I usually post in the anxiety forum but thought I'd try here to see if anyone can relate. I've been having off balance woozy head since oct my Dr says its anxiety but seems different then the anxiety I'm use too.I'll describe what I'm feeling out of the blue no warning in Oct I was smoking a cigarette like I did every morning all of a sudden I got this feeling that came over me and I got very very dizzy had to hang on to the porch and walls til I could get to the couch it lasted about 10 min. It kept continuing very bad better sit down dizzy spells like I'm going to go out. Fast forward til now I'm still dizzy woozy headed just not as intense but I get this feeling comes over me like adrenaline fear and at the same time I feel like I'm on a boat or in an elevator how it makes your stomach and head feel when its coming to a stop. I'm feeling this and doing this all day everyday. What is this???? Is it an ear thing or is it anxiety I'm losing my mind also if I smoke which is only two cigs a day now I've just about kicked the habit cause of this. The smoking makes it intense. And my Dr isn't much help all that comes out her mouth is anxiety but I'm not convinced of this cause I've never felt this stuff. I swear its just like being on an elevator all day long non stop also at times i feel like I'm being pulled not to the sides but backwards.
Desafortunadamente, Pamela, has estado siguiendo al grupo de apoyo equivocado, ya que tus síntomas coinciden con los de la mayoría de este grupo.
Hace dos años, en junio pasado, tuve el inicio de tus síntomas y, peor aún, estuve gravemente enfermo con vómitos debido al mareo, y tuve que llamar a una ambulancia (vivo solo), arrastrándome por el suelo para dejarlos entrar, y me llevaron al hospital. El personal de emergencia del hospital diagnosticó que sufría de neuritis vestibular (los maravillosos médicos del Hospital de Geelong en Victoria), pero esto después de tres días de pruebas. Me recuperé como ellos sugirieron que lo haría, en dos meses, y todo volvió a estar bien en mi mundo; hasta que el pasado junio volvió con fuerza. Más vómitos durante seis horas y, por supuesto, el mareo acompañante, así como estrés y pánico cuando estoy expuesto directamente a la luz solar o en pasillos grandes (o pequeños), como los que se encuentran en nuestros centros comerciales. Más tristemente, tu médico parece reacia a realizar el trabajo necesario para realizar investigaciones que podrían ganarle un Premio Nobel de la Paz, ya que yo y cientos de miles de víctimas de esta enfermedad ciertamente votaríamos por ella; lamentablemente, no está sola en el campo médico al prescribir únicamente medicamentos asociados con síntomas periféricos como el mareo o medicamentos para aliviar el pánico. Ahora estoy resignado a llevar esto conmigo para siempre. He aumentado mi régimen de ejercicio personal a tres horas diarias de carrera en colinas y terrenos planos (teniendo en cuenta que vivo en el trópico de Queensland) y debo parecer haber bebido un poco temprano en la sesión matutina, ya que a veces doy seis pasos hacia adelante y uno hacia la derecha (mi lado del oído afectado). De lo contrario, debido a que he perdido 9 kilos en los últimos tres meses como resultado de mi intento de recuperar mi juventud, los síntomas persisten solo en la forma mencionada anteriormente sin otros efectos secundarios. Por favor, contáctame si quieres más aliento sobre que eventualmente te sentirás un poco mejor, ya que creo que lo harás. Atentamente, Jonathon
You sound like me! It's not anxiety however these symptoms create anxiety! I think it's an inner ear issue for sure. I was diagnosed with Vestibular Neuritis. It can take along time to go away. You must be patient. The passing out feeling can be scarey....I had that feeling too but never passed out at all. You should go to an ENT for further diagnosis. Doctors are waaaaay to quick to jump to anxiety disorders with this when in fact it's an inner ear issue that creates anxiety.
Thank you ladies so much I'm so convinced its got to be inner ear that's causing me all this. If it is vestibular neuritis what do you do for it?
I was told there isn't much that can be done. The healing can take a long time. Although I'm much better than I was I've been dealing with daily dizziness for 15 months now. I don't get the faint feelings anymore which is nice but the dizziness fluctuates. My ENT also told me that medicstion s can slow down the healing/compensation process so be careful with what you take. I started to question if this was VN cuz it was taking so long to go away. When u read about VN it says it goes away in 3-4 months or something. My neurologist told me that the virus can stay up to 3-4 months but that the healing from the virus can take months and months. All I can suggest is eat healthy.... Drink lots of water!!!!! See if advil will reduce some of your symptoms since VN is inner ear immflamation. It might help a little bit. You can also start trying different things such as the epley maneuver in case it's just lose crystals in the ear. This has to be done daily for a couple weeks. You can also start trying vestibular rehab therapy. You can you tube these. Unfortunately for me these didn't help but they have for many other people. It's normal to have increased dizziness when you do these exercises. After months of this crap I take a low dose of ativan since I didtb want to take anything daily. I take it as needed for days when the dizziness is too intense. It really helps but is highly addictive if you take advantage of it. It's the only thing that's helps me get through my days. Ativan is a vestibular suppressant which is why it helps calm the dizziness created from the inner ear. And at the same time it helps with the anxiety that naturally comes with this illness. Be very patient. It's very difficult to get a correct diagnosis! Very frustrating. Your ENT and doctor should rule things out and send you for an MRI or ct scan to rule out anything major. I even had heart tests and blood pressure tests as well. All was normal. I also went for an ENG (caloric testing) of the inner ear. They found a mild vestibular dysfunction however this test was one a year after my symptoms started so I'm sure it wouldve been much worse in the beginning. Shopping malls... Stores...movie theatres....concerts all trigger my dizziness to increase. I even get head pressure and an unbalanced feeling. I was told this will go away do I'm waiting for that day to come. For now I'm done beig wonder woman and I take an ativan when I feel it's necessary. I just refuse to take it daily because ativan can also slow down or possibly stop the healing process.
