Well folks went to the doctors yesterday broke down in tears so fed up of being dizzy my doctor wants me to see a counsillor i have had dizziness for a year now lost my job through it as well what is a counsillor going to do nothing not coping very well at the mo feel like screaming but no1 listens wish i could feel normal again dont go out dont see any1 feel so sorry for my daughter shes 12 we got no quality of life at the moment its really starting to crack me up any ideas to make the dizziness ease.
Hi Alison ,I have been there but believe me you will feel normal again.i also went into the doctors and broke down (awful) he put me on tablets for one week (half beta prograne) which calmed me down ,and I am now on fluoxetine one a day,they are prescribed for depression and every symptom that goes with it.I really do not think I am depressed at all but what ever they have in them it is doing me good .i had severs balance problems/ dizziness etc but now they are all so much much better 99% normal. Good luck be posative .
Hi Alison,
Sorry to hear you're still suffering!
May I ask, have you ever had a diagnosis or testing? I've also had dizziness for the past 12 months. It's eased but I don't feel "normal" by any means.
Mine started very spiradically at my desk. No vertigo spinning, but a sensation of movement, mainly swaying or falling. It practically disappeared when I was driving or on a moving train but the minute I stood still, like at a till or talking to someone, it would come on tenfold. It gets worse in the dark, too.
I've had other symptoms too, like headaches, jelly legs, lightheadedness and extreme fatigue. No nausea particularly but a lot of panic about feeling dizzy especially when I'm not near home.
Drs initially diagnosed me with a viral infection (Labs) but since then, two ENT's have ruled that out. They don't believe it is anything to do with my ears.
12 months on and I've just been left to get on with it. I don't feel the dizziness all the time but it also comes on when I least expect it very randomly.
I've had two bad colds in the past year so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it.
I wonder if you have tried VRT? Also, a very good ENT in Harley Street (as well as my Dr) said that anti-depressants can also be effective at easing the dizziness as they work to calm down your nervous system. I wanted to recover without medication but I do often wonder if I should give them a go.
I know it's really tough but maybe this will help a little knowing someone is going through something similar. Fortunately, mine hasn't cost me my job but I'm petrified of travelling too far away from home. The thought of a holiday scares me to death!
Do come back to me with how yours started. We may find some similarities!
Take care.
Oh poor you. I hate it when gps say that. All you want is for the dizziness to go away and your head to feel clear and then you will feel fine! With me it's the the headaches and dizziness causing the anxiety - not the other way round. On the odd day when my head is fine I feel great. However if we are stuck with this whatever it is maybe we need to learn to cope with the condition and I ve decided that panicking about it doesn't help so have bought a book about relaxation and coping with pain and stress. Sending you hugs ! Lyn
Hi Alison.... So sorry to hear this .... I too lost my job, I had to walk away from it no one understood 😞. That was 4 years ago! I struggled for years with it not realising that It was connected with all the other symptoms of menopause. Firstly, You need to see another Doctor, even just for a 2nd opinion as it is quite shocking the amount of doctors who just don't have a clue what we go through in menopause. Mine had that blank expression that says " eh! ". My off balance/ lightheadedness/spaced out/ blurred vision caused me to have a total melt down, I was so worried that my anxiety went through the roof. I had no clue what the hell was happening to me. Anyway, I am a lot better now than what I was 2 years ago when I could not function. This sight saved me!! Without the ladies on here, those that took the time to listen & share their own stories made a huge difference to me. I am truly grateful to all of them. You will get through this, try and be strong it doesn't matter if you breakdown, you are human after all and you are not alone. ... Ask questions, write down symptoms and go back and see another Doctor a female, & if poss one over 45! Sending huge hugs & keep talking to us! 😊xx
Thank you lyn i feel exactly the same if it werent for the dizziness i would be otherwise healthy and could start looking for work i have put in a complaint about being fobbed off by doctors and specialists ive been hospitalized 6 times and still nothings done its been a year and still no diagnose i feel ive got it for the rest of my life not nice at all hugs to you to x
I had to come home from work i was severely spinning got taken into hospital and given stemetil but it didnt go away they treated me for a ear infection 4 lots of antibiotics was refferred to an ent surgeon which told me ive never had a ear infection its coming from my neck and had to see a neuro i paid private to see a neuro which put me on nortriptelene which for me is a horrible tablet but i didnt have no choice i took it been on it for 5mths now and still no better seen a neuro on nhs told me ent had passed the buck its not my neck it is my ears so its been a vicous circle i am now waiting to see an audiologist ive lost all faith ive paid to see a homeopath and a healer ive ate all the ginger it didnt help i feel as if i cant cope much longer im going to crack having acupuncture at the mo that aint helping either hope you feel better soon x
