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Another doctor & another copay

Posted , 6 users are following.

marie04645
marie04645

Hi,

When will things get resolved.  The neck issues & the dizziness starting to think they are connected.  Seen by a Neurologist & she went over all my tests very carefully & also tested my walking & other things.  She said I did fine but I will never be a Wallenda (a tightrope walking family). 

She told me to take one Flexeril for 3 nites & 3 nites off.   Took one last night & after breakfast got so dizzy that all I could do all day was lay around.  She said if I could tolerate the drug I could start an anti-depressant.  Not starting anything.  I am at my wits end.  Not taking anything tonight.  Pharmacy said I should try cutting pill in half.  Couldn't get hold of the doctor "on call".  He never called!

Lady doctor said don't just sit around well if your too dizzy what can you do??  Is this coming from neck she said it is from tight muscles!!

Feel bad for everyone in chronic pain.

Marie

1 like, 47 replies

47 Replies

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  • Terry6872737
    Terry6872737 marie04645

    Posted

    I see from a previous post that you are in the US, I am as well.  Go to Google and type in Otologist and your state name.  This should get some hits for you.  Usually, you will only find them in larger cities or associated with a university medical center.  They are out there and well worth the visit to help get a resolution.
  • DawnDedee
    DawnDedee marie04645

    Posted

    Marie, it might do you well to ask for Vertigo Physical therapy evaluation and also have PT evaluate your neck as well.  I do exercises every day just for my dizziness and I think there is some sort of distinction between dizziness and vertigo but to me dizzy is dizzy and it forces me to lay down a lot.  However, I am not dizzy now because I went for the therapy and was literally cured of my vertigo immediately.  A lot of people and doctors are unaware that physical therapy for vertigo/dizziness even exists.  So search for it in your area and ask your primary doc for a referral or however your insurance works.  Believe me PT can help with both problems.  

    And yes, the more we lie still the worse the dizziness becomes and it feels like being caught between a rock and a hard place!  Hope you find the solution that works for you!

    Dawn, USA

  • DawnDedee
    DawnDedee marie04645

    Posted

    Oh, and by the way, the standard medications for treating dizziness/vertigo is Valium and Meclizine.  
  • gillian76726
    gillian76726 marie04645

    Posted

    yes Marie, a lot of us on here have neck issues.  this can be from various reasons. some is due to stress and other stuff connected with your balance issues as sub conciously we are constantly ,correcting, our balance which Isn,t working properly due to,our  dizziness or vertigo issues, and this causestension in the  neck and head area.,   I always had a neck problem before I ever had this, but it is worse now.  it wasn't,t and Isn,t the cause of my vertigo, but it does exacerbate it! My eyes also have the same problem, i have okay vision that,s,all been checked,but because  my eyes are having to compensate in this whole balance issue I get dizzier when I am under par and find it hard to even type on here. a,good Neuro,Otologists will send you to Vestibular Physiotherapist  who,will give you specific neck exercises,to relieve the tight muscles etc.   Forget the anti depressants, that,s just a cop,out for drs who Don,t know what to do.  And they will actually make it worse!  Firmthenfime being have a look at son exercises in line for muscle tension in the neck. And check,out the U.s site VEDA, they are really informative and have a Facebook page to!

    I,saw an ordinary Neurologist way back and like you and he could find nothing, that is why i talk about the Nuero Otologists as being the panacea f us. 

    • anne05147
      anne05147 gillian76726

      Posted

      Gillian, you have similar to me, i had neck problems years before this started but i do think there is a link.  My eyes are same as we try to compensate for our balance.  Also getting dehydrated has an effect and i am not one for taking enough fluids so really have to make an effort to remember.  I am also feeling quite good at the moment and waiting to see a neuro otologist on 22 July and wondering what they will make of me if at the time i see them i am feeling OK, when a week after seeing them i may be having a problem again.  I suppose they can still check me out though.  What a game of snakes and ladders this all is;0
    • Terry6872737
      Terry6872737 anne05147

      Posted

      The Otologist will understand that it is cyclical.  They will also want to know what triggers you may have and what symptoms you experience when you do have a bad period.  They are really up on these symptoms and fully understand what you are going through.  They won't want to give you anti-depressants and tell you that its probably anxiety!
    • anne05147
      anne05147 Terry6872737

      Posted

      thanks Terry, it's just that this happened to me on a previous occasion when i went to ENT for a follow up.  At the time i was in a good recovery and discharged with a glowing report and then a week later back.  It's like some whacky roller coaster ride with periods of recovery and then back to not quite square one as i do find that although there is a frequency of occurance the recovery period is getting shorter than when it first kicked off as i learn to compensate more quickly.  It's amazing how our bodies adapt.
    • Terry6872737
      Terry6872737 anne05147

