Dizzy times are back...

[mouse_chalk]

I apologise in advance for making a very 'poor me' post...

Some of you may have read before that I have had a balance disorder of some sort for the past 2 years. It's the reason I don't work at the moment- I was off sick for over a year before I was made redundant last September and haven't been back to work since.

The past few months I've felt like I was improving- I've been able to do a reasonable amount of housework, some walking, shopping etc without feeling so terrible. I've had days out, managed a trip to San Francisco, which included an 11 hour flight, Christmas, etc etc. And through all of it, I've felt relatively ok. Not 100% by any means, but a definite higher percentage than I have done. I'd even decided to go back to college and train to become a veterinary nurse when I feel I'm ready.

But it all seems to have gone downhill now. The past 5 days or so I have just felt terrible. Horrible headaches, dizziness, the room spins when I try to sleep at night, I feel semi-conscious in the mornings and am unable to get out of bed for a long time after I wake up, my eyesight has been terrible. I noticed my eyes flickering left to right very quickly, which gives me headaches and makes me feel very disorientated. Today I have been very stumbly and have been holding onto walls etc as I move around. It's taken a lot of squinting and a lot of energy to post, including this one!

I just feel so down with it. I had been doing so well and was feeling so positive, and now here I am, rendered pretty much useless again. I know/hope that my low mood will pass eventually, and I hope that this 'blip' will do too, but in the meantime, I just feel utterly miserable. It wasn't until I was sat here crying for no apparent reason last night that I realised that I've been feeling so rough. And I try, but it's not something that I can very easily fight off and just carry on regardless with. That usually ends up with me in a heap on the floor and Steve being cross with me 'doing too much' :?


Argh!!!!

Sorry, this is all very long and rambly, and I fully understand if nobody can get through it with the will to respond! I just had to write it down somewhere, because I honestly just feel so crap with it all. I'm just sick of it... :X


Sorry again!

 

[Elf Mommy]

My sister has been experiencing much the same thing! She went to the doctor for it and he prescribed something...I'll have to ask her what it was.

Oddly enough, the hubby has been having some vertigo issues, as well. He's taking Zanacs(sp?) for it.

I hope you find something that works for you!

 

[degrassi]

Have you been to a neurologist?

I"m sorry you are feeling so crappy. I also have health problems and i'm unable to work. Its horrible feeling sick all the time and not being able to do anything. If you ever need to chat shoot me a pm.

Hang in there.

 

[wabbitmom12]

Sorry you feel so crummy! It's very hard to have an ongoing illness. You just get sick and tired, of being sick and tired!

:hug1I hope you start to feel better soon. What does your doctor say?

 

[Saffy]

Oh my .. sounds like Meniere's Disease .. I've had labyrinthitus before and it's debilitating, so I know how you are feeling. Try and keep smiling. x

 

[Saffy]

Oops ..posted twice ..

 

[pumpkinandwhiskersmom]

Sounds miserable! What has your doc said about this latest relapse? My son is a chronic migraine sufferer, and I know how discouraged he gets when things take a nose dive. Take care, and I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[kherrmann3]

What did your doctor say was causing it? It sounds to me like it could be ear or nerve related. Will had vertigo for a few days (a few months back). The doctor at the urgent care clinic just gave him some medicine and he was better in a week or so. He said it was the worst thing ever. Have you gone to a specialist doctor?

 

[mouse_chalk]

Thanks everyone I'm sorry, I was in such a low miserable mood last night, I just needed somewhere to type it all away, and as usual, you guys were my choice!

I've been to the doctor SO many times about it. I've seen a ENT specialist (2 actually) and a neurologist. I've had 2 MRI scans, so I know that it's nothing like a brain tumour or anything serious, which is a relief I guess.

I must have tried tons and tons of different medications- including nausea, anti-vertigo, antidepressant, and sleeping meds, and different kinds of each type lol. The last ones I tried were migraine medications, about 3 different ones. They all gave me a weird face ache and knocked me out. All of the meds have either made my symptoms worse or not done anything at all... :? I've had some crazy balance function tests, which involved squirting water in my ears to make the room spin and me fall off my chair, and various other things. The tests I've had all point towards there being the possibility of some kind of inner-ear damage due to a virus or something I had a long time ago, but nothing 'serious'. I've had about 15 hearing tests, and my hearing is classed as 'good' although it used to be excellent before all of this so I don't know whether that means anything or not. Labyrinthitis can affect hearing too apparently....

I've been calling it Labyrinthitis all this time, although I don't know if that's actually what it is, or not. My doctors believed it to be largely stress-related due to my employers giving me so much crap about being off sick and basically not believing me, etc etc (that's a whole other long story lol!) and I thought that after I was made redundant the improvement was due to that. I really thought I was on the mend and about to put it all behind me....

I hope it's just a small relapse and that I'll continue to get better soon. I really, really hope. I guess it's just kocked me back a bit in terms of confidence etc as well, and that's really getting me down. I do know that I'll feel better about it soon, even if I don't *feel* better (if that makes any sense lol) but right now it's just kind of really getting me down...


