Does this sound like Vestibular Neuritis?
Posted , 31 users are following.
Hello, this is my first time posting. I have a serious health issue, but the doctors haven't been able to pinpoint what it is. Basically, I've had six weeks of dizziness and unsteadiness. It sounds like Vestibular Neuritis, but please let me know what you think.
On June 9th I got some kind of stomach flu or food poisoning. I had severe vomiting and diarrhea. Other than a canker sore under my toungue, I was starting to feel better. I was exercising again and working again.
While walking across a bridge in the park on June 14th, I suddenly got a fear of heights. I felt the same sensation the next day while sitting at a traffic light, that happens to be on top of an overpass. I felt panicky.
As the week went on, I was getting panicky in the car every time I had to stop at a light. I had to look down at the sterring wheel because the cars criss-crossing in front of me was making me disoriented.
Then I began to get dizzy spells throughout the day, plus I felt a permanent unsteadyness 24 hours a day. A lot of times I had to concentrate hard to walk. My eyes were not going where I wanted them to go. Work really brought on the systems. I started missing days. I also had to have people drive me around to places. One time I had heart palpatations when there were a lot of people around me. Eventually I asked for a leave of absense.
On the 26th, a dizzy spell got so bad I had to go to the hospital. It was mainly disorientation, not like the room was spinning. I was still able to walk around the hopital, but very slowly, and had to concentrate hard to do it. MRI showed no tumors or stroke. They said it was a middle ear issue, perscribe some medicine and sent me on my way.
So far I've seen one ENT, but other appts are coming for nearologist and another ENT. My hearing test was perfect. The ENG/caloric test came out normal, which surprised me. He suggested I might have Mal de Debarquement Syndrome.
I became became imprisoned in my home, and I started to feel physically weak as the days went on. After learning about vestibular exercises on the Internet, I decided to start doing them on my own. They seem to have helped with my balance and with my eye-darting issues. I now go for very long walks. I am starting to drive again too. However, everything feels totatlly different than it did before this all began.
There were a couple of nights where my brain was doing odd things. I got hot flashes (even though I'm a guy) and heart palpatations in the middle of the night one time.
My persistent systems right now are:
-suceptible to dizziness when on the computer, watching TV, doing quick head turns, being inside stores
-high-pitch ringing in my left ear
-fullness in my right ears that comes and goes, almost like there is fluid in them
-harder to concentrate
-unsteadiness as I move. Sometimes it's a "bobble"; othertimes it's like I'm leaning in one direction or another. Sometimes it's almost normal.
-sensitivity to sound, like the bath water running
-misidentification of sounds. I sometimes think the garbage truck is outside, only to figure out it's our air conditioner.
Let me know what you think. I would like to begin living a normal life again: return to work, use a computer and watch TV normally, be able to drive long distances without worry. I'm thinking it's VN, but I did not have an "acute" spinning phase, plus the caloric test was normal. The canker sore may be relevant because I've read that the herpes virus can attack the nerve.
5 likes, 302 replies
chris1303 Kevin5555
Posted
I have good days and feel ok but then wham, its back. I find conversation difficult and have pretty much withdrawn as I need peace and quiet. Its a crap existence to be honest but all relative I guess. All your persistent symptoms I have. The ENT guy said it was classic VN. "When will it end" ? Shrug of shoulders!! Keep doing the exercises....he said.
Also I did question him how I could have perfect hearing and my ENG/calorific tests be completely normal. He skipped around that one...! I'm at a loss.
Kevin5555 chris1303
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tasha25575 chris1303
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chris1303 tasha25575
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tasha25575 chris1303
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Helianthus tasha25575
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chris1303 Helianthus
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Helianthus chris1303
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I think if I have the test in a years time+ the caloric test would be the same - no balance ability in bad ear but perfect balance in good ear. I'm not sure if my eyes would still flit about if by then my brain/eyes had retrained?
I'm not sure if its strange or not that your test came back normal? It's not as if you've had a mild case of VN. I would have thought some damage would have been noted? Perhaps just inflammed? I am new to this game and it appears we all have similar symptoms with a touch of individuality.
kel2015 Kevin5555
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kathleen65757 kel2015
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kel2015 kathleen65757
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kathleen65757 kel2015
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Once they realise it is not life threatening they are not so interested. It is certainly quality of life threatening!
marlene21102 Kevin5555
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I have tinnitus ,sounds like you have that maybe ,many with balance have this as well ,neck ache is another one with many of us .
With Mdds we are okay at driving ,doesent affect our balance ,it's only on walking ,even to sitting in a chair for some ,I get that but never in a car down to concentrating my husband says .
Have good look at post ,see your not alone .With having tinnitus. I don't like to answer a phone. The pitch can be unbearable in people's voices ,what I will ask ,do you or have you had any allergies that's another thread of the symptoms with us like Sinisitis as an example .
chris1303 marlene21102
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marlene21102 chris1303
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chris1303 marlene21102
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marlene21102 chris1303
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Miserable condition for anyone ,how anyone can work is beyond me its a disability for sure .
rmazusa marlene21102
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I was diagnosed with LAB/VN after presenting with many of the same symptoms that Kevin mentioned, although I've never had the total spinning ... just slightly dizzy.
Have you ever had swelling in your neck? Mine seems to last for a few days when my symptoms are worse, then resides as they get better. This cycle has been repeating itself for the past 60 days - but I just fight through it. I've been on a number of airplanes, and no better/worse from those. Antihistamines seem to help with many of my symptoms. I have been to all of my docs - ENT, GP, Pulmanologist ... MRI, CT, numerous blood tests. Nothing definitive.