Hi Fern,
I'm afraid to do the test, I heard it's horrible. Was it horrible, were you dizzy? Also can you tell me, did they put water or air in your ear and if so, how did they take it out? Was it uncomfortable?

I did read up about these tests online and they did scare me a bit. I'm worried about getting water or air in my ears as i dont want it to cause more damage.

I also read that taking Serc can slow down recovery time so i take it once a day.

Did your doctor mention what they can do about the fluid? can they take it out or drain it somehow?

Hi,

I have been reading through all of your posts and I have to say that I've been experiencing all of the same things as dizzygirl and Fern. It's absolutely awful. My quality of life has completely diminished and I don't know how to fix this.

I live in London, England but am originally from Toronto, Canada. At Christmas I flew home to Toronto from London and the next day I got a terrible flu. I was in bed for almost 2 weeks - it was terrible. Eventually, I felt better and left Toronto to come back to London. I got a cold in January and then at the end of January, I woke up one day incredibly lightheaded. I had pain in my sinuses, ears and throat and my the room felt like it was spinning - my heaty began to race as a result because I thought I was going to pass out. I also had a lot of pain behind my left ear. I just thought I was getting sick again. After a week, I couldn't take it, so I went to a doctor. She told me it was probably a virus and to go to the hospital if it worsened.

That Friday night, my head was pulsing and I had tingling at the back of my head and I couldn't hold my head up on my own because it felt heavy and my neck was hurting. I went to the hospital. Because I was in so much pain, my heart was racing - so the doctors ignored my head and ear pain and concentrated on my heart, as it was 135bpm (which is not abnormal for me - I've always had a fast heartbeat). They insisted I see a cardiologist, who ran a series of tests (24 hour heart monitor, CT scan of my lungs, ultrasound of my heart) and they told me I had mild IST (a heart condition where your heart beats quickly at rest, but it was no big deal and my heart and lungs worked very well). Which I knew anyway. The cardiologist told me I probably had a virus and that it would go away in a week. That was at the end of January - I still feel the same.

I have good days and bad days - on a good day, I only have lightheadedness about 20% of the day and I can work and travel on the Tube - on a bad day, I can't stop crying because of the pressure in my head. I have a new doctor now, who thought I had mono (glandular fever) - she ran a blood test and I don't have it. Which again - I knew. She's reccommended I see a Physiotherapist and I have an appointment on May 15th. I was also told this could all be due to stress - but like someone on here already mentioned - I know what my body is like under stress, and this is not what happens. Plus... I'm not stressed.

Basically... this has been my life for 3 months now. All of the doctors think it will go away, but I can't remember what it feels like to not be dizzy. My family and boyfriend have been incredibly supportive, but my health is all we talk about. I've asked my doctor to refer me to an ENT, but she doesn't think that's necessary, as she thinks this will clear up on its own. I don't believe that as I've been told that by several different doctors for the last 3 months. I've also asked for an MRI - but she won't send me for one either. I'm not sure what to do at this point, as I feel incredibly helpless. My job is suffering because I can't concentrate and my quality of life has completely diminished. My short term memory is decreasing as well, because I'm always concentrating on the pain and forget what I'm supposed to be doing a lot of the time.

I'm not sure what to do. Does anyone have any recommendations as to how I can get an MRI or ENT appointment in the UK without my doctors referral?

Thanks.

I have been suffering ear and throat pain now for the last 3 weeks, after suffering a cold. Have been sick 4 times since Ive had this, feels like i have a blocked inner ear and feel very tired and dizzy as well. Doctor said that I have a viral infection and that I should alternate between paracetamol and ibuprofen every 4 hours, they cant give me antibiotics as its not a bacterial infection and due to new guidelines.

Am so sick of the ear an throat pain, have been in tears over it and it doesnt feel like i am getting any better. The pain is in my right ear, and its causing a headache on the right side of my head. Still have the runny nose, and a cough which varies between a chesty cough and a tickly cough which is worse at night, I cant sleep because of it.

