Disequilibrium off and on for 5 years now

[Jmjones79]

I am a 29 year old female and am in good shape.  I eat well and exercise regularly. For about 5 years now, I have been having episodes periodically when I feel very off balance and unsteady while walking.  This is usually accompanied by pressure in my ears and some pain as well.  Doctors have said that it doesn't appear to be an ear infection, but might be allergies. I have talked to at least 4 different doctors about this same problem. I have taken allergy medication and even antibiotics to try to clear up this problem.  My doctor has also put me on Antivert, but this has helped very little.  I have a lot of post nasal drip but my nose isn't really congested.  When I have this feeling, it is very disconcerting and causes a good deal of anxiety.  I haven't ever fallen, but have had to sit down a few times and feel like I can't walk without fearful of losing my balance.  Has anyone else had this kind of problem?  I am wondering what kind of inner ear disturbances might make me feel this way besides an ear infection....
I should clarify that I don't feel like the room is spinning as in vertigo.  My problem is more related to an off balance feeling or what I would call disequilibrium.  I am an occupational therapist and have tried vestibular exercises on my own, but the problem persists. If anyone else has had some luck with a similar problem, I would love to hear your story. Thanks for any help~

[RadioAstronomyObserver]

Interesting story.  I wonder if such a thing might be happening to those who suffer from inner ear problems where the eye will move involuntarily(?).  some with a particular syndrome have dizzy spells and have a hard time explaining the feeling other than to say the room doesn't spin.

  The cause of the syndrome is directly related to the semicircular canals and part of the syndrome is involuntary eye movement with sound.  Granted the semicircular canals are the balance organs but I wonder if having one eye moving, seemingly unattached from the other, often enough would develop a problem such as you describe above(?)  Probably not but I'll ask my support group anyhow.

  I didn't see any mention of what your eye focus thing is called, What is it called?

[truckertina705]

SPARE ME A MINUTE TO READ THIS INFO AND IT MAY GIVE YOU BACK YOUR LIFE!!!!
I was a perfectly healthy on the go, stay at home mom, then in February 2010 I noticed while driving to pick up my teenagers I had neck pain and zaps in the back of my head.  They were like jolts of dizziness or unbalance and would freak me out to the point I would pull over immediately.  I tried to blow it off but it continued to happen every time I drove especially on hills and elevation changes.  Then I started to feel off balance during the day, like I was staggering like a drunk, but yet I don’t drink.  I couldn’t watch tv if there was a lot of motion on the show, simple tasks like washing dishes could jolt me.  Not vertigo, but as if I was falling. When I shopped at Meijers, the jolts would get extreme and I would be bracing myself because I felt as though I couldn’t find my foundation.  Then anxiety attacks would hit me strong.  I went to doctor after doctor, general practitioner, eye doctor, ent (had all the balance and hearing tests), neurologist (what a let down), I had brain mri, blood labs, neck catscan, eng, ekg and everything came back normal.  The doctors thought it might be anxiety.  Personally, I think that’s their way of explaining anything they can’t diagnose. The only thing that brought me relief was visiting a chiropractor.  His treatments relieved the pressure in my neck but that was only a temporary fix.  I felt like I could visit him every day.  Then a miracle happened!  I heard about visionspecialistsofbirmingham.org and finally found an answer I had been searching for ninety days later.  It’s all in the eyes.  My eyes have been uneven internally, therefore, fighting to see one image and not double vision.  The muscles straining for so long have exacerbated physical symptoms that have been unbearable.  By putting a prism into your glasses, it allows the eyes to see images the way they were intended.  I was fortunate enough to live in Michigan and sought these doctors out as soon as possible.  After many tests and measuring he equipped my glasses with prism and for the first time in three months I could walk a straight line.  Then the doctor attached a different prism and all my symptoms appeared, the severe neck pain, (where you can’t keep your hands from rubbing it), the jolts in my head, the dizziness, the anxiety.  My husband asked to give me some ibuprofen and the doctor said, “No, I’m sorry, but I need to see her at her worse in order to diagnose her.”
Shortly after, he returned to the first prism and immediately the pain and discomfort rapidly drained out of my body.  It was as though someone tapped my foot and as quick as it could travel it was gone.  Within fifteen minutes, I felt better than I had in ninety days.  I’m sold!!!  I’m eagerly awaiting to pick up my new glasses and get my life back!  Definitely go to their website and check out the testimonies.  Hope it helps.

[Jmjones79]

I haven't really noticed a pattern with mine.  It does seem like it is worse during the spring, but I'm not sure.

[jess990]

I too suffer from this exact issue and do not know what causes it. it is very unnerving. It has caused an anxiety disorder in me. It happens worse during storms, is it that way with you?