Labyrinthitis and severe anxiety
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi. I've had labyrinthitis for 3 weeks now. Was given prochlorperazine which I had an allergic reaction to, vomiting, diarrhoea, uncontrollable shaking and massive panic attack. The anxiety has continued, although dizziness has improved. I've been prescribed propranolol and a small amount of diazepam when needed but still wake up every day with a feeling of complete dread and struggle to get through the day, scared to be on my own or go anywhere. I've also been self medicating with alcohol in the evenings which has helped to relax me but I know this isn't the answer and will be making things worse in the long run. I work in mental health but off work just now and had to cancel our holiday. Feel the anxiety is completely taken over my life. HELP!
0 likes, 14 replies
chris17708 Janebrain
Posted
hi i have severe aniexty mostly in bed all the time the dizziness is terrible
Janebrain chris17708
Posted
Hi Chris. I know it takes me all my time to get out of bed& showering is a nightmare with the dizziness. Catch-22 as the dizziness causes anxiety but then the anxiety causes more dizziness! Hope you recover soon!
chris17708 Janebrain
Posted
do you work in mental health
Janebrain chris17708
Posted
Hi. Yes I'm a senior community psychiatric nurse, also have a physiology degree so have researched into this at great length. unfortunately no quick fix but frustrated at the time scale and being unable to function just now.
chris17708 Janebrain
Posted
can i ask you please can you be dizzy all the time, i am so scarec not been out the house since last august just in bed cryi ng
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Janebrain chris17708
Posted
Chris have you been seen by a Dr or spoken to anyone? The vestibular system is linked to anxiety/depression but you sound like you maybe need some more support.
hmoosey Janebrain
Posted
why do you say you have labs? did you get proper testing? or was this a diagnosis after a regular doctor visit? you should try mecclizine instead of the alcohol. did you have caloric testing?
Janebrain hmoosey
Posted
Hi. i say i have labs as that's what I was diagnosed with by my GP. I live in the UK so unless something
persists for a period of time, GP's won't refer for any further testing. I was prescribed cyclizine which didnt help and after the allergic reaction to prochlorperazine, I'm reluctant to try any other anti-emetic or antihistamine medication. I am aware the alcohol isn't the answer but when in the grips of panic it is a quick fix.
matt57085 Janebrain
Posted
Even if it persists GP's and the NHS are a complete waste of time/space/energy.
In just over a months time i'm going to have been every second of everyday severely dizzy and off-balance for 2 years straight and it was off and on for 7 months before that.
Aug 2017 i was taken to a&e via ambulance as the paramedics thought i'd had a stroke. They recommended i see i vascular consultant and my GP was told to refer me urgent. He didn't and did a w***y choose and book with a 1st appt available of 5 months. I created a fuss and it took 10 weeks!!!! The vascular consultant couldn't find anything and advised my GP to refer me to neurology and i was told it would be 7 weeks and it ended up being 31 and i had to go to PALS or it would have been over 40 in the end.
The neuro couldn"t have been less interested if he tried and i told him it was 24/7 non-stop and he writes on my 2 letters from him occasional dizzy spells! F😠😠king t😠at!!
I then asked my GP to refer me to ENT and i asked if he could refer me urgently and he agreed and again he didn't and sent me a choose and book which was a waiting time of 5 months so i rang the hospital and got seen within a month, had audiology tests within a month and ENT referred me to UCLH London. This was SIX months ago. I phoned UCLH after 2 months and a mistake had been made and since i have emailed and phoned and i've heard fu#k all!!!
I understand that GP's don't know everything but just being believed and doing what they say they will do and are supposed to do would be a start.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I'm on a couple of Facebook groups and most people find the NHS the same but hope you are one of the lucky ones👍 I've begged and pleaded for help and must've been to my GP 30 times when it was off and for 7 months and 28 times since it's been 24/7 as i started to write everything down after my a&e visit nearly 2 years ago.
My GP is very lucky i've not knocked him out or shoved his stupid pointy brogues down his throat. TW#T!
chris17708 matt57085
Posted
i agree they have not got a clue , i suffer with severe dizziness and feeling of nausea every day, saw a neugloist he said vertigo my doctor said severe aniexty had various tests including ct scan i was convinced it was a brain tumour
Janebrain matt57085
Posted
Sounds bloody awful, so frustrating not to feel believed. I really hope you get some answers and decent doctors soon!
hmoosey Janebrain
Posted
i am concerned that a GP just put this label on you. if you have labs they should be getting you to an ENT- there is so much testing and so many different reasons why someone has these debilitating symptoms. i was misdiagnosed 2x before finally getting to the right doctor who tested me and diagnosed me properly. vestibular migraines for me. first dx BPPV-2nd-vestibular nueritis. had i not pushed and found the right places on my own i would still be so sick. i am from the US-here, there is always talk about how great your insurance is and how US-should be the same way. i think everyone should have insurance. but i pay for mine thru my job. and because its private, i can get to any doctor i want. it took me 3 months of hell to get to the right one. i cannot imagine having to fight so hard to see a specialist. i have read this about canada too. its hard enough thinking clearly, staying upright, then having to beg for a specialist. my advice- ask your GP- to refer you to the dizzy clinic in your major city. i know there is one in london. look it up, wherever you are in europe. try taking mecclizine for the dizziness. i say dizzy clinic because most regular nuerologists and ENTs dont know anything. so you are going to wait all this time for what? otolayngology nuerotologist. these are the docs you need referrals to. i never had anxiety in my life but when i got this, i was anxious all the time. but dont lead with anxiety because they will just say its anxiety causing this
Janebrain hmoosey
Posted
Thanks for this, I've not seen the same GP since having this diagnosis of labyrinthitis, some thinking maybe migrainous other one BPPV so still none the wiser. Although the physical symptoms have eased slightly, my anxiety has greatly increased and now feeling so agoraphobic with regular panic attacks. Of course I happened to mention this to the most recent GP who has now clearly focussed on the anxiety and I think he assumes histrionics. Although he has not offered any help apart from more anti-nausea/dizziness meds which i have already said they don't agree with me. So no i don't rate or trust GP's, they want you to be ignorant and blindly trust their somewhat lacking judgement & take whatever meds they dumbly prescribe. So done with feeling like this with no help or hope!
hmoosey Janebrain
Posted
most of us who have one of these disorders have developed some anxiety. i had never had anxiety before. for me, crowds and grocery stores. now its just crowds. but my advice see a specialist - you should have testing to confirm labs. anything else unacceptable. bppv shouldnt last too long. most dx with this right away. that happened to me. but never lead with the anxiety, otherwise they just say everything you are experiencing is an anxiety attack and you wont get help. look up on webmd the vestibular migraine, the labs, ect and see which symptoms you have. that helped me. remember with VM- you dont need the pain of the headache. certain research says VM- is the second leading cause to this. yet, drs have yet to pick this up. keep pushing. if you have VM- you will need more than the anti naseau anti dizzy. that stuff helps but doesnt cure. just masks your illness. you may need anti depressant to reset your over stimulated brain.