Ear Infection? Something else?? Head pain
Posted , 3 users are following.
*Hi guys, I'm new here.
So it all started in late December/early January. My roommates and I got flu-like symptoms. Fever, cough, mucus etc. Eventually we got over it. Or so I thought.
Fast forward to the tail end of January (27-28th). Started developing slight vertigo. It would come and go throughout the day (I mostly noticed it in closed corridors or whenever I showered).
The vertigo eventually went away however after a few days. Weird.
Fast forward a week later, maybe the 8th of February. I started developing ear fullness, and crackling. It was dull but constant . Eventually I got slight facial tension on my cheeks as well. No paralysis but almost like a sunburn or my face being pulled back.
I spoke to my mother in law who's a nurse. She checked my ears and noticed they were swollen but no fluid. She suggested Motrin and Sudafed. Maybe it was sinus issue?
I used it for one week straight. Didnt work.
Eventually the vertigo came back. And now it came back even stronger. This was like the 14th of February.
I started freaking out. I would get lightheaded out of nowhere and feel like passing out. My head felt so swollen. Almost as if someone wrapped a belt around my head. So I go to urgent care thinking Im dying. They checked my blood sugar. It was fine. Hemoglobin. Okay. Blood pressure? A little high due to panic attack.
The urgent care doctor runs a basic neuro test on me...my finger following her finger, eyes following her finger etc. She checked my eyes and ears and her conclusion was... Migraine. Migraine...I've had migraines before. This did not feel like it.
She prescribed me Sumatriptan for headaches and Zofran for nausea. It did not help so a few days later I went to the physician (17th of February).
Physician ran the same test as urgent care doctor however he concluded I had middle/inner ear infection due to a virus that stuck around since January.
He prescribed me ear drops, Meclizine for vertigo and Ibropufen.
Now its been a few weeks since my appointment.
My head still feels swollen but not as much during the day as before. Also, my facial tension has slightly diminished. Not as much vertigo. My eyes arent spinning anymore however I still have ear fullness and crackling.
That being said, the odd thing is even though some symptoms are diminishing, I feel like I'm developing new symptoms.
It almost feels like I am drowsy, drunk. I get tired very easily. Like I need to put my head down during the day.
Also my heart rate would spike randomly. I could be resting at 60bpm then all of a sudden it can go to 90bpm as soon I start thinking about it.
The best way to describe the feeling is like I have low blood sugar with high blood pressure.
Secondly, I would get a throbbing sensation in hands and feet accompanied by cold sensations and pins and needles.
Lastly, I feel like I can hear my heartbeat and it feels like its pumping harder.
I'd like to note that all these symptoms come and go throughout the day. Some hrs are better than others but still constant every day.
Doctor likes to say that its my anxiety due to panic attacks. He says it put a lot of pressure on my nerves. But I'm not sure.
Its just so odd. I was perfectly fine leading up to the new year (working out 4 out of 7 days a week) then all of a sudden I'm having all these odd symptoms.
Is the doctor right in saying this is an inner ear infection mixed with anxiety?
Vestibular neuritis? Labyrinthitis? Cancer
Its on my mind everyday. Maybe thats why I feel so fatigued?
5'7 male
29 years old
175 lbs
Filipino Mexican
Any advice would be amazing. Thank you so much.*
0 likes, 13 replies
Beverley_01 eliseo71130
Posted
Hi There Eliseo,
I have had labyrinthtitis and it is a pain to have for sure! what you describe is symptoms I had/have. My doctor told me that for some people it re recures and I am one of them. So stress can make it worse, as can not eating well etc
The labyrinthtitis was 17 years ago and since then I have cfs/me so, some of your other symptoms caught my eye. I am not saying you have this but, the tiredness etc aren't necessarily the ear virus. They could be your body getting back to normal but, mention the tiredness and coldness etc to the doctor and see what they say. No matter what it is, you need to take care of yourself, eat well, sleep well and take it easy when getting up etc. I often get the feeling that I am on a rollercoaster in the middle of the night which is scary but, once you know that it's just because of the ear virus, you can work on your breathing and calming yourself back down. Sudden movements or certain noises can really catch you off balance with this too. I was told I had low B12 when I was having a bout of it a few years ago and after taking it for a while I felt much better so maybe see how your B12 levels are.
