I had a sudden onset of vertigo and vomitting whilst on holiday in Poland. Completly hit me from nowhere. I was admitted to a Polish hospital where I stayed for 8 days. I had various tests whilst at the hospital, such as MRI, CAT scan, hearing tests and caloric test. Since returning to UK, after much pleading I was referred to ENT department. I have had further hearing tests and a caloric test. The consultant has said he thinks I have VN, but can't explain how its happened (virus, infection or something else) but I have lost all balance in my left ear. I am in the process of recalibrating my brain with eyes and muscles. It has really been a roller coaster ride of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, fatigue. I have been ill for 3 months now and am making progress but very slowly, it often plateaus for a period of time. I am moving as much as possible and doing balance training exercises. I am not taking any medication.
I have recently returned to work, doing half days and I am finding it really hard. After working a few hours, I need to sit for a while before I can drive as my brain feels like a shaken snow globe. Driving can feel sureal, it takes maximum concentration and also shakes up my snow globe brain. Driving for around 30-40 mins appears to be my limit.
I wonder how others find their return to work, were any changes made in your workplace?
I would also like to know how VN sufferers find driving.
I feel so bad for you. I had been dizzy for 9 months without the throwing up. Been dizzy free for 4 days!! I have been seen & tested by a few doctors. Was told it takes a long time for a nerve to heal. The word long was emphazised. The fact that you have to work & drive with this affliction is the worst.
There are people on this site that are helpful as I don't drive if I don't feel up to it.
Wish you a recovery soon!
I was taken to the ER on 6/27 for a massive vertigo attach. Room spinning, throwing up, couldn't see or walk. Was very scary..... Doctors did all of the tests (CT scans etc) and gave me meclizine.... It's not been over two weeks, and I'm just now starting to feel the most like my old self!
Driving was the hardest thing, the first time trying it. I only work 2 miles away from home, so I gave it whirl and only limited myself to that short drive. Anywhere else I had my mom drive me (Thank goodness they live in the same town!) Now I'm feeling more comfortable driving and have started going back to my gyn doing very modified workouts and those actually make me feel better. It will take a looooong time to fully heal. My PT is thinking i still having another couple of weeks before I'm 100% again.
I'm going to send you video in a PM, that I've sent to others on this board it's helped them. This video hasn't also helped me!
Thank you Marie for your response. I work in a school so only have another week of work before the summer holidays. I can just about hold it together till then. I'm hoping i'll be able to skip back into work come September although I'm not sure how realistic that is as many sufferers on this forum appear to suffer for months and months. The thought of being dizzy for another possible 6 months+ is depressing! I must work harder at my balance retraining exercises!
Thank you Sarah for your response, I shall look at the video. When I first tried to drive about a month ago, after about 3 miles it felt like my brain was going to shut down so I quickly had to pull over and let my passenger drive. I'm wondering if that is due to mental overload? or contributing factors like subtle head and eye movement, concentration, fatigue, eyes seeing movement but no message given to brain from muscles so brain isn't sure what is happening?
Hi please send me the video too I would love to see it everything. Helps thanks a lot going on five years for me way better but I never quit doing my balance excercises it's keeps it better for more but different things to do are great too best of luck to everyone talk soon
I had really bad nystagmus with my vertigo and that really gives you brain fatigue and I'm guessing you're having the same issue (eyes do rapid "wavering" movements".... If you haven't seen a PT yet, I highly recommend you go see one. They can do the epley maneuver on you and that makes a world of difference. After my first PT visit I felt great.
You brain is going through a lot right now, so it needs time to heal and repair itself. The nerves are trying to get back to where they used to be.
Hi,
I've been and am in the same boat....crazy as this may sound I found cycling helped a lot...it would floor me the day after but I seemed to recover above where I had been before. I always used to cycle so have missed it a lot over 5 or 6 months but perhaps all the effort needed to balance has "pushed" the retraining hard...maybe give it a go when you finish for the summer? Wishing you the best
As much as you want to just rest, when diziness occurs, moving does help! It helps to "reprogram" your brain & eyes to way they were before.
