Dizziness & headaches

This all started about two weeks ago. Sudden dizziness, headaches, even ringing in my ears. Whatever this is, it isn’t going away, and some days feel even worse than others...
I'm 23, about 5'3", don't smoke, don't drink, and don't do drugs. Since this kicked off, I can't keep my balance in the dark, and switching between light and dark triggers vertigo & nausea.

The facts... I spend about 12 hours a day sitting at my computer, 7 days a week. Saw my primary care doctor, got referrals for blood work, then a hematologist, a physiatrist, and more blood tests.
So far, I've only finished the first round of blood work. Still waiting on the rest...

I have a spinal deformity—got a medical waiver from the military because of it six years ago. Haven't really exercised or done much of anything since. Probably the most worrying part is that I've dropped 10 pounds in the last six months. Told my doctor everything, and besides the weight loss, she basically blamed it all on my spine. For the weight loss, she mentioned checking my thyroid, so now I need more tests for that too.

The reason I'm posting is that I'm looking for a second opinion. I'm terrified this is something way more serious. All these symptoms scream brain tumor or some other nasty disease, and I've been stressed out for days.
By the way, the vertigo hits at different times; sometimes it's there all day, triggered by moving my head or eyes, and other times it's almost non-existent. I noticed I feel much better when I'm outside, mostly fine there. BUT, I've had dizzy spells outside too, so I guess that doesn't mean much, right?

As for my blood work, a few numbers are out of range... My platelet count is 90, when it should be at least 158. Erythrocytes are 5.75 against a limit of 5.72, RDW is 13.4 instead of a minimum of 14.6, and MPV is 15.60 when the max is 10.40. On top of that, they found toxic granules and macroplatelets. Urine looks fine, except for traces of acetone.

Sorry, I tried fixing the thread, but I’m not sure if I can actually do it (still figuring this place out)
I'm about 5'7", not 5'3"...

Don't jump to the worst-case scenario just yet😉
just wait until you get those lab results back before you start spiraling. Honestly, it could totally be your spine acting up again, especially since you've dealt with that before. Are you getting any tingling in your neck or the back of your head? If so, it’s probably mostly a neck issue... you should probably start some exercises to strengthen those neck muscles up a bit.😉
did your ear hurt at all? Your dizziness might actually be coming from an inner ear infection. That was my experience—I had an infection in my vestibular system (which causes the vertigo) along with a middle ear infection. It hit me out of nowhere with ringing in my ears, nausea, and this insane dizziness.
I know I'm not exactly an expert, so😁
but here's what I gather about blood work:
*low platelets can be a sign of bleeding
*high red blood cell count could mean dehydration (though your increase looks pretty minor)
*if I'm reading this right, macroplatelets go along with high MPV, and toxic granules can show up during infections.
how's your iron looking?
any other symptoms like hearing loss, balance issues, or vision problems (double vision or blurry spots)?
If I were you, I'd go get an audiology workup and see an ENT to have them check things out. Audiology tests aren't too bad—they usually just test your hearing, maybe a tympanogram to check if your Eustachian tube is clear, or a BERA test if they need to. The only one that sucks is vestibulo-testing, where they basically pour water into your inner ear to test your balance center.
And definitely see a neurologist. If they think it's worth it for peace of mind, they might order a CT or an MRI...
With vertigo, you often end up seeing an ENT, a neurologist, an ophthalmologist, and sometimes even a cardiologist to figure out what's actually going on...
Also, you might have actually lost weight because of your thyroid (hyperthyroidism), which can also cause dizziness...
Anyway, it'll all be fine😉

Drew Jones26 said:Don't jump to the worst-case scenario just yet😉
just wait until you get those lab results back before you start spiraling. Honestly, it could totally be your spine acting up again, especially since you've dealt with that before. Are you getting any tingling in your neck or the back of your head? If so, it’s probably mostly a neck issue... you should probably start some exercises to strengthen those neck muscles up a bit.😉
did your ear hurt at all? Your dizziness might actually be coming from an inner ear infection. That was my experience—I had an infection in my vestibular system (which causes the vertigo) along with a middle ear infection. It hit me out of nowhere with ringing in my ears, nausea, and this insane dizziness.
I know I'm not exactly an expert, so😁
but here's what I gather about blood work:
*low platelets can be a sign of bleeding
*high red blood cell count could mean dehydration (though your increase looks pretty minor)
*if I'm reading this right, macroplatelets go along with high MPV, and toxic granules can show up during infections.
how's your iron looking?
any other symptoms like hearing loss, balance issues, or vision problems (double vision or blurry spots)?
If I were you, I'd go get an audiology workup and see an ENT to have them check things out. Audiology tests aren't too bad—they usually just test your hearing, maybe a tympanogram to check if your Eustachian tube is clear, or a BERA test if they need to. The only one that sucks is vestibulo-testing, where they basically pour water into your inner ear to test your balance center.
And definitely see a neurologist. If they think it's worth it for peace of mind, they might order a CT or an MRI...
With vertigo, you often end up seeing an ENT, a neurologist, an ophthalmologist, and sometimes even a cardiologist to figure out what's actually going on...
Also, you might have actually lost weight because of your thyroid (hyperthyroidism), which can also cause dizziness...
Anyway, it'll all be fine😉

