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Avatar universal

Dizzy and no answer

Hi, I've been experiencing dizziness for about 7 weeks now. It Is constant and doesn't go away, although there are times I feel it's getting better before it gets worse again. I have been to 5 medi centre doctors, 3 emergency doctors, a chiropractor, eyes doctor, physio therapist, homeopathic doctor, with no real answers. I've been given pills to stop the nausea and dizziness which don't work and exercises that make it worse.

My symptoms include dizziness, off balance and feels like I'm extremely drunk when I walk, every time I swallow my ears crack like ridce crispys, when I  burp or yuan I get a flutter in my ear, headaches, eye movement (my eyes aren't actually moving, but it feels as if I'm on a boat) neck and upper back pain, and weak legs when I walk ( like I ran 10 miles).

I've had multiple blood tests, a CT scan, and specialist who deals with vertigo, bppv, and menieres. And everything comes back normal.

I was in a bad car accident 13 years ago and ended up with a fractured skull that goes up my forehead. I used to abuse alcohol up until 2 years ago when I went cold turkey for 1 year and now drink on occation. One week prior I did drink quite a bit but didn't think anything of it until now. I smoke almost a pack and day. And I paint for a living.

I have an apt. With an ENT some time in January which is a long long time away. For now I'm outsourcing trying to find possible answers natural or medical to help me. Maybe someone has been in my shoes and knows how to deal with it, I have been off work for a month scared to walk or drive and am going stir crazy sitting in my house day after day, waiting for this to stop.
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4866150 tn?1360217018
p.s. i don't want to wait for the ENT, but that's the soonest they could have me seen.. however... i did see my doctor last week and he said he'd try to get me to another ENT sooner (one outside my city). that was tuesday of last week that he said that, but hasn't called me about it.
Helpful - 0
4866150 tn?1360217018
I forgot to mention I also had a naturopathic doctor look into my ears with the same device my doctor used, although she turned it around the pushed it and reeeeealllly looked in my ears.


i'd love to think it's as simple as that for me and for jsum555... but... i know personally i don't have such luck.
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Avatar universal
Saw the ENT three months or so from when the symptoms started,  after antibiotics had no effect. Which was about two months ago. He used a similar tool to which GP's use to check ears just it is much bigger and more complex. He spotted immediately that he couldn't see properly into my left ear because I had wax build-up. He then used a long device with a small hook on the end to painlessly remove pinky quite a relatively large wax ball.

This wax can be hitting a nerve in your ear which causes all those symptoms. And it was as simple as that.
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Avatar universal
So when you did see the ent, what tool did he use to find out what the problem was. Like how did he diagnos you with the wax build up?
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Avatar universal
Hey. Both my GP and even a specialist physician checked my ears and found nothing. 'Everything seems fine'  they said. And just put me on antibiotics before I eventually went to the ENT and he found the problem.

Don't wait till June. Try and find another solution ASAP. It could save you months of anxiety.
Helpful - 0
4866150 tn?1360217018
Your symptoms (that you had) are basically my symptoms, although I do have a few more than that. Unfortunately I do not have an ENT appt until June 19th as that is the soonest they could get me in. I have actually considered buying a cane and frequently feel I will need a wheelchair if I need to go to any stores. I've had a doctor look in my ears and see nothing. So I'm not sure what an ENT can see more than he did.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Just to clarify,  a list of my symptoms before the impacted ear wax removal:

Dizziness
Unnatural motion feeling when walking
Foggy mental state on occasion
Sometimes a feeling of motion in bed.
Symptoms worse at night and in the dark in general.
Also affected after drinking alcohol
Became progressively worse over 3 months with some good periods and bad periods. Until it was almost always bad.

Hope this can help someone.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I had similar symptoms a few months back that got progressively worse until I eventually bought a cane to walk around the house. No problems when driving though. The anxiety also really gets to you.

As it turns out it was a simple case of impacted wax in my left ear. ENT removed in a minute and it took a little while before everything felt 100% again. But the anxiety can linger a bit longer depending on how long you've had the symptoms; which is why I suggest getting to an ENT ASAP and doing whatever it takes to get it checked.
Helpful - 0
4866150 tn?1360217018
no, i don't notice any food making it worse or better, but i did begin to see a naturopathic doctor who told me that (according to the natural medical world) there is a connection between diary and vertigo. So.... that being said, she asked me to quit all dairy to see if that helps (difficult to do for a vegetarian).

now i've only been off dairy for two days, but no noticeable changes. she also gave me Vertigoheel and it does nothing to help. i've read wonderful reviews about it, but apparently it just isn't for me.

it's quite challenging to not give up and i'm the one who has dealt with this for the least amount of time (between you and i and jsum555).
there are no breaks for me. not even a minute here and there.

it's actually gotten worse since the end of december... i know that because i was able to go for a hike then. i couldn't do that now. not at all.

there have got to be answers out there. it's just  to find them.


