OK, its been 7 weeks and i'm still Dizzy. My body is feeling better, but my vision is exactly the same.
I've had scans of my neck, brain and heart - all negative.
The nuerologist thinks it's to do with migraine. He says these things take time and that migraine is a little understood field. I hope he is right
I've been put on a secondary dose of migraine medication - which also work as a sedative.
He reckons i've just gotta ride this out for a little while longer and see if I improve. I'm not sure if he's right, but I guess he see's this kind of thing quite often.

This is my story:

I had a vertigo attack, and I had the attack around the 10th of July this year. The symptoms I had at first, I had a sore throat. It felt like I was swallowing nales. A few days later, my right ear was plugged. And the next day, In the morning, I felt terrible. I had this uncomfortable feeling such as; dizziness, and the feeling to vomit. The same night, I had a veritgo attack. I went to the hospital, and they gave me some medication for dizziness, then after they explained what happened, they sent me home, and I took the medication.

After the Veritgo attack, my ear cleared up for a few days, but then it got plugged again. I went to a specialist for ears, and I explained what had happened. I had a Cat Scan, and an MRI. They didn't find anything wrong. The results were clear.

But still, I have dizziness, and my right ear is still 20% plugged, and it feels numb when I touch it, and I have a very light buzzing, and I feel it everyday, and any time. My specialist says that it'll take time to heal. I'm frustrated because I don't see fast results.


I was researching some information on the internet for a sickness called "Labyrinthitis". In some cases, you have nerve damage in your ear. Can somebody give me some information, or is it my imagination? Maybe I need a second opinion. Is MRI 100% accurate? The ear is a very complicated organ.

Also, my vision isn't always clear, and I believe this is from having nerve ear damage. Am I over exaggerating this too much? I'm not sure, because I have gone to the doctor's a numerous amount of times, and he tells me that nothing's wrong.


If somebody has a similar experience, would you please answer?

First I want to say I appreciate coming across this forum and reading everyones experience of having this. Heres my story and any advise would greatly be appreciated.

Over the past year bright lights would give me a headache off and on and I just thought it was because I wasn't eating right. I would go outside and often get a bit lighthead and then it started happenning well I was inside as well but not all the time just once in awhile. I thought it was just stress as I felt fine but I was working so much and I worked in a call centre and usually I pick up everything well here I had been working my butt off for over a year working 12 hours a day as I was working towards a promotion. Around June is when i would start feeling light headed in the bright lights in the office. I would get dizy and be scared to be alone like I was walking on a cloud and could pass out at anytime, they had added more work to my work load so I thought it was stress. Well due to all the stress and crap at work I ended up giving up my job the end of Aug at which I felt fine. About a week after I quit my job I was out for a drive with one of the neighbours and I had said I don't feel so good he said you dont look very good. We were gone about 20 minutes and when we came back I went to get out of his vehicle and I couldnt stand up I was white as a ghost and thought i was going to pass out. I manage to walk home alone( scary feeling as I thought I was going down). I made it to the front porch and had to sit down. I got in the house and grabbed something to eat as I thought it was my blood sugar. A few hours later as I sat and relaxed the feeling went away. A few days went by and I started feeling a bit better. My brother had asked me to go to his house and watch his daughters a 1 yr old and 8 yr old who I had to go pick her up from school. So i brought my 12 yr old with me. Good thing I did because I put the baby in her stroller went outside got on the road to walk to the school and it happenned again I broke out in a hot sweat turned pale white and couldnt move. My son ran to the school to pick up my niece and I went in the house. I thought at this point maybe it was a tooth infection as I don't have the greatest teeth on the top of my mouth. I called the dentist and they called in the perscription for me. Again it took a few hours for this to go away. The next day I got up in the morning and got on my computer I started not feeling very good light headed dizy like I was going to pass out. My husband was gone to get my perscription I went and got into bed. I was feeling so sick and shaking so bad I ended up calling an ambulance. They said my blood pressure was fine they thought maybe I was having an anxiety attack from feeling so crappy. I told them I thought it might have been infection from my teeth they said to stay in bed a few days and take the medication I would probably feel better.