Thanks for the encouragement. Sarah Johnson11 suggested in my other thread about my thyroid that I should book a hematologist appointment ASAP, so that's the plan. As for my hearing, it's actually fine; I hear perfectly well. But a few weeks ago, right before this whole mess started, some fluid leaked out of my right ear. I wasn't sure what color it was. I went to my primary care doctor today—for the thousandth time—and asked her to check both ears and flush them out. I deal with earwax buildup in my right ear constantly, probably just how I'm built. Flushing didn't help, and she mentioned my eardrum looked cloudy, asking if I'd had infections before. Since I haven't, it just made things more confusing. My ear feels full or clogged sometimes, ever since the vertigo kicked in, but nothing hurts and I can hear okay. So, I don't think it's an infection or a blockage.

I didn't mention the iron or anything else because those levels were normal. I only listed the stuff that was off, whether too high or too low.

Just two more quick questions before I get back to you.

Do you experience any kind of ringing or buzzing in your ears?
And
have you been dealing with frequent throat infections lately—maybe something similar happened about a month ago?
One last thing: have you ever had your tonsils removed?

copperpilot11 said:Thanks for the encouragement. Sarah Johnson11 suggested in my other thread about my thyroid that I should book a hematologist appointment ASAP, so that's the plan. As for my hearing, it's actually fine; I hear perfectly well. But a few weeks ago, right before this whole mess started, some fluid leaked out of my right ear. I wasn't sure what color it was. I went to my primary care doctor today—for the thousandth time—and asked her to check both ears and flush them out. I deal with earwax buildup in my right ear constantly, probably just how I'm built. Flushing didn't help, and she mentioned my eardrum looked cloudy, asking if I'd had infections before. Since I haven't, it just made things more confusing. My ear feels full or clogged sometimes, ever since the vertigo kicked in, but nothing hurts and I can hear okay. So, I don't think it's an infection or a blockage.

I didn't mention the iron or anything else because those levels were normal. I only listed the stuff that was off, whether too high or too low.

It's definitely a smart move to get a full hematological workup given the low platelet count and those weirdly shaped cells. Thrombocytopenia is generally categorized
into primary and secondary types. Primary includes things like immune thrombocytopenia or cyclic thrombocytopenia, while secondary cases usually stem from underlying issues like diseases of the blood-forming organs, spleen problems, or certain infections.
Along with the bloodwork, you really ought to get an audiology exam done, plus have someone look at your spine and see a neurologist.
Honestly, don't go jumping straight to thinking about tumors. Just focus on getting a diagnosis, whether it turns out to be a blood issue or something involving your spine.
The sooner you knock out these tests and nail down a diagnosis, the sooner you can actually start treatment.
A tumor is unlikely; if that were the case, you'd likely be struggling with vision, reading, and probably high blood pressure too. Also, a word of advice: stop Googling everything. Seriously. The biggest mistake people make is trying to self-diagnose online, which just leads to a spiral of anxiety and depression.
Hang in there. It's almost certainly not what you're fearing. Just go see the specialists; they have the tools to rule things out, confirm what's actually happening, and get you on the right medication.
If everything comes back okay, don't sweat it. Just have a little patience while you wait for the results.👍

Morning.
The fact that you’re spending so much time glued to your computer... well, that’s really where the heart of the issue lies. I used to spend massive amounts of time staring at a screen myself, and I noticed two distinct things: feeling cold all the time and general weakness (I also dealt with some tinnitus, and occasionally dizziness, usually right before bed). Now, what Sarah Johnson11 mentioned regarding the thyroid is a valid point, but remember that the adrenal glands act as the regulator for the thyroid, and those are tied closely to kidney function. I don't know if you ever caught that one episode of CSI Miami involving the gamers, but one of them played for about 48 hours straight and his kidneys just gave out. That’s the connection. Your kidneys can get weakened when you're constantly working without any physical activity to balance it out. You need to cut back on the screen time, or if you absolutely can't, at least break it up with some movement. Your brain actually functions better if you take a walk, relax a bit, and stop hyper-focusing so intensely. Walking, stretching, and stuff like that really helps—provided you’re getting quality sleep (not staying up past 10:30 PM) and staying hydrated (though, honestly, it doesn't have to be a strict eight glasses of water rule). Like you, I don't think we're looking at a tumor here, but trying to diagnose something through internet posts is a losing game... it's basically impossible.

