Vertigo Does Not Cause Increased Appetite or Eating
There is no established medical evidence linking vertigo itself to increased appetite or eating behavior. The available clinical guidelines and research on vertigo management focus extensively on symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, but do not identify increased appetite as a recognized symptom or consequence of vertigo 1.
What Vertigo Actually Causes
Vertigo typically produces the opposite effect on eating behavior:
- Nausea and vomiting are the primary gastrointestinal symptoms associated with vertigo attacks, which would naturally suppress rather than increase appetite 1, 2
- The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery consistently identifies "autonomic or vegetative symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea" as the constellation of symptoms accompanying vertigo 1
- Acute vertigo episodes are characterized by severe rotational dizziness with accompanying nausea that often requires antiemetic medications like prochlorperazine to manage 2, 3
Dietary Factors Related to Vertigo
While vertigo doesn't cause increased eating, dietary patterns are relevant to vertigo in the opposite direction—what you eat can influence vertigo symptoms:
- For Ménière's disease, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery recommends sodium restriction (1500-2300 mg daily) and caffeine reduction to help control vertigo attacks 1
- One study found that patients with Ménière's disease had higher mean daily caffeine intake than control subjects, suggesting dietary habits may trigger rather than result from vertigo 1
- Inadequate carbohydrate intake and insufficient fiber intake showed significant association with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in elderly patients, though this represents dietary causes of vertigo rather than vertigo causing dietary changes 4
Medication Side Effects to Consider
If you're experiencing increased appetite while having vertigo, consider whether medications used to treat vertigo might be responsible:
- Corticosteroids used for sudden hearing loss with vertigo commonly cause "weight gain" and "increased thirst, and sleep or appetite changes" as adverse effects 1
- Short-term high-dose steroids for inner ear conditions list "hyperglycemia and weight gain" as the most frequent adverse events 1
- Vestibular suppressant medications like benzodiazepines and antihistamines have various side effects, though increased appetite is not prominently listed 1, 2
Clinical Bottom Line
Vertigo itself does not cause increased appetite. If you're experiencing both vertigo and increased eating, these are likely separate issues or the increased appetite may be a side effect of corticosteroid treatment for vertigo-related conditions 1. The hallmark gastrointestinal symptom of vertigo is nausea with decreased appetite, not increased eating 1, 3.