Brain fog, dizziness, vision problems, head pressure, headache PLEASE HELP

Hi there

I've been in your shoes. Mine was an inner ear problem that stemmed from Vestibular Neuritis. Happened overnight. If you haven't seen an ear specialist, that's your first step. After you get a diagnosis, you may need vestibular rehab. Saved my life!! 😀

What kind of ear specialist did you see?

I know what you mean I’m in your same shoes I had Mano also I guess 3months ago which I didn’t know but the blood test showed I had it but don’t anymore that’s all the doctor told me but I read about the ebv also .all I know is to eat right and that’s pretty hard which I’m trying to drink healthy smoothies to atleast get those good things in my body .

But now I’m waitng to see my doctor and my next step is my ears because that’s the last result I’ve had everything else done to head scams blood test and all and everything is normal I can’t live like this either some days are better then others it sucks because I don’t know when a good day will come and the brain fog is really messing me up I can’t stand that and the drunkness I feel every day ! Good luck you should consider your eyes checked next I’m praying and hoping for some results on that I don’t know what else more to do !! I’m even seeing a eye specialist as we speak! Good luck prayers to all who are suffering from these symptoms it’s no way to live !! 

I’m so sorry, I feel your pain so much :,( I’ve been suffering almost 2 years now. It’s so awful. I’m at a point I have absolutely no idea what to do anymore. I keep searching for answers and doctors with little to no help to getting my old life back. I don’t remember what it’s like to just wake up and feel okay and get dressed and start my day. My life is so different now, I just don’t know what to do. I try so so hard to stay positive but it really takes its toll on you after a while 

do yourself a favor, get a food intolerance test done and go see a functional/integrative doctor. This isn't a condition modern medicine can solve. You may only be able to temporarily treat symptoms with medication but you have to treat the root cause. Food and exercise are the best medication and by food i mean you should be eating the right things for your body (not just what the general public considers to be healthy) 

I'm glad to hear that you got better! Unfortunately, I saw an inner ear specialist and vestibular neuritis ended up being ruled out.

Yeah, it's...rough, to say the least. It used to be sort of manageable (still problematic enough that I couldn't imagine continuing life like this), but the physical and mental fatigue has gotten even worse over the last few months. I'm in my late 20's and just have no idea where my life could even go from here.

Do you also experience a weird feeling when watching TV/movies, like your eyes just "forgot" how to figure out what's happening? Because honestly, that's one of the most troublesome parts for me, since I can't even distract myself out of this nightmare.

Apo: Are you SURE?? Did you get a second opinion?? Pls tell me your main symptoms. I was told labyrinthitis at first.

Debbie

Otolaryntologist.....not sure of spelling. ENT's couldn't help me. Neurologists couldnt help me. Opthamologists couldnt either. I had to endure special tests some of which involved putting water in my ears and making me dizzy on purpose. My right ear responded normally...my left did not.

Ears!! Yes!! Drunk feeling!! Yes!! Go see an inner ear specialist: otolaryntologist (not sure of spelling)

Hi Debbie.  How are you doing?  Still well I hope.  Did you ever get your other knee replaced?

Was your ear specialist a Otoneurologist/Neurootologist?  

Neurotology or neuro-otology is a branch of clinical medicine which studies and treats neurological disorders of the ear. It is a subspecialty of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, and is closely related to otology, and also draws on the fields of neurology and neurosurgery.

Oops I think I replied to you in a different thread but here I'll lay out my symptoms. I didn't get a second opinion, but that's probably next on my list. My symptoms differ SLIGHTLY from Elise's original post, in that I don't have difficulty walking, and I don't feel like I'm being pulled to the ground. However, it's resulted in strange eye issues. Keep in mind that this basically all started when I woke up after one stressful night. Anyway,

SYMPTOMS:

1. Dizziness/lightheadedness, though it almost never becomes vertigo. This feeling is constant, from when I wake up to when I go to sleep. It gets much much worse whenever I move my head or eyes. I don't have trouble balancing or walking unless I'm really moving my head or eyes a ton.