A few days went by I didn't feel any better so I called my family dr and went and saw him. Mind you I hadn't been outside since my last attack. My 18 yr old daughter came with me once I got outside and got into the van i started shaking so bad and again i felt dizy and light headed. I sat in the drs office for 3 hours with a bottle of water on my neck and face because I was so hot, shaking and thought I was going to pass out. They got me into the room and had to take my blood pressure quite a few times as it was so high. The dr diagnosed me with a viral ear infection but as well told me that ear was packed with wax. I told him I had to go out of town to attend a funeral he said I should be fine. He ordered some blood work I got done that day before I left his office. I ended up making it through the funeral ok just felt so weak and tired and my ear was so sore and my throat mind you it wasnt before that. I was in bed for almost 2 weeks before I went and seen him.
I went back to see him the following week my blood work came out fine i manage to be ok sitting in the office and not as bad as i was the week before going there just uncomfortable and moving around alot. He ordered me to see an ear dr to get my ear flushed out and an eye dr as I told him when I go outside I have these attacks. I have a few at home but they aren't as bad as they were. I went to my moms last Monday for dinner and I just didnt feel good the whole time I was there the car ride wasn't too bad I got a little shakey and hot but I was ok. I thought I was getting better and here we are a week later and I feel worse again. I understand they can't give you any medication for this as its viral but the eye drs and the ear dr haven't called me yet. Im so tired of feeling sick and being scared to go outside as this so isn't me. Any help or advise would be greatly greatly appreciated. Off and on my ear hurts right down to my throat its so annoying and irritatiting.

just wanted to let everyone know whos going through this that im still after 9 weeks of feeling like sh#@ ....feeling like sh#$! went on holiday to Rarotonga and actually felt the best i had in months thought i was on the up then today the nausea the dizzyness the anxiety ect ect returned and im so depressed about it ! sorry to be a stick in the mud i guess what i wanted to say is your not alone on this -- and why do the "doctors" have no idea...obviously there are a few of us suffering ...ahhhhhhhhhhhhh frustrated. Im 32 have gone from being stupid active to couch potatoe !! once again sorry for the downer but i promised myself good or bad id let others know how i was feeling. Id sell my left testicle to be rid of this and find a cure!!

Hi,just wanted to add my list of symptoms and hope that some people wont panic about this infection.It's awful.I have it now.Started about 4 weeks ago.Extreme dizziness,like im swaying,and not wanting to go out on my own incase of these spells of dizziness.I was prone to panic and anxiety a few years back and these attacks of dizziness dont help at all,they are getting worse again,bringing on a panic attack................until i found this forum.I am so glad other people experience this too,not in a nasty way,just so i dont feel alone.
It IS scary and you do panic.
I got a minimal check over by doc,like they couldnt be bothered with me and put this down to a viral ear infection,and gave me pills to help with the dizziness,i must admit,at first i was dubious,but now after reading these forums i can accept that this is all it is and look forward to getting well again,its no fun feeling like crap every day.The pills seem to take the edge off it but not very well.
There should be much more information about these types of viruses.They are very unpleasant and frightening if you are not sure whats happening.
Hope we all feel better soon xx

5 weeks ago I woke up with my right ear ringing. Today it has almost gone away. I am a pretty OCD type of person and I though I might go mad from the tinnitus. For those of you on this board though, just hang in there.

Here are some things that helped me:
1. Went to my general doctor and a bacterial infection. Took antibiotics but after 5 days still had the tininess.
2. Saw an ENT specialist who put a scope up my nose to check for infection, tumors etc and found nothing.
3. Had a hearing test to make sure my hearing was not being affected. He thought it could be from medication (I was taking 2 aspirin a day), a virus or a tumor.
4. Had an MRI to eliminate the tumor.
5. Resigned myself to the fact that I might have this forever and then found this forum where others had similar experience. The relief to know that others were going through this really lifted my spirits - if you know that an end will come it makes enduring it a lot easier.
6. Other things I did:
* Give up all caffeine including no chocolate
* Take 125mg Ginko tablet each day (it is a blood thinner so check with your doctor!)
* A friend recommended lipo-flavanoid (available at Walgreens) which seems to really be a vit. B complex (take 3 times a day) This seemed to help a bit esp. the first few days I took it.
* Took a multivitamin every day
* Did a nasal sinus rinse (with a bicarb and salt mixture I found at Kaiser Pharmacy and comes with a squeeze bottle.) each morning
* The doctor prescribed trazamine (used for depression but in this case helped me sleep and helped me ignore the buzzing some)
* Cut out as much salt in my diet as I could (hard to do as it comes in everything but I would not add salt to any food.)
* Had full blood work done to eliminate high cholesterol etc. My triglycerides were high and I took some garlic tablets but in my case they seemed to make the tinnitus worse.
* Exercised lightly - took the kids for a walk to the park. Tried some more moderate workouts but it made the tinnitus worse. Playing with the kids just reminded me how blessed I was and helped lift my spirits
* Ate a lot of fruits and veggies. If it was a virus I wanted to to everything I could to help my body get rid of it even eat spinach!
* Drank a yogurt drink (DanActive) which claims to help boost your immunity.
* I am a Christian and found spiritual comfort through the support and prayers of others.
* Learned some simple breathing techniques
* Recorded some white noise and put it on my iPod and would listen to that when it got unbearable
* Signed up for a tininess clinic to learn more about masking etc. Even though it is going away I will still go as I want to learn more about this illness.
* Told all my colleagues at work about the problem so they understood why I was not being as productive.
* As I said, I am OCD at times and would be paranoid that it would never go away ( I would find myself going to a quiet room at the office every few minutes to try and hear if the noise was getting less!) I agonized that I might have cause the problem by listening to music too loud, cutting the grass without hearing protection etc. and at times would just start crying not knowing how I could live the next 50 years or so with this noise (I am 38 now.) So don't beat yourself up, get all your medical options checked up and if your doctor thinks it is a virus it probably is so hang in there!
To those of you with the vertigo, I though I had it bad till I read your stories - I am praying for all of you!

