Infection damaging nerves?

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.

Also, I feel like I can hear my heartbeat at times and it feels like its pumping harder.

Lastly I do have some slight back pain that comes and goes. So odd

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?

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.*

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