Stay well 👋

Carl Campbell3 said:Morning.
The fact that you’re spending so much time glued to your computer... well, that’s really where the heart of the issue lies. I used to spend massive amounts of time staring at a screen myself, and I noticed two distinct things: feeling cold all the time and general weakness (I also dealt with some tinnitus, and occasionally dizziness, usually right before bed). Now, what Sarah Johnson11 mentioned regarding the thyroid is a valid point, but remember that the adrenal glands act as the regulator for the thyroid, and those are tied closely to kidney function. I don't know if you ever caught that one episode of CSI Miami involving the gamers, but one of them played for about 48 hours straight and his kidneys just gave out. That’s the connection. Your kidneys can get weakened when you're constantly working without any physical activity to balance it out. You need to cut back on the screen time, or if you absolutely can't, at least break it up with some movement. Your brain actually functions better if you take a walk, relax a bit, and stop hyper-focusing so intensely. Walking, stretching, and stuff like that really helps—provided you’re getting quality sleep (not staying up past 10:30 PM) and staying hydrated (though, honestly, it doesn't have to be a strict eight glasses of water rule). Like you, I don't think we're looking at a tumor here, but trying to diagnose something through internet posts is a losing game... it's basically impossible.

Stay well 👋

Actually, it isn't the adrenal gland; the thyroid's activity is controlled by the pituitary gland. It's basically the emperor of all glands, the master of the endocrine system. It secretes the TSH hormone which stimulates the thyroid, whereas the adrenal gland is also dependent on the pituitary.

Brian Patel4 said:Just two more quick questions before I get back to you.

Do you experience any kind of ringing or buzzing in your ears?
And
have you been dealing with frequent throat infections lately—maybe something similar happened about a month ago?
One last thing: have you ever had your tonsils removed?

Thanks everyone for keeping me calm and encouraging me. This whole thing was driving me crazy...
Let's take it step by step. No, I don't get constant throat infections, but yeah, I mostly just hear this whistling or some kind of noise in my ear or head, I can't tell. It showed up right along with the dizziness and headaches. And no, never had my tonsils removed, though I probably should have since they're naturally huge and full of holes. I was born in '86, right when Chernobyl happened, and apparently, that led to having slightly larger organs... lungs, liver, tonsils, I'm not even sure what else. I also had asthma, so the doctors told me they shouldn't touch the tonsils because being that big, they were actually protecting my throat and bronchi from the cold air and stuff. At least, that's what they told me. The asthma cleared up eventually, but the tonsils stayed...

@Sarah Johnson11, your post helped settle me down a bit. Yeah, my blood pressure is fine; they checked it a few times. Aside from it being a little high on the bottom end (read: nerves and panic), everything is okay. My pulse jumps sometimes too, mostly from the anxiety, but otherwise, my BP is perfect. And yeah, like I said, my vision is fine, but my eyes are red. Broken capillaries. I've had them for years, we all know what 🙂
causes.
@Joe, yeah seriously, I have circulation issues too. Lately, I've been feeling cold all the time, and a couple days ago when I stepped out of the tub, I was so cold I could barely breathe. Like I mentioned, my hands and feet are often freezing, sometimes even clammy. But as far as I know, that could just be the nerves and panic.
My kidneys seem okay too, considering my urine is almost perfect. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place, I don't know... As for sleep, here’s the ugly truth... I have zero rhythm. 90% of the time, I'm hitting the sack after 3 or 4 AM and waking up around 1:30 or 2 PM. I eat the same way—whenever I'm hungry, not based on a schedule. If I wake up at 9, I eat around noon or 1. If I wake up at 1 or 2, I eat around 5 or 6, and dinner is after midnight.
I know it sounds messed up, but I "work" on American time because all my friends and colleagues are Americans. So there's a 7-hour difference (GMT-6).
And yeah, I drink plenty of juice and water, and I feel better, almost no dizziness when I'm out and about...