It takes 7 days to get over a viral infection taking nothing for it. But, it takes 7 days to get over it if you take anti-botics..LOL

I just read Lara's post and I am experiencing all of the same symptoms. I have had blood work, MRI, CAT scan, EEG and tomorrow I go for a spinal tap. The Dr. put me on Meclozine for my Vertigo, however I am still feeling the pressure on the left side and top of my head.My energy level is close to none and I really want to get to the bottom of this. It has been going on since 09/26/07.

Apparently Lara's post is not up here anymore, I went on a search engine and her post came up under 2006. My symptoms : Sept 26, 2007 flu like symptoms for 2 weeks, intense left side of head pressure, back of neck pain, jaw and left side of face numbness that comes and goes. The meclozine helps with the "falling feeling" although the pressure and face, jaw numbness and neck pain come and go. I am not bed ridden, however, if I do too much i really pay for it. Before this happened, I was very energetic, never sat down, ran around with the children, rode dirt bikes, ect... Very Very tired of feeling this way. Hopefully the spinal tap will provide some answers...

Viral Ear Infection
Posted: 11-04-06 6:06pm

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Hey everyone, lets say am experienced with this infection, am only 22 and last year I lost 9 months of university due to a viral ear infection,which was vestubular neuritis, I experienced intense vertigo, dizzness and nausea and migraine for 2 months, anyway that happened because I already came back from holiday having lost one whole stone and that contributed to the length of the viral infection, it apparently took me a yr to recover then I developed anxiety bcos of it...Anyway I went to my specialist and I began vestibular physiotherapy which I all suggest you do as apparently the head movements cause the brain to compensate for the wrong information coming in about movement and so helps speed up recovery. Well I became all fit and well again back to normal only that today I got diagnosed with it again, but this ones different I think from last yrs one, now I have the symptoms that u guys have, fatigue, dizziness and nausea and that lightheadedness oh and to the person that said had tight head I had that last yr, I kept explainin to the doctor that my head feels tight like there is pressure or somthin..No they dnt understand...I cudnt sleep at all I felt my head all tight and it kept makin a clickin sound.

Returning to today, apparently I was in the taxi going back to my uni halls from hospital and I felt so drowsy and nauseous..I get so scared when am like this, im literally scared of feeling ill in front of everyone..That last yr I didnt get out of the hse bcos of that and I got depressed...This yr I cant make it happen, everyone go out as much as u can, even with someon e accompanyin u...Keep ur mind active and try the vestibular physiotherapy...Am a neuroscientist student u can trust me!

Keep doin the exercises completely until everything subsides, at first ul experience a worsenin of symptoms which is normal then as u keep doin them ur brain will learn to compensate...

1. Stare at an object in front of u and move ur head left and right while keepin ur eyes fixed on the object, do this slowly at first (30x) then as u get used to it after a few weeks try it faster...The aim is to get less dizzy as u make ur brain adjust to the dizziness...Its called vestibular rehabilitation...

