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Ear Infection, Anxiety, or Something Else??

I'm a 42 year old male. Almost 2 years ago I had a mild TIA affecting my left side, treated with blood pressure meds and told to get in shape. This past April I had what they thought at the time was a TIA affecting my right side. The chief neurologist determined it was an anxiety attack after replicating the symptoms in the hospital. I came home with valium and paxil and eventually ran out of both medicines, and have been more or less able to control my anxiety attacks since. After coming home for a few days, my left arm pinched somewhere either in the back or elbow, causing a numb-ish and tight feeling from around my elbow down through my hand, which has only gotten worse. My doctor at the time wanted me to fly to another city to have an MRI done instead of simple xrays or other testing, which I declined. Fast forward to two days before Christmas. I've had a heavy feeling in the front of my head, ringing in my ears, sometimes left sometimes right, and reading, looking at the computer, or leaning off kilter while sitting has been causing me to feel wobbly and almost dizzy. My left arm gets noticeably heavier when this happens. And I've started getting headaches at the temples and top of my head today.

I'm just really getting anxious over it all and it has been suggested that it's an ear or sinus infection of some kind. I'm just worried, upset, and trying to avoid a $300+ ER trip right now, as I do not have any insurance at the moment.Any input would be great!
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Avatar universal
Good news, I guess. Spent an afternoon in the ER over this, they did an EKG, scanned my cat, and did thorough blood work.

After results showed everything was ok, the doc determined it was indeed an inner ear infection.
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4548110 tn?1362307394
This sounds serious, and I doubt any people on the forum will be able to answer much. The best thing would be to consult a doctor because as I said, this could be serious. Here are the symptoms of a transient ischemic attack (TIA):
*Abnormal feeling of movement (vertigo) or dizziness

*Change in alertness (sleepiness, less responsive, unconscious, or in a coma)

*Changes in feeling, including touch, pain, temperature, pressure, hearing, and taste

*Confusion or loss of memory

*Difficulty swallowing

*Difficulty writing or reading

*Drooping of the face

*Inability to recognize objects or people

*Lack of control over the bladder or bowels

*Lack of coordination and balance, clumsiness, or trouble walking

*Loss of vision in one or both eyes

*Numbness or tingling on one side of the body

*Personality, mood, or emotional changes

*Trouble saying or understanding words

*Weakness on one side of the body

If you're experiencing these, it could be TIA again.  Do not ignore symptoms just because they go away. They may be a warning of a future stroke.

Good luck, and please see a doctor.
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