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Vertebrobasilar insufficiency ??

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john49662
john49662

During the last twelve months I have visited four consultants three of whom diagnosed that I have Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency - and as a layman the symptoms suggest that. However having had an MRI, an MRA , and doppler bloodflow , there are no indications of a restriction anywhere. There are many symptoms, the main one being a long term lightheaded which has been increasing for maybe four years to the extent that it is now difficult to walk more than a few yards without the need to hold the wall, so making me housebound. I have twice visited Ear/Nose/Throat specialists who say that the problem is not in their area of expertise - and I do not have vertigo. The only time when the symptoms are reduced is when I lay down, but return with a vengeance when I get up again. I am presently attending a physiotherapist to carry out the Cawthorne Cooksey exercises, but I have my doubts that these will tackle the core problem. The lack of any provable diagnosis, and hence prognosis, is becoming very, very frustrating. Can anybody suggest a way forward ??

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • peter01729
    peter01729 john49662

    Edited

    Well this is interesting, I have these same symptoms from my time on beta blockers a few years ago but they still remain. I dont have vertigo, but I describe feeling like a drunk zombie, people assume I am drunk as my walking is rather off balance and I have to hold onto the wall, gets worst as I get tired, and my speech becomes slurred. I only feel OK when lying down.

    I spent the Autumn in Spain where my symptoms where hardly noticeable, but as the evenings cooled in November, I did find them coming back, soon as I got back to the cold of England, they were back with a vengeance, so I wondered if it might be an increase in blood viscosity reducing the blood flow to my brain. I also have a bad crick in the neck.

    I see a neurologist on Friday so I might put it to him, trouble is, when ever I offer suggestions it makes them think I must have "Health Anxiety" because I learnt about something independently from them.

    • john49662
      john49662 peter01729

      Posted

      Hi Peter it sounds as if you have very much the same problem. It would be interesting to hear what your neurologist has to say on friday.

    • peter01729
      peter01729 john49662

      Posted

      Now I am looking into this further, its sounds exactly like what I have, one doctor on a Youtube clip talking about the balance issues saying "you don't realise, the back part of your brain is having to monitor where you are in 3d space", and thats exactly how I described my balance issues, not knowing my position in relation to my environment, so I keep bumping into walls. And then when I saw VBI gives something called "drop attacks" where you dont faint, but you just drop to the floor, that happened to me just a few weeks back, I also see it gives you tingling in your hands, feet head, face, I get all these and the back of my neck I describe as feeling numb in the way your mouth does when you get an injection at the dentist. I cannot believe no health professional has managed to come to this conclusion in the three years I have been searching!

      Thanks!

    • john49662
      john49662 peter01729

      Posted

      You describe it perfectly Peter. I don't get the tingling.......yet.

    • gwen46045
      gwen46045 peter01729

      Edited

      hello Peter,

      I have no personal experience, but my sister had similar symptoms and after numerous tests was diagnosed with a vestibular disturbance. She underwent Vestibular Rehab Therapy, which is a specialized form of physical therapy that is supposed to retrain the brain in performing balance functions. She has had some improvement.

    • john49662
      john49662 gwen46045

      Posted

      Hi Gwen, thank you for your message. I am rather confused with the various pieces of information I got from my consultants. They said that I probably have Vestibular Insufficiency which is " not enough blood feeding that part of the brain " but their suggestion is " Vestibular Retraining " which encourages the brain to better deal with messages from the inner ear. Somehow the two don't match, particularly as insufficiency can lead to a stroke. Anyway, I am starting a course of retraining on thursday and maybe the physio can make sense of it.

  • john49662
    john49662

    Posted

    Hi Peter, as I told you I went to see a physio today. The appointment was to find and hopefully come up with a plan to cure the lightheadedness and staggering. Lots of poking, squeezing and uncomfortable twisting. His first thoughts area) That there is no serious blockage of blood to my brain - at least nothing which he cannot manipulate away. That was comforting.b) As Gwen suggested, my brain needs retraining to accept signals from my balance organs. It seems that if you just sit around all day as I have done then there is little useful signals from yours ears so your brain begins to rely more on signals from your eyes.c) Because of the problems of balance and hence my tendency not to move around very much my blood flow and muscles have got a bit stagnant. He wants me to carry out long workouts sessions at home, keep a diary of what I do and how I feel, then go to see him for serious torture workout sessions starting next week. Will keep you informed. Good luck tomorrow

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