Yours sounds like mine lovely! Came out of nowhere! No job now, no social life, but I am feeling so much better than 2 years ago! I'm on 50 mg Sertraline, which has helped hugely even though I am not depressed but my symptoms made me feel very low. I too can't go far from home and have only recently gone out in the car to the garden centre on my own!! That is a huge accomplishment after 4 years of being stuck to my husbands side & sitting in the car while he does the food shop. I too still can't stand at a till waiting to be served, or going anywhere too busy!! We will get tgere its a very slow process but improving. Thank you for sharing & my apologies for jumping into you conversation but you sounded just like me! 💓xx
Try and be positive. I had a bad spell of it for just three weeks last year and it passed (other than migraine headaches inbetween which I felt completely normal) So you never know it imay sort it's self out. I am waiting for a CT scan and some treatment for neuralgia hopefully that will help me out. Try to relax and try any treatment or meds the gp suggests (it may help.) But I know what you are going through. I am signed off work at the mo. Very luckily still getting paid but that will drop down soon to half pay but I am a single mum (my son's 15) and I feel so guilty I cant do much with him or go far due to the dizziness etc. I hate driving and feel ill most of the time - not much of a fun mum at the mo either!
I know what you mean lyn im a single mum to i will drive if i really got to but the only time i do drive is to the shop i wont go no further i hope and pray that il wake up one morning and it will be gone but still waiting
Hi Alison
I have recently been there and done that! I managed to see a neurologist yesterday she was very good she thinks I have a middle ear infection and not labrithitis !
She now thinks I have migrane with vertigo ! Can you confirm you have seen a neuorlgist ? There are very could and can usually get it down to two or three possible things
Once they have done a brain scan and it's clear there is only a few things it can be ie lab bppv or middle ear
It does get better
Have you tried the Epley Maneuver. My case seems not as bad as yours; it's been or 7 weeks. I do the Epley Maneuver every day, and I am improving a lot. I have fewer dizzy spells and they are much weaker. I learned how to do it on YouTube and my Physical Therapist also went over it with me twice.
No i will have a look and try it thank you
Hi Alison
So sorry to hear you are having such a terrible time. I can understand and sympathise with your situation. I too suffer from vertigo as well as migraine and tinnitus. I had to give up my job five years ago when my condition went into a permanent state. I was fortunately that I was able to take early retirement and my children are adults. I understand the pressure you must feel not being able to do the things you want to with your daughter but you will be able to in the future.
Although it can be frustrating trying to get a diagnosis I do have some sympathy for the medical profession. Usually, their priority is to rule out anything serious or life threatening. Personally, I received a lot of support from my GP who referred me to a consultant for an MRI and then a neurologist.
The problem with this type of illness is that symptoms may be similar or the same but there are so many causes. Inner ear infection and labrinthitis can be a trigger and the damage can remain long after the infection has cleared up.
As Trevis said, the symptoms can be linked to the menopause. As it happened, my symptoms did get worse after I went into the menopause but there were other stress triggers which may have had a bearing. I've had migraines and sinus problems from childhood and this may have gradually progressed to my current problems. Also, I spent much of my younger years as an audio typist/secretary, often in a very busy office with lots of other background noises. This could have caused damage but I will never really know.
Although it may seem impossible now you will eventually get better, particularly as you are still young. Do take the advice given by the medical profession. If one medication does not work they may try you on something else. It sometimes take a little while for things to begin to work so don't give up too soon. I have gradually improved through a variety of medication, physio, acupuncture and chiropractic treatment among other things. I was unable to drive for two years but now I'm able to drive again, although I'm still not confident to go back on the motorway.
It is important that those around you understand that things are out of your control and give you whatever support they can and that will help you in your recovery.
All the best and try to be optimistic for the future.
Hello Ms. Alison,
My name is Ben, I live in Michigan. I am sorry to hear you have come down with this nasty invader at such a young age and at a time when you are really needed as a parent. I am very thankful that I came down with it much later, and that I have been blessed with an employer that is giving me the time I need to get over it. (going on 17 months now)
I am currently diagnosed with Vestibular Neuritis, which is a fancy way of saying I have swelling of my balance nerve. I started with room spinning for a couple days and then double vision and then just trouble trying to read because my eyes were jumping back and forth in the sentence. Now I am feeling light headed and a little dizzy, but mostly I feel as though my head keeps moving after I stop either turning my head or bending over, and there seems to be a lot of competition for my concentration. I used to be quick to come back with answers or remarks, now I just sit there, I can't do several things at the same time. I have a one track mind at present. It has been 1 year + 4 months to get to this point.
