An update on my vertigo and dizziness.
Since it’s been over two years since I last posted, I figured I’d take a bit of time and update everyone on where things are at with me. I’ve got some more information on what’s been going on with my balance, but it’s more that I’ve narrowed it down rather than really heard a definitive diagnosis.
About a year ago, I had another round of vestibular testing — including VEMP (vestibular evoked myogenic potential) testing, hearing testing and caloric testing (where they flush hot and cold water in your ears). Guess what? All the vestibular tests came back completely normal — for the second time.
So this has lead me and the doctors I’ve been seeing to conclude that the problem may in fact be neurological — which would completely explain the lack of success I’ve had in the past with vestibular treatments. I had an MRI in the past, and it had also come up normal; so now instead I’ve got an MRA (magnetic resonance angiogram) scheduled.
As far as symptoms go over the past two years, I’d say that my symptoms have certainly gotten worse. I have a much harder time just walking around and doing every day things, as well as a few new symptoms like numbness and tingling in my limbs and some seizure-like symptoms when I’m feeling my dizziest. All of these symptoms seem to point to something neurological or blood flow-related.
I’ve also started taking a low-dose antidepressant again to help with some of the anxiety symptoms that go along with the dizziness and sporadic bouts of vertigo — as well as taking low doses of lorazepam as necessary. Both medications have been very helpful in dealing with the symptoms, but things would certainly be much easier if I had a definitive diagnosis. I feel like both medications, while helpful, are ultimately only dealing with the end-result symptoms rather than the underlying cause.
I’ve also been abstaining completely from alcohol and caffeine since both of them make me feel considerably worse (and the former seems also to bring about the seizure-like symptoms I mentioned previously). I figure not ingesting any alcohol or caffeine certainly can’t hurt me, so I might as well stay away from them anyway.
As I mentioned in the last post, this site has also seen a large increase in the amount of comments it receives over the past year. So thanks everyone for your comments and I’m going to try to keep you all up to date a bit more frequently on what’s going on. All the best to everyone who has visited this site and thanks especially to those who have stopped by and shared their experiences with their own balance issues.
5 Comments, Comment or Ping
daphne
wow… I just started with vertigo/dizziness balance problems, like a little less than four months ago and i see that i might have a long journey ahead of me before knowing whats happening. Like you i got blood tests that turned out fine, some neurological simple tests, fingers to nose, etc, babinsky sign (for brain tumor and MS) negative, visit to an otoneurologist that checked my posture, no signs of ataxia, because of my feeling of unbalance, my inner ear… no nystagmus, only thing that came was a very little deficit on the right side at caloric test, but only in frequence and not in velocity which turn out fine and they consider more important…(guess i have to believe them) all the rest fine..
MRI with and without injection shows no tumors, no lesions, no demyelinating (MS sign and which i fear most)
I´m getting more and more nervous about this symptoms, I know they started in a stressful period of my life and that might have to do with it, also my anxiety and hypocondriac nature… what can i say, i want answers, but i´m beginning to see it´s not that easy..
which med do you take for anxiety?
thanks for this blog, its great to find this on the web
Oct 29th, 2011
Eric
Hi,
Have you tried memory reconsolidation? I actually tried it 2 years ago for anxiety and it worked. If you ask anyone they probably don’t know what it is. I read on Nature (a peer-reviewed magazine) and tried if I can apply the same technique for anxiety attack triggered by dizziness. And it worked to my amazement. Now I still feel dizziness but not having anymore an extreme anxiety attack from what can possibly happen. I also suggest if people who visit this blog can try to make a journal of our dizzy experience as to what triggers it, what cures/relieves it temporarily. As I mentioned I still have a dizzy bouts but I am not really that anxious. I am taking it as a challenge that probably we guys are going to discover the cure for this. The journal could be a vast source of information and hopefully when Watson (Remember the Jeopardy supercomputer) or other data analytics program can someday analyze this info. But of course we can always peruse it and see if we have anything similar or applicable things that we can do from exercise, to VBT, to relaxations techniques, drugs, or anything else. I imagine it as a medical crowd sourcing.
Nov 3rd, 2011
Janice
Have you looked into Central Vertigo. I fell at work last year and had non-stop vertigo for 3.5 months. Finally they diagnosed me with Central Vertigo and started me on Elavil. In one week my vertigo cleared up and I was able to go back to work. Elavil is not the miracle drug. I still have episodes of vertigo and have to up the Elavil. Just a thought. Good Luck.
Nov 5th, 2011
kiz
Good luck with the MRA. Please keep us posted on the results.
Nov 19th, 2011
Ivan
Interesting post. I’ve been following this site since my initial round of whatever vertigo I had about a year ago. That one started with me feeling ill during the day and waking up to 3 days of hell.
And then a different one happened last week. I was feeling a wee quesy the night before and a little more so in the morning. I drove to work and felt more and more nauseas. Though no world spinning. Just quesy and off balance. My eyes were stable this time.
It got worse quickly. I left work for my hour drive home. It was hell to focus. But no spinning, so I contiued my drive. But my increasing quesy off balance feeling and nausea were becoming unbearable.
I started to get the shakes and my breathing was heavy. I got home, stumbled upstairs, threw up, and lay on the floor. Then moved to the bed for 1.5 days.
The only difference between this one and the first was that the world didnt spin. I was happy that didnt happen. I just couldnt really move my head or body without feeling very ill. I was very unbalanced too.
I was out of commission in total for about 4 days.
My GP said there was no one I can see about this and that pisses me off. I know that isnt the case. I havent even been diagnosed by someone specializing in this.
My wife is terrified of what will happen if it comes on again and Im away from home like an hour away at work or backpacking…
This really pisses me off.
Feb 15th, 2012
Reply to “An update on my vertigo and dizziness.”