Btw, 3 other people I know got labyrinthtitis at the same time as me,one being my sister. She wondered if hers was Meniers syndrome at one point.
Hope this helps,
Best wishes,
Beverley
eliseo71130 Beverley_01
Posted
Hi Beverley,
Thanks for the awesome advice.
May I ask how you got labyrinthitis in the first place? Was it a similar situation like mine? Flu then vertigo?
Mine came out of nowhere although it started off slow then progressed to something severe.
Its been going on for two months now.
How long did yours last?
Honestly the fatigue low blood sugar feeling is putting me off. I didnt develop these symptoms until about a week ago however, which makes me believe it could be something else...or in my mind?
Beverley_01 eliseo71130
Posted
Hi Eliseo,
Mine came from nowhere, I know this may sound odd but, I had fractured my wrist at the same time and so can't remember the flu symptoms? I remember waking up and when I sat up I felt like I was on a rollercoaster. I telephoned the number for medical advise here in the UK and a doctor came to see me and after an examination said it was labyrinthtitis. I didn't have the slow onset at the start, it was like all at once.
The fatigue symptoms could be post viral fatigue or something else. Do you feel it after you have done something or does it just come on when you are at rest? I would check that with the doctor, did they check your iron and B12 levels when you had your blood tested?
Beverley
eliseo71130 Beverley_01
Edited
The fatigue comes in randomly throughout the day. I would be standing or sitting and all of a sudden it would feel like I had low blood sugar. Almost like I had no energy. Lethargic. It would be hard for me to even try and lift my arms.
I dont know if its mental or not but I doubt it.
Like I mentioned previously, I was a healthy guy up to the new year. All of a sudden I'm feeling pins and needles and throbbing sensations..
I did have my blood taken a couple weeks ago. I got a letter in the mail saying there were some abnormal results. But nothing urgent because the doctor nor the clinic has to call me about it. They just told me to come back on my follow up appointment to discuss them which is set for April.
Besides the fatigue thing, the one that p*sses me off the most is the heart rate. I can be relaxing and it was be 60-65 bpm then all of a sudden it spikes to 90-100 bpm even while sitting. If I think about it just a little bit, it gets my heart rate up.
Hard to tell if thats mental or not...
Labyrinthitis can cause that?
Moderator comment: I have edited this post due to the swearing. These are open forums so as per the T&Cs please do not use offensive language in posts otherwise they may be deleted.
Beverley_01 eliseo71130
Posted
Hi Eliseo,
I hope when you have the follow up they can allay your concerns. I guess it's not too long till. April now. I must admit I would be curious as to what abnormal result but not that important means, doesn't help things does it!
The heart racing could be lots of things, which is frustrating. I know with the labyrinthtitus that it causes my heart to race though as when your body feels off balance it pumps adrenaline which quickens the heart. Low iron can do this too as well as a host of other things so, again questions to ask the doctor. I have cardiac arrhythmia too which gives me palpitations sometimes when I cough too hard etc
Beverley
eliseo71130 Beverley_01
Posted
Hi Beverly,
So I went to see my doctor and he went over my blood panel. Everything was fine and normal except I was a tad bit high on cholesterol and somewhat Vitamin D deficient.
That being said, doctor said I was in no ways pre diabetic and nothing stood out with my thyroid.
Which makes this even more puzzling.
Because I can still feel my heart beat. Its loud especially after Ive eaten. Its not painful but a dull aching. Not sure if its anxiety or what, but the doctors are insistent that Im fine.