No-one understands because I look healthy on the outside. I cant move my head, swallowing food is painful and even talking makes the pain worse. Has anyone got some advice on this please, I will let you know how I get on with the infection. Cab't put up with it much longer. I am only 22 years old as well and have been diagnosed with anxiety, this pain is making the anxiety worse.

I also was diagnosed with a viral inner ear infection last month and i have aluminum toxicity that was nearly off the chart. i have had vicious vertigo and could not even pick my head up off my pillow. i can not sleep on my left side because this causes the vertigo to become so vicious that i feel i'm about to pass out. this so called viral infection has affected my hearing. the doctor says that i have complete deafness in my left ear. i am now having to deal with the vertigo, deafness, and depression. i hope you will respond again since you are the only one that i have heard of that has the aluminum toxicity. i also urge others to have their doctor check them for this. i have been anemic for years also (my count was down to 6) but it has gone up to about 11. best wishes to all having health issues. deb

i'm about 98% sure i have some sort of virus. and last november i had an EXTREMELY bad dizzy spell that lasted 3 weeks or more..my eyes were sore and had a low grade headache. i felt horrible. it felt like the flu but without the fever. then a few months passed and around end of january i got the dizzy spells again that lasted about 2 weeks..and i began to have strange sensations on my face on my temple, cheek, under my eye , part of my ear.

i've had these strange sensations on my left side of my face (prickling, water dripping down face) for about 4 or 5 months now..i went to the doctor, he said he's not concerned.

i was diagnosed with an inner ear infection not last sunday but the one before..i had HORRIBLE vertigo and my left ear hurt, felt like water in it..the walgreens nurse guy (haha) gave me antibiotics..my vertigo got a lot better and my ear didnt hurt anymore..but now it's back. my vertigo is back..

before the ear infection thing i got real dizzy again and sick feeling ..it's weird.

i think i may have the same virus you guys have. i've had it for about 7 months now..and the tingling in my face for about 4 or 5 months.

do you think it's possible the virus might have irritated the trigeminal nerve?

i've head a headache for like a week now too..this vertigo stuff sucks..feels like i'm walking on a boat in the ocean..weird. feels like my bed is floating in the water at night. ahh.

i'm only 20 years old and male..but i guess virus's can affect anyone. i can deal with this..ibuprofen seems to help with vertigo and headaches..and heat helps a lot. like a sauna or hot shower. strange..i read inner ear infections are most always caused from a virus anyways..this might explain my trigeminal nerve acting up too..btw the nerve never hurts..sometimes a VERY mild pain..but mostly just feels like a spider web on my face or something..weird

Hi Fern,
I have no heard from you. It's dizzygirl, i just wanted to know how you were feeling? Have you found what the problem to your inbalance is?

I have my balance test coming up, i'm still feeling the same way.

Are you feeling better? I hope this note finds you.

dizzygirl

Hi Dizzygirl

Good to hear from you after a long time!! My condition has improved very slightly but still not good enough as expected. I have been off-sick again for another 1 month. I tried my best to go back to work to keep myself occupied but just couldn’t manage with all the hospital appointments and imbalance.

As earlier said I was advised to keep taking Serc-16 and go for some STP infusions (a procedure which can help to drain out inner ear fluid). I did them to the right ear but didn’t see much improvement. I had them done to the left ear (yesterday) but it’s difficult to tell any difference as you know, one day you feel better and the very next day you’re back to square one. Not sure how long will this nightmare last? What about you do you see any improvement even if it’s a slight 10% or 20%.....?

When did you say is your balance test? I know you’re not looking forward to the caloric testing but don’t think about it too much and don’t be afraid and try to stay away from the internet. I won’t say it’s a pleasant test but I had expected worse. They put hot/cold water in your ears and then check your eye movements. Best of luck!! with the tests, do you get the results straight away?

Take Care!!

Hi Fern,

My condition has not improved. Like you said, some days I feel better and some days I feel worse. I feel very frustrated, because this feels like it's never going to go away. I have constant pulsing and pressure headaches and the off balance is constant. I feel as though I am swaying back and forth all the time or as if I am rocking back and forth in my seat. At night, in bed I feel as if I am moving (like I am on a water bed).

