i have been feeling unbalanced and it feels like the floor is moving or sinking

i have been discharged by my nuro and i was referred to an ENT

No further fellow up needed.  discharged.

Did you see a neurologist or neurotologist. Neurologist only deals with brain.

that would be Neurologist, did an MRI Brian scan and its Clear.

he discharged me and told me i shouldn't worry about it and asked if i would like to see an ENT, i said yes. just to have it checked out,.

 

most likely after an ENT checked out it. it would be clear.

i am just trying to be sure

Neurotologist deals directly with brain and inner ear connections as they pertain to the vestibular system. They are usually few and far between cause they specialize in this area. I have to drive over a hour and a half to a University hospital to see one. Been to 3 ENT's. There abilities fall short when it comes to the treatment I require for menieres.

damm,  it sucks if after my ENT visit the cause it still unknown.

yep. that is how i feel.

 

It took me many doc visits and years to finally get a proper diagnosis. Because vertigo and dizziness is a symptom and not a desease it can mean anything. Some docs esp some ENT"s don't have the training to deal with or properly diagnose some vestibular disorders. I have heard others found out the same thing. There's 2 kinds of ENT. 1 that just does basic stuff. Not much more than a GP. And the other which deals with vestibular disorders and all ear, nose and throat stuff. I had to go out of town to find such a doc. No neurotologists in my area.

Ok I will...thank you

Thanks, i will do that when i see my ENT

erm, you have the same issue?

From my own experience over 4 years balance problems cause anxiety and the anxiety worsens the balance problem.  The two start going hand in hand.  After 3 years I was found to have silent migraines causing my imbalance and visual problems but it originally started out as BPPV and worsened when I then  started having severe balance problems as had 2 conditions running alongside each other.  The diagnosis it seems from others experience is never easy to obtain.  Compensation, medication for silent migraines and learning about my condition did help but I have learned over time that  anxiety also makes it worse.

well. glad i am not alone.

MRI is  harmful. don't do it and only if you have to.

if my ENT checks out, i guess i have to live with it

i can't agree more. your anxiety starts to kick it and worsen when the dizziness starts

Actually, MRIs aren't harmful at all, unless you have a pacemaker or a lot of metallic implants in your body. You should always tell your doctor if this is the case.

An MRI doesn't involve any radiation. I'd much rather have an MRI than a CT scan, which involves a lot more radiation than most ordinary X-rays.

It took time for me realise how much worse my balance/diziness worsened when I was stressed.  Yes, I did have 2 balance conditions but a stressful situation would always make my imbalance worse.  I have tried to become more aware and do deep breathing exercises, keep hydrated and take better care of myself.  My doctor also said it would take time for my brain to recover as it took so long for them to diagnose silent migraines but our brains are plastic and can recover over time.   The BPPV comes and goes due to ear crystals but now I know there are 2 seperate conditions going on I can differentiate between what is what.  The best advice the consultant gave me was to tell me not to get the 2 mixed up, I originally thought it was all one condition BPPV until I saw the otoneurologist who put me straight after extensive tests and prescribed me some medication for the silent migraines which was affecting my vision and spatial awareness and causing depersonalisation.  I cannot eat too much chocolate now which is the  trigger for  the silent migraines.  It is sometimes like trying to find a needle in a haystack as to what is the overall cause and trying to get a definite diagnosis is patchy dependent on who you see and how specialised they are in their field. ENT do basic tests but an otoneurolgist is more specialised.  

True.... MRI is magnetic and ct SCAN is radiation . At ER it's always CTSCAN .. I only get MRI if my Dr asks for a referal

Some hospitals have cat scan equipment and not a MRI. Only 1 hospital out of the 3 in my area have both. Other 2 send you to a imaging place. 1 reason I stopped going there.

Went to ER yesterday after work .. My blood pressure was high 167/90

Fever 100 Dr said with migraine blood pressure can go up. I had ct SCAN and all ok thank God. I also have gallstones ...dont know if i mentioned earlier ...plus this heat/humidity we've been having in California and we're not use to makes migraines worse. Oh and to top it off I don't have a.c. ( air conditioning) in my car ) :

So it's been tough . Doesn't help with all the extra stuff... palpitations anxiety feeling hot all the time . I knew I had a fever ... I felt warm for days already / :

I still feel the constant swaying motion though. It's horrible when I was there with my eyes closed to do the SCAN... omygoodness.... I felt so sick to my stomach ..i wanted to get up. I couldn't wait for it to be over. I felt like I was doing slowly flipping upside down ...yuck...felt like I was on a raft just swishing back and forth. It rattles my brain for a moment ...this is constant all day everyday . If I'm standing sitting or in bed...driving I get anxiety out of no where ..i start to feel this weird heaviness in my head my face my shoulders my body...this weakness. It's like the moment I hit 40... I'm 45 now.