... this entire situation is frustrating and emotionally and physically draining.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey,
Yes I notice I get dizzy with certain foods. But that might just be a coincidence. My symptoms seeing to get worse when tired or at night. I want to keep hope and I'm trying. But this is brutal and seems at times never ending. I hav not done that table test. Didn't even know it existed. Most doctors say its almost concussion like. I was in a bad car accident 13 yrs ago but nothing like this until now. Seems weird to me if they were related. Bt at least we can try get thought this together right.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey,
Yes I notice I get dizzy with certain foods. But that might just be a coincidence. My symptoms seeing to get worse when tired or at night. I want to keep hope and I'm trying. But this is brutal and seems at times never ending. I hav not done that table test. Didn't even know it existed. Most doctors seem to say my
Helpful - 0
4626633 tn?1382597122
Hi, I just ran across this. I have been suffering dizziness/ vertigo/ fainting for 4 years. It came on suddenly, with no warning except, looking back, two years before, I spent a day at an amusement park. I have always been tolerant of rides. The next day I woke up and couldn't walk.
I would put my foot where I thought the floor was, only to fall. That lasted two days. Then no more dizziness until 4 years ago.
I don't think the two were related, I'm not sure.

When the dizziness hit 4 years ago, it was scary, and constant. I was also fainting as well on occasions. I had to hold a wall to walk, driving was out of the question. It was very depressing. The first break wasn't for 6 months.

There are in fact viruses that can cause this and last a year or more. That's not might case, but as above poster says, there are over 100 reasons.

I empathize the Drs blowing it off. If they check and you aren't seriously ill ( brain tumor) they just treat the symptoms, and it's highly frustrating.

I just want you all to know I do get breaks. Months sometimes, where I only get dizzy upon standing to fast, etc. like normal people get dizziness!

For me, not a single medicine for dizziness helped. The compression stockings did help some. But don't just buy them. They can cause clots if not indicated. Have either of you had a table tilt test done? Kind of what the person was talking about above, checking the BP in different positions, only a table tilt is more intense.

Your strapped to a board, and placed upright, while having your HR and BP checked every minute. You also have an EKG monitor attached. It's a hard test. But very definitive for checking blood pressure swings.

I want to offer hope. Seems hard to say when I have been dealing with this for 4 years, but, at least I know there are breaks.

I am still searching a cure too. But this, along with other medical conditions that hit at the same time, made me to sick to work. So I had to get disability, which I didn't pursue right away, thinking it all would pass. So I lost my insurance. I don't qualify for low income free health care ( USA) but can purchase Medicare insurance in Sept. You have to be on disability two years here to be eligible for that.
Then I plan to hit every Dr I can. Out of state. I exhausted in state Drs while I still had insurance.

I know first hand how frustrating this is, and the only thing that keeps me going is Hope. The medical field is making amazing strides in reaserch. I want you both to keep your hope too.
It's so important. As hard as it is to do, know this, your symptoms will be worse if you give up.

In a bad spell, I don't drive. ( spells last weeks or months) in a good spell, I limited my driving to ten miles or so, in case the occasional one hits that happens during good spells.

I'm curious, do either of you notice an impact with food? Or certain foods?

I have attacks after eating sometimes. They not only include dizziness, but a strange reaction. The food makes me so sleepy. But it's not normal sleepy. It's like I have been given anesthesia. It's impossible to stay awake. I could do jumping jacks, and still pass out and go to sleep while standing. -- that's an example, I don't really do jumping jacks, but have tried sticking my head in the freezer, dribbling ice water on my head and face, hot showers, ice cold showers, 5 hour energy shots, everything.. I'm simply saying nothing will keep me awake. Not everytime I eat.. Just some. So I'm going to start a food diary.

Also to mention I was on only my prescription Xanax, which I took as directed always  when this started, nor did I drink. I stopped the Xanax to see, but it wasn't that.