Plus I still have the pins and needles feeling especially on my left arm/hand.
This is rather confusing but they chalked it up to anxiety. The thing is it feels so real especially the heart feeling etc.
Beverley_01 eliseo71130
Posted
Hi Eliseo,
Has the Dr given you something for the vitamin D deficiency and/or anything for the cholesterol? I believe vitamin D deficiency can cause a range of symptoms and definitely the fatigue.
Have they given you advice on how to lower your cholesterol? I know this it is your heart rate that is bothering you but, if this and the D deficiency is coming up, it's best to work on these to see if changes occur first?
Beverley
eliseo71130 Beverley_01
Posted
Yeah, I was prescribed vitamin D, and also advice on cholesterol.
That being said, these symptoms feel beyond a vitamin d and cholesterol issue (id like to note that i was only a few points above normal cholesterol results)
Yeah hearing my heart is random, and on top of that My arms and legs easily get numb when i sit down or lean on them.
it feels like new symptoms appear every day.
Doctors suggested this is definitely anxiety. What do you think?
First think I think of is brain cancer or cancer or even MS. I know it happened right after I had flu-like symptoms but my mind does wander especially when doctors say theyre no specific time table for getting better..
Beverley_01 eliseo71130
Posted
Hi Eliseo,
I didn't believe it when I had the vit b12 deficiency either as I felt so ill and was falling to one side! Also with cardiac arrhythmia, I spoke to a non regular doctor who was quite matter of fact about me having it for 10 years but he had no idea how scared I felt.
I think we can pick up on small changes when we aren't feeling ok and kind of tune in to it more than we need. With my vitamin b12 deficiency I was dizzy, kept having strong heart beat and palpitations. Deficiencies are weird and vit D Deficiency can give people a lot of pain and fatigue, maybe where you are getting the feelings in your arms and legs from, did you google it by any chance? . My sister had D Deficiency and it can take some time to get back to normal.
Beverley
eliseo71130 Beverley_01
Posted
Whats crazy is I just started having these heart palpitations so late into my symptoms. So maybe that could be associated with my vitamin d deficiency? Or maybe it can be associated with weeks worth of stress and anxiety?
That being said, throughout all these new symptoms the ones that stuck around is the heavy tight head feeling (that sometimes makes me feel like passing out), and the ear fullness/facial tension.
Its so strong that sometimes when Im standing up, I get wobbly and feel nauseous.
The vertigo that started from my eyes has slightly dissipated but I technically am still "dizzy" due to the lightheaded feeling.
TBH, all these symptoms are slightly confusing. And what was once frightening has left me more angry and annoyed at this point.
I appreciate your conversation however. Open discourse does relax my mind. I just cant wait to get over this feeling. Maybe more tests could ease my mind?
Beverley_01 eliseo71130
Posted
Hi Eliseo,
I think it is hard to come to terms with any condition that has a sudden onset. I have cfs/me from a car crash and my symptoms were put down to the crash for a long time, which they are but, not totally? I get the weird head feeling, random pain, dizziness etc from that. It is frustrating that my symptoms are caused by someone else driving carelessly. most people get the condition after PVF/S but trauma causes it too. I was very fit and active prior to that.
You may have PSF/S from being ill. lot's of people who get this recover in a few weeks/ months. It may not be that. It maybe the vitD deficiency and slightly high cholesterol that is now showing symptoms after you being slightly depleted from the illness.
Checking things out by asking for more tests cannot harm things. My ECG always came back normal but, various Drs would re request it. My CAT scan and MRI came back normal though the later made me evermore dizzy in the short term.
I hope you have a good Dr that is willing to back you on other tests even just to give you peace of mind.
Beverley
Marina_Dee eliseo71130
Posted
The tiredness could be a side effect of Meclazine. Are you still taking it?
eliseo71130 Marina_Dee
Posted
no I stopped a while back cause it wasnt helping, if anything i felt lightheaded with it.