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Fiancé has had dizziness and vertigo for 6 months

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paul97371
paul97371

My fiancé has been suffering with dizziness and vertigo since May this year. She had a virus earlier in the year which included dizziness and that went away but a few months later the dizziness came back.

She describes it simply as being on a boat and the has bouts of vertigo which feel like she's being pulled to the ground. She's been to her GP several times. She was referred to an audiologist and all tests came back ok. She was then referred to an ENT but to be honest he wasn't very helpful, pretty much read the results from the audiologist and said she shouldn't have this at her age (she's 23) the discharged her. All advice by her GP and the audiologist tests suggest that this isn't a permanent illness, yet it's been quite a while. It gets worse if she's got a bug or virus and if she's on her period.

We're a bit lost on what to do next as we want to get to the bottom of this, it is affecting her quality of life and she's not sure whether she feels confortable to travel by air as she's heard it can make things worse.

0 likes, 18 replies

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  • kellie12337
    kellie12337 paul97371

    Posted

    Hi there I also have had dizziness since an inner ear infection. I have seen Ent and MRI and all came back negative. Maybe she should see a neurologist. The virus found have messed with the communication signals to the brain or the vestibular nerve of the inner ear causing chronic dizziness. She ay have better luck with a neurologist. It has taken me 8 months to get diagnosed and it took a neurologist to have any clue it was my inner ear vestibular nerve damage. I am now in therapy and hoping this will help. Also maybe a baer test to check to see if signals from the inner ear are getting to brain would help with her diagnose. Good luck
    • darren56189
      darren56189 kellie12337

      Posted

      hi think I'm goin thru the same as you mine started in march this year from inner ear viral infection at first I got the full blown vertigo that has eased but now for the last 6 months iv been suffering from light headedness and my eye sight is off a bit with it I seen a specialist last week finally but not much help ttt he told me to do cooksey exercises to try to over power the tong signal I'm a skin if anyone no.s if I can still do them when I'm having a bit of a bad spell light head etc and also is drink in lemon juice good for you thanks
    • kellie12337
      kellie12337 darren56189

      Posted

      Hi Darren it sounds very similar to mine. What are cooksey exercises the first I've heard of that. I was diagnosed with vestibular nerve damage from inner ear infection. No actual cure for it but doing physical therapy and exercising and moving as much as possible even through the dizzy spells. It is helping and I am able to drive again. I'm in school only taking one class microbiology but thought I was going to have to drop it for awhile because of the dizziness. If I were u I would give physical therapy a try what could it hurt. I am also trying to minimize salt intake which I read online is a good idea for any ear issue and dizziness. Good luck
    • darren56189
      darren56189 kellie12337

      Posted

      Yes specialist have me the cooksey exercises iv heard it similar to the eply head movement I started with inner ear infection in march got the full vertigo systems then that eased but the last 6 months iv been suffering from light headness and my eyes are off focus a bit like when I turn my head it's kinda light dizzy I just hope these exercices do help iv had this 6 months with no help left to it thinking what is goin on then other week finally seen specialist hence he gave me the sheet to follow
    • kellie12337
      kellie12337 darren56189

      Posted

      IV been going to therapy and he has me do some head movements similar to the ones you are talking about and a lot of balance things. It's hard because my dizziness doesn't have to a trigger it will just come on. Sometimes movements can trigger it and sometimes I can just be standing or sitting there and it will come on. Did doctor tell you to try and follow low sodium diet to help with dizziness. I notice when I eat really high sodium meal the dizziness is worse.
    • darren56189
      darren56189 kellie12337

      Posted

      No they didn't say anything to me it's like now as I'm writing this I feel bit dizzy etc it's not nice like you say I no when I am goin to have it most of the day soon as I wake up coz I can normally feel it once I'm up but iv heard these exercices does like retrain your brain to send the signal s another way iv heard it does heel it eventually but it does take time tho as long as you stick to them I only started mine last this week so iv got months of it to do like you I can just be sat there and next thing I can feel it comin on me some tines it can go and stay away for couple days then it comes back for couple wks it's a nightmare
    • kellie12337
      kellie12337 darren56189