Carl Campbell3 said:Morning.
The fact that you’re spending so much time glued to your computer... well, that’s really where the heart of the issue lies. I used to spend massive amounts of time staring at a screen myself, and I noticed two distinct things: feeling cold all the time and general weakness (I also dealt with some tinnitus, and occasionally dizziness, usually right before bed). Now, what Sarah Johnson11 mentioned regarding the thyroid is a valid point, but remember that the adrenal glands act as the regulator for the thyroid, and those are tied closely to kidney function. I don't know if you ever caught that one episode of CSI Miami involving the gamers, but one of them played for about 48 hours straight and his kidneys just gave out. That’s the connection. Your kidneys can get weakened when you're constantly working without any physical activity to balance it out. You need to cut back on the screen time, or if you absolutely can't, at least break it up with some movement. Your brain actually functions better if you take a walk, relax a bit, and stop hyper-focusing so intensely. Walking, stretching, and stuff like that really helps—provided you’re getting quality sleep (not staying up past 10:30 PM) and staying hydrated (though, honestly, it doesn't have to be a strict eight glasses of water rule). Like you, I don't think we're looking at a tumor here, but trying to diagnose something through internet posts is a losing game... it's basically impossible.

Stay well 👋

No. That’s just wrong. The pituitary gland regulates the thyroid, just like it does for all the other endocrine glands. And the adrenal gland isn't part of the kidney. They are two distinct organs sitting right next to each other, but they don't have any direct structural connection like that.

Carl Campbell3 said:Morning.
The fact that you’re spending so much time glued to your computer... well, that’s really where the heart of the issue lies. I used to spend massive amounts of time staring at a screen myself, and I noticed two distinct things: feeling cold all the time and general weakness (I also dealt with some tinnitus, and occasionally dizziness, usually right before bed). Now, what Sarah Johnson11 mentioned regarding the thyroid is a valid point, but remember that the adrenal glands act as the regulator for the thyroid, and those are tied closely to kidney function. I don't know if you ever caught that one episode of CSI Miami involving the gamers, but one of them played for about 48 hours straight and his kidneys just gave out. That’s the connection. Your kidneys can get weakened when you're constantly working without any physical activity to balance it out. You need to cut back on the screen time, or if you absolutely can't, at least break it up with some movement. Your brain actually functions better if you take a walk, relax a bit, and stop hyper-focusing so intensely. Walking, stretching, and stuff like that really helps—provided you’re getting quality sleep (not staying up past 10:30 PM) and staying hydrated (though, honestly, it doesn't have to be a strict eight glasses of water rule). Like you, I don't think we're looking at a tumor here, but trying to diagnose something through internet posts is a losing game... it's basically impossible.

Stay well 👋

By the way, CSI Miami is actually a very realistic and educational show. 😁

Carl Campbell3 said:Morning.
The fact that you’re spending so much time glued to your computer... well, that’s really where the heart of the issue lies. I used to spend massive amounts of time staring at a screen myself, and I noticed two distinct things: feeling cold all the time and general weakness (I also dealt with some tinnitus, and occasionally dizziness, usually right before bed). Now, what Sarah Johnson11 mentioned regarding the thyroid is a valid point, but remember that the adrenal glands act as the regulator for the thyroid, and those are tied closely to kidney function. I don't know if you ever caught that one episode of CSI Miami involving the gamers, but one of them played for about 48 hours straight and his kidneys just gave out. That’s the connection. Your kidneys can get weakened when you're constantly working without any physical activity to balance it out. You need to cut back on the screen time, or if you absolutely can't, at least break it up with some movement. Your brain actually functions better if you take a walk, relax a bit, and stop hyper-focusing so intensely. Walking, stretching, and stuff like that really helps—provided you’re getting quality sleep (not staying up past 10:30 PM) and staying hydrated (though, honestly, it doesn't have to be a strict eight glasses of water rule). Like you, I don't think we're looking at a tumor here, but trying to diagnose something through internet posts is a losing game... it's basically impossible.

Stay well 👋

You aren't going to drop dead because of your kidneys as long as you're drinking water and peeing normally. A person can die from severe exhaustion, dehydration, an epileptic seizure, or plenty of other conditions that hit you regardless of whether you're sitting at a computer or not.

Carl Campbell3 said:Morning.
The fact that you’re spending so much time glued to your computer... well, that’s really where the heart of the issue lies. I used to spend massive amounts of time staring at a screen myself, and I noticed two distinct things: feeling cold all the time and general weakness (I also dealt with some tinnitus, and occasionally dizziness, usually right before bed). Now, what Sarah Johnson11 mentioned regarding the thyroid is a valid point, but remember that the adrenal glands act as the regulator for the thyroid, and those are tied closely to kidney function. I don't know if you ever caught that one episode of CSI Miami involving the gamers, but one of them played for about 48 hours straight and his kidneys just gave out. That’s the connection. Your kidneys can get weakened when you're constantly working without any physical activity to balance it out. You need to cut back on the screen time, or if you absolutely can't, at least break it up with some movement. Your brain actually functions better if you take a walk, relax a bit, and stop hyper-focusing so intensely. Walking, stretching, and stuff like that really helps—provided you’re getting quality sleep (not staying up past 10:30 PM) and staying hydrated (though, honestly, it doesn't have to be a strict eight glasses of water rule). Like you, I don't think we're looking at a tumor here, but trying to diagnose something through internet posts is a losing game... it's basically impossible.