I've been taking sirc too, but I only take it once a day since I am home and not working right now. i had that sirc can make recover longer so I'm afraid to take it often.

I had the balance test on Friday, it was awful, but I was strong and I got through it quickly. The man told me that the test seemed fine and that a balance test is usually done to rule out more serious illnesses.

maybe what we have really is just a virus, and all we can do is wait for this to clear up. Doing tests might be pointless if it's a virus. I also saw another neurologist today, and he thinks it's a problem with the inner ear, he said it could be a type of vertigo even though you don't have actual spinning. He said he would call me to let me know what other tests we could do. But he doesn't think this is serious and he doesn't know how long it will last.

This all really stinks! I'm getting so angry because I can't do anything without getting tired and dizzy.

Let me know how your condition goes, and if you will have any other tests done.

Take care,

dizzygirl

Hi Dizzygirl,

Well, I too have similar symptoms like the constant rocking and swaying motion and feel incredibly imbalanced. I have started getting more headaches but as the consultant has said I have a mild build of fluid in my inner ear. I have to wait and watch and see how things go.

I think the consultants owe you an explanation and a diagnosis. You did say the neurologist said it could be a problem with the inner ear; they need to come with a proper diagnosis. When people say inner ear virus it could be so many things and it’s difficult to start treatment until they know what it is. Hopefully once the neurologist does some tests he may come up with something concrete.

I know it’s very frustrating and depressing, my life has completely changed. Each day I wish this horrible sickness will go away and I can get back to normal.

Take Care,

Hi Fern,

How did they diagnose the fluid build-up? My doctor looked into my ears and she told me that it's not fluid because it's something you would be able to see. The few people that I hear who have had this, say that it went away on their own. My mother knows a few people who have had this for different lengths of time. Some people had it for 3 to 6 months and some people a year. I really have a feeling that this will clear up on its own. I can't live my entire life like this! It's crazy, i'm only 29 years old.. and I'm supposed to be getting engaged this year so this year turned out to be crappy for me!

Do you have kids? Are you married? How are you able to take care of them? You must be so strong, because I'm not able to go to work, i pretty much rest at home and when i do feel well then i try to go out but i get tired very quickly. My strong headaches come and go. It's such an awful thing.

It's crazy that I have had this for four months now!

take care.

I am so glad I found this site after a search I made this afternoon. I am so low because i have been attanding my doctor but i feel like a sham because i look very well. this i beleive is partly due to my face having colour because of the blood rushing to fight my infection. It means like evryone else i have no visible signs of illness. I am so low because i had this a year and a half ago and before that three years ago. Each time it lasted for around five months. My worst part is not the poor balance and lack of concentration(i even find spelling hard when i have this)but the feelings of anxiety and depression. I am so worried that this is somehting that is going to dog me for the rest of my life, and having been thro it three times i really am at the end of even wanting to be this way again. My days seem to be spent sitting in, unable to read, watch tv or play music. I cant take too much noise or moving images. I feel isolated but when the fone rings i dont answer it cos i dont feel like talking. I feel so down and really dont know hat to do. I have tried so many alternative medcines at great expense but couid not say whether they helped or not. Recovery seems to be based on my own bodies (slow)ability to fight off the viral infections in my ears and i understand that fresh food and lots of water is the best thing for immune support. My job as a flight attendant is now on the line and with no other career experience(and given the climate right now with businesses) i am so on edge i dont think i know what to do.

i just wanted to add to everyone's posts. i have had all of the same symptoms, dizziness, pressure, ringing, heart racing/anxiety, loss of apetite, etc, etc. it started for me with a double ear infection about two 1/2 three weeks ago. i was on antibiotics and ear drops which helped the infection but all of the other symptoms have continued. i am on prednazone now and will be until friday. i go back to the ENT next wednesday. i think that he may put tubes in my ears if the prednazone doesn't work.

Its important to know what exactly an ear infection is to be able to know how to fix it.

Ear infections, in general, are blockages in the Eustachian tubes. Manipulation of the neck and spine bones can help to unblock any fluids or infections in the ear, which a chiropractor gently manipulates to open up and allow the fluid to drain properly.

