Dizziness and Autism - anyone seen this problem?

[petet]

Hello folks, we have a "Dizziness" or "Vertigo" problem and I wonder if anyone has seen anything like this...

 

Our 17yr old is a classic Kanner Autistic male with hand-flapping and toe-walking and pronoun-reversal and all the other things.

He has recently started to stumble , to grab hold of objects (chairs/doorframes/tables/ nearby people) and look quite distressed.

He says "Do you feel dizzy" (which means "I feel dizzy") - though "dizzy" is a word he picked up after this started, so the symptoms may be something else.

He has also become quite averse to looking over railings from first-floor level or above - which he used to like doing.

 

He's not on any medication except the occasional melatonin tab which he hasn't had for weeks.

His ears are quite waxed up - I wondered if it could be that, but there doesn't seem to be any link between earwax and balance.

No sudden eye-movements that can detect.

I'm going to try and measure his blood-pressure tonight - that'll be a fight!

 

Appreciate any advice or similar tales that anyone can offer.

 

Thanks

 

PT

Edited August 15, 2009 by petet

[Special_talent123]

Hello folks, we have a "Dizziness" or "Vertigo" problem and I wonder if anyone has seen anything like this...

 

Our 17yr old is a classic Kanner Autistic male with hand-flapping and toe-walking and pronoun-reversal and all the other things.

He has recently started to stumble , to grab hold of objects (chairs/doorframes/tables/ nearby people) and look quite distressed.

He says "Do you feel dizzy" (which means "I feel dizzy") - though "dizzy" is a word he picked up after this started, so the symptoms may be something else.

He has also become quite averse to looking over railings from first-floor level or above - which he used to like doing.

 

He's not on any medication except the occasional melatonin tab which he hasn't had for weeks.

His ears are quite waxed up - I wondered if it could be that, but there doesn't seem to be any link between earwax and balance.

No sudden eye-movements that can detect.

I'm going to try and measure his blood-pressure tonight - that'll be a fight!

 

Appreciate any advice or similar tales that anyone can offer.

 

Thanks

 

PT

 

I'm not sure what that could be but i would advise u to go and see the doctor and get it check out. i know when i feel dizzy and feel faint it when im on but i dont know in a male situation

[Tally]

The ears control balance! Maybe he has an ear infection.

[Cat]

The ears control balance! Maybe he has an ear infection.

 

My eldest none autistic son suffers from labyrinthitis which followed on from a serious ear infection. It really affected him for quite a few months. He said he felt dizzy all of the time and as if he was walking on marshmallows. It can be difficult to diagnosis and may be in harder to diagnosis in your son. Here is a link which gives a brief over-view of labyrinthitis http://www.webmd.com/brain/tc/labyrinthitis-topic-overview

 

Cat

[bettyhen]

Has his diet altered? When my son, who is allergic to milk, had chocolate when he was two, he temporarily lost the ability to walk properly - he was wobbling, stumbling etc. He also had an aversion to light.

[Jannih]

It could be down to something as simple as ear wax, as ears are linked with balance.

[Ian Jordan]

It may be either a vestibular problem, proprioceptive problem, systemic difficulty or visual problem.

All need professional input = don't wait too long as it could be important to be seen quickly

[Mandapanda]

It may be either a vestibular problem, proprioceptive problem, systemic difficulty or visual problem.

 

 

HI Ian

 

Are you a doctor?

 

Hi petet

 

He could have an ear infection but either not feel or be able to express the pain. My boys have had frequent ear infections with no pain, even though we were told that wasn't possible !!

 

Hope you get it sorted, it must be very unnerving for him and you. <'> <'> <'>