2. Eye fatigue/strain. My eyes ALWAYS feel exhausted, even after a full night's sleep. It's a weird feeling, like they always want to close. Additionally, it feels like they're attached to rubber bands that want them to snap back to the center, if I ever move them. Moving my eyes fully to the left or right will create a dark spot in the center of my vision until I reset them. Sometimes it feels like they're dry, but I stay well-hydrated, and using eyedrops barely helps (maybe a 5% improvement). My eyes are always so tired that if I don't make an effort to consciously focus, they'll actually start moving apart and go out of focus. Still, my vision is 20/20 if I'm focusing correctly.

3. Eyes uncomfortable with moving stimuli and light. This one's a bit harder to describe. For lack of a better term, my eyes have a strong urge to look away whenever anything in front of me is moving or flashing. When watching TV or a movie and forcing them to keep looking, I find it much harder to keep track of what's going on because they "don't know" what to focus on anymore. Additionally, I can't read text or make out images if they're moving at a certain speed, while others can.

4. Constant afterimages from almost everything. Whenever I look at one location even briefly and look somewhere else, I always see an afterimage of what I just looked at. This makes reading especially disorienting. I used to also sometimes see white flashes when my eyes were closed, but that's gone away recently and I don't know why.

5. Brain fog and difficulty concentrating/remembering. Honestly, this feels like the nail in the coffin. If it weren't for this, I could probably try to get by. But, I just have so much trouble with any sort of complex thought, or trying to come up with anything other than basic words. Reading is disorienting and sad because I sometimes can't even remember what happened on the previous page. I constantly forget what I was doing, at a higher rate than usual.

6. Fatigue. If left unchecked, my body will try to sleep for about 16 hours now. In addition to always feeling incredibly sleepy, I also often feel physically weak.

I've been to: psychiatrist, neurologist, otolaryngologist, 2 x opthalmologist, 3 different general MDs. Nothing other than "maybe it's anxiety". While I do believe an episode of stress was the catalyst that brought it on, I had periods of complete calm where it should've gone away if it was just anxiety. 

Hey Terry!

I'm well thanks...hope you are too! I did not have the 2nd knee replaced..just the one.

I saw an otolaryngologist for the VN diagnosis. The vestibular rehab is what got me better. I do have some residual effects now that I didn't have before: ear plugging and tinnitus in my left ear. Do you experience this? I also seem to be extra sensitive to loud noise in this ear...nothing I can't handle!

Debbie

I'm doing fairly well.  I am at the same level that I have been at for the past couple of years.  Still have head stuffiness and some bouts of nausea.  I usually feel that I am 90% to 95% pre event.  I keep looking for something to help push the other 5% to 10% but, not sure that I will ever find it.  Some days can be more challenging then others and especially if I get overly tired.  I guess that it is just the residual damage to my vestibular nerve and may never fully resolve.  Life is definitely not like it used to be but, livable.

I'm dealing with a shoulder issue now that they tell me needs a replacement.  Not excited about being put to sleep and the challenges of 6 months of rehab.  My vestibular problems pose enough daily challenges.

Great to see you still posting!

Hi Debbie,

I am suffering with the same symptoms since June 2017, I have seen so may specialist doctors and done million test.

MRI. Blood test etc ... all normals.

Only Vitamin D at that time was very low.

Dizziness,head pressures,foggy brain affect  my body badly.

I have Neck and back problem.

I am seeing pain clinic for my back as well as private clinic for my neck.

I have seen second opinion ENT who asked me to do balance test which I did few weeks ago,

Guess what audiologist said I have balance disorders in my left side of my ear.

I was glad a least they found something so I am going to see my consultant in September to see which treatment I will go with so is my vestibular which causing the problem probably .

So never give up is always some good Doctor who can send you for more test as this kind of diagonose you cannot see them in MRI, it has to be special test for it.

I will let you know once I start the treatment which am pretty sure is first is therapy but am not sure about the medications.

Again we need to exercise, now the more I exercise the more I gets weak and tired but it helps me in way.

Now is like in boat and feels like is sick seal Le Mal de mer.

I will let you know once I see my consultant.

Good luck.

Hi Terry,

Same with me, please see my reply to Debbie,

I just been dignosed with vestibular problem. After suffering from all the above symptoms since June 2017.

Please let me know what treatment you had for vestibular problem.

