Does this sound like Vestibular Neuritis?
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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
paul_34168 Kevin5555
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tasha25575 paul_34168
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paul_34168 Kevin5555
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helen34461 paul_34168
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yes mine stated as a inner ear infection now constant unsteadiness and brain fog nausea. 2 years now.
anne05147 Kevin5555
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Kevin5555
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chris1303 Kevin5555
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marion50354 Kevin5555
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I went to an otalaryngologist (head and neck doctor)--no one on this site seems to have done that. He tested me up and down and my hearing. He concluded I have BPPV. It's probably the same as Vestibular Neuritis or in that category. It's Benign Positional Paroxysm (or something) Vertigo.
It has to do with the ears and the eyes. The ears have 3 canals with liquid. If a particle breaks off from the nearby bridge (this is between the canals and the cochlear) and drifts into one of the canals, it completely throws off your balance. Also, when I was tested, my eyes showed that my vision curved to one side. No wonder I was dizzy!
The doctor recommended Vestibular Therapy, which involves diagonostic tests and prescribed exercises. I went about 5 times; very dizzying while doing it, but the therapist said that's natural. Then she sent me home to get rid of the rest of the problem--giving me exercises to do for 3 months, starting often and lowering to less often.
I have been doing them and--I'm afraid to jinx it--I am 99% better. I say that because during my home time I had a relapse for about 3 days. I called the therapist who simplified a few of my exercises. I did. And now I forget I have it. I say "have" because apparently I have the relapse kind. Had it twice before in crisis times of my life (and now I've had 2 other crises when this episode came on). One thing more: if I get out of bed too fast or turn my body quickly to one side, I get remnants of dizziness. So when approaching those two moves I always take it slow. Also: many on this site say they've had panic attacks and depression; I didn't. But I['m wondering if it could be from the awfulness of the syndrome. I really hope you get proper therapy and can find an otalaryngologist. Best.
chris1303 marion50354
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Terry6872737 marion50354
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Just wanted to point out that this specialist is an ENT.
Kevin5555
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Today I drove to a hardware store in an attempt to get myself used to being inside a store again. As soon as I stepped in, I was almost paralized by the light section which is near the dore. My eyes immediatley darted to the floor and I could not get myself to raise them until I walked another way. I stayed inthe store for a few minutes looking at stuff in the aisle. It kind've got better, but I didn't want to push myself too hard. After getting home it took some time to shake off the light dizziness.
For all you VN sufferers, are you able to shop as normal?
marlene21102 Kevin5555
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If your in glasses get the reactor light prescription ,that should help .
Kevin5555 marlene21102
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Terry6872737 Kevin5555
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anne05147 Kevin5555
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tasha25575 Kevin5555
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tasha25575 Kevin5555
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fasthorse Kevin5555
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