Yes, I, too, hate it when I become stupid in front of colleagues :). Also, though I appreciate your thanks, I am, indeed, a physician, so do not qualify (kidding here also). I am a retired/disabled general pediatrician. My knowledge comes not only from that, but from the extensive reading I have done from being disabled by two separate neurological illnesses: Chronic, Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease and, most recently, MS. I also did the clinical half of an Immunology/Allergy post-MD fellowship at UCLA. I am not a neurologist and can only offer ideas from a tiny window into the black box that is anyone who posts on a forum like this.
While we always want to roll all compaints into one neat diagnosis, in reality we have to be prepared to find more than one thing wrong.
In evaluating the drop attacks - they sound like they are different from your "near syncopal" episodes which have slower onset with definite symptoms. I can't be sure. You deserve evaluation for the entire spectrum of things that cause people to fall out...stroke, seizure (as in partial complex), cardiac, electrolyte, atypical migraine, vestibular, etc. You've had eval's for several of these.
You need to see a cardiologist and describe your episodes. Attacks from an entity called cardiogenic syncope (also called other things) can be serious, causing head injuries or injuries from LOC during activies such as driving. I have to say knowing that you drive while in the middle of these episodes is concerning. Anyway of finding help with that? The diagnosis often involves the "Tilt Table" test which is done to look for abnormal cardiac activity during positional changes.
I was serious when I discussed the similarity of many of your symptoms to subtle and not so subtle abnormalities of vestibular function. Just before you posted, I posted a discussion on vertigo here on this forum. It was written for laymen and so may be well beneath what you already understand. If sorry. If you want to read it here is the link:
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/NeuroSupport/messages/1976.html
I return to this point because all of the input that you describe is important info that is also precessed through the vestibular portion of the inner ear. Flickering light (or visually confusing environments), heavy sound pressure, especially pulsating sound, vibration to the head, acceleration and deceleration are all potent stimulants to the vestibular organ. (For example the receptors for acceleration are in the semi-circular canals of the inner ear). If that organ is damaged or irritated these stimuli can cause small and annoying or enormous symptoms like the ones you describe. People with chronic vertigo also consistently complain of increased symptoms at times of allergy flares.
Personally all of those remain triggers for me all the time. I relocated to a new region 5 years ago, so my allergies have been quiescent, but the few times they have flared, so has the vertigo.
The only people I have found that truly can evaluate the subtleties of the vestibular system are in a sub-specialty of ENT or Neurology called Neuro-Otology. I explained in my prior post how to find one, but your colleagues should also know. General ENT's and general Neuro's all say they know how to evaluate it, but, in my experience, few really do. I didn't see mention of an ENG (Electro-NystagmoGram)
You are in great hands, being so close to medical researchers. And I may be way off base with my ideas. I often am, but I did want to shae my observations that you put together some good data that points toward a needed vestibular work up. Did you read the postings I gave you for discussions of "drop attacks?"
If you answer, may I ask that you not use all caps? I have trouble with my eyes tracking and have a great difficulty reading things in CAPS. Thanks. I really hope you can get to the bottom of al this. I would NOT write them off as aberrations secondary only to your allergies. They are far too serious.
Good luck, Quix