I'm chronic Vit D deficiency, salt and B-12 since then too, and the prescriptions of the above still don't bring my levels to normal.

I thought I was the only one dealing with something like this, for so long.

Don't give up hope, above all else.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I've seen many many doctors including a neurologist. Running out of doctors to see and tests to do.
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Avatar universal
I was going to offer you the same thing but I didn't want to scare you or seem creepy. Ill message you in you message box and give you my email address. That way you can give me a shout.and then we can talk there a bit more
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Avatar universal
I think you would benefit most if you saw a neurologist.
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4866150 tn?1360217018
No, I don't drink. I'm 37 and I've never actually been drunk. I have wine perhaps once a year. And it's a glass. Or half a glass. That's it.

I have noticed that I have two days in a row that are almost bearable. I mean, I can function pretty well (not 100%... but...tolerable).
And then bam.. back to the way it normally is for about 5 or 6 days. Do you ever get like that??

The MRI was horrid. I had a panic attack begin twice and I had to breathe the hell out of it for it to go away. I pictured tons of stuff and was able to get through it.

I have wondered about the virus thing too... but... my doctor said it would have run its course by now. But I've read that sometimes extreme stress/worry/anxiety can prolong viruses. And this is pretty effin' stressful, right?

Did you ever try an antidepressant? Sometimes I wonder if there IS a magic pill.

I am going to try to find a way to private message you and give you my email address as well.
Use it if you want and if not, that's okay too.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Just another quick question, do you drink at all? I know having kids limits it to only sometimes. But I noticed this happened shortly after I went out. Like maybe a week after. Doctors don't believe it has anything to do with it because my motor skills are fine. But when I asked you if anything had changed or did you do something different. Maybe that has something to do with it.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks, I want us and everyone else suffering to get better. I do see improvements but then It'll come back for a bit. I will continue as that's all I have.

Good to hear about your mri. I hated doing it. It freaked me out being in there. Let me know about your results.

I really wonder if its some type of virus we have that they can't pick up on tests.
Helpful - 0
4866150 tn?1360217018
I just got back from an MRI... I was put on the cancellation list and was in two days after I was told I was being sent for one.

The Vertigoheel isn't working for me either. Serc sucked. Made it WAY worse.

And I am also having a day where I'm feeling discouraged. I'm trying to find inspiration too. It's like I'm running in circles.

We WILL get through this. We have to.

Think of what you told me... You are different than a month ago when you couldn't leave your house. Now you can walk your dog and sit and do stuff around your house. Keep holding on to that thought!!! You're moving forward, not backward.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I tried something like that. Didn't work for me. Not sure y but let me know how that works out. I also tried serk. From the doctor which didn't help ether. But keep up your hope. I'm having a bad day today. Feels like ill be this way forever. I hate that thought, I need inspiration
Helpful - 0
4866150 tn?1360217018
I went to a naturopathic doctor yesterday. She gave me Vertigoheel. Have you tried that? I haven't yet. She said for me to start slowly since I am super sensitive to any form or medication (natural or not).
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Avatar universal
Ok yes let me know how those tests go.

I'm  always checking up on here. If you get better let me know and I'll do the same.

Talk soon dizzy buddy :)
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4866150 tn?1360217018
Ativan! ...Wow....

My doctor was stumped when I saw him today. ALMOST brushed me off again with the 'anxiety' thing. Almost.... but my husband was with me and stared him down. So now he's sending me for an MRI to check something in my ear and is going to try to get me into another ENT... one who will see me sooner than June 19th.

I'm so happy that you can do more stuff. I think that is wonderful. That gave me a ray of hope.

I don't lay down at all ...I sit sometimes, but I don't lay down. But that wonderful link you gave me in your last message was great because it said to not sit or lay down because it can actually prevent the vestibular system from healing or make it so it can't heal.

So with that said, I'm off the computer. I will let you know anything else I figure out or find out.

You and I are dizzy buddies now.
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Avatar universal
I have to stress to you that the vestibular thing may in fact work with you. It takes time. 3 months is the regular process. And this Thursday will be 4 weeks for me. If it done snot work it'll at least keep you busy while you wait for the answer or get better on your own. I think about a month ago, and I wasn't even the same person. I couldn't leave the house and I couldn't do much without getting dizzy fast. Like I said now I can walk my dog for bits of time drive a bit do stuff around the house and sit for the day without laying down. It's important you try because laying all day made me worse in the long run. You will at least build up a tolorence so you can kinda function.
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