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Can Fluticasone Cause Dizziness?
Question: So a looooooong while ago, I became incredibly tired out of nowhere. The following day and ever since I became bery lightheaded/dizzy where it felt cloudy/foggy in my head, causing me to feel quite "out of it." Got so bad that I went to the ER for a ct scan of my head, ekg of my heart, and chest xray (to rule out lack of oxygen).
They all found nothing. Now I began taking Fluticasons Propionate nasal spray thinking it might be allergies. Turns out that combined with a multivitamin worked, but if I go a few days without it, the dizziness comes back. My question is does this point directly to allergies or is the nasal spray calming down something underlying (the ct didnt find a tumor or anything)?
They all found nothing. Now I began taking Fluticasons Propionate nasal spray thinking it might be allergies. Turns out that combined with a multivitamin worked, but if I go a few days without it, the dizziness comes back. My question is does this point directly to allergies or is the nasal spray calming down something underlying (the ct didnt find a tumor or anything)?
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Fluticasone has only local action, meaning that its effect would only be in preventing inflammation of the nasal lining. So at most what can be feared from its interruption would be developing inflammation of the nasal cavity and sinuses. Whether that could cause dizziness...it is possible if there is such active inflammation especially of the sinuses, but however dizziness wouldn't be the only symptom, there would be nasal congestion and discharge, headache etc and there would be inflammation signs on local exam.
So the only way to test whether that is the case would be to interrupt Fluticasone and if you develop symptoms again to visit your primary physician or an ENT specialist to see if they find signs of inflammation. That would confirm the diagnosis and would then necessitate discussion about long term management.
If there are no other such signs though, nothing on the visit and there is only isolated dizziness, then I do not think fluticasone has much to do with it, it would be much more probable for it to be a placebo effect, an improvement due to the psychological reassurance Fluticasone has provided, not because of any real effect. It could be that that first tiredness episode was simply a viral infection which would improve by itself anyway, but because improvement coincided with taking fluticasone its interruption makes you anxious and that leads to dizziness.
As for tumors or other dangerous issues such as stroke, brain infection etc, even without the normal CT I do not see any indication about any of those issues. They wouldn't be affected by fluticasone in any way and wouldn't have this fluctuating nature you describe.
I remain at your disposal for other question.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Fluticasone has only local action, meaning that its effect would only be in preventing inflammation of the nasal lining. So at most what can be feared from its interruption would be developing inflammation of the nasal cavity and sinuses. Whether that could cause dizziness...it is possible if there is such active inflammation especially of the sinuses, but however dizziness wouldn't be the only symptom, there would be nasal congestion and discharge, headache etc and there would be inflammation signs on local exam.
So the only way to test whether that is the case would be to interrupt Fluticasone and if you develop symptoms again to visit your primary physician or an ENT specialist to see if they find signs of inflammation. That would confirm the diagnosis and would then necessitate discussion about long term management.
If there are no other such signs though, nothing on the visit and there is only isolated dizziness, then I do not think fluticasone has much to do with it, it would be much more probable for it to be a placebo effect, an improvement due to the psychological reassurance Fluticasone has provided, not because of any real effect. It could be that that first tiredness episode was simply a viral infection which would improve by itself anyway, but because improvement coincided with taking fluticasone its interruption makes you anxious and that leads to dizziness.
As for tumors or other dangerous issues such as stroke, brain infection etc, even without the normal CT I do not see any indication about any of those issues. They wouldn't be affected by fluticasone in any way and wouldn't have this fluctuating nature you describe.
I remain at your disposal for other question.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I did go to both the ER and an ENT when these were occuring and they could not identify any item that would be the cause of this. I dont know if this is a placebo effect because when i stop taking the fluticasone, the dizziness returns (i only began taking it at a friends recommendation), but i could very well be wrong. Would would you judge this type of symptom to begin with (if fluconase is having somewhat of a relief with it)?
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
If there were no findings on exam of the nose, ear and sinuses then I do not see how Fluticasone can have anything to do with it. Its action is only on the nasal lining which is not related in any way to dizziness. I am not sure I understand why would you take it initially in the first place, a medication acting on nasal cavity, just because a friend told you, when the ENT found nothing wrong from your nose and ear examination.
So I do not think Fluticasone has something to do with the relief, I do not see how. Dizziness can have many different causes such as blood pressure alterations, anemia, blood metabolic abnormalities, inner ear disorders, neck arthritis, stroke etc. None of those causes though would be influenced by fluticasone spray, whether for better or for worse (only ear and sinus infections might be influenced but since ENT finds nothing...). That is why I am suggesting that the interruption leads to dizziness possibly due to anxiety rather then a real effect of Fluticasone.
Let me know if I can further assist you.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
If there were no findings on exam of the nose, ear and sinuses then I do not see how Fluticasone can have anything to do with it. Its action is only on the nasal lining which is not related in any way to dizziness. I am not sure I understand why would you take it initially in the first place, a medication acting on nasal cavity, just because a friend told you, when the ENT found nothing wrong from your nose and ear examination.
So I do not think Fluticasone has something to do with the relief, I do not see how. Dizziness can have many different causes such as blood pressure alterations, anemia, blood metabolic abnormalities, inner ear disorders, neck arthritis, stroke etc. None of those causes though would be influenced by fluticasone spray, whether for better or for worse (only ear and sinus infections might be influenced but since ENT finds nothing...). That is why I am suggesting that the interruption leads to dizziness possibly due to anxiety rather then a real effect of Fluticasone.
Let me know if I can further assist you.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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