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 think I will take all the evidence to the Dr and push for some answers, though I'm pretty sure being "borderline" on everything means a shrug of shoulders and the old "anxiety" bag being trotted out!
laurence76206 chris1303
Posted
paula59 laurence76206
Posted
marion50354 paula59
Posted
fasthorse marion50354
Posted
Kevin5555
Posted
chris1303 Kevin5555
Posted
chris1303
Posted
marie43202 Kevin5555
Posted
did the vertigo subside after the caloric test? As I mentioned in a previous post, up until that caloric test I was only experiencing dizzyness, after that darn test, I delved in to the world of vertigo and have never been the same since. I almost wished I never had that test. My ENT dr said, "well, that is the sign of a good vestibular system, your body reacted well to it". Not sure if that was sarcasm or what.
How long did it take for you to recover from the vertigo experienced during the caloric test?
I like Chris's humour...lol. We spend too much time crying over this, it's nice to have a good laugh.
Kevin5555 marie43202
Posted
fasthorse chris1303
Posted
fasthorse Kevin5555
Posted
marie43202 fasthorse
Posted
fasthorse marie43202
Posted
chris1303 fasthorse
Posted
marie43202 fasthorse
Posted
Thank you for the suggestions
fasthorse marie43202
Posted
fasthorse chris1303
Posted
troubles are causing numbness and tingling...I also have the numbness in the hands, but get relief from adjustments to the thoracic spinal area...Yesterday I rode for 2 hours and had no numbness in the hands...I hope you can see a chiropractor or acupuncturist..Inversion table can also greatly aid spinal problems. I don't think there's anyone on these threads who suffers dizziness and doesn't have cervical/spinal problems too...