All In My Head

           One of the interesting things about fibromyalgia is its unpredictability.  The possible array of symptoms is impressive, and the seemingly random times they strike undermines most illusions of being in total control of one’s health.

            This week the flare-up is all in my head—my inner ear and brain, that is.  I’m developing a theory that dizziness, headache, and body-wide buzzing are related.

            The old BPV (benign positional vertigo) is acting up again.  Sitting up and lying down have become spinning events.  When I mentioned this to my dear little brother yesterday, he suggested I not dye my hair blonde so as not to aggravate my dizziness.  And at my appointment the other day, the doctor offered the cheering observation that this dizziness is not too bad:  at least I wasn’t pitching off the exam table when it struck, and the nystagmus (involuntary eye movement) was minimal.  So every day I do the Epley maneuver (basically turning your head and sitting up and lying down fast) to try to coax the little, tiny calcium deposits in my inner ear to move to a new and less bothersome location.  Who needs carnival rides when you can simply flop down in bed and the world whirls around you?

            Maybe it is the slightly off-balance feeling that encourages the hint of headache.  So far at least, the hint has not morphed into migraine.  But sometimes, in addition to the tinnitus (when your ears ring, who needs earrings?), I get this low-grade uncomfortable body buzzing that is hard to describe:  it is sort of metallic--like a pre-migraine taste in my mouth--and is similar to the off-balance feeling in my head, except it is in my legs and arms.  (And I fully realize that does not make any sense to anyone but me.)  To round out the whole fibro flare experience, sensitivities to sound, light, and touch are magnified.  And, naturally, our cat has discovered a key tender point on my collarbone, which she kneads with her declawed paws regularly. 

            I really can’t complain, though.  My head is buzzing and my ears are ringing, but my brain still seems to be working . . . at least enough to describe what’s all in my head.