An antibiotic may temporarily dry up the fluid but it will only be a matter of time until it builds back up again unless correcting the actual source of the problem. This is why many people suffer form CHRONIC ear infections. Such medicine may be harmful because it only hides the symptoms rather than cure the problem.

The reason ear infections are prominently found in young children & infants are usually traced back to the actual birth process. The majority of infants are pulled & twisted in ways very harmful to the child. This causes the perfect alignment of the spine & neck to be misaligned. Thus, blocking important messages the brain needs to send throughout the body in order to grow & live at it full potential.

Be mindful this information is not a matter of opinion, there have been numerous studies conducted by many diverse, non-biased, prominent universities & research organizations.

Hope this helps

oh God thank you for these kind of blogs...I do have a viral ear infection ...same symtoms temp99, dizzy, no appetite, going on 3 weeks, before that I had had a bad sinus then before that lung ...seems like it's all this virus that won't go away but keeps moving around.
Finally I got depressed and took to my bed like a Victorian pampered lady...but actually it helped because it's so draining to do a normal life with this thing...so now I'm better but still ready to rest more as I know it will help.

Ok guys I've read through all of your post and I can't believe you have been suffering for so long. I went to my doctor with the same symptoms and they called in an ENT and they said they see this all the time. They did say it was a viral infection, they put me on an anti-viral drug and a steroid and I am supposed to go back in a couple of days to check the progress. I will let you all know what happens the only concern they do have is the hearing loss and if its permanent-hopefully it isn't-I will keep you all updated.

Hi Fern,

Just wondering how you are doing? A lot of my symptoms are dissapearing. The really bad headaches (pressure and sensitivity ones) are gone. I get smaller headaches now, but they don't bother me as much. The dizziness is still there though and i can hear ringing in my ears when it's quiet. I'm going on 4 months and 1 week now. I hope this will go away soon. I have my MRI coming up, but most doctors seem to think that time will only help this situation. And I do notice that each month, a symtom does go away.

Let me know how you are doing?

Just wondering if anyone on this board is feeling back to normal again? I've been suffering from this bad cold in my ears and dizziness for almost 5 months now.

I just wanted to share my story too in hopes it can help anyone. I am a 24 year old healthy female. 12 days ago i was at work and suddenly felt like i was going to faint, this happend 3 times in half an hour before i went home. I felt so strange, almost like i was really drunk. This lasted for 10 days i could not work or walk anywhere on my own. I went to 3 different doctors, went to the ER and had 2 sets of blood work done, everything came back negative. The last doctor i saw suggested it could be a viral iner ear infection. I didn't really think that was it as my ears felt fine. Now as of 2 days ago i am feeling better, not nearly as dizzy, or fevery but my ears now are really bothering me. Confirming that this is a viral inner ear infection. The bad news is there is nothing you can take, but the good news is it does go away. I found taking nova betahistine really helped with the "drunk" feeling. It's important to get lots of rest and stay positive, i started to panic thinking that it wasn't going to go away, but it is getting better day by day.

hello, Just thought i would leave my story to as i have been told by my doctor this is what i have. First i am 25 years old from liverpool, uk.

May 5th 09 - I woke up feeling awful, i felt dizzy/light headed and had the worse headache ever (i never got head aches before). I also had an incredibly sore/achy neck and a sinus infection.

I was very tierd and worried...i went to the doctors and she said i had an viral ear infection...she gave me anti dizzyness drugs and anti biotics for the sinus infection.Other than that she said it would be gone in a few weeks.

June 16th 09 - 6 weeks later i was still having symptoms (not as bad) but still annoying and bothering me alot.I went back to the doctor and she looked in my ears and said they looked red and swollen...she gave me anti biotics again and said come back if it doesnt get better in a couple of weeks.

That was 10 days ago i went the docs the second time and i still dont feel any better. I want to go back and ask for further tests but i feel like i am bother her alot because there is not much she can do... i think i am going to give it another week and if i havent inprovwed go back again.

Hope you are all feeling better soon.