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Constant dizziness after car accident

Posted , 7 users are following.

sarah48062
sarah48062

I'm wondering if anyone has been in the same situation as me.

A little over a month ago, I was in a minor car accident on the way to work (side impact, I was a passenger) that caused no immediate injury or problem-- I was able to walk away from the accident, went to work, felt fine. Until two days later, when I woke up with shooting pains in my neck and shoulders, which was the start of my current adventure.

The neck pain and stiffness was not a big issue; what was much more troubling is that it was swiftly accompanied by dizziness, vertigo, light-headedness (it varies throughout the day) and general loss of balance. This started as short bouts and quickly grew in severity, until it was basically constant. Physiotherapy helped my neck pain, but not the dizziness, and I resolved to wait for it to heal on its own, which it did...

...until I went back to work last week. After one day I was forced to call in sick again, as all of the symptoms returned with a vengeance (dizziness much more more severe than neck pain, like last time). I'm currently unable to leave the house, and having difficulty with basic motor tasks like going up and down stairs. My GP and physiotherapist were both baffled by the return of my symptoms and an MRI is being arranged to check there's nothing brain-related going on.

Initially, everyone I spoke to (including an A&E doctor at a hospital) completely dismissed the idea of a head injury since I didn't hit my head, but looking online I'm finding many accounts of people who suffered minor brain injuries despite no blow to the head.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? 

(I was prescribed Serc and then Stemitil, neither of which had any effect at all)

0 likes, 17 replies

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  • eleftherio33095
    eleftherio33095 sarah48062

    Posted

    You are describing episodes of dizziness after trauma.  It is possible that you have an inner ear disorder affecting your balance system as a result of trauma.  You should be investigated assuming a possible inner ear problem.  You should have an audiogram done and caloric test, probably under the guidance of an ENT doctor.  A CT scan may be necessary of the inner ear as well.

    Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN

    Clinical Neurophysiologist

    Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology

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