Vertigo for 7 Days now - 27 / Male

Ears, nose and throat
1

Hello,

A week ago on 6/19/19 I was in the shower when I had a quick, sharp pain in my neck that traveled to both my shoulders. This freaked me out a bit and elevated my blood pressure / HR ect so I took a trip to the hospital. Chest X-ray, EKG, Blood work, all fine. I checked in with a very high blood pressure and heart rate which they thought could have been my first panic attack from the strange symptoms.

After that stressful event, I have felt a vertigo sensation accompanied by lack of energy, tired eyes, and nausea. I visited with my PCP on 6/21 where she ordered blood work as at the time my main symptoms were “flu like”.

Since then, my weakness has gotten better, I am moving around more but the vertigo feeling continues. It is bad enough that I cant work. When I lay down, it seems to get better. The diarrhea and loss of appetite has supsided over the past 2 days. The PCP did a test in the office where she had me turn my head and fall back on the bed, but I did not get a dizzy sensation. I did however have the vertigo sensation more, when I turn my head for a period of time, then return to center.

I have a brain MRI WWO scheduled for tomorrow morning 6/26. It has now been a week since the hospital visit and I am still feeling the vertigo. I have had concerns of possible sleep apnea as well as about 2 weeks ago I did have a very mild sore feeling in my ear. I am not sure if they are connected, but I wanted to add that in. I also have noticed over the past few months, increased floaters in my eye. For the past 5 months I’ve had a “sore” neck. Never any pain, just felt like I had slept on it wrong. Usually cracking my neck made this feeling subside.

My treatment so far from my PCP has been the meclizine, Cervical Neck Xray (normal readings) MRI BRAIN WWO (on 6/27), heat pad on the neck and neck stretching.

PLEASE help me. I have to provide for my family and I cant do that when I’m home, missing work. Its just so scary having this vertigo feeling for so long now. I have to get better.

Thank you!
Mike/Male / 27

Current Medications
Metoprolol 75mg 1 QD
Meclizine 25mg 1 TID PRN
Blood pressure: Stable 123/84

2

I’m no expert but have had a similar sort of panic at very scary and powerful symptoms… it is so difficult not to worry but try ! If I were you I would try a cranial osteopath and an ENT doctor to check for muscle/joint issues like jaw clenching, or vestibular issues. They all say that dizziness is rarely a symptom of something really serious and I hope you find some peace! Getting the MRI will help to put your mind at ease.

3

Maybe another tip – when I was having strange symptoms I was able to chat online with a neurologist by signing up for a $5 trial subscription to the internet service ‘justanswer’. Beats waiting for months for a referral to come through. I found it extremely helpful and he was able to answer a lot of questions for me.

4

michael, you need to find a “dizzy clinic” in your area. look in the major city near you. you need caloric testing ect lok up otolaryngology, nuero-ontology. these are the doctors you need to see. a regular ENT or nuerologist, PCP wont be much help.
there are several reasons for verigo. is a symptom. for me i was misdiagnosed 2x before finally getting to the correct doctor. vestibar migraines. but there are so many different disorders ect that cause this. dont wait.

5

Thank you, I was referred to a Center for Dizziness and Balance and have an appointment with them tomorrow. I have never had this in the past and it was only brought on after I had the sharp pain in my neck and shoulders while in the shower. Since then, I’ve had the vertigo.

6

My main symptoms now are an inability to concentrate my eyes at something far away. For example, when driving, if I look far down the road, I have an issue concentrating my eyes, but close to the car, I am okay. And the vertigo feeling is constant, 24/7. It becomes manageable with the Meclizine but I cannot work and that is putting a huge strain on my family.

I just need answers so bad. No one can tell me what is going on or how to fix it, just hope tomorrows appointment at the dizzy and balance center will help.

7

thats where you need to be. this is good. mine came out of nowhere too. never had it, never sick like that and it wouldnt go away. the vertigo was the scariest thing. the dizzy clinic will do proper testing. keep your mind open. you are focused on your neck. they may come back to you saying its something else.

8

i had the same thing driving. my eyeball would pull and droop. i could drive my own car most times, although looking back, there was no way i was ok to drive. but i could never be a passenger. i barely worked thought i was going to lose my job. couldnt think, talk, walk, list went on. confusion all day. in the end, its vestibular migraines which the dizzy clinic testing confirmed. i am better now as i am on meds. i dont need the mecclizine anymore. but still carry it as like a security blanket. still have the zofran too. its traumatic. i had anxiety the first time in my life. trouble in crowds, stores, i isolated myself.