Stay well 👋

Then what about patients who are bedridden for long periods but have perfectly normal kidney function?

I'm not going to sit here and tell you that sitting in front of a screen for hours on end is healthy. It obviously isn't. I'm just pointing out that some of the things you're claiming are factually incorrect. You also frequently claim that going to bed late is bad for the kidneys. There is zero correlation there. By that logic, every single one of us in our younger years should be dealing with kidney disease, right? The only thing that matters is getting your eight hours of sleep and letting your body rest.

I’m glad to see you’re feeling a bit calmer; personally, I don't think you have any reason to panic.
Try to use logic as much as possible and stop fixating on your symptoms—I know that’s easier said than done, but give it a shot 🙂 . You’ve probably noticed yourself that the more you dwell on the dizziness, the more you notice it and the worse you feel, right?

First off, you don't have the symptoms of a brain tumor. While those symptoms *can* be present in brain tumor cases, there are much more significant indicators that would raise suspicion. For instance, neurological deficits, intense headaches accompanied by projectile vomiting, or even seizures. You aren't experiencing those! So, feel free to let that idea go.
As Sarah Johnson11 mentioned, searching for a diagnosis on Google is a huge mistake. Looking it up on a forum is slightly less wrong 😁 , but seeing a real doctor in person is the best way, which is exactly what you did. You're on the right track.

Now, as for me 😁
At first glance, the dizziness, loss of balance, and ringing in the ears reminded me of Meniere's disease. However, you didn't mention hearing loss, nausea, or nystagmus (involuntary eye movements), and even those are quite rare; so let's consider other possibilities.

Enlarged tonsils can block the opening of the Eustachian tube, which acts as a channel to equalize pressure between the middle ear and the throat. When that happens, negative pressure builds up in the middle ear, causing serous fluid to leak in.
From the outside, the eardrum looks opaque or grayish, and sometimes you can even see a fluid level behind it. This leads to a type of inflammation that, unlike a purulent infection, often isn't very painful and doesn't necessarily cause deafness, but rather a sensation of fullness in the ear.
This happens more frequently in children due to larger tonsils, not so much in adults, but you are still quite young and you mentioned your tonsils are large—so this is definitely a possibility. As you likely know, the balance mechanism is located in the inner ear, so it's possible the inflammation affected that as well and caused the vertigo. That's just a theory... but without an ENT exam, you won't know for sure. I suggest asking your doctor for a referral to an otolaryngologist. If you're in a major city, heading to a place like the Mayo Clinic or a local university hospital would be a solid choice.

The thyroid. Did your doctor palpate your neck to check if it's enlarged? Are you experiencing a rapid heart rate, increased metabolism, warm/sweaty skin, or feeling unusually nervous and irritable? If so, get your thyroid hormone levels checked via blood work. Maybe you already have a referral for that?
If the thyroid is indeed the cause of the weight loss, it can usually be managed quite well with medication.
But it seems to me that you aren't eating quite enough, are you? Your urine is giving you away 😁 because acetone appearing in urine occurs during starvation (whether intentional or due to cellular starvation in diabetes). And no, you don't have diabetes. Seriously, you don't!

Bloodwork. Don't worry too much about the erythrocyte count, RDW, or toxic granules. Nothing there is significantly out of range. However, the low platelets, combined with those macrothrombocytes and the elevated MPV, suggest some kind of recent bleeding. Have you had any injuries, or perhaps donated blood...? Hmm, but then the erythrocytes would be lower too. It's a tricky one. Did you perhaps donate plasma? 😉
I really don't have a definitive idea here, so it's good that you're seeing a hematologist to clear things up. Definitely let us know what they say!

If I may suggest, I'd recommend spending as much time outdoors as possible—you mentioned yourself that you feel better outside—and try to adjust your schedule regarding screen time, sleep, wakefulness, and meals. I understand your friends are in different time zones, but your body is on American time, so you might be putting a strain on it, don't you think?

Go ahead and get those exams done, and I hope you'll keep us posted!

And yes, I sign off on everything fadedmarlin402 said. 🙂

Brian Patel4 said:I’m glad to see you’re feeling a bit calmer; personally, I don't think you have any reason to panic.
Try to use logic as much as possible and stop fixating on your symptoms—I know that’s easier said than done, but give it a shot 🙂 . You’ve probably noticed yourself that the more you dwell on the dizziness, the more you notice it and the worse you feel, right?