I had many tests like MRI, CAT SCAN, Hearing, caloric, rotating chair, blood work and I even had a sleep study done. Saw GP, ENT, Neurologist, Physical Therapy and then did much of it all over again for a 2nd opinion. I was first diagnosed with Meniere's disease, which is either a thickening of the fluid of the inner ear, too much fluid in there or pressure on the fluid from weak walls of the inner ear. I was told to take Lipo-Flavonoid, which is a brand name product that is supposed to thin the liquid out so it can drain and isn't causing swelling of the inner ear. Also, I was told to stop caffeine, salt and sugar intake as much as possible.
Meniere's disease is caused by an ongoing allergy or chronic low-grade infection making conditions right for a swelling of the vessels in the inner ear and then you feel like your ears are "full" or pressured, because the fluid cannot move through the swelled vessels. The drug Lipo-Flavinoid is supposed to help with this and it supposedly helps stop Tinnitus, that ringing or hissing sound. My own personal experience with this is that if you do the exercises that they prescribe it will make you feel worse while you do them, but it will help in the longer term. If you have the BPPV, a few simple maneuvers will actually put the out of place crystals either back into place or somewhere where they don't cause the false signals that make you feel unbalanced and woozy. I am not that lucky.
My 2nd diagnosis is Vestibular neuritis and that is a lot harder to overcome. The exercises I do now involve looking close and away many many times trying to keep the things in focus while I am moving around. So I am walking and looking up, down, left, right, close up and far away, and believe me it is a challenge. I used to be a race car driver. I have several very quick and fast cars, but I dare not drive any of them. I cannot drive fast or accelerate quickly anymore. I am able to drive, but I have to keep my attention focused on staying in my own lane and not too close to the car in front of me, and never very fast. I am so slow to get my focus back and concentrate on the car ahead of me, that I absolutely will not look around at things passing by, it takes too long to get my concentration back on the car ahead of me or keep myself in my own lane. Just looking in the rear view mirrors is trouble enough. When someone cuts in in front of me or cuts through making a left turn in a hurry I almost hit them, I don't see them in time to even put my foot on the brake befor they are through. I am not a good driver now.
Ms. Alison, what I have done here is try to offer you some of the solutions that I have found for the the dizziness, and give you some insight into what it takes to get on with your life and hopefully recover. You must use the medical professionals, as weak and unable as they may seem, to try to rule out the other possibilities. Then work through the relearning and rehabilitation to make yourself better. I am much better than I once was, and I tried to show you how long it took to get to where I am now and what I did to get there.
I would give you web sites to go to but this forum will stop the whole posting, they don't allow websites to post, so I will just ask you to read what other's have posted and go to google and look up all the new names, diseases, maneuvers etc and become knowledgeable about them. It will give you a better sense of what's going on and make you feel more confident about the eventual outcome.
So, please have faith and keep a positive mental attitude, you will get better.
Ben
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How are you feeling today? A little bit better I hope. At least you know you are not alone. Do you think it's dizziness now (as in where the room is spinning) or lightheadedness and fatigue you are mainly feeling? Are you on any meds? Lyn x
Hi lyn this site is a godsend not feeling any better its cracking me up im crying all the time the doctor got me on nortrptelene thyroxine stematil and fluoxetine really dont think my meds are helping today i looked out of the window and started crying ppl passing by thinking to myself im never going to be normal again the dizziness i have it feels im spinning not the room i barely get up off the settee i feel too ill ali x
Well ben youve brought me to tears tonight in a nice way you seem such a caring person to send what you sent me thank you x
Me too. The room doesn't spin but it's a lightheaded feeling and - like I am moving round slightly inside my head esp on the left side (a sort of rolling feeling) almost all the time. It's like the feeling you're left with a minute or so until your head settles after you've got off a roundabout or something like that. It's worse when I am tired and at period time (when I feel and look awful!)
Someone said travel sickness tabs help but I tried and they only seemed to make me more.sleepy. Please please try to keep your chin up - this wont last forever. Just a bad patch xx
Lyn, the travel sickness tabs he gave you may be Dramamine, which makes you sleepy. The meclazine doesn't make you sleepy.