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Getting scared now, any advice?

Posted , 5 users are following.

jen85
jen85

I'm a 29 year old female in good general health. Around 3 weeks ago I noticed I felt slightly off balance, didn't think much of it. Long story short, I went on holiday and had a couple of episodes of dizziness (2 or 3 seconds), and a couple of episodes of feeling faint (I could feel the blood draining from my face but composed myself). After the second time this happened I went to a clinic while I was away and they diagnosed me with a urinary tract infection and said this could be why I was feeling dizzy and off balance. I started antibiotics straight away. My blood pressure, blood sugar etc was fine. Upon returning home I went to my own doctor and he told me to finish the antibiotics for the infection and prescribed me Stemetil 5mg 3 times a day. That was 9 days ago, I have since finished the antibiotics for the urinary infection but I'm still feeling off balance, although I have not had the faint feeling as bad. The best way I can describe it is that feeling you get just after blowing your nose, like everything shakes for a second, kind of "floaty". It's like a mild version of that constantly (except when lying down), and an intense version every so often. I have noticed it's worse after walking for a few minutes, when I stop I feel like I have to keep moving or swaying from side to side so that my head doesn't go "funny". I should say that I have no pain, no nausea, no ringing in my ears, no hearing loss or visual disturbances. I really am hoping that it's just fluid in my inner ear or something but I'm getting worried, can anyone help shed any light? 

0 likes, 24 replies

24 Replies

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  • nikki1978
    nikki1978 jen85

    Posted

    Hi Jen,

    Have you seen an ENT doctor?  Or maybe a neuro-otologist.  The neuro-otologist is an inner ear specialist and might be able to help you even more.

    It could be a virus in your inner ear.  Best to get checked by the neuro-otologist.  Please write back and let us know how you are doing.

    Take care,

    Nicole

    • jen85
      jen85 nikki1978

      Posted

      Ni Nicole, no I've just seen my GP so far. I will keep you updated, thank you
  • Terry6872737
    Terry6872737 jen85

    Posted

    Sounds like fluid in the middle ear.  My first question would be did either doctor check for that?  If not I would see an ENT.  If they did and there was no fluid I would recommend seeing an inner ear specialist.  There are so many things that can cause dizziness, but the swaying and the feeling that you describe when stopping sound more like inner ear issues.
    • jen85
      jen85 Terry6872737

      Posted

      Hi Terry, the first doctor when I was away looked in my ears very briefly , maybe a second in each. He didn't say anything and my own doctor didn't look in my ears at all, which I'm now realising was unusual!

       

    • Terry6872737
      Terry6872737 jen85

      Posted

      When you follow up with your doctor this week I would definitely ask thtat your ears be checked for fluid.  That would be the most obvious cause.  The unitary tract infection could certainly have impacted the inner ear as well and you may need a course of antibiotics that are more directed at the inner ear versus the urinary tract.  The Stemetil is for motion sickness but, most times it can make you feel worse if not needed.  Some of the symptoms that you are feeling are in fact side effects of the drug and it could be adding to them.  This may or may not be adding to it but, the symptoms certainly sound like mild inner ear.  An ENT may be a better specialist to take a look.
    • jen85
      jen85 Terry6872737

      Posted

      Hi Terry, I finsihed the Stemetil course yesterday and the doctor said to see how I get on without them over the weekend. According to my urine sample, the infection is gone but the doctor would like another sample next week along with another blood test. I really don't think the Stemetil were any help and I told the doctor that, he said sometimes these things can take a while to clear up and next week if I'm still the same, depending on the urine and bloods, he will see if there is an alternative. 

       

    • jen85
      jen85 Terry6872737

      Posted

      Hi Terry, I didn't feel any different over the weekend. I left the house today for the first time since Thursday to go into a shop, consciously tried to keep myself calm and not get anxious about going "funny". I managed ok, although the off balance, floaty feeling is constantly there, I didn't have a major hit of it. I do hope this is a good sign.
    • Terry6872737
      Terry6872737 jen85

      Posted

      Sounds like it is.  If it is Vestibular Neuritis it usually self resolves in 6 to 8 weeks.  Some of us unlucky few struggle with it longer.  Sounds like you are on the mend though and probably was associated with the infection in the urinary tract.  Hope it continues well for you. 
    • jen85
      jen85 Terry6872737

      Posted

      I am still very anxious about it but I'm just taking it one day at a time. I should get my next blood results on Friday and will update you.
  • ben99468
    ben99468 jen85

    Posted

    Hi Jen,  Ben here,

    Not being a doctor, but having had some of the symptoms you describe, and my condition lasting nearly 17 months, I feel compelled to say that if I were you I would not mess around with this.   I'm asking you to get really serious and go in to see the health care professionals right now while it is early in time. The feeling of being a  little dizzy or feeling faint can be side effects from so many serious but differing things, from a heart condition to an inner ear infection, or even an abnormal growth somewhere.