Good luck

Hi

Yes that is my next step my doctor was gunna send me there but she said first she wants to send me to do A Ct, MRI And A EGG  all sorts of blood test she says she doesn’t know what is causing the drunkness ( go figure 🙁 so next was to check if I was low on vitamin D and B12.

She did say if she had to she will send me to a ear nose and throat doctor . But last time I saw my doctor I told her I was feeling about 70% better but that it was the drunkness feeling and seein I couldn’t shake and the brain fog like I forget things can’t concentrate I hate that the most I still get through the days I can get up and do things but it’s hard to deal with that when I never had it before .

I did suffer with a lot of other symptoms one after the other it was hard but those seem to all have gone away all it is now is feeling and seeing drunkness and brain fog .thanks for replying to me what were your symptoms if you don’t mind me asking I’m not sure if you wrote them on here I can’t see  only so much comes up.

Also I do wake up sometimes like I have a hangover I haven’t drank since this all started 3 months ago some days I’m so tired have no energy .

Hey Terry

Good to hear you are stable vestibularly! (Is that a word? Lol)

About your shoulder...ouch! If its excruciatingly painful, get 'er done! Rehab sucks but it will give you a different focus! 😀😀

Good luck! Keep me posted!

Debbie

When you say functional doctor, are you referring to s functional neurologist? I don’t even know where to find a functional doctor 

I feel the same way. I’ll be 25 next month and I just don’t see how I can go anywhere from here. I’ve just been in a dark place. It’ll be 2 years in September and I’m just feeling so defeated. 

Yes completely!!!! Whatever I PHYSICALLY see with my eyes isn’t connecting to my brain, it’s like I can’t Process what I’m actually seeing. My eyes get out of focus and like it feels all fake and weird and not real. And if I do watch a movie it’s like I can’t process what I’m watching. Like I can’t keep track of it and it doesn’t make sense and I can’t visually and mentally keep track of what I’m actually watching. It’s so hard to explain. 

Hey terry! Did you ever get an official vestibular diagnosis? I’m so glad to hear you’re still at 90-95%! 

Hi sab! What vestibular disorder were you diagnosed with?! 

Your symptoms match mine so much! My eye issues are so complicated. What I’m PHYSICALLY seeing isn’t being processed correctly with my brain. I can’t focus on things, being in stores and too much stimuli gives me SO MUCH sensory overload, I can’t even focus. Everything looks odd and distorted and fake and I can’t move around too fast with my eyes

I can agree with alot of this especially the flashing lights. I was behind a truck on the highway the other day taking my daughter to an appointment and I thought I was going to lose it because they had strobe-like lights on their taillights! Also police lights, action movies, blinking lights all mess with me. In fact my very first episode was at my job working on a moving assembly line for whirlpool, I was operating a drill and kept putting it in the wrong spot, needless to say after many attempts to solve the problem I lost that job. This all started after I rear ended someone..so could be all stemming from that but haven't had one diagnosis in 2 years of seeing specialists. Another one I noticed lately is trains really mess with me. Scrolling through menus..etc. it's seriously the worst.

How do you get a referral to this type of doc?

My original diagnosis was Vestibular Neuritis. I still experience issues with vision on occasion and balance/nausea. It’s so crazy because sometimes I can seem fine in the same environments that at other times cause me issues. I really believe that I have some variant of Meniere’s. That is the only reason I can justify why sometimes it doesn’t seem to bother me as much. 

I had Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy as well as 2 Epley manuevers performed.  There were several exercises that I had to perform each day for 6 months.

From your family doc

My symptoms were:

-drunkeness 24/7

-sore neck

-pulling sensation from the back of my head

-ear pain and plugging/pressure

-brain fog

-severe anxiety

-overstimulated senses in stores

-hearing sensitivity

-headaches

-fatigue

-nausea

-weight loss

It was hell!

Hun Debbie!

We share many of the same symptoms.. What is VN?? How was they soecialist able to diagnose you??

Based on symptoms and a series of uncomfortable tests where you are hooked up to this machine where they put water in your ears. They can gage what is going on in your head and you are supposed to feel very dizzy if your ears are healthy. The right ear reacted normally but the left barely reacted. This meant I had damage to my balance nerve in the left ear (48%)....hence the diagnosis vestibular neuritis and/or labyrinthitis.