Sarah would it be possible for you to send me the video aswell? I've been off balance/"shaken snow globe" feeling for 2 months now. Currently waiting on an ENT appointment.
I was thinking about trying cycling. It requires similar skills to driving but is much safer! It feels like I need to relearn everthing. I find it diffult to predict what is or isn't possible, just need to try everything.
Could you share how long your recovery has taken and whether you are fully recovered. Is it 6 months and counting?
5 years?! Please don't say 5 years! 3 months is way too long for me already! How normal do you feel on a day to day basis? Is there much you can't do? I feel quite disabled when doing certain acitivities, did you feel this or still feel it?
Hi, I had flu at the beginning of February and pretty much have been housebound/sofa since. I saw many GP's, finally forced a referral to ENT and Otologoist for testing. My inner ears are now fine apparently but I'm still recovering - though on a positive note I am getting longer periods of freedom and fewer of dizzyness. I have found walking 5 or 6 miles a day to be a good thing too, I guess it's all about the retraining. I feel good today....but I've been here before!
Yep, been there and got the nystagmus t'shirt. How did it affect your vision? My vision felt distorted at times.
As you say, the brain is going through a lot right now. Does that mean you shouldn't push hard with exercise/balance retraining?
Ha Ha! Yes, you can never relax when you're sensing recovery as it smacks you right back down the next day. I've been trying to walk 5 miles each day for the past month, turning my head left and right, up and down as much as I can. I've come a long way from only being able to walk very short distances if at all. But it's not enough! I yearn to feel normal again.
My vision wasn't blurry but I had time focusing on anything. The best example I can give is; is when you wake up in the middle of the night and you're trying to read the time on a digital clock, and the numbers waver back & forth.......
I had that with everything for the first 2-3 days, but then it gradually started to get better. I think it took a full week for me to see almost normal.
My PT doctor gave me visual exercises yesterday and she tol me a couple of weeks ago that moviing around does help. It helps retrain those nerves.
Hello. I am so sorry to hear that you have to suffer with this horrible disease. I have had this for 2 years now. Everyday feeling like you have described. I have been thru every test you have and still no answers for me. The ringing in my ears is loud and constant. One ear always feels full and pulsates with my heart beat. Never any relief. I have loss some vision in my left eye and I have double and blurry vision. It never gets better. I have been to 3 different eye doctors that just suggest I wear contacts. I have tried every strength of glasses out there and nothing helps. I have had a couple of decent days in 2 years but just a couple. For the most part I have suffered everyday for 2 years now. There are nights I pray not to wake up. It's horrible and no doctors seem to know what it is. I have stacks of doctor bills, hospital bills and NO answer! Like you, mine came out of no where too. It hit me while I was driving. I stopped driving for about a month and decided I had to drive but there are some days that it's spooky to be on the road. I have done physical therapy also to help with balance but the PT released me because he said I was wasting my money. I have tried Valium and numerous meds but nothing helps and who can function thru their day on Valium!! Sorry again that you are suffering. Just try to keep moving no matter how bad you feel. I have gone down with this a lot that put me to bed for a few days. I am actually in a bad flare right now and have been for 2 solid weeks with no breaks. It's bad again. I actually feel fluid running back and forth in my ears. We'll hang in there and please keep in touch if you come up with a miracle cure.
Crikey Brenda you're having it rough. I was really worried when I had pulsetile tinnitus and pressure/fullness of ear. I just didn't know if it was doing any damage, make me deaf or if the tinnitus would change and get louder/more annoying like the horror stories you hear. The consultant dismissed my concerns, and pschologically, that helped a lot. I haven't suffer from either for over a month now.
I can relate to your comment about the road being spooky. It felt really surreal for me at first. Walking in a public place felt surreal too.
I am trying to move as much as the fatigue allows. Movement must be key for a miracle!
It's so nice to speak to people that share the same symptoms. Prior to the 'snow globe' it felt like I had become aware of the fluid surrounding my brain and that my brain was floating in the middle of it trying to keep up right. I could sense the fluid swishing/circling about as I moved. Very strange! Has you or anyone else experienced that? That felt worse than the snow globe. I wonder what is next? Hopefully normailty.