      Posted

      I experience a lot of the same.  I had two good weeks recently where I felt that it was totally gone.  Then for the last week I have been nauseated every day and feel slight head motions on certain movements.  I feel as if there is some fluid on my right ear so I got my GP to give me a prednisone dose pack to see if it helps.  I just started that yesterday.  I know that a lot of it is because I pay so much attention to it after almost 16 months of dealing with symptoms, and I find that I have forgotten how it felt to be normal.  I'm sure that some of the sensations that I now notice were there before but, I just had no cause to pay attention to them.  My Otologist is the only physician that related to how I felt and what I could expect to experience.  He has been worth the 3 1/2 hour trip each way that it takes me to get to see him.   I saw 4 different ENTs early on and none of them had a clue.  I believe that if you have the normal course of VN they may be of some help but, anything that extends out over the normal recovery course of 2 months, then they have no clue what to do or to determine what the cause is.

      Anyway, best of luck with your visit.  I would be curious as to what he/she tells you after your visit.  Please let us know how it goes.

    • anne05147
      anne05147 Terry6872737

      Posted

      I agree and ENT said to me that i have probably always had this, following a head injury causing neuro sensory damage,  but noticed it until it got this bad. 

      Will let you know how i get on, so long as they don't cancel on the day of my appointment as they did the last time when i had the first ENT appointment, as the consultant was off sick,  so i then saw the same consultant the following week and paid privately as i had been waiting for 5 months to see him.

      Fingers crossed.

    • marie04645
      marie04645 Terry6872737

      Posted

      Thanks to all that responded ---you all are helpful & understanding.  I will look into the Otologist...The neurologist look at my blood test & the scans I had the past few months.  She said "there is nothing wrong with you" but said I have severe arthritis in my neck & she does too!  It is the 4th of July & I haven't been out of the house in two days.  It is a rainy day & it represents my feelings.  No picnics & not sure any fireworks will go off either.   I feel like I am wearing out my chairs for all the sitting I am doing.  My hubby has been so good about throwing some meals together & doing some light housework.    I hate this.  I am sorry you guys have this but at least I;m not alone.  Marie USA -Penna
    • marie04645
      marie04645 Terry6872737

      Posted

      Terry also my thyroid was so off & i had so many of the symtoms that are related to that problem.  I am on new meds but I understand it takes weeks to feel right again.  So I wonder if that had any thing to do with the dizzys.  It is not listed but who knows.  

      The people on this site are so helpful & as I said before people that "get it".

    • marie04645
      marie04645 Terry6872737

      Posted

      Hi Terry,  There was an article in the newspaper linking low Vit D with dizziness.  The thing is when the dizziness started I don't know what my level was at but now I have to up the Vit D to 4000.  My thyroid is also messed up was very low.  I understand it will take 4 to 8 wks to get it where it should be.   And am so tired.  Hate this & my doctor said maybe I am obsessing about too much.  Ya think??
    • Terry6872737
      Terry6872737 marie04645

      Posted

      That's their answer to everything.  They don't understand and can offer a solution so it's obsessing or anxiety.  They give you a pill and when it doesn't help they tell you that you have nothing that can be detected on their tests.  There are issues that can be associated with the thyroid as well that can contribute to dizziness.  Usually associated with hyperthyroidism.  There are so many things that can cause dzziness.  A recent study published in European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology has found that benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is related to low levels of vitamin D and abnormal bone density.
    • Terry6872737
      Terry6872737

      Posted

      Didn't mean to hit reply so soon......

      Low levels of vitamin D were related to development of BPPV while very low levels were associated with recurrence of BPPV, the researchers concluded.  Also a B12 deficiency can contribute to dizziness.  A lot of things to consider and to have checked.  But, we're not the doctors and yet we are the ones that have to figure all of this out.  Guess we are smarter than they think we are, huh?