Hi you practically named all my symptoms except I don’t get the pulling sensation from the back of my neck .

 

What type of doctor did you see again? 

Was it a nose throat and ear doctor ? 

Or was it just a ear specialist?

I’m just so tired of this drunkness feeling 24/7 I’m over it I just want my life back already!

Wow.. water in your ears! I’ve had a balance test ordered by an ENT.. it was about an hr long.. they ran tests like blowing hot and cold air in my ears.. made me really dizzy.. the test was normal.. no vertigo.

What kinda specialist ran that test?

I think he was an otolaryngologist (not sure of spelling)

See my reply to your other comment

Hi,

I suffered every day for over 10 years. Get your Atlas bone checked.

Is this a speciality chiropractor that examines the atlas? 

Yes. Google Atlas Profilix. Honestly I suffered for 10 years, paid for every scan you can name & this was the issue.

Sorry if I’ve asked this before or if you’ve answered anyone and I haven’t seen it the comments come back all crazy and my emails tell me all late .

Are you healed now do you still feel that drunkness 24/7 still? 

I’m so tired of feeling it some days are stinger then others and when I feel the most drunkness is when I have brain fog just completely mental confusion forgetting things can’t concentrate right . It sucks it’s really taking over my life hoping for answers soon  and praying !🙏🏻

Hi Yolanda

Yes! I am healed! I had vestibular neuritis caused by a virus. The only way I got better was through vestibular rehab. I had to do exercises 3 times a day for about 4 months. This helped retrain my brain. Because only one ear was affected, my brain was getting mixed signals. My eyes couldn't focus properly and I had a constant drunk feeling! It was horrible! Please try vestibular rehab. It saved my life!!

Th aka that’s really good to hear happy for you !! Prayers for all to heal and find the problem it’s no way to live !

Did your vision ever go weird like not clear ? Or any eye pain? Or how about feeling physically tired when you got a good 8 hours of sleep?  That’s how I feel currently all my other symptoms have gone away! 

Some times my throat hurts for no reason and goes away and my ears but it don’t last long at all!! Expecially the ear pain I man it’s  bareable not much pain if that makes sense . 

But for sure gunna mention this to my doctor .

Hi there

Yes, my vision was always unclear like i was wearing the wrong prescription or something. I didnt have eye pain but i did have severe ear pain and had to use icepacks. It was so weird! Fatigue -- definitely!

Glad you are much better!

Debbie

I do feel consistent 24/7 drunkness I hate it ! 

It’s like not being able to see clear my vision seems weird . I do get headaches and I’m always tired just like no energy and seems like not even 8 hours of sleep seems enough anymore. I always feel lethargic , Brain fog for sure and fatigued . 

May I ask how long were you feeling those symptoms till they found out what it was ? 

I been feeling this way for 3 months now I need answers I just want my life back so bad expecially for my kids and it’s hard with my husband just not understanding how I feel no one does if they don’t feel what we feel! 

I see my doctor in the morning gunna see what she says now because she has rain so many test on me I’m happy they are all negative but also I want results she did mention I may have to see a  neurologist . Is that who diagnosed you with vestibular neuritis?  

I’m sorry you said it was a otolaryngologist I just read a older message . Which specializes in the nose,ear and throat .

Hi Yolanda

I got diagnosed fairly quickly but until I found someone who could help me get better, it took over a year! It was ridiculous! Once I started doing the vestibular exercises, it took close to 6 months to feel better.

Debbie

Hi Debbie

Oh wow I can only imagine but glad your better now and that’s wonderful I bet !! 

Today I seen my doctor and she had did a previous blood test of ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate)  Which came back High So I Had To ado More Blood Test today to check it I have any Auto Immune Disease so in about 2 Weeks I shoukd Know But She Also Ordered A Refereal To a nose, ear and throat  doctor so hoping for some results soon. Wish me luck!! 

Yolanda 

I saw my doctor today so I should be seeing a ear , nose and throat doctor soon she also 

Debbie sorry I don’t know why it continued to write more at bottom ignite that 🙂

Good luck to you!!