Hi Jon,
Nice to read an positive post !!
I also live alone with this awful problem..
It's not easy... first started in August last year and lasted about 10/12 weeks ... and although still not 100% got back to work etc..
Then like with you it all came back!!!
In the middle of December ... off sick again and starting on the long road to recovery. ..
Hopefully you're having a good day. .
Thank you for replying all of what your saying makes more sense to me of it being my inner ear then just anxiety but this has brought on anxiety for sure and it's frustrating to not have control of your body functions. But I will some how get to an eat Dr if I have to find a new MD to get there
I meant ear
Forgot to mention that smoking will increase your symptoms because smoking contricts the blood vessels which then reduces blood flow to the inner ear resulting in nausea and increased dizziness. This happened to me as well
Go back to your doctor, it definitely sounds like Labyrinthitis / BPPV ....
But like someone has also posted, it is a long road back to recovery. .. good luck..
Omg thank you I'm convinced this is my problem for sure and thank you for explaining the smoking increases the symptoms all this fit me to the T. How do you deal with the smoking and increased symptoms?
I'm going back to the Dr and not giving up on this til I get answers
Thankfully I was just an occasional smoker so it was easy for me to quit because the symptoms were not worth it!! Also be aware that about a week before you menstruate and about 2-3 days I to your period you may experience increased symptoms. Unfortunately our hormones play a roll in our symptoms. I believe it's because during menstruation the blood in the body thickens which makes blood flow more difficult to reach the inner ear and because the inner ear is immflamed blood flow is even more restricted.
Yes never give up!! But just know you'll get different answers from different specialists unfortunately!!! This is totally frustrating!! I would strongly recommend you get 2 different ENT opinions. Also a regular doc will want to put you on an antidepressant. I refused to take it cuz I knew this was something different and I was right. Had I listened to my doc it would have prevented further recovery. Be prepared to go through several different tests including blood work...blood pressure tests....heart tests...mri...ct scan and probably all will come back normal!! Which is good but also frustrating cuz you don't find the answer to start the cure! Alot of times to be diagnosed its a process of elimination with inner ear illnesses. Stress will also elevate symptoms so try to stay as calm as possible! Also very importantly....keep moving!!!!! Stay as active as you can.....it speeds up recovery!!!! If stores bother you......don't stop going!!! Consider each visit to the store therapy! You might only last 5 minutes in there but thats ok!! Each time you go it'll get better! Don't avoid your triggers or you delay the healing! Slowly increase your exposure!
Omg I was just telling my friend today that the head dizzies has been bad the past 5 days and i just started yesterday
Ya its the worst time! It sucks! Also this illness doesn't get better overnight as you already know ....you can measure your healing progress month to month ...NOT day to day. Also try to decrease sugar and salt. Don't go crazy but just try to decrease. Sugar can increase anxiety and salt creates fluid retention which effects inner ear flow. I've been where you are.....I did soooo much research I could be an ear specialist now! Docs really don't know much at all about inner ear disorders! Hopefully you find a good ENT!! And make darn sure your doc rules out anything else that's serious by getting mri or ct scan.
Thanks Tasha I will and thanks for the info in all this
Thanks Tasha I've had lots of bloodwork and last Fri ekg all normal no ct scans or ear test,and Dr yesterday did add another anxiety pill I take vistaril 25mg three times a day and she just added buspirone 5mg and I do have high bp but this isn't from bp this is so different from the bp and normal anxiety. I take quinopril for bp
Si tienes seguro en los Estados Unidos, vuelve atrás y di que quieres ser derivado a un neurólogo o otólogo, ya que tienen más experiencia que un otorrinolaringólogo, y este último perderá mucho tiempo contigo. Creo que no pueden negarse si tienes seguro. Además, puede ayudarte buscar en Google “neurólogos otólogos” en tu área antes, así que si tu médico de cabecera muestra ignorancia al respecto, puedes mostrarle un nombre y un hospital.
Hi Pamela
Tasha is bang on with her comments!! She has learned so much and I can tell you from experience, she is right! I had VN in 2008 and it lasted two years. I got it back again in 2015 but i am 90% better after only 3 months. I call my head sensations wonkiness....like you're on a boat. It creates such an uneasy feeling and then anxiety hits. I take ativan when i need it and a very low dose anti depressant each day. I can function well now...even went to see a movie over the holidays! Keep your stress levels down and try hard to keep moving. Your brain is getting mixed signals...from your bad ear and your good ear....that is why the dizziness occurs. When your brain learns to compensate, your dizzies will diminish. It takes as long as it takes. Everyone is different. Hang in there! Debbie