I have an appointment with my GP in the morning and I'm not sure whether to mention it or not anymore. I kind of just feel like nobody can help me so what's the point in making a fuss about it? I didn't like my previous specialist and always felt like he didn't really believe me, so I guess that kind of makes me apprehensive about bringing it up again....


Oh my, there I've gone again! I'm sorry for such a long ramble! And for feeling so sorry for myself lol....

 

[CorkysMom]

BRING IT UP...don't just live w/ it, keep pushing until they get you some resolution/answers. I jacked around w/ 8 cardiologists and over 2 years later...I finally got one to give me some straight answers on my condition not being common, and cuz of that being hard to treat. I still don't feel 100% all of the time, but its alot better than before.

Before that it was 'go home, lose weight and get it shape'. Granted I could use that...but it was an electrical issue, that's like telling me my headlight is out on my truck...go put gas in it...HUH!?!?!

Hang in there, I know being sick all the time really sucks...but keep after them for some resolution!

Good luck!

 

[Bassetluv]

Yes, definitely keep pursuing it with doctors. I couldn't imagine living with that type of dizziness so often...I had a round of severe vertigo once for a week, caused from an inner ear infection and I can't remember being more miserable.

I recall reading about Laura Hillenbrand, the author of 'Seabiscuit'. She has been plagued with multiple health issues for years, but the most common symptoms she gets is chronic exhaustion and severe vertigo, where the room would seem to spin nonstop...when the doctors finally figured it out, it turned out to be Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which can sometimes be triggered after a bout with a virus. Have doctors also checked you for that? Maybe they could at least rule it out.

I hope you're able to get a diagnosis on whatever has been causing these issues, mouse, and find some permanent relief :hug:

 

[Saffy]

No .. I really feel for you. Having had labyrinthitus twice now, it's extremely nasty. The naseous feeling is the worst for me ... that and the fact that your head is in a spin all the time.

I'm thankful that both times I have had it it's only lasted a week or so.

 

[kherrmann3]

I don't have much to say... Other than that, I figured you'd need this. :hug:

 

[mouse_chalk]

Thanks everyone. I feel so bad moaning, when other people have got it so much worse, but all your replies really mean a lot to me :hug:


I went to the doctor this morning! I was brave and I bought it up. It was actually the main thing we talked about. He looked at my ears and took my blood pressure, which is normal. Ears were fine. That was it. He doesn't know why I've had this sudden 'relapse' when I was doing so well and there doesn't seem to have been anything to trigger it off. He's put me on Prochlorperizine, which is the vertigo medication I had right when this all kicked off, probably about 2 years ago to the day lol. I don't remember them working at all at the time, but he wants me to try them again to see if they help with the relapse. I guess I have nothing to really lose lol!

So far since taking them a few hours ago, I seem to have lost a lot of co-ordination, and have been dropping things left right and centre including the ability to type without making horrific spelling errors. Taken me forever to type this properly lol. Sat here now I actually feel as though I'm sat upside down, which is the strangest thing :?Oh well, I guess it's worth a try if nothing else.

He wants to see me back in 4 weeks. I know I should keep going back and pushing, but it's just so hard and exhausting to keep insisting when all the doctors say is that there's 'nothing badly wrong'. I mean, yay great I don't have a brain tumour or anything life threatening, but that still doesn't help me feel better! My GP is very sympathetic, but obviously he's limited in what he can do and what he knows about these things... :?

 

[Saffy]

I think you just need to take it easy and don't push yourself to do things that you don't feel capable of ... give yourself some ME time and snuggle up on the sofa.

 

[pumpkinandwhiskersmom]

It is really frustrating to know there's something wrong, and not to have any remedy. It's great to know that it's nothing life-threatening, but that still doesn't help you feel less dizzy or disoriented. When my dad had vertigo, even when he took his meds, he still had to stay in bed, cuz it made him feel so weird. I sure hope things get better soon....don't push yourself!

 

[CorkysMom]

Good for you in bringing it up!! I know its exhausting but if you can get some answers in the long run it'll be worth it. Might be worth trying another specialist, someone out there has to be able to help you...it's just finding that person can take forever and be VERY tiring and frustrating!

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[mouse_chalk]

Just thought I'd post an update to this..

I went back to the doctor this afternoon. It's been the same recently, really bad. The other week I was due to go out to a friend house and was really looking forward to seeing people, but I fell over in the hallway and couldn't get up again. Steve tried to help, but I just kept falling over again :?

Anyway, I went back today, and told him that I was sick of it and wanted my life back. He's given me YET ANOTHER medication, but this time I haven't had it before. I have.... cyclizine now. He said it's quite strong and may make me feel really drowsy. He's also referring me to another specialist. Although it will be slow because I don't have the private health insurance I used to have with my work. Apparently there's some new kind of system where they post you a password for a website, and I can log in, choose who I want to see and book the appointment myself? Sounds very high-tech to me lol...

I'm glad I went back. I just hope that I can get somewhere this time! :cry1:

 

[SOOOSKA]

I'm sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. I really hope the Speacialist can help you. I so know what you are going through when you mentined about going to so many different Doctors, it's so frustrating when no one can give you a diagnosis. Believe I've been there.

Hopefully the new medication will help.

Susan