First off, you don't have the symptoms of a brain tumor. While those symptoms *can* be present in brain tumor cases, there are much more significant indicators that would raise suspicion. For instance, neurological deficits, intense headaches accompanied by projectile vomiting, or even seizures. You aren't experiencing those! So, feel free to let that idea go.
As Sarah Johnson11 mentioned, searching for a diagnosis on Google is a huge mistake. Looking it up on a forum is slightly less wrong 😁 , but seeing a real doctor in person is the best way, which is exactly what you did. You're on the right track.

Now, as for me 😁
At first glance, the dizziness, loss of balance, and ringing in the ears reminded me of Meniere's disease. However, you didn't mention hearing loss, nausea, or nystagmus (involuntary eye movements), and even those are quite rare; so let's consider other possibilities.

Enlarged tonsils can block the opening of the Eustachian tube, which acts as a channel to equalize pressure between the middle ear and the throat. When that happens, negative pressure builds up in the middle ear, causing serous fluid to leak in.
From the outside, the eardrum looks opaque or grayish, and sometimes you can even see a fluid level behind it. This leads to a type of inflammation that, unlike a purulent infection, often isn't very painful and doesn't necessarily cause deafness, but rather a sensation of fullness in the ear.
This happens more frequently in children due to larger tonsils, not so much in adults, but you are still quite young and you mentioned your tonsils are large—so this is definitely a possibility. As you likely know, the balance mechanism is located in the inner ear, so it's possible the inflammation affected that as well and caused the vertigo. That's just a theory... but without an ENT exam, you won't know for sure. I suggest asking your doctor for a referral to an otolaryngologist. If you're in a major city, heading to a place like the Mayo Clinic or a local university hospital would be a solid choice.

The thyroid. Did your doctor palpate your neck to check if it's enlarged? Are you experiencing a rapid heart rate, increased metabolism, warm/sweaty skin, or feeling unusually nervous and irritable? If so, get your thyroid hormone levels checked via blood work. Maybe you already have a referral for that?
If the thyroid is indeed the cause of the weight loss, it can usually be managed quite well with medication.
But it seems to me that you aren't eating quite enough, are you? Your urine is giving you away 😁 because acetone appearing in urine occurs during starvation (whether intentional or due to cellular starvation in diabetes). And no, you don't have diabetes. Seriously, you don't!

Bloodwork. Don't worry too much about the erythrocyte count, RDW, or toxic granules. Nothing there is significantly out of range. However, the low platelets, combined with those macrothrombocytes and the elevated MPV, suggest some kind of recent bleeding. Have you had any injuries, or perhaps donated blood...? Hmm, but then the erythrocytes would be lower too. It's a tricky one. Did you perhaps donate plasma? 😉
I really don't have a definitive idea here, so it's good that you're seeing a hematologist to clear things up. Definitely let us know what they say!

If I may suggest, I'd recommend spending as much time outdoors as possible—you mentioned yourself that you feel better outside—and try to adjust your schedule regarding screen time, sleep, wakefulness, and meals. I understand your friends are in different time zones, but your body is on American time, so you might be putting a strain on it, don't you think?

Go ahead and get those exams done, and I hope you'll keep us posted!

And yes, I sign off on everything fadedmarlin402 said. 🙂

Yeah, fair point... The more I dwell on this dizziness, the worse it gets. What exactly do you mean by "neurological episodes"? Lately, I've been blanking out mid-sentence, and I even had two panic attacks in public. (The last one was about two weeks before this whole mess started.) Could be anything, maybe even my thyroid hormones.
And no—no vomiting. Just nauseous from the spinning.

I'm based in Chicago, so if none of these tests turn up anything, I'll move on to an ENT specialist next.

Already have a referral for the thyroid. I'll get blood drawn for both the panel and the thyroid levels at once. But I have to wait at least two weeks so the doctor can see if things are actually trending downward, or if I just had a "bad day" when they first diagnosed my thrombocytopenia.
As for food... I eat, but it's not consistent. Like I said, mostly twice a day, sometimes just once. And when I do eat, I overdo it. I know, I know. My lifestyle is a total wreck. If I can't find the root cause, I might just have to move my computer setup out onto the porch.🙂

