Labyrinthitis ?? advice please

I was diagnosed with Vestibular Neuritis last yr on my due date with my baby! They thought I may have had a stroke because I was vomiting uncontrollably and the dizzy spells/spins were completely debilitating, to the point where I had to lay in bed completely still or I felt like I was falling. After I went to triage, got an MRI, and given fluids interveniously, they sent me home with anti nausea meds which basically just knock you out. I was napping 2-3 times a day (not due to pregnancy) and bed ridden for almost two weeks. It slowly got better after that. This was almost a year ago (April 27th 2014 was when I went into triage). I still get bouts of vertigo regularly. I notice it is worse when it's hot, if I spend too much time outside on a windy day, an in a large space (like a shopping mall), and if I become anxious. Also, I recently read the herpes virus can cause VN. The cold sores you're speaking of could be a result of VN or vice versa. No one told me this when I was diagnosed. I would say that the length of time of this infection is different for everyone. Mine lasted over two weeks, I had to give birth when it was still in its worst. The body is an amazing thing! My best advice is not to push it, to rest as much as you can. I can't personally imagine having a beer while going through the symptoms of VN and the possibility of it adding to the feeling of the spins is unappealing. I would speak to your doctor, seeking the opinion of others on having alcohol during the length of this infection is probably not the best idea. I hope you feel better soon. For now, while you can, rest as much as possible!

Go for a drink I say! i have had lab for 9 weeks it's sounds like you are at the same stage as myself.i still get a little light headed and my vision is not 100%.

Beer?  Although I don't see how it could hurt, I for one, will not touch anything that will alter my state of consciousness, for I need all the awareness that I can muster all the time unless I'm sleeping.  But, that said, that is me, not you.  If you are not as screwed up as I am from this thing, go for it. Perhaps you only miss the taste, in that case, isn't there a low alcohol beer or non-alcohol beer?  Maybe they don't taste as good ( or more likely they taste like $#!+) I don't need any help feeling drunk or high,  I feel like I just walked out of a bar after happy hour all the time I'm awake.

On the issue of hearing, ear ringing and pain, Yes.  All of those symptoms are accumbent to Labs or Vestibular Neuritis.  Ear fullness or pressure, shocking pains or jolts are part of it.  It is a very sensitive area and the virus or bacteria invading while your body  attacks, as part of the mechanism heating it up and filling it with white blood cells, causes a hostile environment that surely casues pain.

As far as the cold or sore throat goes, I would say it could be the source, -or- because your immune system was working on it, your body's ability to fight off something else or something new was reduced and that something else got started in your inner ear(s).  The doctors don't seem to know much about where it comes from, so the jury is still out on that one. But, something like how an allergy, causes constant irritation makes a prime environment for an invader, the cold virus may have spread more easily to other parts of your body including inner ears while all the fighting was going on. Remember, this disease is not a glamorous one so far, and it doesn't garner the headlines and the doctors are not very aware of it yet at all.

100% ?  Don't have enough  data gathered for that one.

Well, that my 2 cents worth.

Good luck and I hope you do recover 100%, I know I am hoping I do.

Ben

Ive had the dizziness, weird ears, thing for now two and a half years.  Ive been diagnosed with silent migraine, but I dont think it is.  Had millions of tests and endless medication nothing works.  The thought of anything alcoholic making me more dizzy is out of the question, but thats just me.  I find it makes me much worse and very hot.  I think it does something to the blood vessels that isnt good for the dizziness and makes it worse.  But its your call obviously.  If it makes you relaxed and less stressed than thats got to be good.  Try one or two at home and see how it goes than at least youre not out struggling with extra dizziness trying to get back.  All the best. 

Forgot to say.........my ears feel fine when I am lying down.....but after I get up,  sading or sitting they start to feel blocked ...is this normal ??

I had problems that are probably (so I've been told by the Consultant) due to viral labrynthritis. I had two weeks where the symptoms were so acute that I lost a stone due to the nausea induced by the dizzyness. I also had sudden and profound hearing loss in my right ear. The damage to my innner ear is permanent, so I am now, 3 months later, still unable to hear anything at all in my right ear. However, like you, I have developed tinnitus and aural fullness. As you say the symptoms can vary in agression from one day to another and at different times. I am tring to learn to ignore the tinnitus, and the fullness in my ear can be quite uncomfortable. 

I still get dizzyness but not like it was at the beginning (or not very often). My Consultant has encouraged me to be drug free so that my brain can retrain itself to manage on only one ear in terms of balance, but very kindly gave me some medication for travel, as I found I was extremely sick when using the Isle of Wight ferry on a calm day (I have to do this trip once a month to help with sick parent).

I'm currently on a long haul holiday, and flying was quite a challenge, but the drugs helped a lot.

I also have something caled hyperacusis, which you may or may not experience. This is an oversensitivity to sound, which ironically I have in my deaf ear. It means that any sound in the environment causes a noise akin to rattling a tin ful of keys loudly by my ear. Sometimes this is very painful, so I tend to wear an Earpeace earplug if I have to be somewhere noisy. It doesn't stop it, but makes it more bearable.

Tinnitus I've been told is incurable, but that you learn to live with it over time. I have cut out caffeine in an attempt to lessen the effects. I did stop drinking for a long time because of the adverse effects on balance and tinnitus, but I have managed a few drinks now and getting  used to it. I have learnt that gin and tonic is a complete disaster, causing the tinnitus to spike dreadfully, while wine seems to be fine. I'm not a beer drinker, so you'll have to try that one for yourself.

Dizzyness is worse in the dark, it has to be said, so take care if drinking at night - especially if you have a gravel carpark to contend with (many pubs do, I have found to my embarrassment).

Hope you start to feel better soon.

Gill