    I don't mean to scare you, but I would get in and have tests done to see exactly what is going on and do it right away.  So many times people don't give enough respect to the early indicators of something more serious and it costs them dearly. If you have something similiar to what most on this forum have, you need to have a great many tests done to find out what is going on.  The only way to find out what you have is to test and see what you do not have.  It is a game of  "rule out" different things, and that is done by doing tests.

    As I said, I am not a doctor, so I could be off point by a wide margin, but if I were you, I would go the doctor and keep going until you have found out what it is or exhausted their entire repertoire of investigative tests.

    Meanwhile, read the posts here and other places about your symptoms and look up the different things you find to give yourself an education on the subject.  If it turns out that you have something as simple as a vitamin deficiency or as complicated as a pinched vertebra you will have spent that time wisely and done yourself well.  

    In any case early interventioin is always the best way to tackle a medical condition.  Please don't wait.

    Ben

    • jen85
      jen85 ben99468

      Posted

      Hi Ben, thanks for your reply. I am back with my doctor this week for the results of a urine sample to make sure that infection is gone, and again next week for more blood tests. Can i ask what you were diagnosed with, and if you're still suffering with it?
    • ben99468
      ben99468 jen85

      Posted

      Hi Jen,  Ben here again,

      03MAY2015 @ 19:00 hrs GMT

      I am currently diagnosed with uncompensated Vestibular neruitis.  I still have symptoms to this day, going on 17 months.  

      If you care to, please google Vestibular neuritits, but if you would rather, I will tell you in my own words that it is a condition of the inner ear that was supposedly caused by an infection, the latest thinking of which is Herpes. Herpesviridae. There seems to be several kinds of Herpes, from a simple cold sore to what causes Epstein-Barr (constant fatigue syndrome).  While it was present it caused a swelling of the Labryinth and did damage to the nerve that brings balance signals to my brain.

      This information is used in everything from simple balance to keeping something in the middle of my vision while it or I are moveing.  Think of it as watching something move by or if I am moving by something.

      Reading is very difficult.  It also causes me to become fatigued since the signals are not normal.   There is a lot of competition or busyness going on in my head and it affects how I feel about myself, as in my own perception of wellbeing.  I have exercises to do that try to help me relearn how to use the remaining (abnormal) signals.

      Somehow I got this Herpes into my inner ear, although I never knew it.  I did not have a fever, no chills, no sweats, nothing.  I rose up from the couch to go to bed and the room started spinning as if I was on a circus ride.  It lasted for more than 2 days and then I was seeing double.  

      The double vision has been reduced to a "wandering eye", something called Exotropia Strabismus.  I have 'jumpy eyes' and it is hard to read, and most times I shut one eye when I get too fatigued to keep looking with both eyes.  I feel light headed and confused.  One example of the lightheadedness I use is that of blowing up a large beach ball or air mattress.  I feel like I just need to stop and let my head clear, but it won't unless I lie down for 1/2 hour or so, and as soon as I get up it starts again. I don't know when it will finally end.

      To me this is so life changing that it is just about as bad as a stroke.  I have not worked for 16 months because of it, and trust me, at my age, I need to save as much money as I can for retirement.  I have a very good, high paying although challanging, stressful and demanding job that I would very much like to get back to  befor they make me take retirement, but I just cannot do the job with this condition.

      I live in the U.S.A.   My employer pays for my health care.  I went to the doctor as soon as I could travel.  In the process of discovering what I have, I was diagnosed with BPPV.  Then Meniere's disease.  A 2nd group (2nd opinion) decided that I have uncompensated Vestibular neuritis.  

      It took nearly 6 months for them to get serious about my condition, and I truly believe that if my first doctor would have diagnosed me correctly and prescribed steriods and antibiotics I would be over it by now, and there would not have been nearly as much damage done.  

      So you see why I advocate getting in to see the health care professionals asap.  Then try to understand what they suggest you have, and check their story by going to forums like this one and Googling everything you don't understand until you can safely say that you agree with their diagnosis. 

      I wish you good luck and speedy results.  Please persevere.

      Ben

  • ben99468
    ben99468 jen85

    Posted

    Jen,  I meant JUNE not May.

    Ben

    • jen85
      jen85 ben99468

      Posted

      Hi Ben, thanks for your reply, sorry to hear you've had such a bad run of it. 

      I finsihed the Stemetil course yesterday and the doctor said to see how I get on without them over the weekend. According to my urine sample, the infection is gone but the doctor would like another sample next week along with another blood test. I really don't think the Stemetil were any help and I told the doctor that, he said sometimes these things can take a while to clear up and next week if I'm still the same, depending on the urine and bloods, he will see if there is an alternative. So if nothing shows up on the tests I will ask him about going to see an ENT. 

      Hope you're keeping well,

      Jen

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