Look, I'll jump in here for a second 🙂
I dealt with something pretty similar about 10 or 15 days ago. My head was spinning so bad I actually got scared—legit terrified. It happened every single day for a few days straight, regardless of what I was doing or where I was. Here’s the thing: I just graduated college, I'm job hunting, and I spend most of my time stuck at home. I don't get out much. When I'm not online, I'm just gaming, and aside from basic chores, I'm basically sedentary all week. Then this started happening—my hands and legs would go numb if I stayed in one position too long, which had never happened before. So, I started working out almost every day—slowly, obviously, because if I overdo it and get too sore, I'll just quit. I feel great now, but I remember having terrible dizzy spells a couple of years ago back in the spring—though I just chalked that up to "seasonal fatigue." It’s still too early for that though; that won't hit for another month or two. And when it does, I'll know why, so I won't panic.
Also, yeah, I get the chills constantly too—mostly because I've been glued to my computer all day lately.
If I had the cash, I'd join a gym, but instead, I have to force myself to work out at home. I hope you start moving more soon—you aren't going to feel better otherwise. Good luck 👋

Robert Jones6 said:Look, I'll jump in here for a second 🙂
I dealt with something pretty similar about 10 or 15 days ago. My head was spinning so bad I actually got scared—legit terrified. It happened every single day for a few days straight, regardless of what I was doing or where I was. Here’s the thing: I just graduated college, I'm job hunting, and I spend most of my time stuck at home. I don't get out much. When I'm not online, I'm just gaming, and aside from basic chores, I'm basically sedentary all week. Then this started happening—my hands and legs would go numb if I stayed in one position too long, which had never happened before. So, I started working out almost every day—slowly, obviously, because if I overdo it and get too sore, I'll just quit. I feel great now, but I remember having terrible dizzy spells a couple of years ago back in the spring—though I just chalked that up to "seasonal fatigue." It’s still too early for that though; that won't hit for another month or two. And when it does, I'll know why, so I won't panic.
Also, yeah, I get the chills constantly too—mostly because I've been glued to my computer all day lately.
If I had the cash, I'd join a gym, but instead, I have to force myself to work out at home. I hope you start moving more soon—you aren't going to feel better otherwise. Good luck 👋

If this really is just seasonal fatigue, I'll try to get active... Thanks for the tip. 🙂

To answer yesterday's question: No, I didn't donate blood. Which actually makes this messier. I haven't even had blood work done in six years. No reason to. And since there hasn't been any major injury or bleeding, I'm left wondering how I ended up with thrombocytopenia. Unless something is leaking internally, which I really don't want to think about.
Heading to the hematologist on Monday for more tests, then we'll see...

And honestly? The more I think about it, the more the thyroid looks like the culprit. Panic attacks, cold extremities, depression (which I've dealt with for years), irritability, vertigo, and those vein pains after coffee or caffeine. Most of this has been hanging around for months, maybe years. Plus, I have an arrhythmia.
That would also explain why some days are fine and others are total garbage. For instance, yesterday was actually okay, mostly just occasional dizziness... I'd give it a 4 out of 5. Today, I'm right back where I started, dizzy and feeling heavy-headed.

copperpilot11 said:If this really is just seasonal fatigue, I'll try to get active... Thanks for the tip. 🙂

To answer yesterday's question: No, I didn't donate blood. Which actually makes this messier. I haven't even had blood work done in six years. No reason to. And since there hasn't been any major injury or bleeding, I'm left wondering how I ended up with thrombocytopenia. Unless something is leaking internally, which I really don't want to think about.
Heading to the hematologist on Monday for more tests, then we'll see...

And honestly? The more I think about it, the more the thyroid looks like the culprit. Panic attacks, cold extremities, depression (which I've dealt with for years), irritability, vertigo, and those vein pains after coffee or caffeine. Most of this has been hanging around for months, maybe years. Plus, I have an arrhythmia.
That would also explain why some days are fine and others are total garbage. For instance, yesterday was actually okay, mostly just occasional dizziness... I'd give it a 4 out of 5. Today, I'm right back where I started, dizzy and feeling heavy-headed.

Thrombocytopenia can be caused by active bleeding, but that doesn't seem to be your case; it's very often a side effect of certain autoimmune conditions, like I mentioned earlier.
Headaches and dizziness aren't typical thyroid symptoms, and while some of your other issues might fit, they don't all align perfectly.
Weight loss, for example, is usually linked to hyperthyroidism, whereas cold hands and poor circulation lean more toward hypothyroidism. Honestly, there are too many conflicting symptoms here to make any kind of call.
You just need to stay calm and get through all the tests the doctor orders; the results will eventually tell the full story.
Right now, you just have to arm yourself with patience and try to relax as much as possible. If you're constantly spiraling and overthinking everything, you're definitely going to feel worse.
You mentioned feeling some of these things for years—so why wait this long to finally go see a doctor?
The priority right now is getting those labs done. In the meantime, try to adjust your daily routine a little bit where you can.
Hang in there, it's going to be okay.🙏

