Dizziness and vertigo

MS can make you dizzy. Let’s put a positive spin on that.

As well as causing balance and coordination

problems, MS can also cause dizziness and vertigo.^1,2

In fact, nearly 20% of people living with MS have vertigo at some point.³

I get vertigo when I’m at the top of stairs. I can go up on escalators but not down – I get really dizzy when I’m on them. It’s like the world is spinning. When I’m in a big shopping centre and looking at the floors below me, I feel like I’m going to faint, I feel that dizzy.

Katie

Living with MS since 2016

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The more you know, the better you can keep things under control.

read on to learn more about dizziness and vertigo in MS.

Dizziness and vertigo are two slightly different things. Vertigo is the feeling that spinning or rotating (or that your surroundings are spinning around you), even though you aren’t moving.² It can make some people feel nauseous.² Dizziness is the feeling of being unsteady or lightheaded, but unlike vertigo, you don’t feel like you are spinning.²

Dizziness and vertigo can last for varying amounts of time – it may only be seconds or minutes, but in some cases it could last days or weeks.³ How long it lasts will depend on what’s causing your vertigo and if it’s related to your MS or something else.

Read on to find out more about what causes dizziness and vertigo and how to manage these symptoms.

Dizziness and vertigo in MS is caused by nerve damage in the part of the brain involved with balance.^1–3 But MS might not be the only reason behind vertigo; other common causes include migraines and problems with your ears, such as ear infections.^2–4

Read on to find out about ways to manage vertigo and dizziness.

If you’re experiencing feelings of dizziness and vertigo, there are some treatments that can help:^2,3,5,6

• Antihistamines or anti-nausea medications – these treatments may help if vertigo is causing you to feel nauseous ⁵
• Steroids – a short course of steroids may help vertigo caused by a relapse ^3,5,6
• Physiotherapy – a physiotherapist can work out if certain ways of holding/positioning your head are making your vertigo worse. They can then give you exercises to help you cope when your head is in those positions ⁶

Remember, it’s important talk to your healthcare team if you start experiencing dizziness or vertigo. You should provide a detailed description of your experience of vertigo, including exactly how long it lasts and how often you get it. This will help them work out whether it’s caused by your MS or something else, and to help find the right treatment for you.^3,5

1. Gelfand JM. Handb Clin Neurol 2014;122:269–90.
2. NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary: Vertigo. https://cks.nice.org.uk/vertigo#!topicSummary [accessed July 2020].
3. Frohman EM, et al. Mult Scler J. 2003;9:250–55.
4. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/benign-paroxysmal-positional-vertigo-bppv [accessed July 2020].
5. Verywell Health. An Overview of Vertigo in MS. https://www.verywellhealth.com/vertigo-in-multiple-sclerosis-2440805 [accessed July 2020].
6. MS Trust. Dizziness (vertigo). https://www.mstrust.org.uk/a-z/dizziness-vertigo [accessed July 2020].