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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Vertigo Along With Severe Headache?

Tuesday night I woke up at 4am to go to the bathroom and I felt like I was going to fall down. The ceiling fan was spinning around but it was not on. I had no slurred speech but I could not walk a straight line. The best way that I can describe it was that I felt as if I was drunk. I got a really bad headache and vertigo was definitely a problem. I went to my doctor and informed him that the only thing that I took before going to sleep was Melatonin. I normally would occasionally take a 5mg tablet but this time I had taken a 10 mg tablet. My doctor informed me that what I had was a reaction to the increased dose. I was just replacing a light in the bathroom and when I tilted my head back and looked up and then brought my head back to face forward I felt that I was going to fall down. I felt like I was drunk. This only happens when I tilt my head all the way back. By the way, my doctor ran an EKG and he informed me that everything came out normal. Any ideas as to what is happening?
posted on Mon, 8 Aug 2016
Twitter Sat, 20 Aug 2016 Answered on
Twitter Mon, 22 Aug 2016 Last reviewed on
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hi
Thanks for posting your Query on HCM
Melatonin supplements are synthetic forms of a naturally occurring hormone melatonin that helps to control the sleep-wake cycle.Taking appropriate doses of melatonin may help alleviate sleep problems.Depending on the reason for which melatonin is given, a dose of up to 10mg may be prescribed.In your case, 10mg may have been too much for you.Side effects of melatonin include: drowsiness, stomach-upset, headache.These symptoms you presented and are enough to think of a probable overdose.
The feeling of being drunk after tilting your head may not be related to melatonin anymore.It could be another medical condition that interferes with equilibrium.With a normal ECG, heart related causes could be eliminated.Other causes may include: eye/sensory nerve/inner ear disorders,Benign paroxystic positional vertigo, infection, meniere's disease, orthostatic hypotension, medications, anxiety disorders, anemia, hypoglycemia and so on
With all these possible causes, i will suggest you just stay calm, rest well and observe if it will happen again.If it repeats, you see a Neurologist for evaluation.Simple blood tests like Blood pressure measurement, blood sugar test and full blood count may be needed for initial evaluation with detailed work-ups only if nothing found.
Hope my answer will help you
Best regards
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What Causes Vertigo Along With Severe Headache?

Hi Thanks for posting your Query on HCM Melatonin supplements are synthetic forms of a naturally occurring hormone melatonin that helps to control the sleep-wake cycle.Taking appropriate doses of melatonin may help alleviate sleep problems.Depending on the reason for which melatonin is given, a dose of up to 10mg may be prescribed.In your case, 10mg may have been too much for you.Side effects of melatonin include: drowsiness, stomach-upset, headache.These symptoms you presented and are enough to think of a probable overdose. The feeling of being drunk after tilting your head may not be related to melatonin anymore.It could be another medical condition that interferes with equilibrium.With a normal ECG, heart related causes could be eliminated.Other causes may include: eye/sensory nerve/inner ear disorders,Benign paroxystic positional vertigo, infection, meniere s disease, orthostatic hypotension, medications, anxiety disorders, anemia, hypoglycemia and so on With all these possible causes, i will suggest you just stay calm, rest well and observe if it will happen again.If it repeats, you see a Neurologist for evaluation.Simple blood tests like Blood pressure measurement, blood sugar test and full blood count may be needed for initial evaluation with detailed work-ups only if nothing found. Hope my answer will help you Best regards