So, look,
when I talk about neurological issues, I’m referring to things like sensory loss or motor skill impairment—for instance, when a part of your body goes completely numb or you just can't move it. Believe me, those are very obvious red flags that something is wrong; if you were experiencing those, a doctor would have sent you straight to a specialist ages ago. What you mentioned about occasionally forgetting a word? That happens to everyone at some point, especially after staring at a computer screen for 12 hours straight. Your brain isn't exactly running at peak performance in that state.🙂

Don't worry about internal bleeding. If that were the case, your red blood cell counts would be dropping too, but yours look great. Plus, you’d probably notice if your stool turned black as coal!
Regarding your blood work—I'm no hematologist, so this is a bit outside my wheelhouse. It’s likely just a transient fluctuation. It makes sense that your bone marrow is responding to the drop in platelets by producing macroplatelets to compensate for the deficit. That’s why your MPV is elevated (that stands for Mean Platelet Volume, essentially the average size of your platelets). I’m actually quite curious to see what your numbers look like next time you get tested. I really hope they've returned to normal.

Panic attacks, anxiety, and depression unfortunately tend to travel in a pack. In fact, the symptoms that are worrying you most might be direct results of the anxiety itself—things like dizziness, headaches, nausea, heart palpitations, and even being hypersensitive to caffeine all point in that direction.
Personally, I'm inclined to think that anxiety is the root cause here. As for your thyroid, Sarah Johnson11 made a good point that some of your symptoms align with hyperthyroidism while others suggest hypothyroidism. If I had to bet money on it, I'd wager your thyroid levels will come back perfectly fine, right within the normal range.😉
Of course, you need to run the tests first to rule out anything organic!

Are you doing anything specifically to manage the anxiety and depression? It’s a heavy lift, especially if you feel like you're fighting it alone without much support from those close to you. Just know that a huge number of people deal with depression, anxiety, panic, or all three at once. For some, psychotherapy helps—and it doesn't always have to be with a psychiatrist; there are many excellent psychologists out there. If you decide to tackle this on your own, please, try to limit how much you read online forums about it; I think that can often be counterproductive. Surround yourself with positive people you trust, lean on them if you need to, and maybe pick up a hobby you’ve been putting off (like a language course, art, or volunteering). Looking into relaxation techniques, like progressive muscle relaxation or breathing exercises, might sound trivial, but they actually work. And honestly, the best advice comes from Robert Jones6: exercise. Physical activity and movement perform miracles for panic, anxiety, and even depression. The endorphins flood your system, and when you're sweating and pushing yourself, you simply don't have the mental bandwidth to obsess over dizziness or tension. It certainly won't hurt to try! Regardless, it should help offset the effects of a lifestyle that you've admitted isn't ideal (though, let's be honest, whose lifestyle is ever truly ideal? Most people just live however they can until something forces a change. Me included.😉 )

I wish you patience, courage, persistence, and nothing but good news from your tests!

Thanks for all the advice and well wishes. Until I get the actual results back from the hematologist, there isn't much else I can say...

As for the panic attacks and caffeine issues, things weren't really this bad until about six months ago. I used to be able to knock back two cups of coffee a day without a second thought. Then the vein twitching started, followed by these sharp pains around my heart. I cut out the coffee, and those symptoms actually cleared up. If they hadn't, I would've been at the doctor's office a long time ago. 😢

Anyway, I'll post what the hematologist and the thyroid specialist say once I know. We won't be able to talk specifics regarding a diagnosis until then.

Did my cytology, ENT stuff, and some other tests—can't even remember everything I had done...
Everything looks fine, EXCEPT for one terrifying thing... My platelet count dropped to about 25. It was at 90 just two weeks ago, so now I'm sitting here wondering what the hell is happening and if I'm running out of time. 😢 I've got a bone marrow biopsy scheduled for tomorrow. I'll let you guys know how it goes...

hm... looks like you're dealing with thrombocytopenia... did you get a bone marrow biopsy done yet? or did some specialist send you over to an immunologist?

Drew Jones26 said:hm... looks like you're dealing with thrombocytopenia... did you get a bone marrow biopsy done yet? or did some specialist send you over to an immunologist?

Yeah, it's thrombocytopenia. Had the bone marrow biopsy done today. Just waiting on the results now. No, haven't seen an immunologist yet.

Between the dizziness and the weight loss, I can't shake the feeling this is bad news. Honestly, I'm starting to freak out—haven't slept a wink. To top it all off, the stress is killing me. I feel like I'm hitting a breaking point.