need To Ask Your Experience

Hi all,

I had my embolization at the beginning of April. I’ve had an angio at the 7 week mark and all looks fixed but I’m still dizzy. A few questions on people’s experience…

  1. If you had some dizziness with your AVM, where was your AVM?
  2. What intervention did you have? Embolization / craniotomy / radiation…?
  3. Did your dizziness cease? How long after did you realise it had gone? I reckon we never actually notice some things till a while afterwards and then think “oh, I’ve not had that for a few days / a week /…” so it takes a while to realise sometimes.
  4. Did the doc give any advice on how long to expect before you feel “normal” post op?

Questions like that. Oh, final question…
5. Was the dizziness to do with your AVM or was it subsequently diagnosed as something else?

Or am I just being impatient / expecting too much / should just shut up and get used to a “new normal”. I know that’s often the case.

The UK driving authority seem to be taking a bit of an interest in my dizziness, with a view to ruling on whether I’m safe to resume driving, or not. I’d love to be allowed to drive but am concerned the dizziness is inappropriate to allow that at this point. Keen to get some views on how long I might be in quarantine for! :disappointed:

Thanks,

Richard

Hello Richard,

I was dizzy often after I had a craniotomy, it’s nearly two years ago now. But as with many things related to this procedure I was impatient for it to be over. I did hit a point 4 months after surgery where I thought I was ready to return to work. Looking back, I think I just wanted a change of scenery- and wanted to get back into an exciting project. In my heart though I think I knew I wasn’t really ready, I was getting there but the rigorousness of my work was not compatible with the stage I was at in recovery.

  1. avm right side affecting many things left side
  2. craniotomy
  3. yes as a day to certainty occurance but yesterday after a week of 14 hour days it was like I was reeling drunk.
  4. they said it was different for everyone
  5. I have complications from premature menopause and there is a definite overlap but it’s hard still to taken seriously although all of this is diagnosed, I don’t bother with my GP anymore and only contact them for repeat prescriptions. They generally say hopefully “well you’ll see your consultant soon so perhaps best to address these concerns to them”. This is very frustrating and having read other GP experiences here, I’m increasingly thinking it’s a London thing or just a my surgery thing.

With regard to the DVLA, they are back logged at the moment, someone I work with also has epilepsy and we have been comparing notes- there is a huge backlog. It’s best to apply or get things moving, however, this gets tricky when you are experiencing symptoms that would be of concern. So possibly, two months on from your procedure it’s worth giving yourself time, I appreciate it’s tricky, but your body is healing itself constantly, I think of the speed of plant movement when I think of this, we have a climbing rose that seemed to take an age to do anything and now it’s rampant and lustrous but in January it was a very different creature
Hope that helps, L