    • kathleen65757
      kathleen65757 Terry6872737

      Posted

      I have been diagnosed with osteoporosis so that is interesting what you said. Vitamin D is okay though. I am feeling weak and everything is an effort. Without my husband I do not know what I would do. Yesterday I visited a neurologist who performed a test to see if I had BPPV and it sent me into a spin which really upset me. I have other health issues that add up to a lowering of quality of life. I feel sick today after yesterday. 
    • anne05147
      anne05147 Terry6872737

      Posted

      I had a blood test oveer 2 years ago which showed low levels of vit D about the same time as i developed severe BPPV.  So you're post about BPPV interesting.  I took Vit D supplements which gave me a blood shot left eye which is apparently a side effect of taking Vit D tablets, choice between blood shot eyes and enough Vit D.  Erm!! Any way glad to say Vit D levels recovered especially during sunny, summer days but it's the winter days the are the problem.
    • marie04645
      marie04645 Terry6872737

      Posted

      Hi, 

      The article in my local paper regarding Vitamin D solving the writers vertigo problem was in Journal of Neurology March 2013.  Someone did some research & I guess it is reported in this Journal.

      I am having some good days this week.  I am now taking 4000 un of D.  I was taking 2000.  Someone mentioned osteoporosis & I deal with that as well.  Oh joy.

      I

       

    • Terry6872737
      Terry6872737 marie04645

      Posted

      Maybe you have your answer though.  One battle at a time.  If only the physicians put as much time into treating their patients as we have to put in trying to identify our own issues.  It was an interesting article that I read in the European Archives.  It was done in June 2014.

      "Several studies indicated the association between benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) with osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency implying that abnormal calcium metabolism may underlie BPPV. The aim of the present study is to confirm the correlation between BPPV and both decrease in bone mineral density (BMD) and vitamin D deficiency. The study group included 80 patients with idiopathic BPPV (52 females, 28 males), with age range 31-71 years (47.6 ± 9.1). The patients were divided into two groups; recurrent BPPV group including 36 subjects and non-recurrent group including 44 subjects. The control group included 100 healthy volunteers with age and gender distribution similar to the study group. All the subjects in the study were examined using Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to assess BMD, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D for vitamin D assessment. The accepted normal levels were T-score > -1, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D > 30 ng/ml. Twenty-six (26 %) subjects showed abnormal T-score in the control group; 26 (59 %) in the non-recurrent BPPV and 22 (61 %) in the recurrent BPPV group. Chi square test showed significant difference between the control group and both BPPV groups. The control group had significantly higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels than the BPPV subgroups (p < 0.05).="" moreover,="" the="" 25-hydroxyvitamin="" d="" was="" significantly="" lower="" in="" the="" recurrent="" bppv="" than="" it="" was="" in="" the="" non-recurrent="" subgroup="" (p="">< 0.05). the results of the current study associate between reduced bmd and development/recurrence of bppv. moreover, low levels of vitamin d were related to development of bppv while very low levels were associated with recurrence of bppv. the co-occurrence of two morbidities is not by itself supportive of a relationship, but the cumulating studies correlating between bppv and both vitamin d deficiency and low bmd indicate the investigation and treatment of those disorders in cases with recurrent bppv."

      why do doctor's not know this?????? 0.05).="" the="" results="" of="" the="" current="" study="" associate="" between="" reduced="" bmd="" and="" development/recurrence="" of="" bppv.="" moreover,="" low="" levels="" of="" vitamin="" d="" were="" related="" to="" development="" of="" bppv="" while="" very="" low="" levels="" were="" associated="" with="" recurrence="" of="" bppv.="" the="" co-occurrence="" of="" two="" morbidities="" is="" not="" by="" itself="" supportive="" of="" a="" relationship,="" but="" the="" cumulating="" studies="" correlating="" between="" bppv="" and="" both="" vitamin="" d="" deficiency="" and="" low="" bmd="" indicate="" the="" investigation="" and="" treatment="" of="" those="" disorders="" in="" cases="" with="" recurrent="" bppv."="" why="" do="" doctor's="" not="" know="">

      why do doctor's not know this??????>

    • marie04645
      marie04645 Terry6872737

      Posted

      Hi ---I don't wish this on anyone but when enough doctors are afflicted with this horrible thing called dizziness etc.. they will get it---I am getting that it is not an easy fix right?

       

    • Terry6872737
      Terry6872737 marie04645

      Posted

      In most cases you will not wake up one day and it be gone.  It will gradually disappear.  It takes time and a lot of work to recover.
    • marie04645
      marie04645 gillian76726

      Posted

      Hi __Thanks gillian ..yes the neck issues along with all the other stuff only add to the frustration..

      I wanted to ask anyone if their appetite is diminished.  Mine has & I don't know if it is due to the thyroid problem or the dizzys.

    • paula59
      paula59 marie04645

      Posted

      Hi Marie, I think when I was on all the different epilepsy and beta blocker tablets my appetite was smaller but since I have gotten rid of them all I could eat for england.  This is causing a big problem because I can no longer go to latin and ballroom dancing so am struggling with the weight gain. 
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