Hope you all are having a good day no matter what . Even I'd it's for 1 minute..enjoy it. Don't give up. I'm not.

Blessings

it might be worth getting check out for menopause.  All my problems with silent migraines started with menopause although I was 55 at the time, but some women can start earlier.

I asked my Gyno and she said no...you're young ..you still get your Monty cycle...i was like ok..whatever. I mentioned all these symptoms to my cardiologist and he even mentioned menopause..i told him what my Gyno said and he said that doesn't matter ...you can still be going through the change. He said he will get in touch with my Gyno after he's done doing his tests on me ... holtor monitor and echocardiogram. Omygoodness my head is swaying so bad right now ...hasnt stopped . And I still feel warm even though I have air conditioner on . Took Tylenol . / :

I have a follow up appt tomorrow with Dr for ER visit from yesterday . Oh and my neurologist refered me to a psychiatrist because he said I'm depressed stressed that's why my head feels the way it does. I was taking Zoloft but it was lowering my blood pressure so I stopped it. But I haven't told him. I take topamax for headaches but this migraine has been lingering for days

Hi Namesake,

I'm wondering how long ago you stopped taking the Zoloft and how long you'd been on them. A lot of the symptoms you describe, especially dizziness and unsteadiness, are symptoms of Zoloft withdrawal. Even if you had them before you went on the Zoloft, going cold turkey will make them very much worse. Antidepressants should never be stopped abruptly, but should always be tapered off very slowly under medical supervision.

Hi ( :

I was on them from May 27- June 15 to be exact .. towards the last week I started skipping days.

That's probably too short a period to have caused withdrawal symptoms, but some people are more sensitive to these things than others. Have you tried going back on a very small dose for a few days, to see if it helps your symptoms? You can cut the tablets in quarters if necessary, unless of course you have the slow-release kind.

I see you also mention questions about the menopause. May I ask how old you are? Although the age of menopause is steadily moving back, it still happens relatively early in some women. The average for my generation was about 51-52, but mine came quite naturally at age 45, and I had several years of symptoms before that.

I see your gynae said you can't be in pre-menopause because your periods are still regular. She can only say that if she's tested your blood hormone levels, which I hope she has done. Hormone levels are the only way to determine whether you're in pre-menopause, as not all women's periods taper off. Mine became heavier and more frequent for several years before menopause, then stopped quite literally from one day to the next.

I stopped Zoloft because it lowered my blood pressure . My Gyno did not test me. I'm 45.. been feeling like this for about 5 or 6yrs now. It's worse the last 3yrs .

Lily, I really think you ought to try and get a doctor to order bloodwork to see whether you're approaching the menopause. It doesn't have to be a gynae who orders this - well, not where I live anyway. A GP (PCP if you're stateside) should be able to order it.

I'm not suggesting that all your symptoms are caused by pre-menopause, but if you are in this phase it could be making everything worse.

I will ask my Dr. Tomorrow I'm seeing the P.A ( physicians assistant) my Dr is out of town and my appt with her is until late Aug or mid Sept.I'm not crazy about the PA but at the moment that's all I've got..its to follow up with ER from yesterday . Plus I've mentioned the menopause to the PA before and she said rhe same thing... to talk to my Gyno... I can't wait to see my Dr... I miss her ).:

did you ever find out what it was? this sounds alot like what I'm going through.

i was wondering this too, Ive been having the same symptoms for a while now. feeling like I'm always moving or rocking, headaches, and its driving me crazy. ive had all kinds of tests with PCP, audiologist, ENT. my PT did the eply maneuver which showed I have BPPV on the left side but the maneuver ended up stressing my neck so just got through therapy from that. I have had several years of intense stress with work and home so honestly wondering if these symptoms are causing migraines and anxiety. im 57, complete hysterectomy when I was 32 so dont think this would be menopausal?