      Posted

      Your symptoms are defiantly a lot like mine. I am going to start those exercises you said too. I looked them up online. What can it hurt. I would do anything to make this stop. I know I am always sicker the few days after therapy and they said that is normal. I am not sure about the salt because I ate Mexican food last night and I am really dizzy today but I also had therapy Wed and yesterday so hard to say. I do feel caffiene makes it worse sometimes. Did they tell you not to use your antidizziness med since it can slow down the process of retraining the brain. They were very clear to me and I have only used Valium once since I started therapy. Which is the med that helps my dizziness the most weird huh. Well keep telling me your info and I'll tell u what I hear and we can help each other since it sounds like the same thing. Good luck. Keep in touch
    • darren56189
      darren56189 kellie12337

      Posted

      I'm on medication called stematill and serc that's all I'm on like doctors waste of time really they basically said you got it there ya go keep takin these for as long as you need them the only thing is doin my head in prudent the punt ha is having to do the exercices on my own coz I don't see the other specialist till February again so it's goin to be a long process I just hope we can get thru this and get back to enjoying life how do you feel now
    • kellie12337
      kellie12337 darren56189

      Posted

      We have to have hope or there is no use to go through all of this. Just did a baer test the other day so I should get results next week and I go see Ent specialist in vestibular diseases in December. I'm doing therapy for 4 weeks then I go see neurologist again. I'm on disability and have no life so this has to work. My neurologist said to not use any dizziness meds as it blocks the process for the brain to compensate for the other side. Meds block the sensory in the brain and u r wanting to stimulate it so that the other side will compensate. I'm trying not to use anything unless I'm just miserable. Let me know what works for u.
    • darren56189
      darren56189 kellie12337

      Posted

      It's making me wonder now about my tablets coz they for dizziness etc but best to stay on them till told other wise suppose hope you don't mind me asking how did you come about seeing a neurologist coz like I say I don't feel hopefully next time I see the specialist got s feeling if no improvement by then he most prob will put me forward to see physio etc
    • kellie12337
      kellie12337 darren56189

      Posted

      I am a nurse and tell my patients everyday to advocate for themselves. I just demanded that I see someone else like a neurologist after 8 months of going to ENT with no results. I also told them I wanted to see a specialist in vestibular disfunctions and they referred me there too. You just have to ask and be demanding in a nice way of course. Just make sure they don't just rub u off and do nothing. Call and ask your doctor a d tell him u want to see a neurologist.
    • darren56189
      darren56189 kellie12337

      Posted

      Thanks for reply ill do these exercices for a Wile if no joy before I go back in February' to see specialist ill get in touch with my doctor and demand to see a neurologist yes I do them exercise s at home eye movement head movement s etc and when I'm out walking ill do them head movement s side to side with eyes focused on something
    • kellie12337
      kellie12337 darren56189

      Posted

      The last week or two I have been having some tennitis too. It's usually when I lay down I'll hear a swishing sound when I lay down sometimes or my heart beat in my head. The heart beat sounds like its in both ears. Don't know what is going on. It seems to be getting worse. Haven't had this until recently. Starting to scare me that it's not going to get better.
    • darren56189
      darren56189 kellie12337

      Posted

      Sorry to hear that I don't have anything like that get your self seen to I would demand to see a proper people now it's a joke all this no proper help iv just done me exercise s and I am so light headed and my eyes are off I feel rough like I said I'm goin to get in touch with my doc tomorrow and demand I should be doing these exercices with a physio that way they can keep tabs on how I'm getting on etc I feel alone when I'm doin them in the house I feel the speclistist should of referd me to one not here is a list do them till February then come back see me it's amazing how there is no cure for this with what can be done Brian surgery s etc
  • Guest
    Guest paul97371

    Posted

    Presumably your Doctor or the consultants at ENT diagnosed either Labyrinthitis  or Vestibular Neuritis ?

    Lots of information on the Internet in general, and on this site in particular.

    ive had it now for 8 weeks.waiting for appointment at ENT. But a near 3 month waiting list !!!

    • kellie12337
      kellie12337 Guest

      Posted

      Probably vestibular neurititis but still having tests done. I see a specialist in December also in Sacramento CA. It is the most miserable thing for anyone to go through. The feeling of no control of your body is horrible. The most important thing is support for her and it seems like she is getting that from you. Look into neurologist and good luck. I'm now on disability for a few months until I can finish therapy and get into specialist for some more tests. I am a nurse and have never heard of this damage to ear and chronic dizziness before this but its a learning process for me. Hope she feels better. Therapy can also do some head maneuvers which may help if she has bvvp or crystals in the inner ear that have been displaced.
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