2. Do the same thing as above but movin ur head up and down 30x

3. Shut ur eyes and move ur head left and right 10x

4. Do the same as n.3 but movin head up and down

5. Stand on one foot and move ur head left right 10x aswell as ur eyes (hence, no need to fix on anything) this is for the balance

6. Stand on one foot and move head up and down 10x

7. Stand str8 and move ur eyes up and down, slowly then fast as u get used to it

8. Do the same as 7 but move eyes left and right

u will get dizzy at the start, thats normal, after few weeks it will start to see the effect...

I talk of experience, I did the therapy last yr december and for 2 weeks I was worst, then slowly slowly I was able to travel as I got used to it so by february I slowly slowly got on buses again

we have to fight this..I started my exercises today cos theres no way am gonna let it stay more than a month

lara

Hi dawnczar, just wanted to ask if you feeling better? any progress witht the new tests? Its been 5 months for me now and im so sick of it -32 years going on 90! do you have constant nausea and sick feeling in your stomach, stiff neck and all the dizzyness symptoms too? im just about to spend a grand on a MRI to rule out major players (free health care in New Zealand yeah right!) . any advice or even just sharing your hatred of the illness is much appreciated....ive run out of ideas cheers Graeme

Hello Graeme! I wish I were better! I went for a spinal tap on Thursday, that was a nightmare. The radiologist,while guiding the catheter into my spine, kept hitting a nerve that felt like electricity going down my lower body. Although the procedure itself was more stressful than painful. The numbing needle hurt, that is about it. Hopefuly with the spinal fluid at the lab I will get an answer. My DR put me on Meclizine for my dizzy/nausea and that seems to help. My neck still hurts and I still have pressure on the left side of my head. I will let you know what the results are when I get them. If it is a viral infection, I am afraid it is a waiting game to feel human again! Did you have blood work? Did you visit an Infectious Disease Dr? That may get you on the right path at least. That Dr. would order the appropriate tests for the symptoms. Hang in there, I know it is VERY frustrating. I am living it!

That spinal tap sounded like a nightmare! will the results of a spinal tap tell you if its viral? I had all the bloodwork done for the majors and then a heap done for possible diseases and allergies ect all came back sweet. let me know how you get on in this latest round of human guinea pig and good or bad if i have any change ill post it here, cheers and good luck

Hello there. From what i understand, IF a virus is still in your system, lymes disease, encphelitis, meningitis, and more it will show up in your spinal fluid. The dr did say, however, that if the viral infection is not in my system anymore, it wont detect it. Kind of like when you pop your shoulder out, they put it back in, but you still feel like crap until it heals. I just want an answer already, I am tired of hearing myself complain if you know what I mean! I will let you know what happens, take care...

Well, I still feel the same all of this time and so far every test is negative. UGH!!! Talk about frustrating! I made an appt. with an ear surgeon for next week. Has anyone else gotten any answers or feel any better???

still no joy...still feeling like crap.....getting an mri on monday, chest xrays on fri and blood tests for 21 more possibles ($1400 so far!) i still think its my ears as most days i can feel pressure inside them but over it does not describe how i feel. I guess the good thing with you is they have not found anything real bad (its one of those situations where your stoked nothing was found but frustrated they found nothing!) ill let you know once i get my results if i have any breakthrough...hopefully good! i feel your pain.

I found a Dr. called a otorneurologist (better than just an ENT) He did a couple of tests right in the office and figured out my problem. I have Benign paroxysml postional vertigo (BPPV) It is when the crystals in your ear are out of wack. I have to do something called the Epley maneaver to straighten them out and then sleep sitting up for three days. I also have a really bad deviated septum that causes me to have chronic sinus infections. BPPV may have been caused by a really bad virus or from a nock on the head I got back in April from a cordless drill battery that fell off and hit me in the head. I just went to the Dr. yesterday, still feel bad and cant wait to see if this treatment works. I will let you know. Any news on your end? If not, do you have an otorneurologist in your area? He really knew it, better than any other Dr. so far. Good luck and let me know! Dawn

First bit of good news i have heard in 6 months! Hope this is the answer, i had an mri yesterday and more bloods ect so if they come back normal then ill definately try an otorneurologist(if i can find one in New Zealand). Thankyou so much for the reply hopefully the end of this nightmare is in sight...let me know cheers and super good luck

I know its early days yet bro but any change with the exercise routine? (please say yes) cheers Graeme

Hello! Unfortunately I have a killer sinus infection and a bad cold;therefore, my Dr. advised me to wait until my antibiotics kick in before I try anything. I am going to try it tomorrow night. I will let you know how it goes. I will know within a couple of days if it worked or not. How are you feeling? Any answers yet? Hang in there, Dawn