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
Kevin5555
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I've made some improvement in how much I can tolerate being inside a store. Traffic at intersections still disorients me; I always have to stare down at the floor. This is when I'm stopped. I've had a few days straight without much of a bobble, but I can still tell something is off. On top of what I'm going through, I just got diagnozed with arthritis in both my knees. That sucks since I'm only 40. I'm going to see a artihritis doctor to see if it's rheumatoid. I already knew I had it in my neck. It's possible that I may have inflamed my knees doing some of these vestibular exercises I've been doing on my own (like sitting up in a chair 10 times in a row). I am going to vestibular rehab on Monday. I'm dreading it since now I have the arthritis and I get dizzy in public places. It looks like it's at a huge complex. Hopefully I will have better days ahead because right now it is hell.
megb4387 Kevin5555
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rocksolid Kevin5555
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Symptoms Of Vertical Heterophoria:
Dizziness
Headache
Anxiety
Lightheadedness
Nausea
Unsteady Walk
Poor Coordination
Poor Depth Perception
Motion Sickness
Eye Pain
Neck Ache
Uncomfortable in busy surroundings
Sensitivity to Light
Double Vision
Overlapping Vision
Difficulty Reading
Tilting Your Head
Pain when moving eyes
Shadowed Vision
Losing your Place when Reading
Blurred Vision
Disorientation
Imbalance
marlene21102 rocksolid
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rita52071 rocksolid
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rocksolid Kevin5555
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Hope you are feeling well. I wanted to give the glasses a little time before reporting in. I have a few days where I feel pretty good and a couple of not great days. The doctor said it may take up to 2 wks to feel much better and today has only been 1 wk.
marlene21102 rocksolid
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I'm so ,so ,well you know how this all goes daily Im still somewhat static with this Mdds ,if you can get back regularly over next few weeks ,just to let us all know how your going with them ,that would help us all ,Give overall opinion to them .All helps .Hope others on here will go and check this out. Anne I think was going to get another eye test ,maybe something for her to mention ,worth getting it looked into .Ive heard Mdds and Mav are linked together .Never knew that either see how different ENT over the world vary in what they know .Good to talk Rock .Takecare .
rocksolid Kevin5555
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Kevin5555
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I am in the initial phase of vestibular rehab, but I don't attribute my recovery to it. Still, I'm going to go through with many more sessions. I also saw a second ENT for a second opinion. He talked to me and my wife for quite a while, but did not commit to any diagnosis. He said VN is possible, but the people he's dealt with that had it were spinning at onset, which I wasn't. He didn't seem worried about the unpopable ear. It looked fine in his microscope. For the ringing, he thinks as young as I am (40) that it will go away eventually. He did suggest getting another hearing test done, which I am going to do.
I cannot celebrate too much however, since I seem to be having on onset of arthritis. Both my knees have been inflamed for about a week. Also I'm having some pains in other parts of my body. Not sure if it relates to the vestibular stuff, but I see an arthritis person in a couple of days. It may be RA. I'm also seeing an otologist and a neurologist on August 25th.
By the way, I'm from Ohio.
anne05147 Kevin5555
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Hi Keven, glad to hear your improving. I am starting to wonder if having arthritis and this condition are related. Lots of us seem to have neck/joint pain and i wonder if it too affects the small bones in the inner ear, but then again that would take some research and it's just a theory i've had, because i have found with this condition it's clutching at straws trying to find out what's really caused the problem.
Hope your recovery continues and you get back to where you were before it all kicked off. Best wishes. Anne,
chris1303 Kevin5555
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I have neck MRI result on Friday after head was clear.
I find it interesting about the "other pains". I am completely accepting when my GP says "anxiety" -we all know this induces it and its beyond our immediate control. I too have a raft of other things going on since I got VN, not least the other night some chest pain which I am going to mention on friday. I'll push for a work up on that I think.
But knowing where to stop is a problem, surely not all these things are VN and anxiety related? Or are they!!
Hope the arthritis is not arthritis, best wishes, Chris
marlene21102 anne05147
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I've got IBS and Reflux ,some have mentioned they have both of these going as well since having balance ,just talking on another site today about this. Plus having arthritis pains .?
So many questions and theories as you've said This is so draining .
Rocksolid came up with this Vertical HETEROPHORIA .Go look at those symptoms thought of you and going for eye test .
Hope all goes well at op next week Anne xx
rocksolid Kevin5555
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anne05147 marlene21102
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thanks Marlene. I'm anxious about going in to hospital on MOnday and having a general anaesthetic and what impact that might have on my balance etc., as i have been much better lately since taking the nortrityline 10mgs and totally excluding chocolate, cheese and caffeine.
I was also contacted by DVLA to fill out a questionnaire and my ability to drive and informed that any driving insurance is invalid if you do not let them know you suffer with vertigo and dizziness or any condition that could affect your driving etc., , so am wondering if my occupational health have informed them as i drive for a living and recently had a consultation with them about my concerns. Was really upset about that, cos' if they did they could have had the decency to let me know at least.
Anyway i'm getting abit beyond caring lately and just trying to go with the flow but would really be upset if they took my driving licence away so hoping it's just a formality.
Thanks for your best wishes Marlene. Take care. Speak soon. Anne xx
Kevin5555 rocksolid
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Kevin5555 anne05147
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Kevin5555 chris1303
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