Spaced out, fuzzy head, 6 months. Could it be Ear related or purely anxiety?

[Spacedout247]

Hello

I’m new here, first time poster

I’ve struggled with this constant feeling of being spaced out, out of focus floating sort of feeling that I know some of you are familiar with, for a long time i struggled to describe to people, doctors especially the symptoms and the way I feel and It’s been hell.

I’ve always had suspicions that it’s related to my ears and pressure (Eustachian tube dysfunction) and I know that ears regulate balance and are a big cause of dizziness, but honesty this spaced out feeling isn’t really classical dizziness as sufferers will be aware. It could be a coincidence but this feeling always seems to coincide with my ears feeing blocked/ like I need to equalise pressure (yawning, closed nose and blow method etc) but I never seem to be able to to achieve clarity. Leads me to believe maybe it has another cause.

I also had this condition last year from April to December and the symptoms are the same, spaced out feeling that seems to gradually get more debilitating over the weeks and months. It came to a head in about September last year where I had a bit of a breakdown and a whole host of other symptoms began, twitching and feeling weak and fatigued. Very odd time, dr google made me panic and that’s when the anxiety became obvious. I went to CBT Councilling for health anxiety and tbh I think I eventually convinced myself that I wasn’t dying and around the start of 2018 it dissipated and I felt normal and healthy once more, sadly it came back though and Im living with it day to day.

I’m currently taking 50mg Sertraline, 10 days in, so far no change in spaceyness.

Can anyone give advice or share some experience. Is this just anxiety, I mean I do worry about my health quite a lot but only because this started again, don’t know why it just starts out of the blue, or does anxiety work like that?

Kind regards

[tamka38]

Hi I have experience derealization and depersonalization. And am on Sertraline

100 mg for 5 weeks. It takes 6-8 weeks

For it to get in your system. Maybe u

Should go to a different doctor. Am

Here if u want to talk sending you a

Hug 🤗

[Spacedout247 in reply to tamka38]

Hi thanks for replying,

So is depersonalisation the agreed name for it (spaced out feeling)? Do you suffer with it now or are you over it?

Personally, when I look back over the past 5-6 years I can remember another 3-4 times when I’ve felt like this, so there is some comfort in that it will end eventually and there will be a period of normality. I really hope i just snap out of it soon, also hope the medication works so I know I can rely on it to keep my head clear and prevent this in future.

[tamka38 in reply to Spacedout247]

I use to struggle with it bad and now it comes and go I try to keep myself busy

[Spacedout247 in reply to tamka38]

Glad you don’t suffer too badly anymore, Is it the sertraline that keeps it in check for you or multiple factors?

[tamka38 in reply to Spacedout247]

I just started the Sertraline 5 weeks ago I just learned how to do with it because when I use to talk about it to my doctor they made it seem like I was losing my mind and I use to self medicate with alcohol and use medical marijuana and I heard good things about OBD oil

[Miniwheats]

You could always ask for referral to ENT. What you describe is exactly what I went through and the ENT said that unless you have room spinning dizziness - it's not inner ear. Long story short, had MRI, vestibular testing, heart monitor, lung function test, overnight sleep study, saw a physiatrist, neurologist - EVERYTHING NORMAL!! The initial trigger for my anxiety now took a backseat to my new trigger - my unexplained symptoms! Then I developed more symptoms and I felt like I was just being sucked into a vortex of fear and despair with no way out. Then a physician friend confidently told me I have hyperventilation syndrome. He diagnosed me in like, 3 minutes flat. Have you ever tried the hyperventilation test for anxiety? Google it and YouTube search it. If your symptoms mimic what you experience after doing the test then what you have is very likely hyperventilation syndrome (Google that too). It's not dizziness you're right - it's a floaty, spacey, whoozy, nausea in the head kind of feeling that can last a couple minutes or come and go in a split second. If this is you, you need to do breathing exercises EVERY DAY even if it feels like the stupidest thing in the world. Try Ryan Taylor's "Breathe" meditation and Jason Stephenson's "Peace" guided imagery meditation. It will take a few weeks to learn how to control your breathing when the spaciness happens and a few months for the meditations to work their magic on your parasympathetic nervous system. You said you overcame it for a while but then it came back. Ask yourself what triggered your anxiety again and practice everything you did in CBT with this new issue. I hope this helps you 😊 I am now "dizzy free" and back to my old self again 😊

[Spacedout247 in reply to Miniwheats]

This is really interesting, thank you for making me aware of this, I’ll definitely take your advice and look into this.

[Jpsurf760]

I have had a similar experience. Been dizzy, foggy headed, dealing with derealization, etc... I assumed it was my ears and went to all sorts of doctors only to have tests show up normal. After researching and hearing other peoples testimonies I am fairly certain it is just anxiety. I just recently started taking Prozac. I think once that kicks in, the dizziness and weird sensations should dissipate. Hopefully the same happens to you...

[Spacedout247 in reply to Jpsurf760]

Yeah hopefully the meds will work for us both, it really has been the bane of my life this past couple of years. I suspect it’s the same with my ears then, as I learn more about anxiety it’s become my more likely that it is infact that. Up until I found this forum i really hadn’t spoken to anyone that described the symptoms as well as you guys and it was really frustrating.

Anyway, all the best.